Tips: Protect Your House For Summer Vacation

The Home Safety Council offers tips to prepare your house before leaving on summer vacation.

  • Put bright lights over porches and walkways in the front and back.
  • All doors to the outside should have working locks.
  • Garage and shed doors need working locks too.
  • All windows should have working locks.
  • Before you leave, walk through each room of your home to make sure all doors to the outside, sliding doors, and windows are securely locked.
  • If you have an automatic garage door, always, look over your shoulder before leaving the driveway to ensure the garage door has completely closed behind you.
  • Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed under windows so burglars can't hide in them.
  • Keep ladders stored in a locked shed or garage so they can't be used to climb into your home.
  • Keep shades or curtains closed over garage and shed windows.
  • Keep shades or curtains closed over your home windows after dark.
  • Don't leave toys, tools and equipment in the yard.
  • Make your home look like someone is there. Consider using timers to turn selected lights on and off automatically. Timers are also available for outdoor water sprinklers.
  • Do yard work before you leave.
  • Have a family member or friend bring in your mail and newspaper while you are gone. Give them a key to keep at their home; do not leave a key in a hiding place.
  • If you use an answering machine, do not record a message that indicates you are out of town.

Featured

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.