With summer just around the corner, you’re likely enjoying the warm weather in Hartford, CT. But with the pleasant atmosphere and beautiful foliage comes a risk of potential wildfires. Fires can strike at any time, so it’s important to invest in a fire alarm system that can keep you informed and alert the authorities when one happens. But the best way to fight a fire is before it starts. Here, we’ll show you how you can fire-proof your home this year so you can sit back and enjoy the season.

See Also: The Questions You Should Ask Before Investing in Smart Home Automation

Start Outside

Fires can start anywhere, but the ones you can’t prevent are often the most dangerous. Wildfires are a serious threat, especially as the air begins to dry up and the temperature begins to swelter. Ensure that your yard and home exterior are fire-resistant to minimize potential damage.

While planning your landscape, be sure to set resistant plants and foliage along the perimeter. Plants like live oak, sycamore, and lavender don’t catch fire easily, so they can help prevent it from spreading into your yard.

Additionally, you can use flame-resistant materials for the exterior of your home. Brick and concrete for the walls; tile and metal for the roof. These materials will make it much less likely that your home will catch fire.

Consider Your Interior

Many fires in old-construction homes start due to faulty wiring. If you’re moving into an older home, ensure your technology installation partner takes a look at the wiring as they retrofit the space with smart technology solutions. If your installer isn’t a certified electrician, they can put you in touch with a trusted one.

Among the smart features you can enjoy, consider a fire alarm system that integrates with your lighting and entry system to make alerts and escape easy. A monitoring partner can notify the fire department if there’s an emergency or turn off the alarm if it’s falsely tripped.

Of course, you can also stay safe by keeping heat sources clear of flammable debris, ensuring fire extinguishers are within easy reach, and by cooking in well-ventilated areas.

Consult a Professional

At Safe Home Security, we’re dedicated to protecting your property. If you’re interested in learning more about smart fire safety tips, click the button at the bottom of your screen to start chatting with a live representative today.

Or just click here to schedule a free consultation and start your smart security upgrade as soon as possible.

The post Fire-Proofing Your Home: A Handy Guide appeared first on Safehome Security.

As a security company serving Hartford, CT, we spend a lot of time thinking about ways to keep you safe. From preventing break-ins with advanced technology to offering smart tips on safety and fun, we want to help you and your family enjoy a happy, healthy, and safe lifestyle.

But one aspect of home security often goes overlooked. You may consider installing detectors for fire and alarms for security, but have you considered a smart carbon monoxide detector? In this blog, we’ll explore some of the common dangers associated with CO and how you can prevent them with a smart home security system. Keep reading for more.

See Also: 3 Simple Household Safety Tips For 2019

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide, otherwise known as CO, is a poisonous, invisible gas that can harm you and your loved ones. It’s found in fumes produced by engines, grills, fireplaces, and other common household devices. Exposure can cause flu-like symptoms including dizziness, nausea, chest pains, and headaches. Too much exposure can result in severe injury or death.

Anyone can be affected by CO poisoning if they are not careful, regardless of age, gender, or health factors. It’s essential to understand how to avoid it, and what you can do if your home is exposed to it.

How to Avoid CO Risks

The best way to avoid CO poisoning is to never burn anything indoors or without proper ventilation. Ensure that your chimney is open and clear of debris before lighting a fire in the fireplace, and never grill food inside.

Gas-powered appliances can leak and cause CO exposure. If you notice an unpleasant smell coming from your furnace, refrigerator, oven, or water heater, make sure to get to safety right away and call the proper authorities.

Additionally, many homeowners will turn their garage into a home theater or seating area. Never run a car engine without first opening the garage door to avoid filling the space with dangerous gas.

Of course, if you’re unsure of how to avoid these situations, it’s best to install a carbon monoxide detector that can alert you to danger immediately. Today’s smart detectors can work with other technology to help keep you safe and provide adequate escape routes when an emergency arises.

How Smart Technology Helps

A smart CO detector can tell you the moment the harmful gas is in the air. You can rely on both an alarm sound and a push notification directly to your smartphone to help you get to safety in time.

Additionally, a smart device can integrate with your other smart systems. For instance, it can alert your HVAC system to shut off so it won’t spread harmful gas throughout your home, tell the lights to illuminate a safe passage out, and unlock integrated entryways.

Plus, when you install a smart detector, your remote monitoring service can review any alerts and notify the appropriate authorities if needed.

There are plenty of ways smart technology can help keep you safe. Click here to learn more.

The post What You Need to Know about Carbon Monoxide appeared first on Safehome Security.

There are plenty of ways you can protect your property in 2019. From surveillance cameras to alarm systems, to smart locks that keep your entryways secure, security is more advanced than ever.

But that doesn’t mean tech companies will stop innovating. In fact, at this year’s CES there were plenty of interesting new ways to keep your loved ones and possessions safe. Of course, some of those new ideas and products may be more surprising than others.

Take, for instance, Silicon Valley startup Sunflower Labs, and their drone-based home security system. Will drones make an impact on your system in the coming year? Can you keep your property safe by taking to the skies? Find out below.

See Also: 3 Simple Household Safety Tips For 2019

A View from the Top

Home security monitoring is an essential part of any system. Having someone watching out for your home remotely is a great way to add peace of mind to your daily routine. If someone breaks in, or if your system goes down, you can count on your monitoring agent to ensure the safety of your family and your property.

But Sunflower Labs is taking things to a whole new level — literally. Their offering drone surveillance and monitoring service. According to IFSEC Global:

“The drone – called the ‘bee’ – recharges its batteries in a hub station or ‘hive’, which connects to your Wi-Fi router. The lights – or ‘sunflowers’ – have built-in motion and vibration sensors that, so the developers claim, can distinguish between people, pets and cars.

If suspicious activity is detected, the hive sends you an alert, and you – or a professional monitoring service – can deploy the bee with a press of a button in the app. Drone aviation laws proscribe the drone from automatically investigating incidents.”

As you can see, certain laws may make the drone surveillance system a bit of a hassle. And while the idea may sound actionable, it’s still some time away from becoming a practical part of your security system.

So, what are some more practical ways you can start building a home security system that will benefit you today?

Building a Security System That Works

While remote-controlled drones may be the latest thing, you don’t need them to build a security system that will keep your property safe. Instead, building a comprehensive, automated system is possible today! Here’s what you need:

Surveillance cameras: Modern cameras aren’t like the traditional, boxy units you see at banks and government buildings. Many models offer sleek, discreet designs, 4K resolution, and night visions for total coverage.

Smart Locks: Electronic locks can help you secure and customize your entryways with the touch of a button. Many systems offer biometric access, so you can use your fingerprint or retina to unlock it.

Motion Sensors: Track movement throughout your property by installing motion sensors that can prompt your system to activate on its own.

Alarms: Of course, a good, old-fashioned alarm is essential to home safety. Yours should let off a sound and send push notifications to your smartphone or tablet.

Automation System: Tie all your technology together with a single, comprehensive interface. Schedule events, review surveillance footage, and adjust your settings quickly and easily on a system that works with your lifestyle.

There’s plenty more you can do to start building the home security system of your dreams. Click here to find out how.

The post Are Drones the Future of Your Home Security System? appeared first on Safehome Security.