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Home Safety Checklist For Fort Myers

Keeping safe and secure in your residence should be your number one responsibility. But are you missing a few useful safety items? Look over this home safety checklist for Fort Myers and discover where your house can use an update.

This guide begins with a few whole-home safety items, and then we delve down room-by-room. Then, call (239) 317-1360 or send in the form below to talk to a security agent.

Whole Home Safety Checklist

Essential Home Safety Checklist for Fort Myers

While you may want to take a room-by-room process for home safety, there are a few methods that are good for each part of your house. These devices can link together through a wireless hub, and often can respond to other components. You can also manage each of your home safety equipment using a mobile security app, such as ADT Control:

  • Monitored Home Security System: All your doors and windows should use a sensor that warns your family to intrusion. After an alarm goes off, your monitoring team answers the call and contacts emergency personnel.

  • Smart Lights For Every Major Room: Of course, you can program your smart bulbs to become more eco-conscience. But smart lights can also help you stay safe during an emergency. Make your lights flip on when a security alarm trips to shoo off intruders or brighten the way out to a safe place.

  • Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Fort Myers can save you up to 15% in utility spending. But it also can start your exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.

  • Monitored Fire Detectors: At the very least, you should have a fire detector on every floor. You can improve your fire readiness by installing a monitored fire detector that senses unusual smoke and heat, and notifies your round-the-clock monitoring team when it thinks that there’s a fire.

  • Smart Door Locks: Every doorway that needs a keyed lock can be made safer with a smart lock. Now you can set key codes to friends and family and get texts to your phone when the locks are used. Your locks can even automatically turn off, letting you quickly leave when you have an emergency.

Family Room Safety Checklist

Family Room Safety Checklist For Fort Myers

You’ll spend a lot of time in your family room, so it may be the best room to optimize your home safety. Electronics, like your TV or video game console, typically reside in your family room, making it a popular area for burglars. Start with placing a motion detector or security camera in your room, then continue on with all these safety protocols:

  • Motion Sensors: By hanging motion sensors, you’ll have a loud siren whenever they detect suspicious movement in your family room. You’ll want motion detectors that aren’t set off by a dog or cat or you’ll see your sirens go off every time your cat roams by for a midnight stroll.

  • Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera puts an eye on your family room. Watch constant streams of your room so you can know what’s downstairs without leaving your bed. Or chat with your family in the family room by using the two-way talk feature.

  • Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Safeguard those electronics and stop overloading your outlets with a surge protector. For extra convenience, install a smart plug with a surge protector included.

  • Entertainment Center Bolted To The Wall: If you have babies or toddlers, you’ll want to attach your bookshelves and entertainment center to the wall. This is extra crucial if your family room uses carpet that could make objects extra unbalanced.

  • Enhanced Locks For Sliding Glass Doors: If your living room uses a sliding door that leads to a deck, patio, or outside porch, you probably know that the latch is fairly flimsy. Install an enhanced lock, like a metal bar or locks that bolt to the top and bottom of the frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Fort Myers

The kitchen has many items that should bring comfort and safety to your home. Some of these objects are also easy to add and can be purchased from the a retail store:

  • Fire Extinguisher: Fire can spring up from a neglected skillet or a towel that’s too close to a burner. Always store a fire extinguisher in close reach for any kitchen emergencies.

  • Circuit Interrupter Box On Each Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be used on outlets where there’s nearby water to lessen the chance of an electric shock. That includes the outlets by your sink and kitchen counter. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been required to have one GFCI per dedicated circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’ll want to install an unchained GFCI for every outlet.

  • Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A CO detector is advised for kitchens that have gas for the oven and stove. If your gas burners malfunction, the carbon monoxide detector will cause a loud, buzzing siren and contact your monitoring agent.

  • Clorox Wipes Or Spray: The most overlooked safety hazard in the kitchen is the invisible bacteria and cross-contamination from uncooked meat and vegetables. Always store antiviral wipes or spray to clean your surfaces when cooking.

  • Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The food items in your fridge need to remain at a constant temperature to stay ready to eat. If you accidently leave the fridge or freezer door open too long, then an alarm beep will tell you to close the door. Some refrigerators come with an alarm, others don’t, and you’ll have to get a fridge alarm from online.

Bathroom Safety Checklist

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Fort Myers

Just because you may not have a bunch of square footage in your bathroom, you will still have safety hazards. From flood prevention to anti-surge outlets, here are five safety improvements for your bathroom:

  • Flood Sensors: A leaking toilet or shower can cause a whole lot of damage. Find out early about water problems with a flood detector and save yourself from redoing the entire bathroom.

  • Non-slip Shower Mats: A slip and fall in the bathroom can be devastating, causing pulled muscles, bruises, or broken bones. Make sure you prevent these hazards with a non-slip bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.

  • Non-slip Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a tub basin can be a slippery surface to be on. Make sure every has some no-slip strips so your toes have a textured patch to gain traction.

  • Medicine Door Lock: If you have young kids or a family member with memory difficulties, you should take additional attention regarding medicine. Secure your prescriptions by installing a medicine cabinet with a child-proof lock.

  • Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Just like the kitchen, you need to also put in a surge protecting circuit interrupter outlet on each bathroom outlet. These will shut off the current if they ever get wet or there’s a harmful jolt from an electric razor or hair dryer.

Child's Bedroom Safety Checklist

Kid’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Fort Myers

Your kid’s bedroom should pair safety with simplicity. If their window shades or other things are safe but tricky to manage, then your child may get around the device with dangerous activities -- like shimmying up a bookshelf -- to open them. Here are 5 easy, yet safe, ideas:

  • Cordless Window Coverings: Safety professionals have designated corded window treatments an unsuspecting hazard for kids and pets. Use motorized blinds or shades that you can easily control through a remote. Or better yet, link your shades to your security system so they rise without anyone’s help at dawn, and go down in the evening for an easier sleep.

  • Tableside Security Camera: A security camera placed on your toddler’s desk can act just like an HD baby monitor that you can watch with your phone. And if they need something, they can push the intercom talk button that comes with the camera.

  • Outlet Covers: While each outlet should have protective covers on them to protect your small children, this is especially urgent in a child’s bedroom. It’s the main place in your house where your toddler will most likely play alone without adult supervision.

  • Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on the second floor, then you need to put in a window escape ladder. These can let a child get out of their room even if the stairway or downstairs are on fire. Just remember to rehearse how to unfurl the ladder one or two times a year.

  • Toy Box Or Low Shelves: It’s interesting to think about a toy chest as a safety component, but you’ll get it if you’ve ever walked on an action figure in your stocking feet. A uncluttered floor means a quick retreat when there’s an emergency.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Fort Myers

The master bedroom should be your calm space, so let your safety components make you more responsive if you have an emergency. After all, being wrenched awake by a high-decibel siren can be confusing.

  • Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your dresser helps you know what’s what that noise was without getting out of bed. You could always log into your ADT phone app. However, the large touchscreen can be easier to use to use when you’re coming out of sleep and disoriented.

  • Phone Charging Station: We depend on our phones for so many things now alarms, web browsers, game machines, and maybe even phones. But, an uncharged phone will cut us off from communications if there’s a problem. To make sure your phone always works, a charging cord or station becomes an important part of your nightstand.

  • Smart Lights Or Nightlights: A small light can be a beacon when you’re jolted awake from a fire alarm or other loud noises. If you can’t fall asleep with a nightlight, install smart bulbs in your bedroom. Then you can get light on-demand with a push of a button or vocal command.

  • Fireproof Lockbox: Keep your important paperwork like social security cards, medical information, or a bankbook in a fireproof safe. This can be a large one that is located in your closet or a slender handheld safe that you can snatch when you leave during a fire or other emergency.

  • Temperature Sensor: The drawback with a master bedroom is that they can run too warm or be cold because they are located far away from the thermostat. A temperature sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you will have a pleasant, relaxing sleep at a wonderful temperature.

Garage Safety Checklist

Garage/Basement Safety Checklist For Fort Myers

Most safety problems in the basement or garage have to do with your pipes or furnace. Finding problems before they start can stave away bigger emergencies later on. So, as you take a look around your storage areas, check over these safety items:

  • Water Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood sensor next to your water heater and sump pump can save you from discovering a pond when you walk into your basement or garage. It’s much better than sifting through a bunch of destroyed storage boxes.

  • Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s beneficial to have a CO detector in areas where a gas leak can happen. If you employ gas heat, try to install a detector in the same area as your HVAC unit.

  • WiFi Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood sensor finds a hot water leak or a busted pipe, then you will have to cap the primary water pipe quickly. With a wireless shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from any mobile device. That’s helpful when you’re visiting relatives and receive a water leak alert on your phone.

  • Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage open causes all sorts of problems. You can lose a bunch of heat through that large opening, and critters or lurkers can just walk in. A remote sensor will alert you to a forgotten garage door and lets you close it through the app.

  • Temperature Sensor: A heat alarm in your basement or garage is essential if you worry about your pipes freezing. The heat in these areas can be wildly different than the rest of the house, so you will want to maintain a close look on the temp with your security mobile app.

Outside perimeter checklist

Outside Perimeter Safety Checklist for Fort Myers

Your foliage, driveway, and front walk are just as important to secure as the rest of your home. Use this checklist to make your outside safe:

  • Outdoor Camera: You can install outdoor cameras to notify you about suspicious movement in your yard. These security cameras come in handy in places where you may not have a window installed -- like a side yard or by the driveway.

  • Low Bushes: High bushes can offer some solitude, but they also hinder your line of sight of the yard and curb. Don’t offer potential intruders a place to hide. Plus, high bushes or greenery too close to your home can jam up gutters and bring in bugs.

  • ADT Signage: One of the biggest disincentives for a thief is telling aspiring rogues that you use an updated home security system. An ADT yard sign by the front door and a window sticker will tell ne'er-do-wells that they ought to keep walking to an less prepared score.

  • Motion Activated Flood Lighting: Light is the largest deterrent to those who sneak around in the dark. Motion-controlled lighting on your deck, porch, or garage can shoo possible intruders away. Lights also help you see the walk when you arrive to the house late at night.

Contact Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You With Your Home Safety Checklist for Fort Myers

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install every item on your Fort Myers home safety checklist, we can install a powerful home security system. With easy-to-use devices and ADT monitoring, we can install the ideal system for your house’s needs. Simply phone (239) 317-1360 for more information or complete the form below. Or customize your own solution with our Security System Designer.