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Your Home Security and Safety Needs
Home security is increasingly becoming a major concern among homeowners today, and proper planning and installation of a home security system that meets your needs can make a big difference in your family's safety at home for years to come.
While your local police force tries its best to take criminals off the street and provide residents a certain level of safety, these lawless elements are still out there roaming the streets in search of their next victim.
Besides, police may be overwhelmed by the amount of crime in your community, giving homeowners pause about the need to have a home security system installed in their homes.
Nationwide crime statistics provide a rather grim picture:
* In the U.S., a home is being broken into and burglarized every 15 seconds.
* Over 60% of home burglaries happen when nobody's at home.
* An average of $1,600 is lost from these burglaries.
* Only about 13% of these burglaries ever get solved.
- If you're traveling for an extended period, suspend your newspaper and mail delivery, and forward calls to your home phone to your cell phone
- Install deadbolt locks (or keyed-entry locks) into the door frames of your exterior doors
- If you have hollow-core doors, reinforce them with metal sheets or replace them with solid-core doors.
- Have your lawn and yard mowed and trees and hedges trimmed to remove hiding places for burglars
- Install timer-activated or motion sensor outdoor lights in key entrances to your home
- Lock all doors, garage doors and windows with working key locks
Fire and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Statistics also show that there are close to 413,000 residential fires each year, with almost $9 billion worth of property lost due to fire. Were there fire alarm systems installed in these homes?
Carbon monoxide poisoning also claims the lives of 1,500 people every year. Would a carbon monoxide detection system have helped in these cases?
A Variety of Home Security Products
You certainly would want to do your part to make sure you implement those much-needed measures to protect yourself, your family and property.
Home security products are so much in demand today that industry leaders now offer a wide variety of devices and services to help protect your home and family.
Plan for Your Home Security Needs
Home security should be based on a plan that you work out with family members and experts in your community.
Get home security tips and recommendations from your local police and fire departments and study them. They know the most common problems in your community and usually have publications that list and explain the measures citizens must take for their security needs.
You also should find out about potential risks in your area and make special plans to help you neutralize those risks.
Home Security Planning: Consider All Possibilities
As the planner for the security of your home and family, you should think about all the members of the family when you create your plan.
Young children require special consideration to make sure they are safe. In addition to protecting them from criminal elements, you also need to think about other things. Where you place harmful substances when you have young children at home is just one example.
Elderly people may also need special consideration in your security planning. They may fall and hurt themselves, so home security systems that enable them to signal or alert others for immediate assistance is an important element of your plan.
Products and Services
There are devices, tools and services available to you in planning for home security: home security alarms (fire and burglar), home security cameras, home security videos, fire extinguishers, and complete systems and services, including home security monitors and wireless systems.
You can use these systems and devices to address any security vulnerability at home and to provide for the safety of your family against potential dangers.
People, for example, know that they should have fire alarms, so make sure that you have these devices in place and in working order.
You also shouldn't forget to use home security signs that usually are provided with your security system purchase.
Home Security Professional Assessment and Planning
There are home security protection vendors that will help you asses and plan for your needs. These experts can suggest a plan and make recommendations their company can implement for you after they've assessed your home security requirements.
You can also visit your local home security stores to see firsthand the types of products --- including do-it-yourself or DIY systems --- that match your needs.