Home & Business Fall Security Tips

Fall is officially here. This season does bring some of our favorite activities like football games and sitting by the campfire, but fall and winter can also bring some increased security risks. As the days get shorter and there are more hours of darkness, burglars may see more opportunities to break into your home or business. Here are some tips to help keep you and your family stay safe this fall.

Pay attention to your surroundings. With days getting shorter, many may work late or be shopping and not return home until after dark. It’s best to always be aware of your surroundings when walking to your car or to your home. Be careful to not be distracted by your cell phone when you’re walking, especially in the dark, so that you remain aware of what’s happening around you. If children walk home from school or after sports practice by themselves, remind them to stay in well-lit areas, in groups if possible, and avoid short-cuts. It’s also good to make sure they have a safety routine when they get home such as immediately locking the door and possibly calling to check-in if they get home before other family members.

Make sure your security system is up-to-date and working properly. Having a Tulsa or Oklahoma City security system in place and that is working properly will help to ensure your family, your employees, and property are all safe any time of the day. Our commercial wireless alarm monitoring service – MacNet – gives businesses more reliability than alternatives by using a private mesh radio communications network that will always be up and running – even in bad weather.

Make sure your home and business is well-lit inside and outside. Once again, many of us may work late and may not get home until after dark, especially with shorter daylight hours, so having enough outdoor lighting will help you protect yourself and your employees as they leave work and as you return home. Having the outside and the inside of your business well-lit will help to deter thieves. Motion sensors and video surveillance systems can also help to protect your business and home from robbers. Make sure these outdoor lighting and security systems are still working properly after a storm or power outage. Lights, televisions, and other electronics in the home can often also be set on timers so that your home or office looks more occupied.

Keep all doors and windows locked. As the weather gets cooler, people often leave their doors or windows open more often, but this could also leave opportunity for a thief to break-in. Make sure your windows are working properly and check for leaks that could damage the window in freezing weather, thus making it an easy target for thieves.

Make sure the trees and shrubs around your home and business are well-maintained. If these become overgrown, they give burglars more places to hide or may block visibility to your front door.

Keep valuables out of sight. Walk around your home or business outside and make sure expensive items are not visible through the windows so as not to attract thieves.

Be mindful of social media. If you plan on traveling for the holidays, be careful how much information you reveal on social media. Don’t announce your vacation plans on these public platforms that criminals can also see and then know when you’ll be away from home.

For more help or information in keeping your business safe and secure, call the Tulsa and OKC security system experts at Mac Systems. We can design, install, monitor, and maintain your complete security system so that you can be sure your company will stay safe this season.