It’s not the end of summer yet, and there are still people taking off for relaxing and fun vacations. As August is still part of the peak season for burglary crimes, reminders on important DOs and DON’Ts are in order.

DO!

• Take pictures of every room in your house. Include valuable items and jewelery. These pictures will serve as proof for your insurers when you find anything missing when you get back home.
• Permanently mark valuable items with your postcode. You can use a commercial marking product. Keep a record of the make, model, and serial number, too. If you also want to safeguard large valuable items, you can refer to www.immobilise.com for some help.
• Don’t forget to leave contact numbers to your neighbor who’s going to be watching your property for you.
• It might be a good idea to have important papers and documents with a good friend or family, if not a safe.
• Inquire about your insurance and make sure you are updated on it.
• Remember to stop subscriptions or have your neighbor check on your mail and garbage. Remember to secure your home and activate your alarm system, too.

DON’T!

• Close your curtains. It’s like telling everybody that no one is home.
• Hide your jewelery in places that you consider smart but not so for the burglar. The toilet cistern and the hems of curtains are no longer secrets for burglars, for example, are no secret places for burglar.
• Put your home address on your luggage. You’re basically saying that you’re on vacation and your home is free for the steal.
• Leave bank statements, diaries, or bills around the house. The burglar might get away with identity theft, too, and that’ll be another rough rock in your shoe.
• Forget to lock all doors and windows, and the garage, shed, and other outbuildings.

Debra Holtzman is an internationally acclaimed safety and health expert. She is also the best-selling author of The Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety. She now wants to share to us ten home safety devices which can help us keep our homes safe and secure for our family.

From NewsReleaseWire:

1. Install Smoke Alarms. Install alarms on every level of your home and in every sleeping area. Change batteries once every year; test them monthly; replace the units every 10 years. Smoke alarms can cut your family’s chances of dying in a fire by nearly half. Plan escape routes and conduct fire drills with the entire family. Find two ways out of each room.

2. Install battery-operated, carbon monoxide alarms or plug-in CO alarms with battery back-up: Install a CO alarm in the hallway near the bedrooms in each separate sleeping area. In addition, place one at least 15 feet from any fuel-burning appliance. Remember, the proper installation, operation and maintenance of all of fuel-burning appliances is the most important factor in reducing the risk of CO poisoning.

Important note: If your family uses a portable generator, be aware that most of the deaths and injuries associated with portable generators are from CO poisoning from generators used indoors or in partially enclosed spaces. Locate the portable generator outdoors and away from doors, windows and vents that could allow CO to come indoors.

3. Assemble a fully stocked disaster supplies kit. Include nonperishable foods, water, prescription and necessary OTC medication, manual can opener, flashlights, radio and batteries. Your kit should contain — at a minimum — a three-day supply. Store kit in easy to carry containers, like duffle bags. Include essential items for pets, too.

Designate a room in your home that will be your safe room. A big closet or interior room would be ideal. A hallway or bathroom will serve as well. Try to use a room with no outside walls or only one outside wall and small, if any, windows.

4. Purchase a NOAA weather radio. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio broadcasts national weather service warnings, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day.

5. Assembly a fully stocked first aid kit. Include a first aid manual, non-latex gloves, bandages of several sizes, antiseptic wipes and sharp scissors. Holtzman recommends that adults and teens enroll in a first aid and CPR class.

6. Post a list of emergency numbers near every phone in your home. Include the National Poison Hotline (1-800-222-1222), Police, Pediatrician, Dentist, Family Doctor and Fire Department. Also, include the telephone number of a friend or relative living outside of the emergency area. (A caller is more likely to connect with a long-distance number outside the emergency area than with a local number within it.)
(You can download a free copy of Debra Holtzman’s emergency preparation sheet, taken from her book, “The Safe Baby.” Visit her Website www.thesafetyexpert.com)
Also, program emergency telephone numbers into all phones.

7. Install a hard-wired telephone. Regular phones that plug into a standard phone jack get their power from the phone company (which has emergency generators to power the telephone network), not from the power in your home. So, if the power goes out, the phone will probably still work. Portable phones and cell phones may not be reliable during a power outage and after major disasters.

In addition, Holtzman recommends to keep your cell phone with you at all times.

8. Buy a noncombustible escape ladder (for a multi-level dwelling). Make sure it supports the heaviest person in the home. Become totally familiar with the manufacturer’s instructions on how to safely use the ladder. Practice climbing out from a ground floor window.

9. Buy multi-purpose fire extinguishers: Install in the kitchen, basement and workshop area. Use the extinguisher for only small, confined fires. While you are extinguishing a small fire, have other family members exit the home and telephone the fire department.

10. Invest in a home security system. (At the very least, install audible alarms or tones on the doors and windows, which lets you know when someone enters or leaves your home.) Also, Holtzman recommends that you take these additional steps to protect your family from an invasion: Equip each of your entry doors with a good quality deadbolt lock. Use motion sensor lights near or around entry points. Install a peephole in your front door and use it before opening the door. Consider getting a dog with a yappy bark which can scare away intruders. And be sure to check references of people who work for you.

Home security tips have been coming from almost everywhere ever since home break-ins and burglary crimes became violent and many this summer. Here are twelve top tips from Auto Club and EARTHtimes.org in helping families and homeowners prevent home burglaries:

“1. Always lock your doors. Secure all doors and windows before you leave. Use deadbolts, dowels, locking pins in sliding glass doors and windows to keep them from being pried open. Slowing down a would-be burglar will likely make them seek another home that’s easier to break into.

2. If possible, install a monitored alarm system in your home. You may be eligible for a reduction on your insurance rates after the system is installed. The Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club offers such a discount. Make sure your home insurance is up to date and provides adequate coverage if you own luxury goods, expensive jewelry and electronics. Check to see if you need an additional rider or floater insurance policy for those items from your Auto Club or other insurance representative.

3. Keep the exterior of your home and yard well lit with low-wattage outdoor lighting.

4. Close and lock the garage door. Side garage doors should be solid, without any glass and equipped with a strong deadbolt.

5. Don’t advertise that you are going out of town. Stop all deliveries, mail and newspapers, or ask a trustworthy neighbor or friend to pick them up for you. Don’t let mail, including bank statements and credit card offers, sit in the mailbox to advertise you are away and tempt a thief to steal your identity.

6. Use automatic timers with inside lamps and a radio. Set them to come on at random times.

7. Remove spare keys from outside your home, especially near the front door or under a welcome mat.

8. Trim bushes in front of entrances, including windows. This eliminates a burglar’s ability to hide while breaking in.

9. Keep some blinds up and curtains open to keep up normal appearances. Put away personal documents, and place critical documents in a safety deposit box or leave them with a relative. Hide expensive jewelry or place in a safety deposit box at your bank.

10. If you have just moved into your home, change the front door lock.

11. Many thefts are perpetrated by individuals who may have access to your home. If possible, conduct background checks and closely monitor those who may be working inside your residence.

12. Neighborhood Watch programs are great deterrents. If your neighborhood doesn’t have one, volunteer to start one with your local police department before leaving town or ask a trustworthy neighbor to keep an eye on your home while you are away.“

Following the brutal home invasion at Cheshire, citizens and homeowners are being advised to be more careful than ever, especially in securing their home. Lots of experts are now more critical when it comes to home security, too.

Jim Severine, for example, the Chief of Security at Select Key Holder’s Home Surveillance, voiced out many specific reminders in home security and safety:

““Understandably, this incident that authorities are calling isolated has caused panic. Precautions that can be taken include; properly securing the house each night, windows and doors locked and if there is a security system, be sure to arm it, placing the motion sensors on, in the lower level, where most burglars gain access. Nearly 45% of CT. home’s burglarized last year had systems that were not activated and July & August see the most burglaries according to FBI statistics” said James Severine.

Other advice includes; Illuminating the exterior perimeters at night, place motion sensors near doors, close the curtains and blinds, leave a television flickering, and advertising that you have home security through window decals and signage, are all ways to detour a home invasion and burglary. Mr. Severine concluded; “Keep a cell phone, licensed weapon and pepper spray near your bed, out of reach of children.”“

Jim Severine’s also gave out reminders to homeowners and residents about activating their home security systems and making sure they are not fooled by intruders:

“1. Arm Security System doors while at home at all times day & Night.

2. Arm Security System Doors and activate motion sensors before going to bed.

3. Approximately 44% of CT. Homes burglarized in 2006 had systems that were not activated.

4. According to FBI statistics, July & August see most home burglaries.

3. TV/Radio flickering at night gives impression house is occuppied 4. Have a telephone code with friends and neighbors to alert them that there is a home invasion or intruder 4. Lock windows, pull shades, advertise alarm system in windows and front lawn, strong locks on doors, reinforced strike plates, reinforced window devices.

5. Have a plan in the event of a home invasion.

6. Don’t be fooled by someone posing as a legitimate representative from gas or electric company.“

Read the whole report on Jim Severine’s Home Security Tips here.

Another piece of advice when leaving your car in a public place: Don’t forget to bring your garage door opener!

We can never underestimate burglars and thieves. Another trick that they have learned to do is to get into cars and steal garage door openers. Later on, when they’re sure no one is around in your home, they’ll open up your garage and steal your things. This is indeed another improvement on the thief’s part. But what do we do?

The most important thing we have to do is to always be alert. Don’t leave your cars unlocked. Don’t leave the garage door opener on plain sight, either. As a matter of fact, don’t leave it in your car at all!

There have been a couple of this incidents lately, and the police department is advising everyone to notify them instead of confronting the intruder (in cases wherein the thief gets in the house). There have also been recent killings in Cheshire that have sparked alarm for home security systems and alarms. The authorities would rather you do not confront the criminals for your own safety.

The overall number of burglaries has not been increasing, but the theft of remote garage door openers has been significantly many in some areas. The police recommends that the homeowners and residents take pictures of their contents at home. They’re are also advised to record serial numbers of their property and engrave their initials or a unique mark on their things so that there is a possibility that they will be returned when recovered.

Remember to always lock the door that connects the garage and your home, too. House keys shouldn’t also be forgotten inside your car. Bear in mind that the thieves can check the vehicle registration papers to know your address.

Once you’ve discovered that your garage door opener has gone missing, immediately unplug the opening mechanism in your garage. Contact the company where you bought it and ask for a new remote garage door opener and a new mechanism code.

As the summer continues, more and more state authorities are encouraging homeowners and residents to be cautious and alert on home security and safety.

The Connecticut State Police, as reported from courant.com Connecticut News, offers home security tips of their own to the residents:

• Locks Use quality locks on all doors, windows and sliding doors, and be especially careful in the summer months.
• House Number: Make sure the number on your house is visible at night, and light it if necessary, so that responders can locate your home quickly.
• Keys: Don’t leave keys outside your home, even if they are hidden. No matter how clever you are, burglars will find them.
• Neighbors: Know your neighbors, and keep their phone numbers on hand in case of an emergency.
• Foliage: Trim foliage away from doors and windows, so that entryways to your home can be seen clearly from the street.
• Lights: Keep the outside of your home well-lit. Motion-sensitive lights are a good deterrent.
• Timers: Use devices that give the impression that people are home. Use timers for lamps, or keep a radio on, for example.

As the home security market grows more competitive, more and more pressure is being placed upon door-to-door salesmen who are required to convince homeowners to purchase home security systems.

Don’t go along with the pressure. Always check the product and the company before purchasing a home security system, or any other product for that matter. Property owners are advised to take their time before signing any contract and purchasing anything.

Take your time in reading literature and information about the company. Ask for a Reliability Report on the company if possible. You can try asking for help with this from the Better Business Bureau.

If you want to cancel a contract you already signed, send a certified letter to the company with notification to cancel your contract. The Federal Trade Commission’s three-day “cooling off rule” allows customers to cancel purchases made at the consumer’s home or at a place where the company does not do business.

Try to ask and see the company’s permit or license, too. Always read documents carefully before signing anything.