Home Safety Checklist For Springfield

Keeping safe and secure in your residence should be your topmost responsibility. But are you missing some big safety components? Take this home safety checklist for Springfield and discover where your living space requires some work.

This guide begins with some whole-house safety items, and then we whittle it down room-by-room. Then, you can call (217) 765-0085 or send in the form below to get your house safe and secure.

Basic Home Safety Checklist for Springfield

While you will want to take a room-to-room process for home safety, there are some things that work for multiple rooms. These items can link to each other through a wireless hub, and often can respond to one another. You might also manage all your home safety devices using a mobile security app, such as ADT Control:

Monitored Home Security System: Each one of your windows and doors should have a sensor that warns your family to intrusion. When your alarm triggers, your monitoring center responds to the call and calls the police or fire department.

Smart Lights For Every Major Room: Sure, you can set your smart bulbs to become more eco-conscience. But they can also allow you to stay safe throughout an emergency. Make your downstairs lights flip on when a security alarm goes off to scare off burglars or brighten the way out to a secure place.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Springfield should save you up to 15% in gas and electric spending. But it also can turn on an exhaust fan during a fire.

Monitored Smoke Detectors: At the very least, you have a smoke detector on every floor. You can improve your fire game by utilizing a monitored fire detector that detects unusual smoke and heat, and notifies your 24-hour monitoring team when it detects a fire.

Smart Door Locks: Every door that uses a deadbolt can use a smart door lock. Now you may program key codes to each family member and get alerts to your phone when the locks are used. Your locks can even automatically open, allowing you to quickly get out if you have a fire or other emergency.

Family Room/Living Room Safety Checklist For Springfield

You’ll spend most of your time in the family room, so it can be the most reasonable place to improve your home safety. Electronics, like your TV or video games, typically sit in your living room, making it a tempting space for thieves. Start with placing a motion detector or indoor camera in there, then continue on with the following ideas:

Motion Sensors: By hanging motion sensors, you’ll get a high-decibel alarm whenever they detect unexpected motion in your family room. You’ll want motion sensors that aren’t set off by pets or you’ll get a tripped alarm every time your dog roams by for a midnight stroll.
Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera offers a visual on your living room. View real-time streams of your room so you can know what’s happening from the mobile app. Or chat with your kids when they come home from school with the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Safeguard expensive electronics and quit overloading your circuits with a surge protector. For extra comfort, install a smart plug with surge protection built-in.
Furniture Attached To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll need to attach your heavy furniture and entertainment center to your wall. This is extra crucial if your family room uses carpet that might make heavy objects extra wobbly.
Special Locks For Sliding Doors: If your family room has a sliding glass door that opens to a patio, deck, or screened-in porch, you already know that the latch is pretty flimsy. Install an enhanced lock, like a cross bar or locks that bolt to the top and bottom of the frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Springfield

Your kitchen has many items that can provide safety and security to your house. Many of these objects should be a snap to add and should be found in the a retail store:

Fire Extinguisher: Fire can happen from an overfilled skillet or a faulty burner. Always keep a fire extinguisher in close reach for any kitchen mishaps.
GFCI Box On Each Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be used on outlets where they’re close to water to ward off electrocution. That means the outlets close to your kitchen counter and sink. Since 1987, it’s been code to have one circuit interrupter outlet per dedicated circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’re going to want to use a single GFCI for every outlet.

Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is handy in kitchens that have gas for the oven and stove. If your gas appliances malfunction, the carbon monoxide detector will emit a loud sound and contact your monitoring professional.
Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The most overlooked safety hazard in the kitchen is the invisible bacteria and contamination from raw meat and vegetables. Always store antiviral wipes or a bleach spray to scrub off your surfaces before and after making a meal.
Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The food items in your fridge should stay at a chilly temperature to be healthy to use. If you leave the refrigerator door ajar, then a small beep will let you know so you can check the seal. Some fridges already have this installed, others won’t, and you’ll have to get a refrigerator alarm from the store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Springfield

Just because there’s not a lot of room in your bathroom there’s still safety concerns. From flood prevention to electric safety, here are five safety tips for your bathroom:

Flood Sensors: A leaking sink or bathtub can cause extensive destruction. Find a water problem with a flood detector and save yourself from reflooring the entire bathroom.
Non-slip Bathroom Mats: A slip in the bathroom can be a painful occurrence, causing cuts, gashed heads, or broken bones. Make sure you prevent these problems with a no-slip bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.

No-slip Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a tub can be a slippery area to move in. It’s a good idea that every has some no-slip stickers so your feet have a rough patch to grip.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have young children or someone with memory complications, you need to take additional precautions regarding medicine. Hide away your prescriptions by installing a medicine cabinet with a child-proof lock.

GFCI Circuits: While installing better outlets in the kitchen, you should also use a surge protecting GFCI outlet on each bathroom outlet. This will shut off the current if they ever get wet or you have a harmful spike from a hair dryer or curling iron.

Kid’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Springfield

Your kid’s bedroom should counterbalance safety with simplicity. If their window shades or other things are safe but difficult to operate, then your child may get around the device with unsafe methods -- like shimmying up a chest of drawers -- to use them. Here are some simple, yet safe, ideas:

No Cord Window Treatments: Safety agencies have designated cords from shades and blinds a secret danger for kids and pets. Install motorized treatments that you can easily manage via remote control. Or go state-of-the-art and connect your motorized coverings to your security system so they rise without anyone’s help when the sun comes up, and go down at bedtime for extra privacy.

Tableside Security Camera: An indoor security camera perched on your kid’s desk or dresser can act like a high tech baby monitor that you can watch with a smartphone. And if they need something, they can push the 2-way talk button included on the camera.

Plug Covers: While each outlet should have covers on them to protect your little children, this is doubly urgent in a child’s bedroom. It’s the main place in your home where your toddler will most likely play solo without consistent parental supervision.

Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on an upper story, then you should have a window safety ladder. These can help a child escape when the stairway or downstairs are blocked off with fire. Just remember to rehearse how to use the ladder a few times a year.

Toy Box Or Low Bookshelves: It’s weird to look at a toy box as a safety item, but you’ll get it if you’ve ever tramped on a Lego in your bare feet. A uncluttered floor let your child have a quick escape when there’s a safety or security event.

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Springfield

Your main bedroom should be an oasis, so let your safety components make you more responsive if you have an emergency. After all, being startled awake by a loud buzzer can be confusing.

Security System Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your bedside table helps you know what’s what that noise was without leaving your bed. You could alternatively log into your ADT smartphone app. However, the touchscreen may be better to use when you’re coming out of sleep and finding your bearings.

Device Charging Stand: We depend on our cell phones for so many things now alarms, news readers, game machines, and maybe even phones. But, a depleted device in the middle of the night cuts us off from communications if there’s a problem. So, a charging cord or station becomes should be used nightly.

Smart Lights Or Nightlights: A small light can be a beacon when you’re bolted awake from a fire alarm or unexpected sounds. If you won’t drift off to sleep with a small nightlight, install smart bulbs in your fixtures. Then you can get light simply with a push of a button or voice command.
Fireproof Lockbox: Stash your important paperwork like birth certificates, medical information, or a bankbook in a fireproof lockbox. Your safe can be a big one that camps out in a corner or a slender portable lockbox that you can grab on your way out during an emergency event.

Heat Sensor: The problem with a master bedroom is that they might run too warm or be chilly since they sit far from the thermostat. A heat sensor will talk to your smart thermostat so you should have a nice, relaxing sleep at a wonderful temperature.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Springfield

Most safety needs in the basement or garage deal with your water or furnace. Seeing issues early can stave away bigger disasters later on. So, as you take a look around your basement or garage, pay attention to these safety items:

Flood Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Putting a flood sensor next to your water heater and sump pump drain can save you from wading into a pond when you go into your basement or garage. The last you need is to lose the weekend drying your floor and going through all those soggy boxes.

CO Detector: It’s beneficial to hang a CO alarm in an area where a CO leak can occur. If you use gas heating, you should install a detector in the same area as your inbound pipes.
Wireless Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood sensor senses a plumbing leak or a burst pipe, then you will have to shut off the primary water valve at once. With a remote shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from any mobile device. That’s perfect when you’re visiting relatives and get an emergency leak text on your mobile device.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage open causes all sorts of issues. You can lose a bunch of HVAC energy through that open door, and all sorts of animals or thieves can just wander in. A sensor will notify you about a forgotten garage door and allow you to close it remotely.
Heat Sensor: A heat alarm in your basement or garage is essential if you fret about frozen pipes. The temperature in these rooms can be drastically different than your main rooms of the home, so you may want to maintain a close look on the temp by using the ADT mobile app.

Home Perimeter Safety Checklist for Springfield

Your landscaping, driveway, and front walk are just as crucial to make safe as the rest of your home. Use this checklist to defend your perimeter:

Doorbell Camera: See who’s knocking on the front door before you answer it and talk to guests. See deliveries and review video clips if they are taken.

Outdoor Security Camera: You can hang outdoor cameras to notify you about late night activity in your back yard. These security cameras are especially useful in areas where you may not have a view -- like a side yard or by the driveway.

Low Shrubbery: Overgrown bushes can create some serenity, but they also hinder your line of sight of the yard. Don’t provide potential thieves an area to hide. Plus, large shrubs or greenery too close to your house can clog gutters and invite ants and termites.
ADT Signage: One of the largest deterrents for home intrusion is alerting aspiring intruders that you own a state-of-the-art home security system. An ADT yard stick by the front door and a window sticker will alert ne'er-do-wells that they should move on to an easier house.

Motion Controlled Flood Lighting: Light is the greatest deterrent to people who lurk in the shadows. Motion-activated lights on your porch, garage, or deck can shoo possible intruders away. They also help you get inside when you get to the house late after work.

Call Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You With Your Home Safety Checklist for Springfield

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t help you with every item on your Springfield home safety checklist, we can install a state-of-the-art home security system. With everything from alarms to thermostats, we can personalize the ideal system for your family’s needs. Simply call (217) 765-0085 for more information or send in the form below. Or personalize your own solution with our Security System Designer.