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Home Safety Checklist For Tallahassee

Keeping safe and secure in your house should be your topmost responsibility. But are you missing a few useful safety items? Look over this home safety checklist for Tallahassee and find out where your living space can use an update.

We give you five whole-home safety items, and then we break it down to specific room ideas. Then, phone (850) 347-8092 or send in the form below to get your house set up.

Whole Home Safety Checklist

Essential Home Safety Checklist for Tallahassee

While you may want to use a individual room approach to home safety in Tallahassee, there are some items that work for all of your rooms. These devices can sync to each other through a smart hub, and can even work off one another. You can also manage all your home safety devices with a mobile app, such as ADT Control:

  • Monitored Home Security System: All your entryways should employ a sensor that alerts you and your family to a break-in. After the alarm triggers, your monitoring expert responds to the alert and contacts the police or fire department.

  • Smart Bulbs For Most Rooms: Sure, you can program your smart bulbs to make your home more efficient. But smart lights can also allow you to remain safe throughout an emergency. Have your downstairs lights come on when a sensor trips to frighten off intruders or brighten your way to a outside area.

  • Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Tallahassee should save you between 10%-15% in gas and electric costs. But it also can flip on an exhaust fan if you have a fire.

  • Monitored Fire Alarms: At the very least, you need to have a smoke detector on each level of your house. You can increase your fire game by utilizing a monitored fire detector that senses excessive smoke and heat, and pings your round-the-clock monitoring agents when it detects a fire.

  • Smart Door Locks: Every door that uses a deadbolt can use a smart lock. Now you may program codes to friends and family and get notifications to your smartphone when they are unlocked. Your smart lock can even automatically unlock, allowing you to quickly get out when you have a fire or dangerous situation.

Family Room Safety Checklist

Family Room/Living Room Safety Checklist For Tallahassee

You’ll spend most of your time in your family room, so it can be the most reasonable room to improve your home safety. Popular items, like your TV or stereo system, typically sit in your living room, making it an alluring space for burglars. Begin with hanging a motion detector or indoor security camera in there, then try some of these suggestions:

  • Motion Detectors: By putting in motion sensors, you’ll get a high-decibel noise if they sense suspicious motion within your living room. You’ll want motion sensors that filter out a dog or cat or you’ll see an alert every time your cat roams by for a drink of water.

  • Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera puts a visual on your living room. Watch constant streams of your room so you can find out what’s downstairs through the mobile app. Or speak with your family in the living room with the two-way talk feature.

  • Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Make sure you protect expensive electronics and quit overloading your electric system with a surge protector. For additional energy-efficiency, install a smart plug with anti-surge functionality in the unit.

  • Furniture Secured To The Wall: If you have babies or toddlers, you’ll want to secure your heavy furniture and entertainment center to the wall. This is extra important if your living room has carpet that might make furniture extra wobbly.

  • Special Locks For Sliding Doors: If your family room uses a sliding glass door that leads to a patio, deck, or screened-in porch, you already know that the lock is pretty thin. Install an enhanced lock, like a metal bar or small locks that are located on the bottom and top of the door frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Tallahassee

Your kitchen has room for items that can provide safety to your house. Some of these objects are also simple to add and should be purchased from the Target or Walmart:

  • Fire Extinguisher: A fire can happen from an unwatched pot or an errant grease splatter. Always have a fire extinguisher at the ready for any stove or oven mishaps.

  • Circuit Interrupter Box On Each Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be used everywhere they’re by running water to lessen the chance of electrocution. That includes the outlets around your sink and kitchen counter. For 30 years, it’s been standard to have one circuit interrupter outlet per dedicated circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’ll want to install a single GFCI per outlet.

  • Monitored CO Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is needed in the kitchen if you use gas for the oven and stove. If your gas burners leak, the CO detector will cause a loud, buzzing sound and contact your monitoring agent.

  • Clorox Wipes Or Spray: The most overlooked safety issue in the kitchen is actually bacteria and protein that comes with raw meat and dairy. Always store disinfectant wipes or a bleach spray to scrub off your surfaces when cooking.

  • Refrigerator/Freezer Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in your fridge should remain at a cold temperature to stay healthy to use. If you leave the refrigerator door open too long, then a small beep will let you know so you can shut it securely. Some fridges already have an alarm, older models won’t, and you’ll have to buy an external alarm from online.

Bathroom Safety Checklist

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Tallahassee

Just because there’s not a bunch of square footage in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there aren’t safety hazards. From water problems to anti-surge outlets, here are some safety improvements for your bathroom:

  • Flood Sensors: A leaking sink or shower can cause a whole lot of destruction. Discover a leaking pipe with a flood detector before they cause hundreds of dollars in ruined floors, walls, and fixtures.

  • No-slip Shower Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be painful, causing bumps, gashed heads, or trips to the hospital. Or avoid these issues with a non-slip bath mat for while you towel off.

  • Textured Bathtub Stickies: Likewise, a bathtub can be a slippery surface to stand in. It’s a good idea that every tub has some non-slip strips so your toes have a textured patch to grip.

  • Medicine Door Latch: If you have little toddlers or a family member with memory difficulties, you should take additional attention regarding prescribed medicine. Secure your bottles by installing a medicine cabinet with a locking latch.

  • Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Just like the kitchen, you need to also install a grounded circuit interrupter outlet on every bathroom circuit. This will stop the flow of the electric current if water enters the outlet or they experience a harmful surge from an electric razor or hair dryer.

Child's Bedroom Safety Checklist

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Tallahassee

Your child’s bedroom should pair safety with accessibility. If their window coverings or other things are safe but difficult to manage, then your children may try dangerous methods -- like scale a chest of drawers -- to open them. Here are 5 simple, yet safe, ideas:

  • Cordless Window Treatments: Safety professionals have designated corded window treatments a secret danger for children and animals. Install motorized treatments that kids can easily open and close via remote control. Or better yet, connect your motorized treatments to your security system so they open on a schedule when the sun comes up, and lower at bedtime for an easier sleep.

  • Tableside Security Camera: A security camera sitting on your kid’s desk can behave like a baby monitor that you can view from your phone. And if they need you, they can hit the intercom talk button that comes with the camera.

  • Outlet Covers: While each outlet should use covers on them when you have young children, this is especially important in a child’s bedroom. It’s the one room in your home where your child will most likely be solo without constant additional supervision.

  • Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on an upper floor, then you need to install a window fire ladder. These should let a child get out of their room when the stairs or lower levels are on fire. Remember to rehearse how to use them one or two times a year.

  • Toy Chest Or Low Shelves: It’s weird to think about a toy chest as a safety component, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever stepped on a building block in your stocking feet. A clean floor means a quick way out if there’s an emergency.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Tallahassee

The bedroom should be your calm space, so let your safety items give you peace of mind when you have an emergency. After all, being wrenched awake by a high-decibel buzzer can be confusing.

  • Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your nightstand helps you know what’s going on without getting out of bed. You could always use your ADT mobile app. However, the HD touchscreen can be easier to manage to use when you’re bleary-eyed and disoriented.

  • Personal Charging Stand: We depend on our phones for so many things now GPS, web browsers, social media, and maybe even phones. But, an uncharged device will cut us off from the outside world if during an emergency. So, a charging station or cord is an essential.

  • Smart Lights Or Nightlights: A small light can calm you when you’re jolted awake from an alarm or other loud sounds. If you won’t drift off to sleep with a nightlight, use smart bulbs in your bedroom. Then you can get light on-demand with a button push or voice direction.

  • Fireproof Safe: Store your essential paperwork like insurance cards, medical information, or banking information in a fireproof safe. Your safe can be a big one that sits out of the way or a small handheld safe that you can snatch on your way out during an emergency event.

  • Temperature Sensor: The issue with most bedrooms is that they might be too warm or be frigid because they are across the house from the thermostat. A temperature sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you can have a comfortable, relaxing sleep at a wonderful climate.

Garage Safety Checklist

Garage/Basement Safety Checklist For Tallahassee

Most safety issues in the basement or garage are with your water heater or furnace. Discovering hazards early can stop more devastating emergencies later on. So, as you look around your basement or garage, check over these critical items:

  • Flood Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Putting a flood sensor in back of your water heater or sump pump drain can save you from wading into a lake when you walk into your garage or basement. Do you really want to lose your weekend getting rid of standing water?

  • Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s beneficial to install a carbon monoxide alarm in an area where a CO leak can occur. If you have a gas furnace, you should install an alarm in the same area as your unit.

  • WiFi Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood detector senses a hot water heater leak or a busted pipe, then you need to cut off the main water pipe immediately. With a WiFi shutoff valve, you can block water flow from any mobile device. That’s helpful when you’re on vacation and get a water leak notification on your mobile device.

  • Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door up causes all sorts of problems. You can lose a bunch of heat or air through that gaping hole, and critters or thieves can just wander in. A sensor will notify you about a neglected garage door and lets you lower it with your phone.

  • Temperature Sensor: A temperature sensor in your garage or basement is a definite if you fret about your pipes freezing. The temperature in these rooms can be surprisingly different than your main rooms of the home, so you will want to maintain a close look on the temp through the ADT mobile app.

Outside perimeter checklist

Outside Perimeter Safety Checklist for Tallahassee

Your yard, drive, and front porch are just as imperative to defend as the rest of your house. Try the items on this checklist to make your outside safe:

  • Outdoor Security Camera: You can install outdoor cameras to alert you to late night movement in your back yard. These security cameras are especially useful in places where you may not have a view -- like a side yard or by the garage door.

  • Window Height Shrubs: Tall shrubs can offer some serenity, but they also hinder you seeing into the yard. Don’t offer potential burglars a dark shadow to hide. Plus, high bushes, shrubs or foliage against your home can obstruct gutters and bring in ants and termites.

  • ADT Signage: One of the most popular deterrents for a thief is alerting would-be burglars that you use a state-of-the-art home security system. An ADT yard stick by the stoop and a window cling will tell people that they might want to shove off to an easier house.

  • Motion Controlled Porch Lights: Light is the best enemy to those who skulk in the dark. Motion-triggered lights on your porch, garage, or deck can shoo possible intruders away. Flood lights also help you see the walk when you arrive back home on those dark, winter nights.

Contact Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You Finish Your Home Safety Checklist for Tallahassee

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t help you with every item on your Tallahassee home safety checklist, we can offer a state-of-the-art security system. With everything from alarms to thermostats, we can personalize the best system for your family’s needs. Simply phone (850) 347-8092 to get started or fill out the form below. Or personalize your own solution with our Security System Designer.