Every day, kids across the country leave school and spend the afternoon unsupervised at home. If this is a common scenario for your family, make sure you talk to your child about after school safety. From the time they leave school until the minute you walk in the door after work, your child is faced with many decisions that can impact his/her safety. Create an after school plan for your family and start with some of the following tips:

Be Aware of Your Surroundings.
Make sure your child knows the importance of staying alert while walking home from school or the bus stop. They should have a parent, neighbor or friend who always accompanies them and they should take the most direct route home. Create a plan for what they should do if a stranger approaches. If you have an ADT home security system, give your child an extra keychain remote to keep with their house key. If someone approaches them while they are walking up to your home, your child can signal the alarm.

Stay Safe at Home.
ADT home security systems are easy enough for most children to use. Show your child how to activate and de-activate the alarm. Discuss after-school safety tips including locking the door, checking to see who is at the door before opening it and activating the home security system – if needed.

Practice Kitchen Safety.
The kitchen can be an after-school danger zone. If your child is old enough to use the oven, go over safety tips. Talk to your child about what to do in case of a kitchen emergency such a fire, electrical outage or other potentially dangerous scenarios. Consider keeping a fire extinguisher under the sink or in a closet near the kitchen in case of an emergency.

With the days on the calendar winding down towards fall, it’s important to remember safety. After a long, hot summer, peoples’ guards sometimes begin to drop in August and September. Late summer brings its own distinct set of challenges, however, so you’ll need to stay ever vigilant to help ensure the safety of your family, along with the home security of your property. Here are some things to watch for in the coming weeks.

Weather Related Incidents: Late August can be a terrifying time for residents of Florida and the Gulf Coast. The past few years have seen increasingly powerful hurricanes bear down upon this area. There’s nothing you can do to control the weather, but you can impact its effect on you and your family. Have a firm action plan in place, with a clear idea of where you’ll head in the event of an evacuation. And when you leave, be sure to set your ADT home alarm system. ADT has five interconnected command centers spread throughout the United States, so if one center is shut down due to weather, another will immediately take over its coverage.

Labor Day Vacations: As you prepare to head out on vacation this Labor Day, take proper home security preparations. Arrange for a neighbor or friend to take your mail and newspapers in- things left outside are a sure sign that the nest is wide open. Another way to fool potential intruders is with the installation of a light timer system. Set it to mimic your daily routine, and your house will look occupied night and day.

Stay Hydrated: In some parts of the country, the temperatures can remain over 90 degrees Fahrenheit into October. Remember to always drink lots of water, especially when exercising. Staying hydrated is your best defense against heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Conduct Your Annual Home Security Review: There’s no better time than right now to take an afternoon to assess home security. Walk around your property, noting possible weak spots, including easily accessible entry points, as well as places for burglars to hide. This is also a great opportunity to change smoke detectors and burglar alarms (a task that should be handled at least once every six months).

Stay protected. With these simple tips, you can greatly improve your family’s safety this summer.

During hurricane season, the purpose of your home alarm system is about much more than protecting your home from burglary and fire. It’s about preparing for wind, water and debris that could harm your family and do thousands of dollars in damage to your home. September is usually the most active month during hurricane season, and planning ahead is essential.

Hurricane safety experts say preparation should focus on doors and windows. These are the two main entry points for damaging winds and flooding waters. Cut plywood covers for all the windows of your home and make sure they are thick enough (at least 5/8 inch thick). Install anchors around the windows, so you can quickly put up the plywood. With doors, it’s all about durability. Reinforce all doors – especially French doors – which are usually the least sturdy.

If a storm is drawing near, walk around your home and eliminate any debris that could do harm (keep in mind that most items picked up by 80 mile an hour hurricane winds could do some level of damage). Start by cutting down any weak or dead branches around the house and put away any children’s toys, yard décor and patio furniture.

It’s also important to make sure your family has a plan. Know the best evacuation route in your area and have an emergency kit filled with non-perishable food, water and other essentials like prescription medicine. If you decide to stay home and ride out the storm, find the safest room in your home for the family. This will likely be the room with the fewest windows and doors. Some experts suggest hiding behind an overturned table or sofa to shield yourself from glass. No matter how you choose to prepare for the remainder of hurricane season, make sure you have a home safety plan for your family.

The changing weather presents many challenges for homeowners. From the potential doom and gloom of hurricane season to the dangers that come along with heavy snowfall, people need to be aware of home security issues that could turn nasty quickly. Mother Nature can turn into a vicious killer in mere moments, so take note of the following situations and the accompanying ways to combat potential hazards.

Staying Safe During Hurricane Season: Residents of the Gulf Coast are well aware of the hazards associated with the height of hurricane season, but many don’t have an effective plan in place in case of the worst. Residents of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas need to have a firm strategy for both maintaining home security, and evacuating, should it come to that. Hurricane Katrina exposed the weakness of local, state, and federal government; don’t expect them to come to your rescue if another storm strikes. An ADT home security system is a great way to secure your home, especially if your evacuation takes you out of state. With five interconnected command centers, you know that no matter where the weather strikes, your service won’t go down.

The Many Dangers of Snow: The white fluffy stuff is the stuff of legend, but it can wreak havoc in different ways. Major snowstorms can dump feet of snow on your roof, and older houses may not have the structural integrity to hold up all that extra weight. If you’re taking a respite from the cold and heading south on vacation, make sure to arrange for someone to shovel-there’s nothing like an unplowed driveway to signal burglars that a homeowner isn’t home. While you’re at it, make sure to set your ADT home security system as you trudge out.

Be Aware of Tornadoes: In the Midwest, the fall brings danger of a different sort. Unpredictable weather can result in powerful tornadoes. Make sure everyone in your family knows where to head in case of a sudden twister strike.

Respect the power of Mother Nature, and take precautions to mitigate the dangers. By following proper procedures, you can lower the risk of a weather related catastrophe and increase your overall home security.

As you prepare to enjoy the last dog days of summer, make home security a priority. The Labor Day break is a wonderful chance to spend quality time with your friends and family: don’t spoil it by coming back to a home that’s been broken into. With a few basic home security precautions, you can ensure that the integrity of your property will be maintained.

Upgrade Your Home Alarm: New technology has recently come online that can really bolster your home security system. A great example is new CCTV. These updated security cameras send a feed directly to the Internet. That means you can maintain an eye on your home anywhere on the planet, as long you have access to the Web.

Maintain a Presence at Home: Whether you’re across town or across the country this Labor Day, it’s important to disguise your absence. Use timers for your lights, and have a neighbor enter the home every day to take in newspapers and mail and make sure everything inside is OK.

Stay Alert on the Road: Did you know that Labor Day has one of the highest accident rates of any day of the calendar year? Like the 4th of July, non-drinkers tend to have one too many at the family barbeque, preparing a recipe for disaster. Maintain an extra distance from other vehicles on the road, and, as always, drive defensively to protect your loved ones.

Enjoy the long Labor Day weekend with your friends and family, secure in the knowledge that your home is protected. With ADT home security and some simple measures, you can spend your time having fun instead of worrying.

When you think about home security, what comes to mind?  Installing a home security system?  Locking your doors and windows?  Keeping your valuables in a safe?  These are all important steps to protect yourself and your family from potential intruders.  But did you know staying safe at home also means taking precautions against house fires?

That’s what the U.S. Fire Administration wants you to remember as you’re building your home security plan.  The administration has been offering fire safety information and guidance to Americans since 1974, when Congress passed the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act.  At the time, the U.S. had one of the highest per capita fire death rates in the industrialized world; and just three years earlier, more than 12,000 Americans lost their lives to fire.

Although the U.S. fire death rate has decreased dramatically since then, too many people still die in house fires.  As of August 12, the administration has logged 981 residential fire fatalities this year – many of which could have been avoided had the homeowners taken the right steps to prevent these fires.

ADT, the national leader in home security services, recognizes the importance of following a fire safety plan to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Here’s a quick look at some of the steps YOU can take to prevent house fires:

Install a Smoke Detector.  This may sound like common knowledge by now, but surprisingly, some homeowners still fail to do this.  ADT home security lets you add smoke and heat detectors to any package, ensuring you stay safe 24/7.  If you already have one, test it regularly to make sure it’s offering you complete protection.

Cook with Care.  Always use cooking equipment tested and approved by recognized testing facilities, follow instruction manuals, keep towels and other objects away from hot burners and stay in the kitchen while cooking. Unattended cooking projects can quickly turn deadly.

Watch your Smoke.  You’ve heard a lot about the health hazards of smoking, but that little pack of smokes can do a lot more damage when they’re carelessly dropped or not properly extinguished.  If you smoke, stay alert and make sure the butts are completely out when finished.

Wire Wisely.  Poorly maintained electrical appliances, incorrectly installed wiring and overloaded circuits and extension cords cause the majority of electrical fires in the U.S.  Replace frayed or worn wires, don’t plug too many cords into wall sockets or extension cords, and make sure you buy appliances certified by a nationally recognized laboratory.  Also, keep electrical tools, appliances and wiring away from water and wet surfaces.

Keep Kids Safe.  Teach your children about the dangers of playing with matches and lighters – better yet, keep those objects out of your youngster’s reach.  Tell children that fire is a tool, not a toy.  Never leave them alone with a burning candle or operating stove in the room.  And teach them the Stop, Drop and Roll routine you learned as a kid.  If the worst should happen, they’ll be armed with the knowledge to help themselves.

Home security is more important now than ever before, and keeping fire safety in mind is part of the process.  Buying the best equipment and monitoring for your money is a great way to get started.

ADT wants you to stay safe.  That’s why you get free fire monitoring when you add a smoke detector to your ADT package.  ADT monitoring agents keep an around-the-clock eye on your home, and will quickly alert the local fire department if a fire is detected.  That’s protection you can count on.

With ADT, home security is easy.

Summer’s almost over, and that means that your older kids are likely heading back to college, or maybe even moving out of the home for the first time. This can be a scary moment for any parent, but well-prepared Moms and Dads have no reason to worry. By taking some easy, basic precautions, you can be sure that your little college student will stay safe this academic year.

Security in the Dorm: Freshman living on-campus should have some basic knowledge for handling themselves. For one thing, every college campus in America is required to have a blue light system that ensures a student can always spot an emergency phone, from anywhere on the grounds. Standard home security practices should also include locking doors whenever you leave the room. Make sure that your child’s roommates are on the same page when it comes to these kinds of issues.

Security Systems Off Campus: If your child lives off-campus, have them talk to their landlord about installing a home alarm system. This is particularly important if the student lives in an urban area that has a higher crime rate than quieter off-campus locations. Many landlords are surprisingly sympathetic to this kind of installation, as it’s becoming a virtual necessity in many apartment seekers’ when looking for a new place.

A child leaving home for the first time is never easy for a parent, but with attention to home safety, you can know that your kids will be safe and sound. With crime rates rising across the country it is time to pay attention now.

With Labor Day quickly approaching, you’re probably planning a great vacation with the whole family. You’re not the only one brainstorming, however. Burglars know that many homes will be unoccupied over the holiday weekend, and they’re getting ready. Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and increase your home security while you’re enjoying a well-earned vacation.

Honey, I’m Home: Make your home look lived-in, even when you’re away for weeks. Inexpensive timers can be rigged to go off at appropriate times of the evening and night to create the illusion of an occupied home.

Hire a Mailman: An overflowing mailbox is a sure sign for a burglar on the prowl. Pay the kid next door to bring in the mail each day, along with the newspapers and any flyers that might be left by the door. Make sure to provide him with the code to your home security system to avoid any mishaps.

Adopt a Fake Dog: Several companies manufacture machines that create loud dog barks when a motion sensor is tripped. The growling snarl of a Doberman will send criminals packing. After all, only you know that it’s a fake.

Home Alarm System Armed: Your ADT home security system can help monitor your home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but only if it’s armed. Before you leave for vacation, double-check that you’ve set it. If possible, have an adult family member back you up as well.

With these precautions, you’ll be able to relax during your vacation and close the summer on a high note.

We’ve all heard the news stories about rising crime around the nation.  But did you know that the crime rate spikes every summer in the U.S.?  Law enforcement officials aren’t sure why this happens – they guess warm weather and vacationers’ empty homes may be the culprits.  But whatever the cause, as temperatures rise, criminal activity tends to pick up in almost every region of the country. Since this criminal activity is trending upward, now is a better time than ever to install a home security system into your house if you have not already.

According to the F.B.I.’s Uniform Crime Report , violent crime rates averaged 9.02 percent (per 100,000 inhabitants) during the summer months (June-August) of the five-year period between 2000 and 2004, compared to 7.49 percent during the winter (December-February) months of those same years.

News reports from city to city confirm these rising numbers: in Chicago last summer, 125 people were murdered – that’s twice the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq during the same time period; a Saratoga Springs, N.Y. newspaper article from early May reported that local police were bracing for the annual rise in property crime – as soon as the winter weather breaks, break-ins go up, they said; a July 7 news report from South Bend, Ind. detailed how police there were coming to grips with a particularly violent week during which several young people – one as young as 6 – were killed or injured during a spree of shootings; and on July 24, police in Grand Island, Neb. were warning residents to keep homes and vehicles locked and valuables out of sight as they worked to fight a rise in burglaries brought on by warmer weather.

So what gives?  Are people more agitated when it’s hot outside?  Do more criminals wander the streets in good weather?  Do out-of-school teenagers have nothing better to do than break into homes and cars?

Even though there’s no specific reason for this seasonal trend, there are some very specific steps you can take to increase the home security level in your house and increase your safety all summer long.

Follow these home security safety tips to keep yourself and your loved ones from becoming targets for crime:

1.    Get a home security system installed into your home. This can be the most important line of defense between you and a potential burglar. Home security providers, such as ADT, provide 24-hour alarm monitoring for burglary, and also give you the option for including additional levels precaution, such as fire/smoke, carbon monoxide, and other home emergency monitoring.
2.    Never leave the windows to your car or home open while you’re away. That’s an open invitation for a break-in.
3.    Keep doors to your home locked at all times – even when you’re home.  Same for your car while you’re inside it.  This can help prevent carjacking.
4.    Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle in plain sight.  Lock them in the trunk or take them with you.
5.    Never walk alone at night.  Make sure someone is with you, or at the very least, call ahead to make sure someone is expecting you.
6.    If you’re away from home for an extended period of time, stop your newspaper and mail delivery.  There’s no better green light for an intruder than a pile of newspapers in the driveway, or mail spilling out of the mailbox.
7.    Leave lights and a television on while you’re away from home to give the impression someone is there.
8.    Start a neighborhood watch group in your community if it doesn’t already have one.  Police are almost always willing to help you get started.
9.    Don’t leave spare keys under a doormat or potted plant on your front porch.  Give them to a trusted friend or neighbor.
10.    If children must stay home alone during the day, teach them to never answer the door to strangers and to never tell anyone their parents aren’t home. Also, make sure children understand the basics of operating your home alarm system. This can be very important during a time of emergency.

Crime may be up this time of year, but taking these simple home security and general safety steps to help you enjoy the rest of your summer.

As a demographic, single women face the sometimes scary reality of increased danger. Women living by themselves present a relatively easy target for criminals on the prowl. For this reason, solo females need to take extra precautions to ensure their safety. Below, you’ll find some simple tips that can mean the difference between staying safe and becoming the victim of a crime.

Carry Protection: When you’re outside of the home, carry a weapon for self-defense. Consult with a security professional to determine which option is most suitable for your needs. Regardless of what you’re packing in your purse, make sure it is easily accessible. A can of mace, however powerful, is completely ineffective if it’s buried out of reach.

Home Security Maintenance: Never give a key to anyone you don’t completely trust. Realize that providing someone with this entry into your home is basically the same as leaving the door open. Regardless of your key distribution, make sure to change the locks at least once a year, and whenever a roommate moves in or out.

Home Security System Installation: In the event of a break-in, there is only one thing between you and the intruder: an ADT home security system. Without this protection, you have the outlet contacting the easily police. With ADT, your home is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from home security professionals at four interconnected command centers.

Be Aware When Dating Online: Home security begins and ends with your good sense. Don’t let your guard down for strangers you may meet online. Be careful, the individuals you meet online might not be as trustworthy as they seem. The first time you go on a date with a new potential match, meet in a public place where the risk of danger is low.

Avoid Being Outside at Night: Most attacks are perpetrated at night. If you can avoid being outside after dark, all the better. When you get home from work, try to park inside of your garage. If that’s not possible, and you feel uncertain of your safety, call a neighbor right before you get home to meet you or at least talk to you while you walk safely inside your home.

It’s up to you to stay safe. With these simple precautions and some common sense, you can help yourself avoid giving a criminal the opportunity to cause harm to you and your loved ones.