My Alarm Center' Home Security Checklist Infographic

1. There’s something deeply comforting about ticking off boxes, making sure that all of your security needs have been accounted for.
Rest easy with our full home security check, which takes you on a safety review of your home’s alarm system, windows and doors,
locks, various emergency detectors, and other safety measures.
Install deadbolts. Old school deadbolts still offer great
burglar protection, so install them on every entry door. For
sliding doors, secure them shut with a metal bar or wooden
dowel in the track.
Check your windows. Every 4-6 months, do a whole-house
window check to make sure all latches are working and no
windows are cracked. Replace broken locks and panes
immediately.
Landscape wisely. Burglars often lurk in shrubbery outside
windows, so be sure to prune trees and bushes to eliminate
hiding spaces.
Advertise your system. Sometimes the best burglar
deterrent is a well-advertised home security – even if you
don’t actually have one. Err on the safe side and install a few
signs in your windows and yard.
Outdoor lighting is your friend. Flood lights, especially
motion-activated ones, help scare off prowlers before they
even have a chance to break in.
Ditch the hide-a-key. Burglars today are hip to all the tricks
and hiding spots, so instead of squirreling away your key in a
plastic container of fake rock, stash one with a trusted
neighbor.
Always arm your system. Once you have a system, it’s
all too easy to skip arming it for a quick trip to the neighbor’s.
You may even forget once in awhile. Your system is only as
good as you allow it to be. Home automation systems make
this as convenient as pulling out your cell phone and tapping
a button. Set alerts on your systems mobile
application and you’ll always have a reminder.
Communicate with your alarm company. If you’re
going away, be it for the weekend or the week, let your alarm
company know. They’ll be extra vigilant on your behalf.
FULL HOME CHECK:ARE YOU SAFE? (CHECKLIST AND FULL LIST OF SECURING YOR HOME)
WINDOWS, DOORS & LOCKS
HOME SECURITY
SMOKE & CARBON
MONOXIDE DECTORS
OTHER SAFETY
CHECKS
Test regularly.
Hardwired or battery-operated, you
should test all smoke and carbon
monoxide detectors at least once
a month.
Keep ‘em clean.
A quick vacuuming (or dust-bust-
ing) over detector grills will keep
them clean and functioning
properly.
Purchase fire extinguishers.
At a minimum, you should have
one extinguisher in the kitchen,
and one more for every floor
(including the kitchen level).
Buy rescue ladders.
If you live in a two-story home,
purchase a rescue ladder for ever
second-floor bedroom. Especially
if you have young children,
practice its use.
Lock up hazards.
Household cleaners, poisons,
guns, knives, and other potential
dangers should be kept locked
away from children.
Establish an escape plan.
One of the best things you can do
for your and your family’s safety is
to establish an emergency escape
route – and practice it. Regularly.
Be generous with your installation.
At the very minimum, you should install one carbon monoxide detector per
floor, as well as smoke detectors on every level, outside every bedroom, in
the kitchen, and at the bottom of stairs. My Alarm Center offers monitored
detectors that reduce response times and therefore, saves lives.