Making a Plan of Action in Case of an Emergency
Home security plans are all too often seen as mere deterrents, with little thought given to actions that need to be taken when disaster rears its ugly head. While burglars are certainly a problem, the natural world can be quite mercurial and unpredictable when we least expect it. Forest fires, floods, hurricanes, ice storms and mudslides are the Earth’s uniquely destructive way of keeping us on our toes. The dangers posed by such disaster scenarios need to be addressed just as much as the threat of human home invasion, and a small amount of time and money spent on contingency plans is well worth the effort.
When drawing up a comprehensive plan for coping with emergency situations, one needs to take into account all possible eventualities. The immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that both the natural and human elements of any emergency can be equally dangerous. Homeowners need to plan for the moment that a disaster strikes as well as the days that follow. An emergency plan can be the difference between a setback and a total loss. In order to craft an emergency response strategy that works, it helps to start from square one.
Preparing for the Worst
Obviously, one will need to anticipate the most common threats posed by any given environment and plan accordingly. It stands to reason that homes found on Cape Cod aren’t particularly prone to wildfire damage. Conversely, a mountain condo outside of Denver probably won’t be struck by flooding any time in the near future. Unless your home is on wheels, you can’t easily move it away from danger. Therefore, you’ll need to prepare a plan for the most likely occurrence of emergencies and natural disasters, then make sure that it’s ready to roll when the shoe drops.
Having the appropriate homeowner’s insurance for any given area is a given. However, natural disasters aren’t the only threats one has to worry about. An electrical fire can be caused by shoddy wiring found in any area of a home no matter how new. It only takes one bad connection for a house to go up in smoke if nobody is around to call the fire department. Last but not least, the threat from dedicated home invaders is always a cause for concern. Thanks to increasingly sophisticated technology found online, thieves have never been more savvy and capable of wreaking havoc on your home, your prized possessions and your family.
What To Do When Things Go Awry
Regardless of whether a home is struck by a falling tree, a freak tornado or a burglar, it’s crucial to have an exit strategy in place. This plan can entail everything from emergency ladders located on upper floors to clear exit pathways on lower levels. It’s absolutely critical to make sure that every member of a household is familiar with the plan to the last detail. Knowing the location of alarms and alarm controls as well as how to use them is a must. In addition, any retreat should be executed in an organized and timely manner.
Furthermore, any emergency plan should feature multiple methods for dealing with a disaster in progress. Bugging out to a secure location is oftentimes required when a major disaster hits. If a home is partially underwater, a safe location on high ground to retreat to should be determined beforehand. If a major tornado touches down, it’s important to have your home locked up tight when you retreat to a shelter. In the event of a break-in in progress, it helps to have a secure location such as a neighbor’s home to flee to while one calls the authorities. Regardless of the emergency, the plan should be flexible enough to account for all possibilities.
Finally, any responsible homeowner should have a recovery plan for when the excitement has died down. In the days and weeks following a major natural disaster, common services like electricity and gas can be disrupted for some time. Plan for such occurrences and be stocked to cope with them. In the event of a burglary, it helps to have a post-robbery checklist to assess damage, determine ways to improve security and prevent it from happening again. One major component in any disaster response and recovery plan for any home that hasn’t been mentioned yet is a dedicated, high-quality home security system.
Security Systems for Protecting Your Home
It should be fairly easy to understand at this point that a security system with remote monitoring baked into the cake is a necessity for any homeowner. Incorporating control keypads, alarms and floodlights as well as numerous other components, reliable home security installations require a great deal of planning and back-end administration. Still, it’s possible to create a fairly foolproof DIY home security system when making a plan of action in case of an emergency without going broke or wasting a lot of time in the concept phase.
There are many, many home security system providers currently operating today that boast varying levels of performance and reliability. While they might all look basically the same on paper, there are huge differences between the overall value delivered by each when everything is taken into account. In the Internet Age, selecting the right company is easier than ever before. Prospective customers can digitally window shop for providers online and peruse tons of user reviews to find the right solution for their own home. However, one particular security firm stands head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd.
Getting the Right System
Security powerhouse ADT has been assisting people with commercial and residential security for more than 100 years. Their basic plans start as low as $33.99 per month, and each provides a virtually flawless level of customer support and round the clock home monitoring. Since 1874, they’ve been pushing the envelope of what’s possible in terms of alarms, remote monitoring and overall security for all manner of real estate properties. Making a plan of action in case of an emergency should include at the very minimum a basic security and monitoring package from these professionals.
Monitoring and support from ADT are particularly fault-tolerant thanks to their distributed network of monitoring centers spread around the United States and Canada. Even if a major site is offline, one of the others will take over and continue to ensure the safety of one’s home when they’re away. In an emergency scenario, whether it’s a burglary or a flood, they can be counted on to make the difference between a minor incident and a total disaster. Though ADT is an excellent security monitoring provider, it’s just one part of the total security equation. Most important of all is the expert installing the security system on the ground.
The Difference is in the Installer
The ADT Authorized Dealer Program opens up a world of possibilities for homeowners as far as installation options are concerned. Making a plan of action in case of an emergency entails the proper configuration of a security system from the very beginning. The Authorized Dealer Program allows any homeowner in any region of the country to hire an installer that knows the ins and outs of the local security market. A local installer that’s been approved as an Authorized Dealer can oftentimes more thoroughly ensure the integrity and strength of a security system where it counts.
Due in large part to the success of independent Authorized Dealers, more than 6 million private homes now feature bulletproof ADT security monitoring that can be counted on 24/7. With so many approved installers to choose from, it can be confusing for homeowners to decide on the correct firm to patronize. Above all else, choose an installer with a long-standing record of success and above-average performance in the field. While many claim such a record, only a handful of installation companies can actually back it up with results. One such company that fits the bill is Home Security Concepts.
Home Security Concepts can make the difference between an unhappy outcome and a successful response to a disaster. As one of the most trusted ADT installation companies on the market, they’ve carved out a niche for themselves in protecting the homes and lives of their substantial customer base. With their Same Day Service Advantage, topnotch stable of installation experts and full-featured lineup of superb system components, they’re the installer to beat. Just ask any of their thousands of satisfied customers who’ve experienced their stellar security installation and configuration services over the years.
The Home Security Concepts Edge
When an individual or a family invests a large amount of time, money and effort into making a house a home, it’s all the more important to invest just a little bit more in ensuring its safety. In this regard, opting to work with Home Security Concepts is the wise decision for homeowners who prize their safety. For every home security system installation and configuration need one can think of, Home Security Concepts is the company to call.
