Home Security Safety Tips

• If you leave your home for an extended period of time, call us and let us know the period of time you will be gone.
• You should also create the illusion that someone may still be there. Leave a TV or stereo on, use normal lighting, and always make sure your mail and/or newspaper does not pile up.
• Make sure all exterior doors have good proper locks and adequate dead-bolt protection.
• Do not leave extra keys under doormats, potted plants or any other obvious outdoor location. Leave keys with a neighbor you trust
• Keep drapes and blinds shut when you are away, and keep valuable items out of sight.
• Store cash, jewelry and other valuables in a safe or safety deposit box instead of leaving them lying around the home.
• Have a neighbor perform ‘neighborhood watch’ while you are away, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
• Keep garage doors shut.

Home Fire Safety Tips

• Never leave candles or other open flames burning unattended.
• Use and dispose of cigarettes properly.
• Don't leave hot irons, burning stovetops or outdoor grills unattended while in use. Double-check that you've turned them off after use.
• Stay in the kitchen while you are cooking and monitor stove heat.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Put them inside or near every bedroom. Test them monthly to make sure they work. Put in new batteries once a year.
• Keep a working fire extinguisher in your house and inspect it each year.
• Be sure your street address is visibly posted so that firefighters can identify your home in the event of an emergency.
• Make a fire escape plan with your family. Find two exits out of every room. Pick a meeting place outside. Practice makes perfect - hold a family fire drill at least twice each year. For more information and a step-by-step for fire escape planning, please visit the NFPA website at:

http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=406&itemID=17735&URL=Safety%20Information/For%20consumers/Escape%20planning/Basic%20fire%20escape%20planning