There was a reported fire tragedy in Stanley Road, UK, wherein a man died not only of the fire but also of carbon monoxide poisoning. The cause of the blaze was a kettle on a gas hob that was still switched on with the gas issuing.

The man did not have smoke detectors in his place. It was only because a friend who came by smelled gas and could not get an answer from him that the alarm was raised.

The brother of the victim is now appealing to the people to install smoke detectors and smoke alarms to prevent similar deaths. It’s not that expensive, definitely a lot less expensive than a life. Smoke detectors and smoke alarms can help in saving lives from fire tragedies.

Include carbon monoxide detectors with smoke detectors. Carbon monoxide are deadly killers that cannot be seen and cannot be smelled, unlike smoke and fire.

Home security monitoring is now at an advanced level! ADT introduces to us its newest home security monitoring system, the Safewatch Videoview.

With Safewatch Videoview, video cameras are installed in your home and you can take a look inside and around your home no matter where you are. All you need is an Internet connection to log on to view the live or recorded video. Only the customer will be able to view the videos, and they will be granted total control of the system.

The homeowners can also customize the video service settings, like predefining the time or event when the cameras can record and save it for the homeowner to view at a later time.

With a person’s busy lifestyle, this home security monitoring system can contribute a lot to home security and safety. More information about ADT’s new system can be found on their press release.

Kent Trading Standards has issued a warning over faulty carbon monoxide alarms that cannot be relied on to detect the killer gas. It has been reported that there are various defects with some carbon monoxide alarms. At worse, it is the the problem that the alarm does not detect the gas and sound the alarm before a person is exposed to the gas that is the concern.

The full story can be read here.

Carbon monoxide is a fatally dangerous gas for those exposed to it. You cannot taste it, see it, nor smell it. Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, nausea, and fatigue, most of which are mistaken for flu. Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to brain damage and death.

In Arizona, the Gilbert Police Department is running a growing program called the Vacation Watch. This has been done for the past years in their community. It allows the residents in their area to sign up through their town’s website and have their house checked while they are away on vacations. This way, the residents enjoying their summer on long vacations can relax a little more, knowing their home is being watched by friendly eyes.

The volunteers for the program are all trained and have gone through the citizen’s police academy. They operate all year round but summer’s the busiest time because it’s the peak season of burglary crimes.

The Gilbert Police Department also offers free home security inspection at least a couple of weeks before the resident leaves for his or her trip. The purpose for this is to check the home security measures the resident has employed and what to do to crime-proof the home more during their vacation.

Summer’s not yet over, and here are more tips to prevent summertime burglaries!

From azcentral.com (Abe Aamidor, The Indianapolis Star):

“- Don’t leave your garage-door opener in the car when it’s parked, especially if it’s going to be parked for several days, such as at the airport. Take it with you.

- Do not have your mail and newspaper delivery stopped when you’re away. Have a trusted person pick up instead, or stop all deliveries.

- Even if there’s no garbage while you’re away, have a friend put out some garbage in front of your house on regular collection days.

- Don’t leave notes on doors. If you were home, you wouldn’t leave a note. Not even for FedEx.

Prep your home
- Install special window locks available at any hardware store for all first-floor windows and any second-floor windows accessible from a porch or garage roof.

- Cut a solid stick or broom handle to length and put it in the track of any sliding doors.

- Plant thorny bushes below first-floor windows, and be sure they are close enough to the house so that an adult could not wedge behind one. Keep all other shrubbery and trees trimmed, removing potential hiding places for intruders.

Take basic precautions
- Make sure the house is locked at all times. Close and lock all lower-level windows and disable your automatic garage door opener when you’re home.

- Put valuables in a lock box at the bank.

- Don’t leave the garage door open. This is how bicycles and tools get stolen; burglars can hide in your garage too.

- Never use more than one credit card number on a single computer. That way, if your computer is hacked, the thieves will have only one number.“

Participating in neighborhood crime watch is also helpful. Neighborhood watches are effective when everybody participates.

The U.S. Department of Justice describes graffiti as a contribution to “lost revenue, associated with reduced ridership on transit systems, reduced retail sales and declines in property value.” It is an image or lettering scratched or scrawled on public property. While it may seem harmful to some, graffiti has an unconscious effect on other people, like fear of invasion and disorder in the community.

So how can a homeowner prevent graffiti from coming onto his or her neighborhood and onto his or her house?

The Sheboygan Press (Wisconsin) has given some tips on this area:

“KEEP UP APPEARANCES

Make every effort to keep the appearance of your residence clean and neat, an exterior appearance that suggests apathy and neglect attracts vandals. Litter, broken fences, overgrown landscaping and poor lighting all send a message to vandals that property owners are not attentive or do not care.

REMOVE GRAFFITI QUICKLY

Rapid and continual removal of graffiti is the best way for homeowners to protect their property and preserve the image of their neighborhood. Studies show that removal within 24 to 48 hours results in a nearly zero rate of reoccurrence. Also, report upon noticing graffiti on public property to city or county agencies for rapid removal.

BUILD IN PREVENTION

Incorporate shrubs, thorny plants and vines to restrict vandal access to residence walls, fences, sheds, garages and other graffiti targets. Add or improve lighting around your property to promote natural surveillance. Contact the Community Policing Unit at 459-3341 for information about the alley lighting program for those areas that are dark and often hit with graffiti. Consider a home security system and post signs that such a system is in operation. For condo or coop owners, work with residential property managers to incorporate graffiti prevention into building security.

WORK WITH NEIGHBORS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

Talk and discuss (who, what, where, when) with your neighbors the graffiti that has been in the neighborhood, and share that information with the Street Crimes Unit. Work with neighbors on prevention methods. Organize a neighborhood association and incorporate the Neighborhood Watch Program. For more information, contact Sheboygan Neighborhood Pride, Inc., officer Priebe at 459-3341.

What should a homeowner do if their property is hit with graffiti?

Report: Contact the police to report graffiti vandalism using the non-emergency number, 459-3333. An incident report is a common requirement of insurance companies.

Identify: Work with police officers to identify if taggers or gangs are doing the graffiti. If it is gang graffiti, ask law enforcement about any safety concerns.

Remove: Remove graffiti promptly and completely“

There was a report about a company in North Carolina that operated and sold their home security services without an N.C. business license. While it is common for some businesses to start operating with a business license, there would be less problems if people would check up on businesses and companies before signing up for their offers and services.

From The News and Observer:

* Ask salespeople and service workers to show the registration card that proves they are registered with the N.C. Alarm Licensing Board [or your state’s licensing board]. If they decline, don’t do business with them.

* Don’t let salespeople into your home.

* Ask whether the company is an authorized dealer — meaning they sell equipment and monitoring systems that are made by other companies. If the company is an authorized dealer, you may want to check directly with the original company they claim to represent to make sure.

* Don’t be pressured into making a decision immediately. Ask the salesperson to leave information about the product and a contact number. Go online and look up the company. Compare its prices and services to at least two other companies. Ask neighbors and friends for recommendations.