In addition to spring, April is commonly recognized as an eco-friendly month since there are so many preparations to be made for Earth Day. Home security technology has made some advancement so it’s now possible to monitor your home energy consumption via your home security system. These systems enable you to put more money in your pocket and prevent wasted water and electricity.

Also, these more advanced systems can save you gas. If you forgot to lock the door or want to know whether your child made it home safely, you can simply consult the home security application on your phone and know the answer or solve the problem. Why drive all the way home when you can control the locks, lights, cameras and alarm right from your mobile phone?

To guarantee that you really know what’s going on in your home, you can install motion sensors, which can tell you what’s happening indoors and outdoors. Has anyone driven by your house or delivered a package? Find out the answer quickly. You can also keep tabs on pets or elderly family members.

For you and your family, a new home security system can mean more convenience and freedom for your family. Now that it’s lighter later you might be forget to turn on the outdoor security lights or forget to lock the door when you’re running out for ice cream. All of this forgetfulness can put you in danger, but you can double check these things right from your mobile phone or customize the controls via your home system.

Breaking these bad habits can be challenging, especially if you have been leaving the front door unlocked since your 30 year-old son or daughter was a toddler. Maybe the neighborhood kids would walk over and invite themselves in to play, and you never experienced a break-in for all of those years. Why change now?

So many different things affect crime rates. From the economy to gang activity to an influx of irresponsible teenagers, crime can go up or down. Even though it might seem like your community doesn’t change much, it does change in some ways every year. Those twins down the street might be troubled teenagers now, or maybe a new and suspicious character has been walking the streets since the area is so wealthy. There are so many scenarios.

Even if you have to write notes to yourself to lock the door or close the windows, it’s going to help decrease your changes of theft over time. Get everyone in the household to understand the new home security rules, and try to make an effort to reverse those bad habits that could leave you vulnerable some day.

Think of some habitual things you do every day — it’s natural to form habits, but you have to throw off potential schemers. For example, if you leave your home early in the morning like around 4 or 5 am, it’s easy to get into a false mentality that your surroundings are safe because not many people are out and about at this hour. This thinking can lead you into doing not so safe things. You might start your car in the winter to heat it up and go back into the house and finish getting ready. This is a big mistake, because anyone who might be watching you, whether they’re a skilled burglar or not, could walk by and steal your car.

Think about all of the times you leave your unlocked car or door unsupervised or unattended. You might not realize how many times you do this, because you fall into that false sense of reality. You might say, “Well, I’m sure one of my neighbors would see something happen.” While this is sometimes the case, it’s not always the case. It’s nice to have trustworthy and helpful people living around you, but it doesn’t mean they’re going to be standing guard all of the time — they have lives too.

Be mindful of your surroundings at all time as well as your habits. It’s a good idea to switch things up a bit when you can and not leave your car or house so open and vulnerable to predators.

A team is when two or more people work together to reach a common goal, and the team’s increased productivity directly corresponds with a comfortable environment among team members. However, obstacles can arise when team members are unable to maintain effective communication. Effective family communication is important, especially when it comes to emergency situations.

The ability to communicate effectively amongst members of a team enables those members to be productive. Having a set plan is essential to creating emergency preparedness plans and even managing basic household security. If all members of the team finish tasks as originally planned, goals are reached and productivity is met or raised. This could drastically change your future for the better and enable you to survive disasters or become less of a target for burglars.

The quality of work created by the group is directly related to the way in which team members communicate. In addition, all members need to be comfortable with one another in order for the leader to delegate responsibilities and feel confident that all persons will participate accordingly. If the group feels comfortable to discuss opinions and ideas without the fears of being overshadowed by others or of being left out, it enables the group to further succeed in discussing all matters regarding the subject at hand. Therefore, understanding how to respect others, particularly your family member that comprise the team, makes the goal more likely to be obtained without excluding pertinent information.

When communication is successful and teams are able to complete the assigned tasks efficiently, all persons involved will feel a sense of accomplishment. Working together successfully gives family members the confidence to continue to do so in the future.

Understanding the difference between effective and ineffective communication in different environments enables people in teams to accomplish goals efficiently, which will lead to family success as a unit.

According to a recent study done by SGIO Home Insurance, Western Australian renters seem to be too relaxed when it comes to home security. The insurance company surveyed 300 shared rental households, and its research found that 42% of the renters borrowed an item without asking; 32% broke an item that didn’t belong to them; and 8% left their house without turning off the iron. It’s apparent that stealing is occurring among them and that basic home safety isn’t being followed either.

Renting an apartment or condo may make you feel like you lack the control over the security of your residence. Also, when you live with someone, both people might not take the same security measures. It’s important to do what you can and invest in homeowner’s insurance at least for the sake of your belongings. Even just discussing basic home security with your roommate, family and friends is a good idea. Maybe you feel that always locking the doors is a basic measure, but your roommate might not be on the same page.

Whether you live in a house, apartment or condo, you do have control over your security. So see what your landlord is willing to provide, and if it’s not much then consider investing in portable security measures such as cameras that can be removed when you move to another place. Also, carefully screening your roommates will eliminate future problems such as the policy for borrowing your belongings and leaving the house when you have appliances still on.

Home security encompasses so many things—your house, family, assets, personal belongings, sentimental possession and even pets. It’s the loved ones as well as material items that you want to protect from theft and harm. Therefore, establishing a quality home security plan and protection system is challenging. Protection One is a company that provides home and business security systems, so it might be one that suits your needs.

Protection One serves almost one million customers, and it provides 24-hour monitoring from two national centers. If you’re interested in discussing its services, you can go to a local branch, as it has locations in over 60 major U.S. cities. Some of its home security products include bundled home security packages, mobile monitoring, keypads and controls and intrusion detectors. Through its eSecure system, you can use your cell phone or computer to adjust your home security system, and you will also receive text messages or emails when your alarm or sensor is triggered. This is definitely a quick alternative to monitoring your home while you’re away.

Currently, they are offering free pet decals. One these decals, you can list your dogs, cats and other pets that live in your home. These stick to your window so that if firefighters have to extinguish a fire in your home, they will know to save your animals. So order your free decals today and increase your pets’ safety.

Pets are also considered in the bundled packages. With the basic package, you receive three wireless/window sensors, one keypad, one pet-friendly indoor motion detector, one wireless key fob, window decals and yard signage. The basic plan costs an initial $49 and then you will pay $29.95 per month with a 36-month contract. Professional installation is included, so you don’t have to worry about installing these devices yourself. This package is best for homes with few doors and windows, but if your budget is tight, you can at least start with something like this. Then you will have some peace of mind that your home is being monitored at all hours every day.

When looking into security companies and their products, it’s important to consider your needs. Is it just you in the home or do you have children and/or pets to think about. Taking the time to research and compare will save you money and ensure that you get what you need and want.

To determine if a superfund site (hazardous waste site) is near the location of your home or office, search the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website. This provides you with basic information about the sites including the status and types of contaminants, so you can know what the risks are. If remediation is taking place, you can also determine how far along they are and what they are doing to stop the chemicals from spreading. As a homeowner, don’t you want to know these things and become an informed resident?

In Ohio, there is a Bureau of Underground Storage Tank Regulations (BUSTR) that home owning residents can consult. This site monitors the tanks so that any releases can be remediated appropriately and efficiently. You can use the UST search engine to find USTs near you if you live in Ohio. If you don’t live in this state, you can at least check the EPA’s site and maybe your local waste management facility or incinerator might have more information.

It’s beneficial to know the potential dangers around you so that you can protect your health as well as stand up for the environment. Raising community awareness and monitoring the stages of remediation is a way to ensure that dangerous chemicals such as Benzene or Mirex are not getting into your drinking water supply or a local creek or river. Why take a chance when you can do a simply online search?

Can a burglar get through your mail slot, dryer vent or pet door?
These are openings that you might not even think about being vulnerable. However, someone could stick their hand through the mail slot and unlock your door. Or if the burglar is small enough, he/she could possibly make it through the doggy door. If you have a pet door, you might want to purchase one that locks and seals from the inside, so you can close it up during the evening.

Are there guards or grates on your ground level windows?
If you have windows in your basement, you want to secure them as best as you can, because anyone can get to these windows since they’re on the ground level. You can even go one step further and put window alarms on them. How are you going to hear a break in from the upstairs bedroom when it’s happening in the basement?

Do you store your firearms separate from your ammunition?
You might feel more protected in your home if you have a firearm, but if the burglar finds it first and it’s loaded, you’re out of luck. It’s best to store the ammunition in a safe place that you can get to quickly.

Have you taken photographs and videos of your valuables?
Taking photographs and videos of your valuables is important for insurance purposes. From the chaos of a burglary, it can become easy to not realize something that has been stolen. This way you have a record of your belongings, and you can show officers exactly what was taken.

Do you keep your expensive and sentimental items in a fire resistant safe or off-site safety deposit box?
Storing your priceless and expensive belongings in a safe is beneficial, and if you can store these somewhere safe outside of your home in a safety deposit box, your house will not be targeted for these items.

Fortunately, with home security, you can go at your pace and make updates when you have the funds, because there are ways to temporarily deter burglars until you have the proper equipment. This second set of questions will help you look more objectively at your home, so you can make the most important changes first.

If you’re going to be storing firearms in a cabinet, you need a sturdy one that is made from plated steel or nickel-plated steel. The steel will make it more challenging for burglars to break into it or carry it away. A security cabinet for firearms often weights hundreds of pounds, and it usually has 1/8 or 1/4 inches of steel. A cabinet with these features will be costly, but it’s beneficial if you have belongings that you want to protect.

Other features you should consider in a locked cabinet are a multiple locking mechanism and the ability to bolt it to the floor. The more locking features it has, the more secure it will be. For example, some cabinets or drawers have electronic locks that require a key card or pin code. It’s in your favor if the cabinet has primary and secondary locks. You can also find more innovative security measures. For instance, when a burglar tries to break into the cabinet or drawer, the handle will detach. There are also cabinets that come with built-in dehumidifiers for homeowners who live in warmer climates.

It’s important to protect your belongings as best as you can, especially when it comes to firearms. There could be a fire, natural disaster, theft or other unforeseen event. If you have a trustworthy friend or neighbor, you might want to consider giving them a copy of certain important documents for safekeeping.

How do you do a risk assessment? Basically, the goal is to determine what types of crimes or accidents are most likely to occur in your home or neighborhood. For example, if you keep hand towels or paper products near the stove, this could be a potential fire hazard. You need to look at small and larger picture, so you don’t miss anything in the process. If you have family, friends and experts help you, the evaluation will be more comprehensive. Below are some steps that you can follow to create your own risk assessment.

First, gather the facts from experts such as the local police, fire and insurers. You can get more detailed information from these individuals such as statistics and even tips on how to take preventative measures. Find out about the neighborhood by asking how and what types of burglaries occur and if vandalism is a problem. Don’t forget to put your thoughts and observations into the assessment too.

Second, rank the facts you gathered on how likely you think these things will happen to you. Maybe you need to put burglaries at the top of your list. Creating priorities will help you with the next step.

Third, identify the areas that you and your home are weak in. Maybe you have too much of a predictable schedule. Or maybe you don’t have enough outdoor lighting and communication with your neighbors. In this step, you will determine where your problems are as well as find solutions for them.

A well thought out risk assessment is beneficial for you and your family. However, you should also share this information with your home insurance carrier. They might lower your rate if you have made your home more secure. Plus, you will be perceived as a serious homeowner who cares and is active about making your home more secure. Doing an evaluation like this may be time consuming, but it can be worth it in more ways than one in the end.