Ensuring that your home is really safe is best done on a set schedule.
Below are a few things that you should look at once a month or so. It
may be worthwhile to write out a list and then put it up somewhere you
are sure to see it often; this can help you get into the habit of going
over the list consistently.
Surveillance Cameras
Perhaps you use alarm system monitoring to alert you if something is
wrong at the house, or maybe you just have your own cameras that send
alerts to your cell phone or email address. Either way, you want to
check on those physical cameras once a month. Open up the live feed on
your computer and check to see that the cameras are plugged in. Make
sure that they are connecting to the Wi-Fi if that is how they transmit.
Run a test to make sure that the motion detection is working. All of
this should only take 10 minutes, but it can really give you peace of
mind.
Fire Alarms
You also want to go around and check your fire alarms. They should all
have test buttons you can hold down to make sure that the alarm itself
is working. It may also be worth checking the sensors themselves;
remember, testing the alarm just means that the siren is working, not
that the alarm is really going to detect smoke. Fake smoke test kits are
available that you can use to simulate smoke and see if the alarm
really goes off.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Similarly, if your smoke alarms are not also carbon monoxide alarms —
many new models do both tasks — you want to test those as well. Because
carbon monoxide has no taste or smell, without the alarms you are not
going to have any warning if it is in your home.
Window and Door Locks
Finally, go around your home and check to make sure that all of the
windows, especially those on the ground floor, have been locked. Ensure
that the locks themselves are still sturdy. Then, lock the doors and
test the handles to make sure that they won't pop open with force, even
when they are locked.
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