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Tag: Winter Safety

  • Winter Safety for South Western Ontario

    Winter Safety for South Western Ontario

    Winter Safety Tips for Your Home

    It is still winter. It is still cold. And there is still important work to be done around the house to keep your family and property safe. While home safety should always be a priority, winter brings added risks due to increased heating use, freezing temperatures, and more time spent indoors. Taking a proactive approach now can help prevent fires, water damage, and costly repairs.

    Fire Safety and Monitored Smoke Detection

    Fire safety should always be top of mind, but especially during the winter months when furnaces, fireplaces, space heaters, and additional electronics are working overtime. Check all smoke detectors in your home and replace the batteries as needed. Smoke detectors should be installed on every level of the home and near sleeping areas.

    For an added layer of protection, monitored smoke detectors provide peace of mind even when you are not home. If smoke or fire is detected, a professionally monitored system can automatically alert emergency services, helping reduce response times and potential damage. It is also important to ensure your family has a well rehearsed fire escape plan. Everyone in the household should know at least two ways out of each room and where to meet safely outside.

    Space Heater and Furnace Safety

    Take a few minutes to inspect the area around your furnace and heating equipment. Keep flammable materials such as cardboard, cleaning supplies, or paint well away from the unit. Furnaces work harder during cold weather and need adequate clearance to operate safely.

    If you use space heaters, keep them a safe distance from beds, curtains, and furniture. Always turn them off when leaving the room or going to sleep, and never leave them unattended. Space heaters should never be used to dry wet clothing such as mittens, hats, or socks, as this significantly increases the risk of fire.

    Flood and Freeze Monitoring Protection

    Winter is one of the most common times for water damage to occur in a home. Frozen or burst pipes, failing sump pumps, and water heaters can cause extensive damage in a very short period of time.

    Flood and freeze monitoring sensors help protect your home by detecting water leaks and dangerously low temperatures before major damage occurs. When professionally monitored, these sensors can alert you and the monitoring centre immediately, even if you are away or on vacation, allowing for fast action to prevent costly repairs.

    Fireplace and Chimney Safety

    If your home has a fireplace or wood burning stove, chimney maintenance is critical. Ensure your chimney is clear so smoke and gases can vent properly. A professional inspection is recommended, but a quick visual check of the exterior bricks can help identify visible cracks or deterioration.

    Inside the home, store matches, lighters, and candles safely out of reach of children and pets, and never leave open flames unattended.

    Winterizing and Exterior Home Checks

    Winterizing your home helps improve safety, efficiency, and comfort. Inspect windows and doors for drafts or damaged seals, and repair or replace weather stripping as needed. Look for loose shingles, slanting concrete, or damaged window sills that could worsen with freezing and thawing cycles.

    Check all outdoor lighting fixtures to ensure they are working properly and securely mounted. Proper lighting improves visibility, helps prevent slips and falls, and adds an extra layer of security during long winter nights.

    Stay Protected All Winter Long with Security ONE

    Winter safety is about preparation, prevention, and peace of mind. From fire and water protection to monitoring solutions that work around the clock, small steps today can help prevent major emergencies tomorrow.

    We can help. Schedule a free, no obligation security evaluation today. Call 1 800 265 5317 or click here to book your assessment and keep your home protected all winter long.

  • Winter Safety

    Winter Safety

    With the changing weather comes a host of to-do items around your home. Being aware of your surroundings will help keep you safe as the seasons change from fall to winter.
    You should always be thinking of fire safety around the house, but maybe a little more at this time of year, because we have more appliances to plug in. If you didn’t change the batteries in your smoke detector when you set your clocks back, do so! Make sure your family has a well-rehearsed escape plan as well.


    Do a quick check around the house to make sure there are no flammable substances near your furnace that have been left out from a summer project.
    Don’t put your space heater too close to your bed, curtains, or furniture. Shut them off when you’re not using them, and never leave them unattended. Do not use them to dry off wet clothing like mittens or hats.
    If you have a chimney, make sure it totally clear so your fire can breathe. Do a quick visual inspection of the bricks on the outside to see that it is in good condition. Keep matches, lighters and candles away from children and pets.
    Winter safety while doing your outside inspection, look for bad windowsills, loose shingles, and slanting concrete. Check all the outdoor light fixtures, and clean your gutters or eaves troughs.
    For more safety tips, or to schedule a free security evaluation, call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.

  • Winter Safety Tips

    Winter Safety Tips

    • Light up the dark

    – It gets dark much earlier these days, and criminals like to work in the dark. They don’t want to get caught in the act and the best way to do this is to commit crimes in darkness.
    – Installing motion-activated lights. Not only will this act as a deterrent to criminals, but it also helps cameras capture higher quality video.

    woman_at_night_hi

    • Prepare for emergencies

    – Power outages and other emergencies increase during winter. Frozen power lines or fallen trees can leave homes without electricity.
    – Keep an emergency kit at home. It should include flashlights, batteries, blankets and other items to get you through a power outage.
    – Flooding is also a concern at this time of year. Cold temperatures can cause pipes to break, flooding homes and basements. Our flood detectors can alert you if a flood occurs no matter where you are.

    frozen-pipes

    • Be careful with heaters

    – Every winter, fires and even deaths are caused by unsafe heating.
    – Be sure to keep anything that can burn (blankets, paper, clothing, etc.) at least three feet away from heating equipment such as furnaces, fireplaces or space heaters.
    – Never use an oven, BBQ or outdoor heater to heat your home.
    – Have all heating equipment checked for safety issues before turning it on for the first time this season.
    – Never leave portable heaters unattended.
    – Make sure your carbon monoxide detectors are working correctly.
    space-heater

    To add flood detectors, carbon monoxide detectors or other life safety devices to your security system, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • Shoveling snow’s role in security

    Shoveling snow’s role in security

    Yes, you read the headline right! Shoveling the snow plays an important, albeit, subtle role in security and crime prevention.

    shovelAlways remember to keep sidewalks and steps clean to create clear and open lines of passage. Don’t pile snow where it would block the view to a door, window, alcove, or basement windows. Keep snow banks small to eliminate possible hiding places. Be sure snow banks do not block any lighting.

    Keeping up on the winter yard work like shoveling the sidewalks, bringing in the mail are important ways to show the property is not vacant. If you plan on being away for any amount of time, ask a neighbor or friend to do those tasks for you- and be sure to call the central monitoring station to let know your travel plans.

    While you’re at it, why not build a good looking snowman just for good measure – and fun!

    For a free, no obligation security evaluation of your property call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.

  • Winter Home Safety Tips

    Winter Home Safety Tips

    You should always be thinking fire safety around the house, but maybe a little more at this time of year, because we have more appliances to plug in. If you haven’t changed the batteries in your smoke detector for a while, do so! Make sure your family has a well rehearsed escape plan as well.

    • Do a quick check around the house to make sure there are no flammable substances near your furnace.
    • Don’t put your space heater too close to your bed, curtains, or furniture. Shut them off when you’re not using them, and never leave them unattended. Do not use them to dry off wet clothing like mittens or hats.
    • If you have a chimney, make sure it totally clear so your fire can breathe. Do a quick visual inspection of the bricks on the outside to see that it is in good condition. Keep matched, lighters and candles away from children and pets.
    • While doing your outside inspection, look for bad windowsills, loose shingles and slanting concrete from the snow and wind.
    • Check all the outdoor light fixtures.

    For more safety tips, or to schedule a free security evaluation call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.