Home Safety Checklist For Colorado Springs
Keeping safe and secure in your house should be your largest responsibility. But are you missing some useful safety items? Use this home safety checklist for Colorado Springs and find out where your living space needs some work.
We give you five whole-home safety ideas, and then we break it down to specific room ideas. Then, you can call (719) 270-0648 or fill out the form below to talk to a security expert.
General Home Safety Checklist for Colorado Springs
While you should employ a individual room process for home safety in Colorado Springs, there are some methods that work for the entire house approach. These items can talk to each other through a wireless hub, and oftentimes work off other components. You can also manage all your home safety devices through a mobile app, such as ADT Control:
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Monitored Home Security System: Each one of your windows and doors should employ a sensor that notifies your family to forced entry. When an alarm goes off, your monitoring team answers the alert and quickly contacts the police or fire department.
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Smart Bulbs For Most Rooms: Of course, you can schedule your smart bulbs so your home is more efficient. But smart lights can also help you keep safe in an emergency. Have your downstairs lights come on when a sensor trips to frighten off intruders or brighten the way out to a outside place.
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Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Colorado Springs should save you up to 15% in gas and electric costs. It also can flip on an exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.
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Monitored Fire Detectors: It’s code that you have a fire alarm on each level of your house. You can improve your fire readiness by installing a monitored fire alarm that detects unusual heat and smoke, and pings your 24/7 monitoring agents when it detects a fire.
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Smart Lock For Every Door: Every doorway that utilizes a keyed lock can use a smart lock. Now you may preset key codes to friends and family and receive alerts to your mobile device when your locks are unlocked. Your locks can even automatically turn off, helping you to quickly get out during a fire or other emergency.
Family Room Safety Checklist For Colorado Springs
You’ll spend a lot of time in the family room, so it’s the best area to start making your home safer. Electronics, like a TV or video game console, probably sit in your family room, making it a tempting space for burglars. Start with installing a motion detector or security camera by the doorway, then take a look at all these suggestions:
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Motion Sensors: By putting in motion sensors, you’ll have a shrieking noise if they detect unexpected movement within your living room. You’ll want motion sensors that ignore a dog or cat or you’ll see your sirens go off every time your cat roams by for a midnight stroll.
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Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera puts a constant watch on your living room. Get constant feeds of your room so you can find out what’s downstairs from the mobile app. Or chat with your kids in the living room with the two-way talk feature.
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Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Safeguard expensive electronics and stop overburdening your outlets with a surge protector. For additional energy-efficiency, install a smart plug with anti-surge functionality in the unit.
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Furniture Secured To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll want to attach your heavy furniture and entertainment center to the wall. This is especially important if your living room has carpeting that might make objects extra wobbly.
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Enhanced Locks For Glass Doors: If your living room uses a glass door that opens to a backyard, deck, or outside porch, you probably know that the latch is pretty thin. Install a custom lock, like a metal bar or small locks that are located on the top and bottom of the door frame.
Kitchen Safety Checklist For Colorado Springs
The kitchen has room for items that can provide comfort and safety to your house. Most of these items should be easy to add and should be found in the a retail store:
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Fire Extinguisher: A fire can happen from an overfilled frying pan or a faulty burner. Always have a fire extinguisher in close reach for any stove or oven mishaps.
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GFCI Box On Each Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be installed anywhere they’re close to water to prevent an electric shock. That includes the plug outlets close to your sink and kitchen counter. For 30 years, it’s been standard to have one circuit interrupter outlet per dedicated circuit. But each one of your plugs will flip off if one outlet detects a surge, so you’re going to want to have an unchained GFCI for every outlet.
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Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A CO detector is handy in spaces that have gas for the stove and oven. If your gas appliances malfunction, the carbon monoxide detector will cause a loud noise and contact your monitoring center.
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Disinfectant Wipes Or Spray: The biggest safety issue in the kitchen is the viruses, bacteria, and contamination that comes with uncooked meat and vegetables. Always keep cleaning wipes or an antibacterial spray to scrub off your area when making a meal.
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Refrigerator Alarm: The food items in the fridge should remain at a constant temperature to stay ready to eat. If you leave the fridge or freezer door open, then an alarm beep will let you know so you can check the seal. Some appliances come with an alarm, others won’t, and you’ll have to get an external alarm from online.
Bathroom Safety Checklist For Colorado Springs
Just because you don’t a lot of square footage in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there aren’t safety hazards. From flood prevention to anti-surge outlets, here are five safety tips for your bathroom:
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Flood Detectors: A leaking sink or tub can create a whole lot of destruction. Deal with water problems early with a flood detector before they generate hundreds to thousands of dollars in ruined floors, walls, and fixtures.
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No-slip Bath Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be a painful occurrence, causing cuts, bruises, or sprained ankles. You can steer clear from these problems with a non-slip bath mat for while you towel off.
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No-slip Bathtub Stickies: Another water hazard, a bathtub can be a slippery surface to stand in. It’s a good idea that every has some no-slip stickies so your toes have a textured patch to grip.
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Medicine Door Latch: If you have curious children or anyone with memory lapses, you need to take extra care regarding prescription medicine. Secure your prescriptions by using a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.
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GFCI Circuits: Just like the kitchen, you should also use a grounded GFCI outlet on every bathroom circuit. This will stop the flow of the electric current if water splashes on them or there’s a harmful surge from a curling iron or hair dryer.
Kid’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Colorado Springs
A child’s bedroom should balance safety with accessibility. If their window treatments or other items are safe but tricky to operate, then your children may get around the device with unsafe activities -- like climb a bookshelf -- to use them. Try these simple, and safe, ideas:
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Cordless Window Coverings: Safety agencies have designated corded window treatments an unsuspecting problem for both children and pets. Use motorized treatments that kids can easily manage with a remote control. Or even better, pair your motorized treatments to your security system so they can raise automatically when it’s time to get up, and close at bedtime for added darkness.
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Tableside Security Camera: An indoor security camera sitting on your child’s dresser can double as an HD baby monitor that you can see from your phone. And if they want something, they can hit the intercom talk button included on the camera.
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Outlet Plug Covers: While each outlet should have outlet safety caps on them when you have small children, this is doubly needed in a child’s bedroom. It’s the one place in your home where your child will most likely play alone without consistent parental supervision.
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Window Safety Ladder: If you use bedrooms on above the first floor, then you need to put in a window fire ladder. These should let your children escape in case the hallway or downstairs are on fire. Remember to practice how to employ them one or two times a year.
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Toy Chest Or Low Shelves: It’s interesting to think about a toy box as a safety device, but you’ll see the light if you’ve ever tramped on a building block in your stocking feet. A clean floor means a quick retreat during an emergency.
Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Colorado Springs
The master bedroom should be a refuge, so let your safety devices make you more responsive if you experience an emergency event. After all, being wrenched awake by a loud siren can be confusing.
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Security System Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your bedside table helps you know what’s what that noise was without jumping out of bed. You could also turn on your ADT smartphone app. However, the HD touchscreen can be easier to control to use when you’re bleary-eyed and confused.
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Phone Charging Area: We rely on our phones for so much now alarms, internet searches, game machines, and --legend has it-- even phones. But, an uncharged cell can cut us off from the outside world if something goes wrong. So, a charging cord or station becomes an important part of your nightstand.
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Nightlights Or Voice Activated Smart Lights: A tiny light can be a beacon when you’re jolted awake from an alarm or other noises. If you can’t fall asleep with a small nightlight, put in smart lights in your fixtures. Then you can control light anytime with a push of a button or voice command.
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Fireproof Lockbox: Store your essential papers like insurance cards, stock certificates, or a bankbook in a fireproof lockbox. This can be a large one that is located out of the way or a smaller handheld lockbox that you can grab on your way out during an emergency event.
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Heat Sensor: The issue with bedrooms is that they can feel too hot or be frigid since they are far away from the thermostat. A heat sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you should have a pleasant, relaxing sleep at the perfect climate.
Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Colorado Springs
Most safety problems in the basement or garage deal with your water or HVAC system. Finding issues before they start can stop more devastating disasters in the future. So, as you take a look around your storage areas, check over these safety items:
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Water Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Putting a flood alarm in back of your water heater or sump pump drain can save you from finding a lake when you go into your garage or basement. The last you need is to waste the weekend bailing out water and salvaging all those ruined boxes.
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Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s beneficial to have a CO detector in a place where a CO leak can occur. If you use a gas furnace, try to put a detector in the same area as your unit.
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Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood alarm detects a hot water leak or a burst pipe, then you will have to cut off the primary water pipe immediately. With a WiFi shutoff valve, you can stop water flow from your phone. That’s nice when you’re visiting relatives and receive a flood sensor alert on your mobile device.
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Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door up causes all sorts of headaches. You can lose heat through that large opening, and all sorts of animals or thieves can just wander in. A sensor will text you about an open garage door and lets you close it remotely.
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Temperature Sensor: A temperature alarm in your garage or basement is a definite if you wonder about freezing pipes. The heat in these rooms can be drastically different than your main rooms of the home, so you may want to maintain a constant look on them by using your security mobile app.
Outside Perimeter Safety Checklist for Colorado Springs
Your landscaping, driveway, and front porch are just as important to secure as the rest of your house. Try the items on this checklist to create a safe outside:
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Doorbell Camera: See who’s knocking on the front door before you answer it and welcome visitors. View package deliveries and record video clips if they are stolen.
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Outdoor Security Camera: You can hang outdoor cameras to guard against suspicious movement in your back yard. These security cameras come in handy in areas where you may not have a window installed -- like a side yard or by the driveway.
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Window Height Bushes: Tall shrubs can offer some solitude, but they also obscure your line of sight of the yard and curb. Don’t offer potential intruders a place to hide. Plus, high shrubs or foliage around your structure can jam up gutters and summon ants and termites.
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ADT Yard Signs: One of the biggest disincentives for a thief is advertising to aspiring rogues that you use a monitored security system. An ADT yard stick by the main walk and a window cling will show lurkers that they might want to move on to an less prepared score.
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Motion Controlled Outside Lights: Light is the largest obstacle to people who lurk in the dark. Motion-activated lights on your deck, patio, or garage can help scare possible intruders away. Lights also help you get inside when you get to the house on those dark, winter nights.
Contact Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help Complete Your Home Safety Checklist for Colorado Springs
While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t deliver every item on your Colorado Springs home safety checklist, we can discuss a customized security system. With everything from alarms to thermostats, we can personalize the best system for your home’s needs. Just contact (719) 270-0648 to get started or complete the form below. Or customize your own ADT system with our Security System Designer.