Back to School Security Tips
In many parts of the country, families are getting ready to send kids back to school. Others are still enjoying making the most out of the last few weeks of summer. For all of us, it’s a smart time to review home security measures and make plans for a safer fall.
With school starting, families often change routines and homes are often empty during the day. This is also true if your area starts school later but you’re squeezing in one more family trip or more outings. Summertime thieves know this and take advantage of empty homes and families on the go. Now is not the time to be lax about home security steps.
Review Home Security at the Start of School:
If you have followed our security blogs, hopefully, you’ve seen those dedicated to back-to-school time. We have shared ways our security cameras, free mobile app, video doorbell, smart locks and security alerts help keep family members safe.
As a quick review, the following are our top 10 home security tips for back to school or any time of year:
Use home security cameras to your fullest advantage. Indoor and outdoor security cameras that you view from your home security app are invaluable. Use your Alert 360 app to set alerts when cameras detect unwanted visitors and to ensure children are safe at home after school.
In general, be sure to set security system notifications when students arrive home. In addition to when camera activity is detected, Alert 360’s home security systems allow you to set notifications when the system is armed or disarmed. Parents enjoy this security feature when they can’t be home but want to know when kids arrive or leave.
Protect your front door with a smart video doorbell. Not only can you use a doorbell camera to see when kids get home safely, it helps protects deliveries too. If your house sits empty for a part of the day, a front door camera is invaluable. With Alert 360’s new Smart Video Doorbell 2.0, you can see beyond your front porch. The new doorbell security camera provides the latest in video analytics, more useful alerts, and 150-degree HD viewing. It allows you to speak to delivery drivers to provide instructions on where to leave a package. (With smart locks, you can unlock the door for the delivery to be placed inside.) Or you can let uninvited visitors know you’re watching and ask them why they are there.
Teach children front door security. At Alert 360, our families include children and elderly parents. We are huge believers in teaching the basics of front door security. Especially with an increase in bold thieves and door-to-door scammers. Basic front door security tips include keeping your door locked even when you’re home. You also should never answer the door without screening who is there or knowing why they are there.
Studies have shown that many home break-ins occur through the front door. Many thieves will try the front door first to see if someone is home. Because of this, we suggest steps that help create the appearance that your home is occupied. This includes automated or smart lights and entertainment systems. Also, as we shared above, a video doorbell camera with a two-way voice allows you to speak to whoever comes to your door, even if they don’t ring the doorbell.
Most activity at your door is normal: friends visiting and family arriving home. It’s easy to create a custom doorbell camera alert triggered by your kids’ Alert 360 user codes, which sends you a video clip of your family arriving at home. It’s a great way to make sure they’re home safe and know who they’re with.
For more tips on front door security, please review our previous blogs on this subject. Our library of home security and business security blogs can be helpful all year long. On this topic, we especially recommend the following security blogs from our website:
• Stay Safe when Strangers Knock
• Home Security and Safety Tips for Children who Stay Home Alone
• How to Use Home Security Systems, Mobile Apps to Keep Children, Elderly Safe
• Back-to-School Security Tips for Families
Ensure sensitive areas are protected. Chances are, some areas of your home require extra security whether you are home or not. Sensitive areas include medicine cabinets, liquor cabinets, gun safes and pools. Other sensitive areas that need extra security might include your outdoor shops, storage sheds or gated areas. Indoor and outdoor security cameras can help keep an eye on these areas. Access alerts also help notify you if someone has gained entry to these areas. An Alert 360 home security system allows you to receive notifications and alerts on your smartphone, laptop, or tablet when an area is accessed. The system will also notify the Alert 360 dispatch center, which helps if you miss a notification or cannot call for help.
Install keyless entry and smart locks with remote locking/unlocking. The Alert 360 key-free deadbolt lock allows you to lock/unlock your door by entering your pin code on its keypad. You can also control the lock through the Alert 360 mobile app. This ensures stronger front door home security whether your child forgot his keys or locks the door when leaving. Your child will never be locked out. It’s also easy to ensure the door is locked once your child is safely inside, even if you’re stuck at work. When combined with a front door video doorbell with a two-way voice, you also can control the lock from afar, allowing delivery drivers to leave packages safely inside your home.
Include Flex 360 a remote security sensor device that can help in improving security in the back-to-school security planning. The Flex 360 is a battery-powered sensor designed for monitoring property and assets anywhere. This device provides an easy solution for remote security challenges and helps protect everything from toolsheds and gates to boats, ATVs, motorcycles, kayaks, and more. It can be used on items in your backyard or on the other side of the country and provides you with real-time alerts if the item is tampered with, moved, or opened.
Review schooltime routines and have a plan. When everyone in the family knows what to expect and what’s normal, it helps increase safety. Plan together about the route home, time of arrival, and after-school routine. Have agreed upon snacks, chores, homework plans, and downtime for students to relax safely after school. Knowing the daily route and routine can help you and the authorities in an emergency or a missing child.
We also suggest scheduling a daily check-in for peace of mind. It’s easier than ever to call, send a text, or wave to your home security camera. Set a time for this check-in to happen every day with your child. Homeowners with a wireless security system installed and an alarm monitoring app also can receive helpful notifications that show a video of a child entering the home or when a door is opened or closed.
Consider Alert 360’s Connected Car OBD GPS tracker for teen drivers and more. Alert 360 Connected Car users receive alerts to unexpected movement such as when their vehicle moves while the engine is off, indicating it may have been towed, crashed into, or stolen; diagnostics such as check engine light, low battery, or low fuel, and driving behavior, such as sudden acceleration, hard braking, and excessive speeding. The Connected Car helps prevent car theft or vandalism and helps keep teen drivers safer.
Like the Flex 360, the Connected Car is easy to install and is available through Alert 360 authorized dealers or one of Alert 360’s branch locations across the United States.
Don’t forget pet safety. Your beloved pets probably loved the lazy summertime routine with the kids home and more interaction with their favorite humans. When students head back to school, we can’t forget to help protect and show love to our furry friends who are left at home alone.
Many pet owners find great peace of mind when they can check in and see that all is safe while they’re not home. We suggest using security cameras to peek in using live streaming video. If you have a home security system, you can also set notification alerts that you choose or check your recorded video clips, to know what’s happening. Sadly, pets can be harmed during a break-in, and some breeds are even targeted for theft. Your security system and wireless cameras with video monitoring can help deter and catch any would-be criminals who might threaten your pet.
Additionally, “life safety sensors” that can monitor smoke, heat, CO can alert you and your alarm monitoring center, which will contact emergency personnel if there is smoke or fire in your home when you’re not there. Monitored carbon monoxide detectors also ensure help is sent if levels of this dangerous gas become high in your home.
We recommend additional security measures to protect your pets whether you have a security system or not. For starters, take a close look around your home and remove any items that can cause injury or make an animal ill, such as small items that might cause choking. To prevent poisoning, securely store cleaners, chemicals, and medications. Paints, mineral spirits, solvents and some cleaning products can be toxic to your pets and cause severe irritation or chemical burns. Be sure to read and follow directions for using and storing these items with your pets in mind. Also, prevent or clean spilled or leaking antifreeze, which can be fatal for pets.
Easy and Smart Back-to-School and Year-Round Home Security
As parents ourselves, the Alert 360 family knows how busy life can get. While we never want to live in fear, being aware of potential threats to our homes and families’ security helps. Fortunately, numerous, easy ways exist to protect your property and loved ones. At Alert360.com, we provide free consultations and products to help make lives safer, more secure and convenient. We also offer free home security evaluations to pinpoint vulnerable areas and easy security upgrades that fit your budget. We’re happy to help!
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