Home Fire Safety Tips For The Holidays

The holidays are a time to enjoy family and take a relaxing break from work. They’re also a time to be vigilant about the increased chance of a household fire. Read through these fire safety tips and review them with your family so that everyone stays safe during the holiday season.

Be Aware of Candles

Candles are a hallmark of the winter holidays. As pretty as they are, however, candles are responsible for two out of every five home decoration fires. Never place a candle next to a flammable object such as holiday decorations, and always blow out lit candles when you are not in the room or when you go to bed.

Keep Decorations Away from Heat

Half of holiday decoration fires occur because the decorations are too close to a heat source. Shop for flame-resistant and flame-retardant decorations, and hang them far away from sources of heat such as the heating vent, fireplace, and lights.

Hang Lights Safely

To avoid a fire hazard, do not hang outdoor lights indoors, and vice versa. If you notice any loose bulb connections or a patch of cord that is worn or broken on your lights, replace them. Read the instructions provided with your lights to be sure that you aren’t stringing too many lights together. When hanging the lights, use clips rather than nails to avoid damaging the cords.

Test Smoke Alarms

You should test your smoke alarms several times throughout the holiday season by pressing the built-in test button. If the smoke alarm chirps, it means it is running on low batteries that need to be replaced immediately.

About Brinton Security

Sometimes, following all of the advised fire safety tips is not enough to protect you from a fire. We offer advanced fire alarms that detect both heat and smoke and that alert us to call the local fire department on your behalf as soon as a fire is detected.

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Practical Home Security Tips For The Holidays

Enjoying the season of giving is what the winter holidays are all about. However, because thieves know that homes during the holidays are filled with gifts, it should also be a time of vigilance. Take these precautions to ensure that your home is protected from a holiday break-in this winter.

Lock Up

Always close and lock the doors and windows of your home if you’re leaving, even if just for a short trip. The garage door is also a popular entrance point for thieves, so keep it closed even when you’re home. Don’t forget to lock the door to the garage in the event that thieves gain access to the garage. Be sure to never leave a spare key outside the house—thieves know where to find them.

Always Make it Look Like Someone is Home

Automate your lights in and around your home and put them on a schedule (using your mobile App) to come on at certain times, for example at sunset. This will serve as an excellent deterrent whether you are away from home for a brief period of time or out of town on vacation. If you leave town, have the mail and newspaper picked up by a neighbor or request to have it stopped. You may even want to hire a house sitter for extra protection.

Store Valuables in a Safe

Jewelry and other small objects of great value should be kept inside of a safe. If you don’t want to have a safe inside of the home, use your bank’s safety deposit box to keep items you don’t regularly need.

Invest in a Quality Home Security System

Nothing will deter a thief like a cutting-edge, professionally installed home security system. A high-quality system should include motion detection triggers, video surveillance, and central monitoring features.

 

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Fire Safety is Important During the Holidays

The holidays are a busy time and most people are scrambling to do too much, too fast. Unfortunately, all of that busy work and rushing from store-to-store trying to finish up last minute shopping means many homeowners may be neglecting basic safety at home. Whether you are cooking holiday meals or just putting up your Christmas lights, it is important to keep fire safety in mind.

Tips for Keeping Your Home Safe

From candles being lit to baking your Christmas ham, the holidays involve the risk of fire in your home. Keep your home safe by taking the time to prepare and implement a few additional safety tips this holiday season:

  • Kitchen Safety – If you are cooking (whether it is on the stove or in the oven), stay in the kitchen as much as possible. If for some reason you need to step away, return to the kitchen frequently to check on boiling pots, simmering sauces and anything baking in the oven.
  • Candle Safety – Keep flaming candles away from children and never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle. LED candles are a good choice. They flicker and look just like real candles, but without the flame. Do not use candles near flammable materials, such as curtains or a Christmas tree.
  • Keep a Fire Extinguisher Handy – Every home should have a fire extinguisher. These are relatively inexpensive and can be stored in the laundry area or kitchen to stop any minor house fires from becoming devastating ones.
  • Test Smoke Alarms – Smoke alarms should be tested just before the holidays and every month after that. Replace batteries in all of your carbon monoxide detectors as well.
  • Be Safe with Christmas Lights – If you are setting up Christmas lights outside, keep plugs away from standing water, snow or any other type of moisture. Do not use extension cords that are frayed. Indoors, only use grounded outlets and keep your Christmas tree lights on a timer so that they do not remain on overnight.

About Brinton Security

To learn more about how you can protect your home from fires this holiday or to install a fire alarm with your home alarm system, contact your local home security specialists. Brinton Security offers free consultations and can help you install a system that protects your home during the busy holiday season and right through the year.

Give us a call today!

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Give the Gift of Home Automation this Christmas

As you get older, it is harder to think of what you really want for Christmas. There is always one trend that never gets old: buying things that make life easier. Home automation systems are quickly becoming popular, especially around Christmas time. They not only make life simpler but give homeowners peace of mind and added security – not to mention home value.

Why Home Automation for Christmas?

Homes can be just as tech savvy as cars and computers these days. In fact, as long as you have a smartphone, tablet or PC you can control almost every aspect of your home. While there are numerous reasons to consider a home automation system for your home this Christmas, here are some of the biggest benefits and features you will find with today’s systems:

  • Safety – Home automation is an additional level of safety you can add to your home. From controlling appliances and lights with the tap of a finger, you can make sure everything is turned off before you leave for the day, including curling irons. You can also ensure that lights are turned on when it gets dark.
  • Automatic Door Locks – How often do you leave only to realize you forgot to lock the front door or perhaps the garage entrance? With home automation, you do not have to turn around; instead, you can use your smartphone to lock your doors. If someone does enter your home, you can set up alerts to be delivered straight to your device, so you know who comes and goes.
  • Adding Security Cameras – Whether you have kids, an open backyard or pets to keep an eye on, home automation systems have you covered. Never miss a moment of what is going on by adding home security cameras with your automation system. You can check in on your home periodically throughout the day via your computer, tablet or smartphone.
  • Comfort – Adjusting your thermostat (whether you are away or just in the other room) is as simple as pulling out your device and making the change. Not only does this make life easier, but it could help you save money on energy – by allowing you to keep your home cool during the day and start heating it just an hour before you head home.
  • Peace of Mind While Traveling – During the holidays and even year-round, there will be times when you travel away from your home. Instead of relying on equally busy neighbors to keep an eye on things, you can control your home and monitor its security through your home automation system.

About Brinton Security

Home automation systems are much more affordable than you might realize. With all of the added benefits, they are quickly becoming an attractive upgrade for most homeowners. Brinton Security is your local home automation expert. We provide free consultations and can help you find the right home automation and security system to suit your family’s needs.

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