Home Safety Checklist For Dothan

Staying safe and secure in your residence should be your largest responsibility. But are you overlooking a few key safety components? Take this home safety checklist for Dothan and discover where your home can use an update.

This guide begins with some whole-house safety items, and then we delve down room-by-room. Then, phone (334) 219-8334 or fill out the form below to get your home ready.

Whole Home Safety Checklist for Dothan

While you should employ a individual room approach to home safety in Dothan, there are a few things that work for the whole-house approach. These devices can link together through a touchscreen hub, and can even work off one another. You can also control all your home safety devices with a mobile app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Security System: Each one of your entryways should employ a sensor that warns you to intrusion. As an alarm triggers, your monitoring agent responds to the alert and quickly calls a first responder.

Smart Lighting For Most Rooms: Sure, you can set your smart lighting to make your home more eco-conscience. But smart lights can also help you stay safe in an emergency. Make your smart bulbs flip on when an alarm triggers to frighten off robbers or light your way to a safe location.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Dothan should save you between 10%-15% in gas and electric costs. But it also can turn on your exhaust fan if you have a fire.

Monitored Fire Detectors: It’s code that you will have a smoke detector on every level of your house. You can improve your fire game by utilizing a monitored fire detector that senses both heat and smoke, and pings your 24/7 monitoring experts when it thinks that there’s a fire.

Smart Lock For Every Door: Every entryway that needs a deadbolt can upgrade to a smart door lock. Now you may program numbered codes to each family member and receive texts to your smartphone when they are activated. Your smart lock can even automatically unlock, helping you to quickly leave when you have a fire or other emergency.

Family Room/Living Room Safety Checklist For Dothan

You’ll hang out most in your living room, so it’s the best room to start making your house safer. Popular items, like a big screen or stereo system, usually sit in your family room, making it a popular room for thieves. Begin with placing a motion detector or indoor security camera in there, then try the following suggestions:

Motion Sensors: By installing motion detectors, you’ll hear a loud siren anytime they sense unusual motion in your family room. The best devices are motion sensors that filter out a dog or cat or you’ll see an alert every time your dog roams by for a midnight stroll.
Security Camera: An indoor security camera offers a constant watch on your family room. Get live streams of everything so you can find out what’s going on through the mobile app. Or chat with family members in the living room using the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Safeguard expensive electronics and stop overtaxing your outlets with a surge protector. For additional comfort, set up a smart plug with anti-surge functionality included.
Heavy Furniture Attached To The Wall: If you have any small children, you’ll want to secure your bookshelves and entertainment center to the wall. This is extra crucial if your living room has carpet that could make objects extra unbalanced.
Enhanced Locks For Sliding Glass Doors: If your family room has a sliding glass door that opens to a deck, patio, or screened-in porch, you already know that the door lock is usually thin. Put in a special lock, like a metal bar or small locks that secures the door to the bottom and top of the opening.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Dothan

The kitchen has many items that should add safety to your house. Most of these things should be simple to add and can be found in the Target or Walmart:

Fire Extinguisher: Fire can happen from a neglected pot or a towel that’s too close to a burner. Always keep a fire extinguisher in close reach for any cooking emergencies.
GFCI Box On Every Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be used on outlets where they’re by running water to lessen the chance of an electric shock. That means the plug outlets around your sink and kitchen counter. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been required to have one GFCI per circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’ll want to have an unchained GFCI for every outlet.

Monitored CO Detector: A CO detector is advised for spaces that use a gas oven and range. If your gas appliances spring a leak, the carbon monoxide detector will play a high-decibel noise and ping your monitoring agent.
Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The largest safety issue in the kitchen is the invisible bacteria and contamination from uncooked meat and other foods. Always have antiviral wipes or a bleach spray to clean your surfaces after cooking.
Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in your fridge should remain at a cold temperature to be safe to use. If you leave the fridge or freezer door open, then a small beep will remind you to check the seal. Some appliances already have a pre-installed alarm, older models won’t, and you’ll have to buy an external alarm from the store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Dothan

Just because you may not have a lot of space in your bathroom there’s still safety hazards. From flood detectors to anti-surge outlets, here are some safety improvements for your bathroom:

Flood Sensors: A leaking toilet or shower can create a whole lot of water damage. Deal with pooling water early with a flood detector before they bring about hundreds of dollars in ruined floors, walls, and fixtures.
No-slip Bathroom Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be devastating, causing cuts, bruises, or broken bones. Make sure you steer clear from these problems with a no-slip bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.

No-slip Bathtub Strips: Likewise, a tub basin can be a slick area to be on. It’s a good idea that each tub has some non-slip stickies so your toes have a textured patch for stability.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have curious toddlers or someone with memory difficulties, you need to take additional precautions regarding prescribed medicine. Secure your prescriptions by using a medicine cabinet with a locking latch.

GFCI Circuits: Similarly to the kitchen, you will have to also put in a grounded GFCI outlet on each bathroom receptacle. These will stop the flow of the electricity if they ever get wet or you have a sudden jolt from a hair dryer or curling iron.

Children’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Dothan

A child’s bedroom should pair safety with manageability. If their window shades or other items are safe but hard to manage, then your kids may perform unsafe activities -- like climb a dresser -- to use them. Here are some simple, and safe, ideas:

Cord-Free Window Treatments: Safety agencies have identified cords from shades and blinds a hidden problem for both children and pets. Use motorized shades that your child can easily control through a remote. Or better yet, pair your shades to your ADT security system so they open automatically when it’s time to get up, and close in the evening for extra privacy.

Indoor Security Camera: A security camera sitting on your child’s desk can behave just like an HD baby monitor that you can watch with a smartphone. And when they need you, they can use the intercom talk button that comes with the camera.

Outlet Plug Covers: While each outlet should have protective covers on them to protect your little children, this is doubly needed in their bedroom. It’s the main place in your home where your children will most likely play alone without additional supervision.

Window Fire Ladder: If you have bedrooms on above the first story, then you need to put in a window safety ladder. These should let a young one leave the house even if the hallway or lower levels are blocked off with fire. Remember to rehearse how to employ them at least twice a year.

Toy Box Or Low Bookshelves: It’s interesting to look at a toy chest as a safety item, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever tramped on an action figure in your bare feet. A clean floor gives your child a quick retreat during a fire or break-in.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist For Dothan

The bedroom should be a refuge, so let your safety items make life easier if you have an emergency. After all, being wrenched awake by a high-decibel buzzer can be quite a shock.

Home Security Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your bedside table helps you know what’s what that noise was without leaving your bed. You could always turn on your ADT mobile app. However, the touchscreen is often easier to manage to use when you’re coming out of sleep and finding your bearings.

Device Charging Area: We rely on our smartphones for almost everything now GPS, web browsers, time wasters, and --legend has it-- even phones. However, an uncharged phone in the middle of the night cuts us off from communications if there’s a problem. So, a charging station or cord is an important part of your nightstand.

Nightlight/Smart Lights: A plug-in light helps ground you when you’re jolted awake from an alarm or unexpected sounds. If you have trouble falling asleep with an outlet light, put in smart bulbs in your bedroom and hall. Then you can have light simply with a push of a button or vocal command.
Fireproof Safe: Stash your essential papers like birth certificates, medical information, or banking information in a fireproof safe. This can be a bigger one that is located out of the way or a slender portable safe that you can carry on your way out during a fire or other emergency.

Heat Sensor: The problem with most bedrooms is that they might be too hot or be cold since they are across the house from the thermostat. A heat sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you should have a comfortable, relaxing sleep at just the right climate.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Dothan

Most safety issues in the basement or garage are with your pipes or furnace. Seeing issues early can prevent more devastating emergencies later on. So, as you take a look around your garage or basement, check over these crucial items:

Water Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood sensor in back of your water heater or sump pump drain can stop you from wading into a lake when you walk into your basement or garage. It’s much better than rummaging through a bunch of soggy storage boxes.

CO Alarm: It’s beneficial to install a carbon monoxide alarm in an area where a natural gas leak can occur. If you use gas heat, try to put a detector in the same area as your HVAC unit.
Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your water sensor detects a hot water leak or a burst pipe, then you will want to cap the main water line at once. With a wireless shutoff valve, you can stop water flow from your phone. That’s nice when you’re visiting relatives and see a flood sensor alert on your smartphone.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage open causes all types of headaches. You can waste heat through that gaping hole, and all sorts of animals or lurkers can just walk in. A sensor will alert you to a neglected garage door and allow you to close it through the app.
Heat Sensor: A heat alarm in your garage or basement is a definite if you worry about freezing pipes. The temperature in these areas can be drastically different than your main rooms of the house, so you will need to have a constant look on them by using your mobile app.

Outside Safety Checklist for Dothan

Your landscaping, drive, and front porch are just as important to defend as the interior of your house. Try this checklist to defend your perimeter:

Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s at the the front step before you open it and chat with visitors. Get a visual on packages and record video clips if they are stolen.

Outdoor Security Camera: You can hang outdoor security cameras to alert you to unusual lurkers in your back yard. These cameras are nice in places where you might not have a window installed -- like around a cellar or by the driveway.

Window Height Shrubs: Overgrown foliage can create some solitude, but they also obscure your view of the yard and curb. Don’t provide potential thieves an area to hide. Plus, high bushes, shrubs or foliage around your house can clog gutters and invite ants and termites.
ADT Signage: One of the biggest discouragements for a break-in is alerting aspiring rogues that you use an updated ADT security system. An ADT yard sign by the main walk and a window decal will show lurkers that they might want to keep walking to an easier target.

Motion Triggered Outside Light Fixtures: Light is the largest deterrent to those who skulk in the unlit places. Motion-activated lights on your deck, patio, or garage can shoo possible intruders away. They also help you see the walk when you get home late at night.

Contact Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You With Your Home Safety Checklist for Dothan

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install each household item on your Dothan home safety checklist, we can bring you a state-of-the-art home security system. With alarms, security cameras, and home automation, we can install the perfect system for your family’s needs. Just call (334) 219-8334 to get started or send in the form below. Or personalize your own solution with our Security System Designer.