It’s easy to throw caution to the wind while doing everyday activities like cooking on the stove, especially if you’re trying to manage children and pets at the same time. But too often this happens and results in home fires. Practice home security and safety in one of the most-used rooms with these helpful safety tips.

• Stick around: Stay in the kitchen while you’re cooking anything on a stovetop range, but most importantly if you’re frying food. It’s easy to start doing something in another room and forget you’re cooking something on the stove.

• Set boundaries: Keep anything that can catch fire easily at least three feet away from the range like potholders, dishtowels or plastic bags. Also keep any children or pets three feet away and teach them to stay away from the stove.

• Detect it: Install smoke detectors and an ADT home alarm system with smoke- and heat-detecting sensors so that in case something you’re cooking gets out of control, you, your family and the proper emergency services authorities can be alerted.

• Form good habits: Cook on back burners if possible and turn pot handles toward the back of the range so that small children can’t reach them. Also, keep any hot containers like pans or trays away from the counter’s edge.

• Keep it clean: Always clean your cooking area after you’re done and everything has cooled. Keep grease from building up on the range, microwave and oven.

Your laundry room may be the focus of one of your biggest household chores, but it also presents plenty of hazards. Be sure to clean up your mess, and pay attention to these items and areas to help keep your home safe:

* Buckets/tubs: When not in use, empty and store buckets and tubs upside-down to help prevent spills and to prevent children from accessing hazardous chemicals.

* Floors: Clean up any spills immediately. Also keep the floor clear of items to help prevent falls.

* Washer and dryer: Stay nearby while the washer and dryer are in operation. Prevent fires by cleaning out the dryer lint trap before each use. Also, install smoke detectors and heat sensors included with your ADT security equipment or other home alarm systems to alert you in case of an emergency.

There are few things more appealing to a curious toddler than something to climb onto, including bulky, top-heavy furniture. It takes almost no time for a piece of furniture or large item to topple over, potentially causing serious injury. Even if your home’s exterior is secure with an ADT home alarm system, there are hazards inside of your home that can be easily fixed.

So take a look around, evaluate your living area and apply these simple home safety tips to help prevent furniture tip-overs in your home.

* Anchored away: Secure any top-heavy or unsteady pieces of furniture to a wall using anchors, braces, brackets or wall straps. Beware of placing large items on stands or furniture because items like book cases, fish tanks and TVs can fall off stands and injure children. Be especially careful when anchoring flat screen TVs to the walls.

* Lower is better: Keep heavier items on lower shelves to help make furniture bottom-heavy and less prone to tipping over. But always read manufacturer’s instructions on placement of your TV and furniture and follow the guidelines and warnings.

* Stray items: Make sure unsteady furniture and shelves are clear of items that can be tempting to children like toys, candy and  remote controls.

Many products that help keep your home and vehicles clean and in working condition may also be harmful and poisonous. Practice caution when using and storing household chemicals and substances, and in case of ingestion call the national poison hot line at 1-800-222-1222. Follow the tips below to help ensure the safety of your home.

• Same container: Keep products properly labeled in the same container they came in. Moving them to other containers can lead to improper use and hazards.

• Follow directions: Don’t compromise your home’s safety by mixing products together that may cause chemical reactions. Always follow the directions on a product’s packaging, especially if they call for using gloves, eye goggles and other safety wear. Mix insect sprays as directed in outdoor areas away from areas your family members and pets use.

• Out of Reach: Store and lock products labeled with the words “Poison,” “Danger,” “Keep out of Reach of Children” and “Warning” in a place where children cannot see or reach them. Some products may include antifreeze, pesticides, paint thinner and automotive fluids. Also be careful of pool chemicals, which are poisonous and flammable. Make sure that flammable materials are stored near smoke detectors, which are often included as part of home alarm systems.

Safety precautions, a home security system and smoke detectors are the basics for home safety. Be sure to round out your family’s means of protection by purchasing and placing fire extinguishers throughout the home that can keep small fires form turning into larger, devastating ones.

• One on each floor: This is a minimum. It’s better to have too many than too few.

• Susceptible areas: Most fires start in the kitchen, but it’s also a good idea to place a fire extinguisher in the garage where flammable materials like building materials and solvents are often stored.

• Easily seen: The devices may not fit in with your home décor, but you’ll be glad that they’re easy to locate if a small fire occurs. Hang them on the wall by doors, no more than five feet above the ground.

Rest easy at night with the peace of mind that an ADT home alarm system can provide. But don’t forget these simple safety measures to help keep you safe when it’s time to go to bed.

1. Flame-resistant mattress: Check the fire safety label on any mattress before you buy it and make sure that it says it’s flame-retardant.
2. Flashlights: Stash flashlights in your bedside table to use during a power outage. And remember that in the event of a power outage, your ADT equipment includes a back-up battery that will keep the system operating during the outage.
3. Smoke/carbon monoxide detectors: Routinely confirm that the detectors and batteries inside are in working order.

Hot water is a hazard not covered by your ADT alarm system that often goes unnoticed in homes. But it takes only a second to be scalded in a home accident. Use caution and follow these home safety tips to help prevent scalds:

• Set the temperature: Set the temperature of your hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Test tub water: Always run your hand through bathtub water to check it’s a safe temperature before getting in or placing your child in it.

• Install special spouts: Buy specially made tub spout and shower heads that help prevent burns by turning off the water flow if the water reaches a temperature that can lead to burns.

• Cook safely: Keep children away from the stove, use oven mitts and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove while cooking. Be careful when sipping hot drinks and drink out of a container with a tight-fitting lid.

Although it’s how you get from point A to point B in your home, the hallway is often overlooked while critiquing a home’s safety. Check out these steps to help you secure your staircases and hallways.

1. Smoke alarms: Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in these areas because these may be escape routes when your home alarm system alerts you to an emergency.
2. Nightlights: Light pathways with plug-in nightlights to help prevent falls.
3. Rugs: Secure edges with tape so they won’t slide around. Also prevent falls by picking up stray items.
4. Handrails: Install handrails on stairways (and safety grips if a senior is in your home) to help in everyday maneuvering.
5. Safety gates: Find one that fits your needs, whether it’s to keep a wandering toddler or puppy from getting up and down stairs. But learn how to disengage it so you can get out when your ADT home security system sounds in an emergency.

It’s easy to leave the car running and leave your GPS in the passenger seat while you grab the mail or run into a store. But these habits increase your chances of falling victim to auto theft.  And it’s important to know that auto theft prevention is about more than simply locking your car doors. Here are a few tips for keeping your car and the belongings inside it secure:

1. Park in a garage: If your garage is full of junk and tools, clean it out. Parking your car in the garage makes it that much harder for thieves to break into it. This will also put your vehicle under the protection of your home alarm system. If you don’t have a garage, park your car as far into the driveway as possible. Keeping the driveway well lit at night is helpful, too.
2. Hide valuables: Never leave personal items or valuables like driver’s licenses, bills, jewelry or mp3 players in your vehicle. Also hide any CDs or cords to electronics that hint your pricey items may be in the car.
3. Get a security system: Vehicle security is almost as important as home security. Many vehicles already come with security systems. Learn how yours works and how to arm it. If you don’t have a car alarm, explore options like windows and glass-break sensors.

Babysitting can be stressful – for both the babysitter and the parents trusting him or her. A few safety precautions can be a good back up to the home alarm system that already helps protect your home and family.

Share these safety tips with your babysitter to help put your mind at ease:

• Get acquainted with the home: Know the address and contact information, and how to lock all the doors and windows. Learn the locations of First-Aid supplies, fire exits, fire extinguishers, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Also be aware of the security system. Identify a neighbor who will be available for help in case of an emergency.

• Be on the alert: Keep a pencil and paper by the phone. If you see or hear anything suspicious near the home, stay in the locked house, call the police and turn on outdoor lights.

• Don’t give yourself away: Never open the door to strangers or tell callers you are babysitting. Instead, tell them you are visiting the home and will deliver messages to the owners. However, be sure your parents or someone else knows where you are and how long you will be there.