Holiday Security Tips
It’s a beautiful time of the year, but the holidays come with some inherent risks that you should prepare for amidst all the gift buying, cooking, and decorating. Here are some of our top holiday safety tips to keep your home and loved ones safe over the season.
Theft and Burglary Prevention
Do not put empty boxes out on the curb until trash day. Leaving boxes for TVs, expensive electronics, or other valuable items can essentially become a curbside shopping list for burglars.
“Porch pirating” is the unfortunate practice of driving around residential areas scoping for delivery packages to run up and snag, and a study showed that 25.9 million Americans have been victim to this. If you have any packages delivered to your home, it may be wise to require a signature so it’s not sitting at your front door. Alternatively, you can have packages sent to a local carrier for pick-up or to your place of work if your employer allows it.
If you are away from home during the holidays, ask someone to make tire tracks in your driveway, shovel the walkway, check your mail and pick-up newspapers from your porch. You can also call and halt newspaper delivery for the time period you are going to be away.
Give the appearance that someone is home by setting your lights up with timers or z-wave devices that can connect to your home security system. With these tools, you can set times for lights in the house to turn on and off.
At FSS Technologies, we help our clients use Alarm.com, which can be used to set schedules for lighting controls, allow the certain people in using limited-time codes, keep heat at a stable level, and check on your pets through your wireless cameras.
Another tip is to be careful what you post on social media. Do not announce on Facebook or Twitter that you are leaving your home unattended by sharing live images of you on the beach or sharing any itinerary details. Your photos will still be beautiful and relevant a few days later when you share them from home.
Make sure to keep your vehicles and house locked up. Nearly one third of all burglars enter through an unlocked door or window. Alarm.com can help reassure you that your doors are locked and that no windows have been opened in your absence.
Fire Prevention
Electronics that have been stored for most of the year can become damaged and be hazardous for your home. Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 45% of home Christmas tree fires. Check electrical holiday decorations for wear and tear, including extension cords. Additionally, ensure that you do not overload circuits or electrical outlets.
Another tip for fire prevention is to keep your tree watered daily! Dry Christmas trees are a dangerous fire hazard and can become completely engulfed in flames in just a few seconds after being ignited. Additionally, keep it away from open outlets, plugs, candles, or switches. More than 22% of Christmas tree fires are related to trees being too close to a heat source.
Don’t leave your kitchen when cooking. Unattended cooking equipment is a leading cause of home cooking fires.
Be mindful of where you place candles and don’t leave them lit if there is no one in the room. Home candle fires are at their highest in December, and the top three days for home candle fires are Christmas, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Consider using battery powered candles that mimic the real thing and come in a variety of colors, sizes, and scents.
Check all batteries in smoke detectors and do a family fire drill before the holiday season kicks off. Also make sure you have smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms on every level of your home – especially near sleeping areas. The friendly, expert team at FSS Technologies can help guide you in your fire system set up and monitoring.
Keep the Season Joyful
It’s easy to get caught up in the festivities and excitement, but don’t let that distract you from protecting yourself and your family! Review your family emergency procedures, and make sure you know your stress code and duress code for your security system. Taking these all these necessary precautions will ensure your holidays stay joyful.
The Best Safety Measure You Can Take
Security systems are a significant deterrent for potential burglars, and they can also be the life-saving factor in the unfortunate event of a home fire. Our team is happy to help if you have any questions about setting up a system in your home. Give us a call today at 888-412-5356.
Explore Our Other Blogs
3 Types of Security Lights
Your security system is only useful if you can see what is going on when you can’t be there. This also means that when it gets dark, your cameras need to be able to capture the image clearly. To do this past dusk will require that you set up security lighting. Additionally, check out the…
Ins and Outs of Contract vs No Contract Security Systems
Many people see signing a long-term contract with a reputable alarm company as a stressful experience. In truth, contracts are in place to benefit both the alarm company and the homeowner. Developing a relationship and signing a long-term commitment to a security company allows you to get to know a team and benefit from the peace of mind that…
Inside the Mind of a Burglar
What Message Are You Sending? Whether you know it or not, your business could send a message to potential burglars about how easy or difficult it is to break in. Professional thieves can quickly assess a property, also known as “casing,” to determine if it could be an easy and lucrative target. Unfortunately, many employees…
What Matters in a Fire Alarm Inspection?
At FSS Technologies, we understand that safety and reliability are paramount when it comes to fire alarm systems. While installing commercial fire safety systems is a critical first step in protecting your business, your efforts can’t stop there. Fire alarm inspections are just as necessary to ensure your building is prepared for emergencies. Learn about what…
Most Common Causes of House Fires
A house fire can be a life-altering event that some may never fully recover from. The best way to protect your home and family from a fire is to educate yourself about the risks and how to prevent them. We all know the essential forms of prevention and protection, like smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, sprinklers,…
How Security Cameras Work at Night
Security Camera Night Vision Light is crucial for a camera to work. Without light, the camera can’t see anything, so how do security cameras work at night? Infrared radiation (IR), or infrared light, is a type of electromagnetic radiation that is invisible to human eyes. It is essentially energy, a heat, that all objects emanate….
The Benefits of Keyless Access Control
As your organization grows and evolves, managing physical access becomes increasingly complex. Traditional keys often struggle to keep pace with changing employee roles, multiple locations, and heightened security expectations. These issues don’t just cause minor issues—they create risks that can impact productivity, compliance, and overall security. Keyless access provides a modern approach to commercial access…
Which Businesses are Burglarized Most?
The idea of business theft and burglary is not a pleasant one; however, the likelihood of your business being burglarized is rather high. In fact, approximately 37% of small business owners were impacted by burglary or theft over the past year. Retail businesses in particular are highly targeted as thieves are seeking the opportunity to either use or resell stolen items. Everything from simple shoplifting to employee theft can contribute to overall business…
How to Maintain a Commercial Security System
Updated May 2023 With the latest advances in security technology, it’s becoming easier for small businesses to find a security system that works for their needs. Whether your business just installed your commercial security system or has been utilizing security measures for some time, proper maintenance will increase the life of your system and provide…
Best Security System Setups for Senior Citizens
According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), nearly 90% of senior citizens want to stay in their homes as they age even if they need day-to-day assistance or have ongoing health issues like early-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia. Unfortunately, criminals often target senior citizens as victims. Thieves assume older people will not be able…