Safety around the holidays is an important task that is often overlooked as the cheer of the season overwhelms us. Your home and belongings are left unsupervised more than ever as you attend holiday events and shop for loved ones. Aside from leaving your home more often, criminals are often more desperate this time of year making your home a larger target than it may be during the rest of the year.
Having multiple people in your home is a security risk, especially if you do not know them. While it would be easy for a stranger to steal something small while the visit occurs, it would be just as easy for them and a friend to stop by with a pickup truck while you are at work or on vacation and clear out your house. Jacksonville security alarms will instantly alert the police of any unauthorized entries to your home, making a would-be robber nothing more than a seat warmer in a cop car.
Holiday Travel Guide
Holiday travel can be risky to home security, many people travel this time of year so it makes it possible for whole neighborhoods to be burglarized with no witnesses. You can reduce the safety risk to your home by placing lights on a timer both inside and outside the home to mimic your daily activity. Another factor is mail collection. Even if you only go for a weekend have a friend get your mail or ask the post office to hold it for pick up. If a criminal sees mail left in your box it tells them no one is home to call the cops.
Jacksonville security alarms are better than someone being home. If you are home sleeping after a long trip the house can often still appear empty, leaving you and your home at risk. A security system will alert the police of a break in, possibly before you notice it is happening. Alarm systems can also alert fire companies and medical professionals depending on the selected option of your system.
At the holidays, it is often recommended to place your holiday tree in a visible front window. This serves a double purpose. The first is to prevent a would-be robber from seeing into your home. If they cannot see the 60-inch flat screen on your wall, they will not be tempted to steal it. Another reason for this placement is that if your tree catches on fire a neighbor may see it to contact the firefighters to rescue your home. A security alarm will let you place your tree anywhere without the added risk of your valuables on display, or potential fire hazard due to lack of visibility.
Teach your Children How to be Safe
Jacksonville security alarms cannot prevent all the accidents around your home. Children pose a safety hazard around the holidays as well. Many fires are started by kids knocking over candles, plugging too many things into an outlet or leaving a window of door open. Aside from the risk to the rest of the family, kids themselves are at risk in the kitchen due to the flurry of activity, heat from the stove and sharp utensils. Be sure to instruct your kids on how to be safe during the holidays.
If you send the kids to grandma and grandpas for the holidays be sure the kids and adults both know basic safety. Teach the kids your phone number and names as soon as they can talk. Be sure the adults have your contact number and the children’s doctors numbers. Any medications the kids take should be packed and both kid and adult should know the dosage and when it is taken; however, always have an adult administer the medications to prevent an accidental overdose.
Child proofing your home should be done if you have kids, or are expecting any to visit for the holidays. The most basic steps are blocking off stairs, placing guards in electrical outlets and moving breakables out of reach of small hands. It is also a good idea to have all hazardous chemicals and cleaning products out of reach, or locked in a cabinet.
You can do a lot to make your home safe; however, you cannot be there for every event or stop every occurrence. For times when you cannot do it, there is a Jacksonville security alarms system that can keep your home, belongings and loved ones safe.