We would all like a peace of mind knowing that our homes are safe when leaving or on vacation. Unfortunately, the greatest number of break-ins occur when families are on vacation or away for longer periods. By installing a home surveillance system, this dramatically reduces the chance of your home being burglarized. In addition, a home surveillance system has other features such as options for calling your local fire or police department by pushing one button. Elderly or small children in the household would benefit from this feature, as a live person would be available in any state of emergency without using the phone.

Here are the basic choices to choose from:

Simple Surveillance: The system may include motion sensors, sound detectors, and photocells. Individual window alarms could be set in place, do-it-yourself wireless systems, and timers that would turn on lights at a programmed time to create an illusion that someone is home.

Other options with the Simple Surveillance would include interior alarms that monitor intrusions inside the home including panic switches, noise detection, motion sensors, photoelectric beams (light beams that trigger when interrupted) and pressure mats (flat switches that trigger by footsteps). In addition to home surveillance systems, adding dead bolts, “heavy-duty strike plates,” can help you secure your home. Outdoor motion detectors are sensor lights that also offer assistance in home surveillance.

The last option would be Perimeter Alarms where any perimeter being violated will ring a bell, or siren scaring most burglars away.

When it comes to the security and safety of your property and family, there is never an exact cost to help consider which system, but always know that there is a solution for keeping your home safe from violators. Anything new takes a short time to adjust, and before long, it becomes systematic in your everyday living.

In addition to burglary, fires and carbon monoxide claims a life each day. According to statistics over 1000 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning also referred to as "the odorless killer". Another 10,000 fall injury to carbon monoxide and/or fire. Fires claim more lives than carbon monoxide, therefore adding a CO, (Carbon Monoxide Alarm) Smoke alarm, and a home surveillance device to your home is not much to ask for compared to the lives you will save.

When you take action to protect your home, your family will have the security they need to survive such harsh worldly conditions. Taking action means to set up alarms, as well as securing your doors, windows, etc. The more security you supply to your home, the better chance you will have. Currently every 30 seconds someone dies in fires. In addition, someone's home is robbed at the same time a fire claims a life. While there is no such thing as complete home surveillance, there are measures you can take to protect your home.

Alarms

Alarms include smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms, commonly referred to as CO alarms. The CO-alarms and smoke detectors combined could bring you security. You can also purchase combined smoke and CO alarms to save money. The units alert you when smoke and/or carbon monoxide is putting you at risk.

Fires

If your home catches on fire you should have prepared ahead of time to get your family to safety. Do your kids know what to do if their clothing catches fire? Do they know to cover their face, drop, and roll until the fire is out? You can prevent fires however by adding updated fire alarms, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide alarms to your home. Check the devices weekly and restore the batteries when necessary. If you install updated fire, smoke, or CO-alarms it is important that you repeatedly remind your family what to do in the event the systems sound. The children should be taught to avoid hiding from the fire. Rather, the children should have a safety plan which instructs them to safety. Practicing safety plans weekly can help you children prepare. Since heat rises, the children should be instructed to drop to the floor and stay low to the ground while working their way out of the home. The children should be informed to avoid stopping for pickups, such as favorite items. Safety first means forget materials and get out of the home. Once the family is outside of the home on safe grounds, it is important that you inform your family to meet in the same place. Do a head count to make sure everyone is out of the home safely.

Carbon Monoxide:

If you have a CO-alarm setup in your home, teach your children what to do just as you would instruct them to do with smoke alarms. Set up the same plan that you would set for home fires. If carbon monoxide leaks into your home, it is important to call 911 now, and get out of the house. Stay in the air until the emergency team arrives, and do not go back into the home until you have been properly instructed by the emergency team.

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