ESA Tips To Protect Your Home Security System This Holiday Season

With the holidays upon us, people are leaving town for those long-awaited vacations. Whether you’re heading out to visit family or leaving for that winter getaway to somewhere warm and sunny, you’re house is left home alone.

Don’t leave it out in the cold. You can take some well-advised steps to keep your home safe.

According to the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (ESA) (www.alarm.org), there are some simple steps you can take to make your home less attractive to would-be burglars.

The best way is to combine the list of ideas below with a professionally installed and monitored electronic security system in your home. Take some time before you leave to make a few smart arrangements that will maximize what your home security system can offer you.

The ESA recommends the following:

Get a trusted friend or relative to “house sit.” Or, make sure your neighbors know your plans.

Have a neighbor pick up your newspapers and your mail for you daily.

Lock all doors and windows, and secure the garage door.

Leave a car parked in the driveway, or ask a neighbor to park in your driveway.

Leave a house key – and a number where you can be reached – with a trusted friend or neighbor.

Use timers to turn lights on and off at certain times, altering lighting patterns, to create an occupied look.

Leave drapes and shades open as normal. Closed blinds during the day are a sure sign of an empty house, plus they allow a burglar to attend to his business unseen by neighbors.

Arrange to have your lawn mowed.

Be sure your trees and hedges have been trimmed. This gives burglars fewer places to hide.

Replace any burned-out lights in your yard. Consider upgrading outdoor light fixtures with devices that have built-in motion detectors, which turn on the lights whenever anyone walks past.