All of us do our best to keep our family and property safe. In order to do this, our first thought is a home security system. Sometimes, though, we focus on the obvious and overlook simple, but dangerous hazards in the home. Let’s list a couple of areas that you can use to check your home for any dangerous situations. Also, we will see how your home security will be able to lessen the risks in these areas.
Keep Out of Reach of Children
Although many things are common sense, getting too busy or being too trusting of our children can cause risks. Definitely, keep harmful items out of reach or locked up. This list would include things like medicines, knives or sharp objects, cleaning products or other chemicals, weapons, and the like. The #1 way to keep your children safe is to always be aware of their activity. They are all different, so there is no hard-fast rule for ages. However, remember that no matter what their age is, they are still inexperienced children.
Home security systems can assist by having cameras in the activity rooms where you can check on them using your smartphone. In addition, the door and window contacts can be used on a cabinet, closet doors, or drawers that contain items children should not have access to. The contact sensors will send an alert to your smartphone if there is movement detected.
Fire Dangers
The National Fire Protection Association reported in November 2020 that there are about 353,100 house fires per year resulting in $7.2 billion in property damage with 2,620 deaths. Some of the causes were cooking 49%, heating equipment 12%, and electrical and lighting 10%. Other fire hazards in your home can come from your clothes dryer. These fires can be minimized by simply keeping your lint trap and vent cleaned out, along with maintenance. A third place to look for fire hazards is in your garage. Safely store those paints, fertilizers, and other chemicals. Keep flammable materials away from any heat sources.
It is recommended to keep an up-to-date fire extinguisher in the home, one for each floor. Monitored home security systems today can integrate your smoke detector into the system. That way, when the sensors are triggered, the central monitoring station is alerted and the fire department is quickly sent to you. You would also receive an alert from your security system if you were away from the house.
Silent Killers and More
Other than smoke, the next deadly fumes may come from carbon monoxide. Especially during the winter seasons, those who use appliances that burn gas, coal, or oil need to be alert. Regularly maintain the appliances that use these fuels. Never warm up your car in the garage where the fumes can seep into the home.
A seldom mentioned gas that can also be found in homes is radon. Radon is a cancerous gas that comes up from the ground and enters the home through cracks in the foundation. This is also an odorless, undetectable gas that you breathe in. You can check your home for its presence by purchasing a radon kit in a hardware store. Radon detectors are not yet implemented into the home security systems, but a carbon monoxide detector is. As with the smoke detector, when CO is detected an alarm goes off and an alert is sent to you and the monitoring company.
Preparation and Prevention
Accidents happen and we cannot predict the future, but preparation can help minimize damage. Allied Home Security wants to help you do this. Outfit your home with cameras inside and out, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and placing door and window contacts where you need to be alerted when they are opened. By doing this, you will be preventing or minimizing any hazard that could cause you and your family harm. Call us at Allied today to see what home security devices we can layer your home with. We want to see you safely through winter and off to a great start this new year.
