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

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • 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.