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.