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.

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.

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.

September is finally here, and it’s time to send your little guy or girl off to college. In all of the excitement of this big moment, don’t let the importance of home security get lost in the mix. The first days of the school year are thrilling regardless of whether it’s freshman or senior year, and thoughts of safety end up abandoned amidst the hoopla. As a parent, it’s up to you to remind your children of the importance of maintaining home security, either in the dorm or off campus. Here are some tips to pass along to your kids:

Remain Aware of Your Surroundings: While the first few weeks of freshman year can seem like summer camp, remember that not everyone is as trusting and innocent as you are. Thefts happen in the dorm everyday, and once a valuable possession is gone, it’s likely that it won’t be seen again. Remember to lock your door when you leave, and make sure your roommate is on the same page.

Ask Your Landlord for an ADT Home Alarm: Many landlords are coming around to the fact that home security is their responsibility, just like fixing a broken dishwasher or a leak in the roof. Ask your landlord to install an ADT home security system. Offer to tack on a few extra dollars per month; the savings will come back in spades when a burglary is thwarted.

Keep an Open Dialogue With Your Neighbors: Let the folks living around you know that you want to hear about any suspicious behavior. Taking collective home security seriously is the best way to keep everyone around you safe, including yourself.

With some basic precautions around campus and your home, you can go a long way towards a safe school year. Contact ADT today to see how they can help.

Summer is nearing its end, and that means children across America will soon be hearing that first bell that kicks off the new school year. That makes some kids happy and other kids sad, but regardless, every child needs to understand that safety and home security take top priority. There are too many potential hazards out there to give this anything less than your full attention. Look below for tips to help ensure your child’s safety this school year.

Perform Some Bus Stop Recon: No matter whether it’s your kid’s first or hundredth ride, it pays to spend a few minutes scouting out the place where he or she will wait for the bus. If there is a walk from your home involved, take the time for a practice run.

Replay Home Security Basics: Now is as good a time as ever to go over your expectations for keeping your home protected. If your child is old enough to operate the ADT home alarm, have them show you how to do it. This is especially important if the child will be left alone.

Talk to Neighbors: Have a discussion with the folks living around you about expectations for the new school year. Consider setting up a schedule to take care of each others’ kids if an adult isn’t always available in both homes.

Lay Out Rules for Older Children: Kids in high school and college represent a whole different set of challenges. Sit your child down and have a frank talk about the dangers involved with operating a motor vehicle, especially in cases where alcohol is involved. Parents are the number one deterrent for bad behavior, so take the few minutes to speak to your kids.

As the dog days of August turn into cooler September rain showers, make sure your children are safe. Practice these home safety and school safety tips. There’s nothing more precious than their well-being, and you should take every step possible to ensure it.