Your February Home Safety Checklist
Safety Tips You Can Use Year Round Every year starts with resolutions, such as helping people more and losing weight. One resolution that some people forget about is home safety. It’s a good resolution to have and one that is not too late to make since it’s still early in the year. Below you will find a home safety checklist that you can use in February and year-round to make sure your home is as secure as possible. Bedrooms and Other Living Spaces Practice an emergency plan and come up with escape routes for each member of your family. Practice this escape route at least once a month so that everyone knows it well. Make sure there are flashlights with functional batteries in every storm in case the power goes out due to snow or a general power outage. Take a home inventory in case a time comes that you need to file an insurance claim due to burglary or damage to the home. Install smoke detectors in bedrooms and change the batter every time Daylight Savings Times begins and ends. Make sure instruction manuals and serial numbers to important things in these rooms are kept in a file. Include warranty papers. Hallway Test your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Also, remember that if you don’t have a home security system, they have built-in carbon monoxide detection and built-in smoke-detection so that authorities are alerted when these two dangerous elements are sensed and you aren’t interacting with the system. Make sure your fire extinguishers are full. The needle must be in the green. If the needle is not in the green zone, it is time to have it replaced or serviced. Make sure the hose isn’t cracked and that the handle and locking pin are in place. Kitchen Have a contact list on your refrigerator that includes all important numbers like Poison Control, the doctor, emergency services, and close family members. Check the hood fan of your range for signs of grease buildup, which can cause a fire, and regularly clean it so it performs properly. Check your kitchen fire extinguisher to ensure the needle is in the green and that nothing is broken or out of place. Deep clean your oven and range top. Use vinegar, baking soda, ice, hot water, and some lemon or lime to clean your garbage disposal. Basement Make sure the circuit breaker is clean to avoid outages and power surges. Make sure pipes are properly covered to make sure they don’t freeze. If the basement gets below 32 degrees, you are risking pipe freezing. Furnace filters need changed every four to six weeks. Air vents need to be dusted. Inspect the basement for cracks, leaks, or mold that could cause health hazards or other dangers. Make sure any outside doors to the basement are secure. If you are having a security system installed, you will want to have a sensor placed on the outside basement door, even if a thief would have to go through an interior door to access the contents of the home. Bathroom Make sure your first aid kit is full. Make sure windows have locks and that they are locked. This is something you should check throughout the entire house. Outside Check your outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting is extremely important in ensuring that you and visitors can see where you’re walking. Outdoor lighting is also a burglar deterrent. If you don’t have outdoor lights, have some installed. Motion lights are great additions. If you don’t have outside video surveillance, this is important as well. You can see who comes to your home. If someone isn’t welcome, you can see who they are. Overall Consider a full security solution. You can outfit your home to be safer, but checking fire extinguishers and making sure garbage disposals are clear don’t keep thieves away. Unfortunately, homes throughout Rochester and all over New York are being accessed by burglars daily because they don’t have security systems. Not only does this result in the loss of belongings, but a loss of personal security. Contact Your Rochester Security System Installer To make your home more secure, SPS Fire & Security has a full suite of solutions available to you. All you have to do is make the call and ask us about the solution that will fit your home and your needs. Call us today at 585-770-0348 to learn more.
Another Type of Home Security: Children and the Internet
How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online Another type of home security, children and the internet, is something that people wouldn’t usually link together. Recently across the internet there has been a very disturbing video of a young girl killing herself and it has been accessed by many young children across the nation. After hearing about this video, a great number of schools sent out a letter to parents stating that they are doing everything that they can do to protect children by controlling what they see on the internet. We as parents can not be with our children every waking minute of the day, but in order to ensure safety online during computer use, there are many steps you can take to make sure that your child doesn’t ever come across another disturbing video again. Teaching Children about Online Safety Online safety is another measure in home security because of the information that can be relayed on the internet. The most important rule for online safety for children is to set up a time with how long that children can go online. Your children should never give out personal information to anyone or at anytime. Giving out any information should be the decision made by the parent. Never give out your passwords to any one other then parents. Never allow children to post pictures without approval from the parents. It happens and people find a way to use pictures as a source to find out where you or your children are at. If messages come across the computer and you don’t know who the person is, don’t respond. Your child should close the opened app or window and tell an adult. Before downloading any software that might damage the computer, children should ask parents first. What Parents Can Do To Secure Online Safety If you have young children that are using the computer ,you want to do the following things to protect your children and the computer: Set up security guidelines (block all sites your children can not go on) on the computer. Your children should only be on age appropriate websites. Set up a timer to measure the length of time your children is on the computer. Some software programs have a timer that will allow the computer so shut off after a certain length of time. After your children has been on the computer, always be sure to check the browser history to see where your child went to. If you are not home and you don’t want your children to have access to the computer until you get home, there are ways to add a password to the computer. Make the password something that your children will never figure out. Contact Your Rochester Home Security Company For any questions about more online security and protecting your children contact SPS Fire & Security at 585-770-0348.
Airport Safety Tips & Personal Security
Stay Safe While Traveling After hearing about Rochester International Airport receiving suspicious bomb threats on Thursday December 29, 2016, people who travel by plane should take airport safety tips seriously. These tips will assist you in making sure that you have safe travels. Keep Yourself Safe at Home as Well! Many people were either coming to the airport or just getting ready to board or get off their flight. Report from the news says that many did not expect to come to the airport to see that the roads blocked off and hear that they would have to wait to even get in. Airport Safety Tips Listen to Authority: If this situation ever happens to you, first and foremost, listen to authority. The proper authority will be contacted and arrive in a timely fashion. Don’t move or open anything that might look suspicious: Like the incident that happened at the Rochester International Airport with the two unattended bags, if you see anything out of the ordinary, don’t do anything without proper instructions. Leave all suspicious items to the proper authority to inspect. Act calm and appropriately: If you and your family or friends get separated in any case, act calm, as you will be connected once the incident is over. Keep track of all your belongings during emergency situations: Keep a close eye on all your luggage, bags and any young children you happen to be traveling with. Just because one incident happened at a local airport doesn’t mean that it has to put a damper on your future travel plans. If you or a loved one are traveling in the near future just always be cautious about your surroundings and keep in mind the above safety tips. Ensure Personal Security Through a Security Alarm Company Don’t forget to contact your security company to give them a heads up that you and your family will be away from home so if anything goes wrong at home you can be contacted in a timely fashion. Call SPS Fire & Security today at 585-770-0348 for a free consultation.
Car and Home Security in Rochester
Keep Your Car and Home Safe No matter where you plan on parking your car, you should never leave valuable things inside. It doesn’t matter if you are holiday shopping, at a friends or relatives house, or at your own home, break-ins, whether it would be in a car or home, can lead to valuable items being taken and for identity theft. In the last few days, there have been many posts on social media about car break-ins in and around Rochester. One of the individuals that had their car broken into had their groceries (soda and Gatorade) stolen, and then another individual had their expensive hunting gear taken. All of this was done while the cars were parked in their driveways. Now let’s talk about security at your own home for your car. What is the best type of security to have if your neighborhood or any surrounding neighborhoods have a high number of car break-ins? If you must leave valuable items in your car overnight or for a long period of time, there are some security tips and equipment that you can buy to protect your car. 1. Car Alarm System The first smart thing to do when purchasing a car is to get a car with an alarm or, if the car you like doesn’t have one, get one installed. A car alarm will go off when the driver side door is opened and the keys are not in the ignition to stop the alarm. 2. Motion Sensors Motion sensors are an important aspect of home security because they can detect when there is movement in a certain area. These lights will turn on when someone or something is moving near the sensor. 3. Video Surveillance A video surveillance system is a system that your security company can install that will allow you to be able to go on your mobile device or your computer to see any activity that may be happening. If there is a lot of activity that involves a lot of people at your house and your car does happen to be broken into, then you can go and see if the video surveillance footage can tell you anything. Not only is it good to do the three things that are listed above, but there are many other things that you could do to protect your car when parked right in your driveway. Don’t make your car and the things that are in it available for people to want to break-in. Contact An Expert Security Alarm Installation Company If you are interested in installing a security alarm or upgrading your alarm contact SPS Fire and Security at 585-770-0348 so we can help you get the security alarm that best suites you and your needs.
Things to Keep in Your Automobile in Case of an Emergency
Keep Yourself Safe on the Road All Year Round The thought of getting stranded or running out of gas leaves a nervous feeling in many of us. It affects our sense of security. There are Multiple things that you can do to make sure that your automobile is well-maintained, but what’s inside your car plays a key role as well when preserving your sense of security. Below is a list of ten of the most popular items that you would want to have in your automobile in case of an emergency: 1. Fully Charged Mobile Phone With technology these days, having a fully charged cell phone on hand is the quickest way to get in contact with someone. Some cars don’t charge cell phones while they aren’t running so if you notice that your phone is low on battery, charge it while driving. 2. Jumper Cables You come out from work, put the key in the ignition and your car doesn’t start. What do you do next? The smartest thing that you can do when finding a parking place at work or at any store would be to park where another car can park in front of you. Never pull through because it makes it harder for any one to help you out. Plus, it blocks car drivers from backing out. 3. Flashlights Flashlights come in handy for when you need to check under the hood or if you get stranded when it is dark outside. Again, your sense of security is very important. 4. Roadside Flares Roadside flares are the best form of light signals to have when it is dark out and you are on a busy road or thruway. Many people won’t see you or your car right away if it is a dark color. Having the roadside flares will allow other drivers to see you and your car ahead of time and give them enough time to move over to another lane, if possible. Keeping jumper cables in your automobile in case of an emergency, may not only keep you safe but others as well. 5. Blankets You should have one blanket for every person that is in your family. Even though you are in the car where it might be slightly warmer than it is outside, you want to be sure that everyone in your car is warm, especially if you have little ones. 6. Bottles of Water Keep one or two bottle of water for every person that is in your family. You never know how long you are going to be stranded for. Water is better for you and lasts longer than juice or soda. Keeping water in your automobile in case of an emergency, not only can keep you safe, but you could also use it to help another person or animal. 7. Food Granola bars are always a good food to keep in your car. Like Water and Blankets, you should keep one to two per person in your family in the car. 8. First Aid Kit Whether it is cleaning up a head wound from scattered glass or cleaning a boo boo for your three-year-old, a good stocked first aid kit always comes in handy. The first aid kit should have bandages, white tape, gauze, cotton balls, medical gloves, Neosporin, and anything else that you would think would be helpful during a medical emergency when on the road. Having a first aid kit in your automobile in case of an emergency, could keep someone safe until more help arrived. 9. Ice Scraper It is 5am and you are outside in the cold scraping your car windshield with a credit card. That is not always a good idea. Having a least two scrapers in your car would benefit you just in case one of them breaks. 10. Gloves (both work and winter) Both work and winter gloves are key essentials to your car kit. Winter gloves are not going to be safe if you need to check under the hood of your car. Buy safety work gloves in case you or someone in the car with you knows what it is that can be fixed under the hood. No matter what season (winter, summer, spring or fall) it is, always revamp your car kit based on the season. Sometimes you might not need the winter gloves or ice scrapers anyway, but you need extra water bottles because it is 90 degrees outside and there is always the possibility you’ll break down. When taking things out of the car kit, make sure that you have a bin to place all your off-season car items so you know exactly what it is that you took out. This keeps you equipped and organized. Contact Your Rochester Security Experts All in all, having a car safety kit is one of the most important things you can do for you and your family. You never know what is going to happen on your daily routine. Keep your insurance information and a good reliable towing service number handy in case of any emergency. To extend safety measures to your home, SPS Fire & Security can help you. Call us at 585-770-0348 to learn more.
Five Ways to Avoid Identity Theft
How to Protect Your Identity Many people over the years have found that with the busyness of family gatherings, it’s so much easier to do their holiday shopping online. Unfortunately, identity theft via a computer or internet is the easiest way to gain access to an individual’s identity. Yes, just like a home alarm system keeps out burglars, anti-virus and anti-malware software can keep out thieves. Nonetheless, you have to take precautions. Below, you will find five ways to avoid identity theft when using your computer to make online purchases. Also remember that identity theft can also occur if a thief breaks into your home and takes personal documents. Having an alarm system in place will help prevent this from happening and, if it does, video surveillance is a great way to identify the perp. 1. Pay Close Attention to Accounts Always make sure that you are watching your bank and credit accounts. If you notice any unusual activity, make sure that you report it right away. 2. Never Give Out You Social Security Number Most banks and credit card companies will ask you for the last four digits of your social security number. Don’t give it out unless it is a bank or credit card company that you are associated with. That is one of the easiest ways a thief can get access to your account information. You can ask for a callback number so you can call them back and give your information. This can ensure that you are really talking to your financial institution. 3. Make Sure to Shred All Papers with Personal Information If your home doesn’t already have a paper shredder, it would be a great investment. You should be shredding all documents that have any personal information such as account numbers, partial social security numbers, and home addresses. As referenced earlier, a thief can break into your home and steal personal information for the purpose of identity theft. Again, having an alarm system installed can be a major theft deterrent. 4. Make Passwords Secure Never make passwords words or characters that someone could easily figure out. Plus, don’t write your passwords down and leave them around the house so that anyone could get them. Make your passwords words and characters that only you know and don’t give out your passwords to anyone that you don’t trust. 5. Use Protection On The Computer If you do a lot of home shopping from your computer, make sure that you have some computer security installed. Some proper security that you could install on your computer would be firewalls and spyware. Each one of the programs can keep your computer and identity safe from viruses and hackers. Make sure that the programs are updated before shopping online to secure that you have the best safety. Having knowledge of identity theft could save you from any harm happening to you this holiday season. One other way to protect not only you but your children is to teach them about identity theft. Teach your children not to give out any information to anyone that they don’t know or to anyone online. While identity theft is certainly something to watch out for during the holiday season, it defiantly should not keep you from doing your holiday shopping at your own comfort of your home computer. By following these tips, you can continue to enjoy the internet from just about anywhere. And don’t forget that an alarm system is also a valuable component in avoiding identity theft. Protect Yourself Better with SPS Fire & Security Although SPS Fire & Security is a home and business security alarm company, our services can keep burglars out that can steal your personal information. Unfortunately, thieves will acquire credit cards, social security cards, and important documents for the purpose of committing identity theft. To learn more about how SPS Fire & Security can help you, call 585-770-0348 for a free consultation.
Keeping Your Valuables Secure in Your Home
Protect Your Most Important Items We automatically assume that our homes are the safest places for our valuables. This means putting things wherever they land instead of locking them away. Jewelry, for instance, may be stored in an unlocked jewelry box. Important documents that contain valuable information may be placed in a desk drawer or a file cabinet with no locks. Despite how secure you feel at home or how intense your home security methods are, you can never be too safe when protecting those personal belongings that are worth much more than what you paid for them. The following are some tips on how to keep your most valuable items safe: Keep Documents in a Safe Insurance documents, social security cards, birth certificates, the paperwork on that diamond ring, passports, tax returns, and identifying documents need to be locked away. Thieves look for unlocked file cabinets and desks to take documents that could lead to identity theft. Invest in a Home Security System It doesn’t matter how many chain locks and deadbolts you have on your doors, a skilled thief can find a way to get in. Unfortunately, a lot of locks can’t do what a home security system can do and that’s alert the authorities when an intruder comes into the home. Video surveillance can capture their face and even show what they stole if they get past the sound of the alarm. Many times, a thief doesn’t continue once they hear the alarm sound. Don’t Hide Your Spare Key Outside This is another area where an experienced thief is going to win. They know where to find those keys that are hidden under rocks, over top of door facings, around bushes, or under that flower bed ornament. Just don’t do it. Keep a spare with a trusted neighbor or friend. Keep Jewelry in a Safe Whether it’s grandma’s pearls or the most expensive piece of jewelry you have ever purchased, you need to keep them locked in a safe. The first place a thief will look is the master bedroom for jewelry that is lying out in the open or inside a locked jewelry box. Many times, they’ll grab the entire jewelry box and run so they can sort through it later. Video Surveillance Video surveillance was mentioned before, but it deserves another mention because you can’t lock your flat screen TV in a safe. The light weight of some electronics makes them easy to steak. Even if a thief decides to continue despite the sounding of the alarm, you can catch their face on video. It’s amazing how many burglars are caught because of good video surveillance. Forget the Mattress The mattress is another hot spot thieves will look. If you hide money or other valuables under your mattress, you can expect a burglar to find them. Kitchen Items Belong in Cabinets It can be tempting to hide items in those small cabinets that are up high in your kitchen. Burglars know this trick, too. They also know that that junk drawer may be hiding something valuable. Even if you have a lot of drawers in your kitchen, you can expect a thief to search, especially when there isn’t a security alarm shortening the amount of time they have to rummage. That Small Safe is Not a Good Investment It is fantastic to buy a safe. It is one of the greatest investments you can make. It is secure and it is fireproof so that your belongings are protected. However, the safe isn’t going to help you if it is small and not bolted down. You want to invest in a large safe that can be bolted to the floor. Not only would it be an extreme hassle for a burglar to unbolt the safe, but it would be too large for them to carry it. They would have to wheel it out on a dolly. Even that can be nearly impossible because of the weight. It can also be nearly impossible due to the fact that someone would see them wheeling a safe out of the house, and it would most likely involve multiple people. It’s not worth a burglar’s trouble to take a giant safe out of a house. So, here are some tips to help you keep your valuables secure in your home. Even with a home security system, which will most likely deter a burglar from the start, you don’t want to leave anything laying out that could be grabbed quickly. Yes, your home is the safest place you can be, but anything can happen when you’re not home. It is better to be safe than have to deal with the consequences of a thief’s disregard for you and your property. Contact An Experienced Security Alarm Company Today SPS Fire & Security cares about you and your belongings. To protect what is important to you, a quality and affordable security system is the answer. To learn more, call today at 585-770-0348 for a free consultation.
Safety on Social Media When Going on Vacation
Watch What You Share On Social Media Platforms Safety when posting on social media when going on vacation should always be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Once again, school gets in session and there are many holidays that follow. There is Columbus Day, which has a three-day weekend for some; Thanksgiving; and Christmas, which can have a week or more of vacation. Each one of those holidays is about a month apart and takes a lot of planning. Starting with Columbus Day, many families will take a small three-day vacation to catch their breath from all the hustle and bustle of life. Some might go camping for the last time or just go to a family spa resort for some downtime. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of the biggest holidays where you have families that are traveling to see other families, whether it be in another town or in a different state. As much fun as we have during all three holidays, we have to be careful of what we post on social media. So many people look to social media as a way to communicate to their friends and families. While that is a good idea, it is also a good place for a burglar to grasp that your home is not being protected by another person or remote security monitoring. This is why safety on social media while on vacation is such a major issue. Social Media Tips for Protecting Your Home As a homeowner who loves social media, what can you do to protect your home from anything happening? Many of us, while on vacation, will try not to use our social media so we can have family time. However, we know that does always work. Some things to do include not going on at all, uninstalling certain apps from your phone that could peg your location if you have a Smartphone, or not bringing your phone at all. We all know that last one is impossible since your phone is also a way to keep you safe. You can also use your phone for remote security monitoring of your home through a special app. Here are some tips to help you out: 1. Go on Vacation Quietly Don’t broadcast on social media that you are leaving. Many of us going on vacation like to announce when and where we are going to be, but that’s just not a good idea. We like to be able to go on social media to get feedback on certain activities or events that are going on in the area we are vacationing. Safety on social media when going on vacation is always a priority for most families and doesn’t have to limit your good time, if you follow some simple rules of thumb. When you and your family are on vacation, don’t post any information or pictures until you get home. If you are making post on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other sites, burglars can use much of that information as a target to your home. 2. Stay Safe On Social Media When Going On Vacation If you feel the need to post on social media, think about who can see your accounts. Make changes to secure your profile. Currently Smartphones come with GPS trackers, so if you have it on, it would be in your best interest to switch it off. This setting usually exists under location settings in your phone. Staying safe on social media when on vacation should always be a priority. When your mail gets backed up because you can’t get to it for a week, your home becomes a target because it makes it obvious no one is there to get the mail. You can have the post office hold your mail. You can also notify your newspaper and tell them to stop delivery for the week you’re on vacation. If you don’t want to do this, make sure a friend, neighbor, or family member can get your mail everyday. You may also want to consider putting your lights on a timer and ask a friend, family member, or neighbor to keep an eye on your home. If you know anyone trustworthy who will house sit, that would be great. 3. Don’t Post at All or Overpost Don’t check in to any location on your Facebook or Instagram. If you don’t want that to happen, you need to turn the location GPS off so it doesn’t automatically locate you. Plus, you don’t have to post every picture that you take while you are on vacation. Save all your photos and post the best ones when you get home. The more you upload to your accounts, the more you are leading a burglar to know that you are away. These are all great ways to stay safe on social media when going on vacation. The less you say, the more you and your home are staying safe. 4. Contact Your Security Company When you and your family are going to be away from home for an extensive period of time, contact your security company. If there is any unusual activity that comes through to your security company, they will get in contact with you and you can verify that it is someone that you know at your home. 5. Opt for Remote Security Monitoring You are going to feel a lot better if you can keep an eye on your home while you’re away. You can keep track of your security system and even video surveillance through your smartphone on vacation so that you know everything is okay. As we start planning our upcoming holiday vacations, let’s take a few minutes to think about what we want to come home to. We could either come home to a place that was well-kept and watched over by someone that is responsible or we could come home to our place being broken into. It all leads to what you post on social
Back to School Bus Safety: Ultimate Tips for a Safe Journey
Keep Your Kids Safe All Year Believe it or not, school buses are the safest way for children to get to and from school. Each year, the bus drivers are required to give school bus safety drills for knowing how to get on or off the bus and the proper behavior during the bus ride. This is an important security measure because what makes the bus unsafe is when your child(ren) or other children on the bus are not following the safety rules for getting on and off the bus or how they are supposed to behave during the ride. As kids get ready to wait for the bus they get excited because their friends that might not be in their class at school are on the bus. Upon the bus arriving to the house, there are many school bus safety tips that the children should know. It is very important to follow the rules to avoid any traffic-related accidents with the school bus or injuries that might happen while on the bus. Practice Makes Perfect Your children, at a young age, might not understand that bus safety rules are a little different than the rules in the family car. By practicing the school bus rules in your own car, you as a parent are encouraging your children to become more aware of what they have to look forward to when school starts in the fall. Waiting for the School Bus Safety Tips Many children will wait for the bus to come in their own driveways. Some will have an assigned bus stop or meeting place to get on the bus. Regardless of where children get on the bus, the same safety tips apply. When waiting for the bus outside your house or at the bus stop, children should not be standing close to the road. Once you see the bus coming, children should not rush towards the bus, but wait for it to come to a complete stop. Once the bus is completely stopped and the doors open, the children should enter the bus using the handrail located on the left side of the doors. If there is more then one child getting on the bus at a time, make sure to not push or shove while getting on How Children Should Behave On the Bus Children on the bus should be respectful of the safety rules that are given because they are there to protect the children. No parent wants to get a call saying that their child was injured on the bus or when getting off the bus. If a child is hurt on the bus, the injury should be report as soon as possible to the bus driver. Once the children are on the bus, they should find a seat as fast as possible. When looking for a seat on the bus, a child should look for a seat that either is empty or has one other person sitting it in. As a safety precaution, two people sitting in a seat is good. Three people sitting in the same seat is the maximum number allowed. If there are more then three in the seat, then that could become dangerous. If your child is sitting in a seat and their friend is sitting a few seats away, your child should not be screaming or talking loud. Instead they should talk the same way to their friends on the bus that they would talk in their classroom. To avoid people getting hurt on the bus, your children should not be hanging out in the aisle or have their backpacks in the aisle. There will be times that your children will have to bring either musical instruments or sports equipment on the bus. If that ever happens, they should find an empty seat for the large items and themselves. When your child has either reached school or their house, they should remain seated in the seat until the bus comes to a complete stop. Once the bus is completely stopped, the children can carefully and quickly gather their items and make their way to the front of the bus in a single file line. When they reach the stairs of the bus, they should use the handrail located to the right side of them. The reason for that is because you never know if the stairs are slippery or if they are wet from the weather. Outside The School Bus Safety Tips Once your child has gathered their items carefully, quickly, and made it off the bus at their assigned bus stop, there are a few things that you should never do. These school bus safety tips are instructed to keep all the children safe. First, if your child has noticed once they are off the bus that they forgot something, they should never turn around and walk back to the bus to go get it. The child should go straight to a parent at their house. If it is something that the child needs for homework, the parent can call the bus garage and they can go and get it. Otherwise, the item can wait until the next school day. The bus drivers do a walk through of the bus to clean it for the next day. If your child is one of the many children that have to cross the street in front of the bus, the bus driver will instruct your child how far out from the bus they should stand. Many time,s a bus driver will tell your child to walk up to their mailbox and other times if the mailbox is not available, the child should stand ten steps from the front of the bus. Once your child is standing in the stop where they will cross from, they need to look both ways (left, right and then left again) and make eye contact with the bus driver who will have a special hand signal for crossing. If the bus driver takes a
6 Safety Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe on Their Way Home from School
Peace of Mind by Keeping Your Kids Safe Keeping your kids safe is always a priority. The first day of school is always bittersweet with this being something that lingers in the back of your mind.. Everyone gets up at the crack of dawn in a hustle to beat that morning bell, yet everything normalizes once the chaos ends. This routine continues for most weekdays until spring has sprung and everyone is ready for summer vacation. By the end of summer vacation, however, everyone is ready to go back to school and do it all over again. It is like a socially acceptable form of insanity because every year parents and kids hope to do things better than they did the year before. Keeping your kids safe is everything. One thing that should never change, unless for the sake of improving, is teaching and reminding your children about staying safe on their way home from school. If you are a parent who allows your children to walk home or they have to walk home from a bus stop, it is imperative to teach them how they can keep themselves safe. Even if they ride home with a friend or they have to come home to an empty house, equipping them with the proper knowledge keeps them safe and brings you peace of mind. Kids Home Alone? Learn how to Keep them Safe. Being Realistic about Safety As we know, the world isn’t always kind. Teaching safety tips in a way that makes them aware of danger without injecting fear is very important. You don’t necessarily have to tell them about a case in which a child was abducted or injured, but simply let them know that there are people out there that aren’t so nice. If a stranger approaches your child or tries to pick them up, your child should know that there is something horribly wrong. This is why the buddy system is important. If a child isn’t able to walk home with a friend or neighbor, then it may be best to enroll them into an after school program or for a family member or friend to pick them up from school. It’s best to be realistic rather than worry and hope that nothing bad will happen. After School Safety Tips The following are after school safety tips based on the different after school scenarios. These tips will help you make informed decisions about your child’s safety and also give you the tools to effectively talk to them about what they should or shouldn’t do when coming home after school. 1. School Pickup Your child will most likely have to exit the school to find you in the curbside pickup line or parking lot. If you won’t be picking your child up that day, let them know who will be there. If someone other than the designated person tries to pick them up, develop a protocol. That protocol can involve your child calling you to determine if the person there to pick them up should be there or your child can go to the school’s office because it’s a safe place. Once in the office, a call can be made to you or someone else that you have designated as a “safe adult.” Also let your child and anyone picking them up know the location of the designated parking space, if possible, and agree upon a time to meet. That way if your child isn’t at the car by that agreed upon time, you know something could be wrong. 2. Walking Home If your child needs to walk home from school or a bus stop, work with your child to determine a route so that you know that route. Explain to them that they should never take shortcuts because they could get lost or you could have difficulty finding them in an emergency. Walk the route with your child to show them safe areas along the way. Teach them about crosswalks and watching for uneven sidewalks. If you know anyone who lives along the route, make sure your child knows which house is theirs in case they need to go to them for help. However, while someone may live along the route, that doesn’t mean that person would be home during an emergency. This is why the buddy system, mentioned earlier, is important. It is ideal that a child never walk alone. If other kids in the neighborhood are also walking home, they should all walk together. 3. Home Alone Around the ages of 11 and 12, children can usually start staying home alone after school. This isn’t something that needs to be made public knowledge. Your child should have a key to the house, but it shouldn’t have any identifying information on it such as a “house key” label. If they lose the key, you don’t want a stranger coming to the home and using it to get in. All doors and windows should be locked, the child should know how to set the alarm system, emergency contact information should be in prominent locations, and children shouldn’t answer the door or phone. If answering the phone is necessary, your child should be instructed to say you are “busy” and that you will call them back. Trusted neighbors should know when your child is going to be home alone and for how long. Additional Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe Other things that you should know about keeping your kids safe include: Don’t write your child’s address on or in their backpack, lunchbox, or on their notebooks. If they would lose one of these items, a criminal could obtain the information. A criminal can also use this information to pretend like they know your child and lure them. Instruct your child to not get into vehicles with people they don’t know. Even if it is to get a ride home with a friend, your child may not know the parent. If they don’t know the parent, you