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.

Packing for safety is key. It is important to always take along things like a personal alarm, a door alarm, cash carriers and passport jackets.  It is also important to keep everything important, such as money and documents, close to your body where they’re harder for someone to steal. Not in an inside pocket or fanny pack, but a money belt or harness that is worn inside your clothing. Especially when traveling overseas.

For example, a woman in the Paris train station sat her fanny pack with her and her husband’s passports, their traveler’s cheques, and their cell phone all on top of her suitcase. When she turned sideways to bend down beside the suitcase and look inside their backpack, everything was stolen in the blink of an eye. A busy train station with people walking by and bumping into one another was all it took for someone to casually pick up the fanny pack and leave my friends stranded in a foreign country without cash and their passports.  They hadn’t even purchased their train ticket yet, so they couldn’t get to the American Embassy. Their first mistake was putting everything they had in one central location. They should have each had their own passports on their bodies.  Each of them should have had money and traveler’s cheques hidden on their bodies. Their cell phones that had all of their phone numbers stored inside them should have been separated inside luggage and a duffel bag, and they should have had a back-up system like a written copy of emergency numbers.

Personal alarms can protect you if you’re out and someone tries to mug you or if you’re in a situation where you simply feel uncomfortable. By pulling a wire out of a handheld device, an ear piercing alarm is emitted that will scare off a potential attacker and attract attention to you. A door alarm will do the same, except it is like a bumper placed at the foot of the door that will sound if someone tries to gain entry.

If you go on vacation, especially to a foreign country where you might not be fluent in the language, be careful about what you pack. Make sure you’re taking the safety items you need to make your vacation a success. Do it right and your only worries will be how much stuff you lug home!

As for the safety of your home while you are away, ADT home security has been protecting American homes for over one hundred years. Their monitoring professionals are quick to respond. Remember to travel safe, and keep your home security level up while you travel.

Your family’s safety is priceless. If you thought that home security was beyond your budget and unreachable, you’re plain wrong. There are numerous ways to protect your loved ones without breaking the bank. Check out some ways to bolster your home security inexpensively below.

Change Up Your Locks: For less than 50 dollars, you can swap out old locks for new. Think how many neighbors, handymen, and dogwalkers you’ve given keys in the past couple of years. Even dependable people have moments of weakness; prevent a break-in by making those keys worthless.

Add a Home Alarm System: If you were under the impression that a home security system was out of reach, think again. ADT offers great deals on great home protection, with freebies including installation and equipment. For less than a one hundred dollar initial outlay of cash, you can set your house up with the safety net your family deserves.

Get Your Hands Dirty Gardening: Who would have thought that Mother Nature could make your family safer? By obscuring windows with shrubbery and adding rose bushes to low entrance points, you can keep potential burglars guessing. You don’t need to hire a professional landscaper; head to the garden supply store yourself, and spend a pleasant weekend installing some gorgeous new features.

Start a Neighborhood Watch Group: This one’s free: talk to the folks on your street, and see if they’re interested in starting a neighborhood watch group. If you’re the proud owner of an ADT home alarm system, let them know just how satisfied you are. A neighborhood filled with properly secured homes will send potential intruders scurrying on to the next block.

Improving home security should be a priority for any concerned property owner. With these easy tips and a home security system from ADT, you’re house or apartment will stay protected all the time.

Summer is winding its way down, and that means Labor Day is quickly approaching. As always, June and July flew by, and Memorial Day and the 4th of July are distant memories. You’ve kept your family safe throughout the hot days and nights, and now’s no time to quit. Here are some home security tips for maintaining that same level of safety for the upcoming Labor Day holiday.

Home Alarm - Don’t Forget to Set It: Your ADT home security system has monitored your home while you were away all summer long. When you go away this Labor Day, make sure you don’t forget to arm it. Burglars know just as well as you do that summer’s last harrah means vacant houses waiting to be picked off.

Fireworks – Don’t forget about Fire Safety: Have some fireworks left over from July 4th? Be careful when lighting them off, especially if you live in a dry area. In many parts of the United States, this summer hasn’t brought much rain, which means the risk of fire is greater than at any other point. Your home security depends on the wise choices you make, so take care and don’t play with fire.

Don’t Forget About Mother Nature: Folks in hurricane-prone areas should stay cautious, as Labor Day falls right into the prime time for late summer tempests. Have an emergency action plan ready, in case disaster strikes. In any case, you can feel secure about your home’s continued protection against intrusion: ADT’s four interconnected command centers mean that even if one location goes down, the system remains up and running.

Enjoy Labor Day, and remember to share these home security reminders with your family, keeping them safe as back to school gets closer and Fall approaches.

Here is a list along with some additional home security safety tips are a good idea for kids that have to spend any time on their own. Go over this list of rules and post them for your youngster. Explain why each one is so important and offer more suggestions for handling each situation.

1.    Never tell anyone on the phone that you’re home alone. If anyone calls asking, “is your mother or father home?”, or if they are simply asking for a parent to speak with, tell them that your parent is busy and unable to come to the phone. Ask if you can take a message.

2.    Never answer the door to a stranger. If someone comes to the door and you look out the window or peephole and do not recognize them, either be quiet like you’re not there at all, or simply say, “my mother/father can’t come to the door right now.” If the person insists on your opening the door, do not hesitate to call 911 and tell the person that you’ve done so.

3.    If you have a home alarm system, always set it so that you are protected and secure inside the home. Set it to “home” and the home alarm system will know that someone is supposed to be at home. If a door or window is opened without entering the code, the alarm will activate.

4.    Be sure you know where the fire extinguisher is if you plan to do any cooking. Even the simplest of microwave meals can turn into a flaming disaster within moments. Understand how to operate the fires extinguisher and always call 911 before you attempt to put out a fire yourself.

Remind your kids that staying at home on their own is as much of a privilege for them as it is a convenience for you. You are expecting certain adult behaviors from them and trust them to do what is right.

Look into the various home alarm systems in your area and see if two way monitoring, cell phone and computer updates are available. You might be able to visually check up on the kids via a laptop webcam or other cameras placed strategically throughout the house.

When it comes to home security and family, there is no such thing as over protective!

It’s that time of year again.  Holiday vacations are on the horizon and you’re dreaming about what the sunsets will look like after a grueling day of tanning and swimming.  It’s hard to interrupt such pleasant departures of the imagination, but there’s also an element of safety to consider.

You don’t want a holiday interrupted because you failed to take some basic precautions.  You’re leaving your home for a while.  You’ve taken steps to keep your ADT home alarm system activated while you’re away, right? Once you’ve made arrangements with friends or neighbors to look after the homestead, back it up with these three steps for a safe beach holiday.

1. Make your hotel room less attractive to thieves. Hotel rooms are not private, and usually lack the security of a home security system. There are plenty of staff members passing through, most of whom are trustworthy.  However, it only takes one, so keep your hotel room free of valuable items.  There is no home alarm to sound when the chambermaid changes the sheets.  Keep your jewelry in the safe and your cash in the bank.

2. Keep the door to your hotel room locked.  Even when you have friends or your children coming and going, it’s a good habit to lock it up.  If you’re in the shower, and someone goes for the newspaper while leaving the door unlocked, it can be open season for someone passing by.

3. Remember that the beach is a public area.  Even in private beaches, it’s difficult to keep people from swimming over from different areas, or walking down the edge of the water, which is usually public property.  When you go for a swim or take a walk, don’t leave anything behind that you will miss if it disappeared.  You’ll live if a beach towel is gone — losing your wallet could spell a true disaster.

Keep these simple tips in mind as you enjoy your vacation this summer. Take a few elements of your home security plan with you on holiday. With a few basic precautions, you can safeguard your family and belongings, ensuring a pleasant stay away from home.

Now that the school year’s final bell has rung, your kids have a lot more free time. You’ve probably heard the expression about the Devil and idle hands, and summer is chock full of opportunities for bored children to get themselves into trouble. The hot months of June, July, and August can be enjoyed safely both inside and outside of the home, as long as you take some simple precautions.

The Stranger Talk: It’s almost a cliché by now, but make sure your children know that they should never get into a car with a stranger. While a home alarm system can keep your kids safe while they’re hanging out at home, they’ll need to exercise more caution when in public.

Stay Hydrated: This one’s pretty simple, but often overlooked. Dehydration can lead to very serious consequences, including heat stroke and even death. Let your kids know that they should be drinking before they get thirsty, rather than after. On the hottest days of summer, skip outdoor activities and head to a movie theater or bowling alley.

Don’t Forget to Set the Alarm: When sweat is pouring down your face and you can feel your skin already starting to burn, you’ll find yourself forgetting to do things that are normally almost second nature. Whenever you leave your home, make sure to set your ADT home security system. This technology is easy enough for kids to use, so get them involved. You should also teach them how to operate the two-way communicator in case of an emergency. This device will put them in touch with a trained home security professional immediately.

Clear Expectations for Being Home Alone: Staying home alone is a big responsibility, no matter how old your child is. Make sure they understand everything that’s necessary to maintain home security, from dangers in the kitchen to how to deal with a fire.

Your kids’ safety is the number one priority this summer. With tools like a home security system and some basic education, you can be sure that they’ll be kept out of harm’s way.

The Home Safety Council hosts a wonderful website designed to provide awareness to home safety issues and educate your family on to practice home safety steps in your home or neighborhood. The Home Safety Council was issued a $1 million grant for Fire Prevention and Safety from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

As a result of this grant the Home Safety Council has been providing a series of Webinars on various fire safety and prevention topics. April’s Webinar is titled Fire Safety for Older Adults and People with Disabilities. Previous Webinars have been on juvenile fire setting, school fire safety, scald burn prevention and other similar topics.

Viewing these Webinars is an excellent way for your community to learn about fire safety. The Home Safety Council will send all participants a sampling of the Webinar material for free after each Webinar. For more information on these programs visit the Home Safety Council online at http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/.

There is no substitute for being prepared in case of a fire emergency. Sometimes even the best preparations are not enough to protect you and your family. A rapid response from emergency personnel is essential to getting your family out quickly and safely.

The best way to ensure that your home and family are protected for any emergency is to have a home alarm system with professional monitoring services installed. Choosing a home security service can be a difficult task. The two top names in the home security industry are ADT home alarm systems and Brinks. Take care not to simply pick one without researching the facts. It could mean the difference between life and death for your family in the event of a fire.

ADT and Brinks both have highly trained staff in their Customer Monitoring Centers that are prepared to assist you during any emergency. Both companies have easy one touch buttons to contact the CMC’s if you are in need of emergency assistance. Both have smoke and heat sensors to detect a fire early. That is about where the similarities end when it comes to immediate emergency response.

Brinks and ADT both advertise 24/7 home monitoring but is it really 24 hours a day 7 days a week? In the case of ADT it certainly is. ADT Security Services has a total of five Customer Monitoring Centers in different locations. Unlike ADT, Brinks only has one CMC. This leaves the Brinks CMC vulnerable to power less and natural disasters. Certainly both companies have backup power plans but in the event of a large scale disaster backup generators may not be able to work they entire time. When a call gets routed to an ADT Monitoring Professional it can be immediately routed to another center if needed. This means that your family will truly be protected 24 hours a day 7 days a week with an ADT Home Security system.

Another important area of difference is the way that the monitoring center is contacted. Both companies utilitize a standard telephone line in the event that the CMC needs to be contacted. Only ADT home alarm systems offer Safewatch Cellguard. In the ever increasing wireless age this technology is a wonderful enhancement to your security system. Safewatch Cellguard contacts the monitoring center using a nearby cellular tower. This means that the center will be contacted even if the telephone line is not working in your home.

In the event of a fire you will be unable to answer your phone. Hopefully you will be on your way out of the home at the time the alarm goes off. If you are still in the home an added benefit of ADT security systems is the ability to talk with the ADT associate through the unit itself. ADT can hear you speaking from up to 100 feet away from the unit. This technology is currently not installed in the Brinks security system. The comfort of being able to hear that help is on the way is sometimes all you need as you make your way to safety.

Take the time to research your home alarm options for the safety of your family. Check the Home Safety Council for information on fire preparedness and how to educate your family and friends. You will be glad you did.

In this new era of economic uncertainty, and with job fluctuations and natural disasters causing populations to shift from city to city, safety and security are quickly becoming hot topics for the upcoming year.  And depending on where you live, the level of security you need to protect your home and family could vary.

New Orleans, LA, the Gulf Coast city still recovering from the aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, topped the QC Press’s list of U.S. cities with the most reported crime.  The city’s top spot on the “City Crime Rankings” report was earned based on reports of more than 19,000 incidences of six major crimes – 209 of those, murder – in 2007.  Camden, NJ; Detroit, MI; St. Louis, MO; and Oakland, CA took the next four rankings after New Orleans.

According to an article on CNN.com, criminologists and the U.S. Conference of Mayors have criticized previous editions of the rankings saying the FBI misreads federal crime statistics. But QC Press stands by its methodology for creating accurate models to compare similar communities.  The six crimes considered in the study are: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft.

Regardless of the minute details of the report, it’s always a good time to ensure your home and family are protected from any possible crime.  And the best way to do that: installing a quality home alarm system.

ADT Security Services has been ranked as the #1 choice of home security providers among American homeowners.  Their quick-response alarm system, network of 5 monitoring centers and technologically-advanced security equipment make them a leader in home security.

Aside from the benefits ADT provides homeowners, the security company helps protect more than 90 percent of the country’s Fortune 500 companies through its monitored security systems. Also on the ADT corporate list: more than 80 percent of the country’s top retailers, more than two dozen of the nation’s top national and regional bank holding companies, 72 U.S. airports, and all federal courthouses nationwide.

With a customer list like this, ADT responds to thousands of crimes in progress each year, and helps thwart many would-be burglars from entering homes and businesses with its yard signs and window decals.

While the country may be in flux, and crime may be on the rise, with and ADT home alarm system, you don’t have to sacrifice your sense of safety.

Your home is the one place in the world where you feel the most safe, and the most secure. It should be a place filled with life, laughter and the sounds of a happy family. However, all too often, the home becomes a magnet for thieves and home invaders bent on taking your possessions for themselves and shattering that fragile sense of peace and enjoyment. A few safety tips will help you ensure that your home is as safe and secure as possible.

Before you do anything else, contact a licensed home security company, such as ADT. They will send a trained professional to your home to assess your needs, as well as to install a professionally monitored security system in your home. Only with a complete security system can you hope to ensure that your home is protected night and day, seven days a week.

Ensure that you choose a quality system that meets your needs. You should have entry area protection at the front and rear door, as well as at any windows that may be on the ground floor. In addition, you will need to make sure that your system has adequate motion detector coverage for all vulnerable areas. Your entry points, including the garage should be covered, as should any hallways.

Once you have ensured that you have a quality alarm system installed, it’s time to move on to the exterior of your home. Timed floodlight systems are simple enough that you can install them on your own. You should install a set at your front and rear door, as well as above the garage and any other areas that may be vulnerable. Adequate lighting, on either a timer system or a motion detector, will help you ensure greater safety.

Next, you will need to take a look at your trees and plants. For instance, if there are tall trees near your home that could provide potential access to second story windows, they should be cut down. In addition, shrubs and flowers around the base of your home should be tidy and low-cut at all times. This will help eliminate any potential hiding areas for thieves. Keep your yard neat and cut at all times. An unruly yard can be a tempting sign to burglars.

Finally, your alarm system should have come with several stickers and yard signs. Make sure that you put these up. The yard signs should be placed in very visible areas around the home, such as the end of your driveway, and perhaps one closer to the home. By ensuring that these are visible, you ensure that any would-be home invaders are given second thoughts about the advisability of any such act.

By ensuring that your home is adequately protected, you can help ensure that your family is safe and sound, enjoying the happy life that you want and need. ADT provides you with the professional system you need, as well as a vast supply of information to help make your family as safe as possible.