9 Ways to Improve Your Home’s Security
Several of my neighbors were robbed recently. They live less than a mile from my house. With these robberies and everything else that is going on in the world today, all that’s on my mind is how do I protect my home in New Hampshire, my family, and myself? After searching the internet, talking to local police officers, and referring to my own common sense, I implemented a few things in my life that could help others as well.
Implement These 9 Tips
• Home security system. A home security system is obviously a good idea, but there are so many options to choose from, which do you pick? A suggestion from a local police officer was to have a “shatter glass alarm.” This alarm will notify you if the glass in a door or window is broken, even if it hasn’t been opened.
• Outside security signs. Whether you have a security system or not, outside security signs are an excellent idea! Houses with security signs and lights have been proven to be avoided by criminals as opposed to houses that are dark or display no security signs. Put a sign at every door and a sticker on every window. Like everything else, these are available on the Internet (eBay has hundreds to choose from.) My only suggestion is to make sure the security provider is still in business.
• Driveway alerting system. When this outside motion detector is triggered by a vehicle entering your driveway, the inside unit will chime an alert. This is an inexpensive way to alert you to guests (or intruders).
• There’s an app for that! There are many home security apps that will give additional information regarding home security and some apps that are actually used for surveillance.
• Secure your doors and windows. One of my favorite ways is a door stop alarm which emits a loud siren noise when it’s activated (only a $5 investment.)
• Make your house look lived in. Light things up whether that means your outside lights are on timers, motion detectors, or simply on anytime it’s dark out. Turn the radio/TV on and up so it can be heard outside an exterior window or door.
• Know your neighbors. Neighbors who know each other look out for each other.
• Always see who it is. I live in a VERY small town and we rarely have strangers knocking on our door so it’s human nature to open the door without checking who it is first. Not anymore! Always check first!
• Arm yourself. It’s a good idea to have something in your nightstand or under your bed to help defend yourself. I have a bat, a Taser, and wasp spray (don’t try to sneak up on me!). Why wasp spray?!? Some wasp sprays will spray up to 20 feet! (Mace pepper spray would do the trick too.) Keeping your spare car keys in your nightstand is also a good idea so you can sound your car alarm to alert neighbors and scare any intruders.
The purpose of this blog was mainly to inform readers about home security options and awareness. However, we recently had a company-wide training session to educate employees on what to do should an active shooter enter the building (or any other public place we happen to be). In this session, we were shown a video called “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Surviving an Active Shooter Event” which explained what to do in an active shooter situation. The three main points were:
- RUN – If you can safely get out, get out. If you are evacuating a building, come out with your hands visible and listen to whatever a police officer may tell you to do.
- HIDE – If you can’t safely get out, then hide. Barricade a door if possible, turn off the lights, silence your cell phone, and hide where you are out of a shooter’s range.
- FIGHT – If all else fails and you are unable to run or hide, prepare to fight. Find whatever you can to arm yourself.
For more tips on home security, check out this interactive graphic from SimpliSafe (this link is just for informational purposes; it is not a product or vendor endorsement).
Post authored by Sara Beining. Originally published October 14, 2013. View original post at: http://wp.me/p1Iv7E-UB
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