Home Safety Checklist For Hagerstown

Staying safe and secure in your residence should be your number one concern. But are you missing one or two useful safety items? Look over this home safety checklist for Hagerstown and find out where your home can use some work.

This guide begins with five whole-home safety techniques, and then we delve down room-by-room. Then, call (301) 288-1501 or complete the form below to get your home safe and secure.

General Home Safety Checklist for Hagerstown

While you should take a room-to-room approach to home safety in Hagerstown, there are a few items that are good for each part of your home. These devices can sync together through a touchscreen hub, and can even respond to other components. You might also control each of your home safety devices through a mobile security app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Home Security System: Each one of your windows and doors should employ a sensor that warns you and your family to forced entry. As an alarm triggers, your monitoring center picks up the alert and quickly calls the police or fire department.

Smart Bulbs For Every Major Room: Sure, you can program your smart bulbs so your home is more eco-conscience. But they can also help you stay safe during an emergency. Make your smart bulbs flip on when a security alarm triggers to scare off robbers or brighten your way to a outside place.

Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Hagerstown should save you up to 15% in gas and electric spending. But it also can flip on an exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.

Monitored Fire Detectors: It’s code that you have a fire alarm on every level. You can improve your fire readiness by utilizing a monitored fire alarm that senses unusual smoke and heat, and notifies your round-the-clock monitoring team when it detects a fire.

Smart Locks: Every doorway that utilizes a keyed lock can be made safer with a smart door lock. Now you may preset key codes to family and friends and receive texts to your mobile device when the locks are unlocked. Your smart lock can even automatically unlock, letting you quickly flee the house during a fire or other emergency.

Family Room/Living Room Safety Checklist For Hagerstown

You’ll spend a lot of time in your living room, so it may be the perfect place to start making your home a safer place. Electronics, like a TV or stereo system, typically sit in your living room, making it an alluring area for burglars. Begin with hanging a motion detector or indoor camera in your room, then continue on with some of these suggestions:

Motion Sensors: By hanging motion sensors, you’ll hear a loud alarm whenever they sense suspicious movement within your living room. Look for motion detectors that aren’t set off by pets or you’ll see an alert each time your pet passes through for a bite of food.
Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera puts a constant watch on your living room. Watch constant streams of everything so you can know what’s downstairs from the mobile app. Or talk with family members when they arrive back from playing using the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Safeguard those electronics and stop overtaxing your electric system with a surge protector. For added energy-efficiency, set up a smart plug with surge protection built-in.
Furniture Attached To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll need to secure your bookshelves and entertainment center to your wall. This is extra important if your family room has carpet that might make heavy objects extra unstable.
Special Locks For Glass Doors: If your family room uses a glass door that slides out to a backyard, deck, or screened-in porch, you already get that the lock is pretty worthless. Use a custom lock, like a cross bar or locks that bolt to the bottom and top of the frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Hagerstown

Your kitchen has plenty of items that can provide comfort and safety to your home. Most of these items are also a snap to add and should be found in the Target or Walmart:

Fire Extinguisher: A fire can spring up from an overfilled pot or an errant grease splatter. Always store a fire extinguisher at the ready for any kitchen mishaps.
Circuit Interrupter Box On Every Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be standard on outlets where there’s nearby water to ward off a deadly shock. That means the plugs close to your sink and kitchen counter. For 30 years, it’s been required to have one circuit interrupter outlet per dedicated circuit. But all your plugs will flip off if one outlet senses a surge, so you’ll want to have a separate GFCI on each outlet.

Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is recommended for spaces that have gas for the oven and stove. If your gas burners spring a leak, the carbon monoxide detector will emit a high-decibel siren and ping your monitoring professional.
Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The most overlooked safety hazard in the kitchen is the invisible bacteria and cross-contamination from uncooked meat and dairy. Always have disinfectant wipes or spray to clean your surfaces when preparing food.
Refrigerator Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in the fridge should stay at a chilly temperature to stay safe to use. If you accidently leave the fridge or freezer door open, then a small beep will let you know so you can shut it securely. Some refrigerators already have this installed, others won’t, and you’ll have to buy a fridge alarm from online.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Hagerstown

Just because there’s not a lot of square footage in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there aren’t safety concerns. From flood detectors to medicine care, here are five safety tips for your bathroom:

Flood Sensors: A leaking sink or shower can create a whole lot of damage. Discover a leak with a flood detector before they cause hundreds of dollars in ruined floors, walls, and fixtures.
Textured Bath Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be a painful occurrence, causing cuts, sore joints, or broken bones. Or steer clear from these hazards with a textured bath mat for after your bath or shower.

Non-slip Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a tub basin can be a slippery area to stand in. Make sure each tub has some textured stickers so your feet have a textured patch to grip.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have little kids or anyone with memory difficulties, you have to take extra precautions regarding medicine. Hide away your bottles by installing a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.

Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Just like the kitchen, you will have to also use a grounded circuit interrupter outlet on every bathroom receptacle. This will cut the current if they ever get wet or you have a sudden spike from a curling iron or hair dryer.

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Hagerstown

Your child’s bedroom should counterbalance safety with manageability. If their window coverings or other items are safe but hard to manage, then your kids may get around the device with unsafe methods -- like scale a bookshelf -- to use them. Here are 5 simple, and safe, ideas:

Cordless Window Coverings: Safety agencies have designated cords from shades and blinds a hidden danger for children and animals. Put in motorized blinds or shades that your child can easily open and close through a remote. Or even better, connect your motorized treatments to your security system so they can raise on a schedule when it’s time to get up, and lower in the evening for an easier sleep.

Tableside Security Camera: An indoor security camera placed on your child’s desk or dresser can double as a high tech baby monitor that you can see with a mobile device. And when they need something, they can hit the two-way talk button included on the camera.

Plug Covers: While each outlet should use protective covers on them when you have small children, this is especially needed in a child’s bedroom. It’s the main place in your house where your toddler will most likely hang out by themselves without consistent parental supervision.

Window Fire Ladder: If you have bedrooms on above the first story, then you will want to put in a window escape ladder. These will help your children escape even if the stairs or lower levels are blocked off with fire. Remember to rehearse how to employ them one or two times a year.

Toy Chest Or Low Bookshelves: It’s weird to look at a toy box as a safety item, but you’ll get it if you’ve ever walked on an action figure in your stocking feet. A uncluttered floor means a quick retreat when there’s an emergency.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist For Hagerstown

Your bedroom should be your calm space, so let your safety components make you more responsive if there's an emergency. After all, being jerked awake by a wailing alarm can be quite a shock.

Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your dresser helps you know what’s going on without jumping out of bed. You could alternatively turn on your ADT smartphone app but, the touchscreen may be better to use when you’re bleary-eyed and disoriented.

Phone Charging Area: We depend on our phones for so much now alarm clocks, web browsers, game machines, and sometimes even phones. However, a depleted device can cut us off from the outside world if during an emergency. So, a charging cord or station is an important part of your nightstand.

Smart Lights Or Nightlights: A small light helps ground you when you’re jolted awake from an alarm or other sounds. If you won’t drift off to sleep with a nightlight, put in a smart bulb in your fixtures. Then you can get light on-demand with a mobile device or voice direction.
Fireproof Safe: Stash your essential documents like social security cards, stock certificates, or a bankbook in a fireproof lockbox. This can be a big one that camps out out of the way or a small portable safe that you can snatch when you leave during a fire or break-in.

Temperature Sensor: The problem with a master bedroom is that they tend to be too hot or be frigid because they are located far from the thermostat. A temperature sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you will have a nice, restful sleep at the perfect climate.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Hagerstown

Most safety needs in the basement or garage are with your water heater or furnace. Seeing issues at the source can stave away larger problems later on. So, as you walk around your storage areas, take note of these critical items:

Flood Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Installing a flood sensor next to your water heater and sump pump drain can save you from finding a mess when you step into your garage or basement. Do you really want to lose your day getting rid of standing water?

Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s nice to hang a CO alarm in a place where a gas leak can happen. If you have gas heating, try to install an alarm in the same place as your unit.
WiFi Water Shutoff Valve: If your water sensor finds a hot water heater leak or a broken pipe, then you will have to cap the main water pipe quickly. With a WiFi shutoff valve, you can stop water flow from anywhere in the world. That’s nice when you’re on vacation and receive a water leak alert on your mobile device.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door up brings about all sorts of problems. You can lose a bunch of HVAC energy through that gaping hole, and critters or intruders can just saunder in. A sensor will notify you about an open garage door and allow you to close it with your phone.
Heat Sensor: A heat alarm in your garage or basement is a definite if you fret about frozen pipes. The temperature in these rooms can be surprisingly different than the rest of the home, so you will need to keep a close look on the temp with the ADT mobile app.

Home Perimeter Safety Checklist for Hagerstown

Your yard, drive, and front step are just as important to defend as the inside of your home. Use this checklist to make your outside safe:

Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s arrived at the door before you open it and chat with guests. View package deliveries and record video clips if they disappear.

Outdoor Security Camera: You can place outdoor cameras to alert you to late night activity in your yard. These devices are nice in places where you may not have a view -- like around a cellar or by the driveway.

Window Height Shrubs: Tall bushes can offer some serenity, but they also obscure you seeing into the yard and curb. Don’t offer potential burglars a dark shadow to hide. Plus, tall bushes, shrubs or foliage around your home can jam up gutters and summon bugs.
ADT Signs And Decals: One of the biggest discouragements for a break-in is advertising to would-be rogues that you own a monitored security system. An ADT yard stick by the stoop and a window decal will show ne'er-do-wells that they should move on to an easier target.

Motion Triggered Outside Lighting: Light is the best deterrent to those who lurk in the shadows. Motion-triggered flood lights on your porch, garage, or deck can help scare lurkers away. Lights also help you work the locks when you get home late at night.

Call Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help Complete Your Home Safety Checklist for Hagerstown

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t help you with non-security devices on your Hagerstown home safety checklist, we can bring you a customized home security system. With everything from alarms to thermostats, we can customize the best system for your house’s needs. Just call (301) 288-1501 for more information or send in the form below. Or customize your own solution with our Security System Designer.