ADT® Authorized Dealer Serving Ocala, The Villages, & Surrounding Areas

Home Safety Checklist For Ocala

Being safe in your home should be your topmost responsibility. But are you forgetting one or two big safety components? Look over this home safety checklist for Ocala and see where your home needs an update.

We give you five whole-home safety ideas, and then we break it down to specific room ideas. Then, you can call (352) 325-7261 or send in the form below to talk to a security professional.

Whole Home Safety Checklist

Whole Home Safety Checklist for Ocala

While you will want to employ a room-by-room process for home safety in Ocala, there are a few things that are practical for the whole home. These items can talk with one another through a wireless hub, and oftentimes react to other things. You can also manage every one of your home safety equipment using a mobile security app, such as ADT Control:

  • Monitored Security System: All your doors and windows should have a sensor that alerts your family to intrusion. When an alarm goes off, your monitoring center picks up the alert and quickly contacts a first responder.

  • Smart Lighting For Most Rooms: Of course, you can set your smart bulbs to make your house more energy-efficient. But they can also help you remain safe during an emergency. Make your lights flip on when an alarm triggers to scare off burglars or light the way out to a safe place.

  • Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Ocala should save you between 10%-15% in energy costs. Also, it can start an exhaust fan during a fire.

  • Monitored Fire Detectors: At the very least, you should have a fire alarm on each level of your house. You can improve your fire readiness by utilizing a monitored fire alarm that looks for excessive smoke and heat, and notifies your 24/7 monitoring experts when it detects a fire.

  • Smart Lock For Every Door: Every entryway that uses a deadbolt can be made safer with a smart door lock. Now you can assign codes to family and friends and get notifications to your phone when your locks are used. Your doors can even automatically unlock, allowing you to quickly flee the house when you have a fire or dangerous situation.

Family Room Safety Checklist

Family Room Safety Checklist For Ocala

You’ll hang out most in your living room, so it may be the perfect room to start making your house a safer place. Popular items, like a big screen or video game console, usually are located in your family room, making it a tempting area for robbers. Begin with hanging a motion sensor or indoor camera by the doorway, then try the following safety protocols:

  • Motion Sensors: By putting in motion sensors, you’ll get a shrieking noise anytime they sense unusual motion within your family room. The best devices are motion detectors that aren’t set off by a dog or cat or you’ll see an alert each time your pet passes through for a bite of food.

  • Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera offers a constant watch on your family room. View real-time streams of the area so you can see what’s downstairs without leaving your bed. Or talk with your family when they arrive back from school with the two-way talk feature.

  • Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Safeguard those electronics and quit overloading your circuits with a surge protector. For additional energy-efficiency, set up a smart plug with a surge protector built-in.

  • Entertainment Center Attached To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll want to attach your bookshelves and entertainment center to a wall. This is extra important if your living room has carpeting that could make objects extra unbalanced.

  • Enhanced Locks For Glass Doors: If your family room uses a glass door that opens to a patio, deck, or porch, you probably know that the door lock is pretty thin. Install a custom lock, like a bottom bar or small locks that bolt to the top and bottom of the opening.

Kitchen Safety Checklist

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Ocala

The kitchen has room for items that should bring safety and security to your home. Many of these things should be simple to add and can be found in the a retail store:

  • Fire Extinguisher: A fire can come from from an overfilled frying pan or an errant grease splatter. Always keep a fire extinguisher in close reach for any cooking emergencies.

  • GFCI Box On Every Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be standard on outlets where they’re close to running water to lessen the chance of electrocution. That means the plugs around your kitchen counter and sink. For 30 years, it’s been code to have one circuit interrupter outlet per circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, try to install a separate GFCI per outlet.

  • Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is needed in spaces that have gas for the oven and range. If your gas lines leak, the carbon monoxide detector will emit a high-decibel siren and ping your monitoring professional.

  • Disinfectant Wipes Or Spray: The largest safety problem in the kitchen is the viruses, bacteria, and protein from uncooked meat and other foods. Always store cleaning wipes or spray to clean your counters when cooking.

  • Refrigerator/Freezer Alarm: The items in the fridge need to remain at a constant temperature to stay ready to eat. If you leave the refrigerator door open too long, then a constant beep will tell you to shut it securely. Some fridges come with an alarm, others do not, and you’ll have to pick up an external alarm from online.

Bathroom Safety Checklist

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Ocala

Just because you may not have a bunch of room in your bathroom there’s still safety concerns. From water problems to electric safety, here are some safety ideas for your bathroom:

  • Flood Detectors: A leaking sink or bathtub can cause a whole lot of destruction. Deal with water problems early with a flood detector and save hundreds to thousands of dollars from renovations.

  • Non-slip Shower Mats: A slip in the bathroom can be devastating, causing pulled muscles, gashed heads, or broken bones. Or prevent these issues with a no-slip bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.

  • No-slip Bathtub Stickers: Likewise, a bathtub can be a slick place to stand in. It’s a good idea that each has some no-slip strips so your feet have a bumpy patch to grip.

  • Medicine Door Lock: If you have little toddlers or someone with memory complications, you have to take additional precautions regarding prescribed medicine. Hide away your prescriptions by installing a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.

  • Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Similarly to the kitchen, you need to also install a safer circuit interrupter outlet on every bathroom receptacle. This will stop the flow of the electricity if they ever get wet or there’s a harmful spike from a hair dryer or curling iron.

Child's Bedroom Safety Checklist

Kid’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Ocala

Your kid’s bedroom should counterbalance safety with simplicity. If their window shades or other items are safe but hard to use, then your children may try risky activities -- like scale a bookshelf -- to open them. Here are 5 straightforward, yet safe, ideas:

  • No Cord Window Coverings: Safety professionals have long called window treatment cords a hidden danger for both children and pets. Put in motorized blinds or shades that your child can easily manage with a remote. Or better yet, connect your shades to your security system so they can raise on a schedule when it’s time to get up, and close at night for added darkness.

  • Tableside Security Camera: A camera placed on your child’s desk or dresser can behave just like an HD baby monitor that you can view with a smartphone. And when they want your help, they can use the 2-way talk button that comes with the camera.

  • Outlet Covers: While every outlet should have protective covers on them to protect your small children, this is doubly important in a child’s bedroom. It’s the one room in your house where your toddler will most likely play alone without consistent additional supervision.

  • Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on the second floor, then you should have a window safety ladder. These can let a young one get out of their room when the stairs or downstairs are engulfed in smoke and fire. Remember to practice how to unfurl them a few times a year.

  • Toy Box Or Low Shelves: It’s strange to look at a toy chest as a safety device, but you’ll get it if you’ve ever tramped on a Lego in your stocking feet. A clutter-free floor means a quick way out during an emergency.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Ocala

The master bedroom should be a refuge, so let your safety components give you peace of mind if you experience an emergency event. After all, being wrenched awake by a wailing siren can be quite a shock.

  • Home Security Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your dresser gives you a sense of what’s happening without jumping out of bed. You could also turn on your ADT phone app. However, the large touchscreen is often easier to use to use when you’re coming out of sleep and finding your bearings.

  • Personal Charging Station: We depend on our phones for so much now alarm clocks, web browsers, time wasters, and --legend has it-- even phones. But, an uncharged device can cut us off from communications if there’s a problem. To keep it nice and ready, a charging station or cord is should be used nightly.

  • Nightlight/Smart Lights: A plug-in light can calm you when you’re bolted awake from a fire alarm or unexpected sounds. If you have trouble falling asleep with an outlet light, install smart bulbs in your bedroom and hall. Then you can control light simply with a button push or vocal command.

  • Fireproof Lockbox: Stash your essential papers like insurance cards, passports, or a bankbook in a fireproof safe. Your lockbox can be a bigger one that camps out in your closet or a slender handheld lockbox that you can carry as you escape during a fire or break-in.

  • Temperature Sensor: The issue with bedrooms is that they might run too hot or be cold because they are across the house from the thermostat. A heat sensor will talk to your smart thermostat so you will have a pleasant, peaceful sleep at the perfect temperature.

Garage Safety Checklist

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Ocala

Most safety needs in the garage or basement have to do with your water heater or furnace. Finding issues at the source can prevent more devastating emergencies later on. So, as you take a look around your basement or garage, pay attention to these critical items:

  • Flood Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Installing a flood sensor next to your water heater and sump pump drain can save you from finding a mess when you walk into your basement or garage. The last you need is to lose the weekend drying your floor and salvaging all those storage boxes.

  • CO Alarm: It’s beneficial to have a CO detector in an area where a CO leak can spring up. If you use a gas furnace, you should hang an alarm in the same place as your unit.

  • Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your water detector finds a hot water heater leak or a broken pipe, then you will want to shut off the primary water line immediately. With a WiFi shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from your phone. That’s helpful when you’re on vacation and receive an emergency leak notification on your smartphone.

  • Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage up leads to all types of headaches. You can lose heat through that large opening, and all sorts of animals or thieves can just walk in. A remote sensor will notify you about a neglected garage door and lets you lower it with your phone.

  • Heat Sensor: A heat alarm in your garage or basement is handy if you fret about freezing pipes. The temperature in these rooms can be wildly different than the main part of the home, so you will want to have a close look on the temperature by using your mobile app.

Outside perimeter checklist

Outside Perimeter Safety Checklist for Ocala

Your foliage, driveway, and front walk are just as crucial to defend as the interior of your house. Try this checklist to create a safe outside:

  • Outdoor Security Camera: You can install outdoor security cameras to guard against late night lurkers in your back yard. These cameras come in handy in areas where you might not have a view -- like a side yard or by the garage.

  • Low Bushes: High foliage can offer some privacy, but they also hinder your view of the yard. Don’t provide potential burglars an area to hide. Plus, tall shrubs or trees around your house can jam up gutters and bring in bugs.

  • ADT Yard Signs: One of the biggest deterrents for home intrusion is alerting would-be intruders that you use an updated home security system. An ADT sign by the main walk and a window decal will tell ne'er-do-wells that they should move on to an easier house.

  • Motion Triggered Flood Lighting: Light is the largest obstacle to people who lurk in the unlit places. Motion-activated flood lights on your porch, garage, or deck can help scare possible intruders away. They also help you get inside when you come to the house on those dark, winter nights.

Use Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help Complete Your Home Safety Checklist for Ocala

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t deliver each household item on your Ocala home safety checklist, we can discuss a state-of-the-art home security system. With easy-to-use devices and ADT monitoring, we can personalize the perfect system for your home’s needs. Just contact (352) 325-7261 for more information or fill out the form below. Or personalize your own ADT system with our Security System Designer.