4 Essential Elements of Home Security

By: Matt Congdon
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:23:26
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Home security is becoming more and more critical for everyone. Even the neighborhoods that traditionally were secure are no longer as safe as before. Criminals seem to lurk everywhere looking to take from you. And if you live in a high crime area then you don’t really have a choice but to pay attention to how secure your home is. But protection from criminals is not the only aspect of home security that you need to consider.

The pointers below will help you design an action plan to make your home a safer place to live.

First Aid Kit

I’m told that most accidents happen in the home – now I don’t know if it’s true but it is amazing how often accidents do happen in a home. I guess if you figure that the kitchen is full of chemicals, electrical appliances, sharp objects designed to cut, boiling water, hot fat,…the list is endless. Then take the bathrooms where there are often slippery floor surfaces, more boiling water, more razor edges, medicines ……and we haven’t got to the garage yet with machines and gas and ……………..yowza. It’s amazing that any of us survive. The you have to add the kids to the whole package.

So – before you need it – and the odds are that you will need it – get a first aid kit. Any family chemist of clinic will help you with a list of suitable stuff. In many cases you will even be able to buy a complete kit. However you chose to get a kit – get one. Because when you need it – you are going to need it quickly.

Smoke Alarms

Fire is another real hazard in the home. Not that it happens every day but it can. And face it – fire is often a part of our normal living. Maybe a fire in the fireplace. How about in the barbeque or burning the garden refuse. Maybe the fat catches fire in the kitchen. A candle falls over. Then there are the kids again and matches and curiosity. How about falling asleep with a cigarette or cigar. Electrical shorts. The list goes on and on. So consider a smoke alarm system. Get a good system and keep an eye on the batteries to make sure they are still able to run the sensors. And get a fire extinguisher. Get one for the garage at the same time. You may never need it. But if you do you will need it fast. No time to go looking under cupboards and stairwells. It needs to be right there.

Locks

Get good locks on the doors. .Deadbolt locks are good. If you are not sure about the lock quality that is suitable for your home then talk to your local hardware store or locksmith. I know it may sound crazy but all to often the locks on exterior doors may be inferior and offer little resistance to an experienced house breaker. Make sure your locks are solid. But also make sure that everyone in the home knows how to get the lock open in a hurry. Circumstances may come about where you need to get out in a hurry – and it may be pitch black at night. Practice drills on evacuation.

And get a good solid torch or flashlight. Get a couple. Stash them around the home where everyone can get their hands on one if necessary. If they are really solid they can double as a club. Now I know you may not be Rambo but you never know. If you do surprise a burglar or need to break a window to escape then a club with a light on one end will be useful.

Get a list of support telephone numbers.

Nothing like stating the obvious but. I watched a car thief breaking into my car and realized I didn’t know the telephone number of the local police station or my security company. Too late to go paging through the phone book. Put the numbers on the fridge, in your cell phone – anywhere. So when you need them you have them. ( Needless to say – my torch and a strong sense of indignant protesting was enough to chase the car thief away ) but next time I’ll have the telephone numbers I need.

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