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.

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.

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.

It looks like this summer could have the necessary ingredients for the perfect storm that will send crime rates soaring through the roof. First off, it looks like criminal activity is trending upward along with the Recession, as desperate people begin to take desperate measures. Though concrete statistics have yet to be determined, police chiefs around the country report a noticeable increase in reported crimes. Most are recommending home security systems as the most potent method available to citizens for protecting against this surge.

That still leaves the second front sweeping in, which threatens to turn the situation into an even more serious national event. Many meteorologists are counting on July and August to set new records for heat and humidity across the nation, as thermometers slowly start to creep upward.

Sociologists have long known that rising temperatures result in rising crime rates. People tend to spend more time outside of their own homes, leading to more invasions. Extreme heat also leads to a general loss of self-control and restraint. Finally, don’t forget that kids are out of school, unsupervised, and looking to cause trouble.

All of this means that there’s never been a better time to protect your property.

Consider that all of this heat will almost certainly lead to increased blackouts, as more and more folks switch on their air conditioners to beat the heat. Other home security providers limit their coverage to one command center. In contrast, ADT spreads the risk across four interconnected command centers.

This summer, give your family the protection they deserve. With a home alarm system that is reliable and ready to protect you and your loved ones.

Many consumers automatically think of home alarm systems  when they hear the name ADT.  The reason for this is based on the company’s long history of providing the most effective and advanced means of security at rates that are affordable to everyday consumers.  The company takes a great deal of pride in their service and their reputation for protection.  After more than 100 years in business, ADT has made quite a name for themselves.  However, there are many consumers who are unaware of just how successful and effective the company really is and what services they have to offer.

While primarily known for home security and intrusion detection, ADT provides a number of services.  In addition to preventing and responding to break-ins, the company provides freeze and fire detection, critical condition and elder care monitoring, electronic article surveillance, video surveillance, and much more.  In fact, ADT is the largest provider of electronic security service to customers of all types in North America.

In addition to protecting residences, ADT is the security provider in charge of protecting the United States and British governments.  Many federal courthouses are protected by ADT security as well as many of the busiest airports in the country.  A large number of the country’s top banks and nearly all of the Fortune 500 companies also rely on ADT to meet all of their electronic security needs. ADT has millions of customers and thousands of technicians. These facts help bring to light how popular the company is, and shows how their reputation makes them the most trusted name in home and business security.

With their five strategically located customer monitoring systems within the United States, ADT is able to handle a great volume of transactions. The centers are staffed with trained professionals who are able to assess any situation to determine what officials to contact and how to best help the customer in any given situation.

ADT’s call centers are able to interact fully with one another, meaning that in the event of an emergency situation or disaster, any center will be able to handle traffic from another center.  This means that if your local center was bombarded with calls or there was a situation that rendered it nonoperational, calls would be rerouted immediately to another call center, where staff would still be in constant contact with your local law enforcement agencies.  This is yet another way an ADT alarm coupled with live monitoring can help provide around the clock security and peace of mind to homes and businesses.

Since it was created in the late 1800’s, ADT has always maintained excellent service and helped to ensure the safety of all its customers. It is never too early to help protect what is important to you with ADT home security.

As a homeowner, you want to create the most secure environment possible for your loved ones and valuable possessions.  Rising crime rates, medical emergencies and other home hazards can threaten that sense of security.  How, then, can a comprehensive security solution be achieved?  The best option is through a home security system such as those provided by ADT.  ADT home alarm systems provide the security backbone that you need, with additional peripherals available for additional protection.

For instance, even the basic system comes with professional installation, which ensures that the system is setup correctly from the very beginning.  Add to that professional monitoring through the nation’s largest monitoring network and you begin to see just how comprehensive this solution is. The control panel offers two-way communications through a speaker phone for direct contact with the monitoring company and has a battery backup capable of powering the system for hours in the event of a power outage.

The wireless sensors with this ADT alarm can be installed where most convenient and important.  Additionally, the system can be expanded as your needs change, allowing this single security solution to grow with your family. This system is not only a burglar alarm; it provides much more security than that.  For instance, you can include carbon monoxide detectors to enhance your family’s safety.  You can also install freeze detectors near vulnerable piping and flood detectors near areas vulnerable to water accumulation.  These are only a couple of the options that are available to help you find the safety and security that you need.

ADT alarm systems also offer other options that make them perfect for any family in the US.  Many families are choosing not to have a landline telephone; opting, instead, to use cell phones.  ADT systems can be configured so that they communicate with the monitoring company through cellular networks.  This can be either a backup communications method, or the primary means of communications.  That means that any homeowner can have the security system that they need to have peace of mind.

There are also options that enable the elderly to have peace of mind, such as panic buttons and long range speaker phone capabilities.  If someone is injured in the home, simply pressing the button will alert the monitoring company, which will then contact the home as well as emergency services.

While all of the options offered make this a great solution, the 24 hour monitoring service is perhaps the best perk of all.  Only with a fully monitored security system can you actually attain the security that you need.  Unmonitored systems may be lower priced; however, they do nothing to alert authorities to threats in your home.  A professionally monitored system, on the other hand, can alert the police, fire department or emergency services depending on what situation is occurring.

Finding the peace of mind that you need in this modern world is much easier than many people think. All it takes is a professional partner with a dedication to quality service and customer care.

Despite the frightening figures on home invasions and property crimes, many homeowners are still reluctant to invest in a home security system.  They feel that the initial installation and monthly monitoring fee is too much to pay for the security of their home and its contents.

Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t install home alarm systems until after they’ve had a break-in.  If your home is invaded, you may be faced with thousands of dollars in damaged and stolen items.  Suddenly, the cost of installing and maintaining a home security system seems much more reasonable.

Of course, not every home will be broken into.  There are plenty of households that will never have to deal with the shock of seeing their home in disarray or the confusion of filing a police report and insurance claim.  However, those homes can benefit in other ways from having home security systems.

Just the presence of a home security system can ward off some burglars.  Faced with the choice between trying to disarm a home security system and breaking into the unsecured house next door, most burglars would prefer the easier target.  Homeowners who let it be known that their home is protected may never have to rely on their home security system precisely because it is there.

Home security provider ADT has built up an impressive home protection system.  They feature a vast network of interconnected monitoring centers all across the US to ensure that if your home is ever in danger, they can react quickly.

ADT home alarm systems can alert the authorities for you if anything happens to your home.  Their security systems offer a fire protection service which can call your local fire department if a fire is detected in your home.  Even if you are away from home when a fire breaks out, your property will be protected.  The ADT system can also call other rescue personnel as appropriate for the situation.  In many cases, the authorities can be there within minutes of the alarm sounding.

ADT’s monitoring centers are manned 24 hours a day, every day of the year.  The employees monitoring the network are highly trained home security professionals.  If anything happens to your home, they can notify both you and the police.

Besides protecting your home and its contents, a home security system can actually save you money every month.  Most homeowner’s insurance providers give discounts for homes that are equipped with security systems.  For homeowners who are concerned with the cost of maintaining a security system, this discount can help to offset the monthly monitoring fee.

The decision to install a home alarm system should be an easy one.  There’s no better way to protect your home, your belongings, and your family.  The cost of keeping a home security system is very reasonable, and it’s even more reasonable when you weight it against the potential costs of a break-in or a home fire.  You simply can’t put a price on the security of your home and family.

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.

ADT Security Services announced recently that Greenville, S.C.-based Furman University has become one of the first institutional customers to begin using Select Link – ADT’s new emergency communications system capable of simultaneously sending thousands of voice or text messages to cell phones, computers, PDAs and digital pagers.

ADT Select Link was created for organizations that need to alert large numbers of people to emergency situations. It requires no software or system installation and accepts message input from an Internet-connected computer or any telephone. The messages are instantly delivered in up to 10 languages. Following the August 2008 approval of a federal bill requiring college campuses to immediately notify students and staff of “significant emergencies” on campus, Furman took steps to implement the new system.

According to Furman’s director of the Department of Public Safety, Robert Miller, Select Link was chosen for its short activation time, easy operation under duress, easy maintenance and management, and its compatibility with cell phones, emails, pagers and text messaging. Miller said he also wanted something that could not be hacked or jammed.

Furman plans to use Select Link to notify students, faculty and staff of emergency situations, such as dangerous conditions on campus, severe weather and school and road closings, Miller said.

To ensure every message is delivered, Select Link automatically verifies and records the receipt of each message. If it encounters a busy signal or no answer, the system repeatedly calls the number until the message is delivered.

Innovative systems like Select Link are just another reason why ADT has become America’s No. 1 security company.

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.