10 Painless Home Safety New Year’s Resolutions

It’s a New Year, and a great resolution is to be proactive in keeping your home and your family safe. As you relax from the holiday rush, consider these goals for great peace of mind for 2016 and beyond.

1. Learn CPR

CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a vital skill that the whole family should learn. Children as young as nine years old can be taught CPR, according to the American Heart Association. CPR prepares you to save lives of people close to you, or anyone who needs your help. The New Holland Ambulance Association states that only 6.4% of Cardiac Arrest Victims survive because people witnessing the incident do not know CPR, and that 50,000 of the 200,000 deaths yearly could be prevented.

Knowledge of CPR is especially useful if you have senior citizens with heart complications in the house. Performing CPR during the first few seconds after a heart attack can save your loved one. Ask your whole family or circle of friends to join a class with you! Click here to find a class near you.
 

Children as young as nine can be taught CPR. The requisite is strength not age.

2. Keep your locks in tip-top shape

You can save this task for when winter ends, since that’s the best time to replace your locks. According to locksmiths, the temperature changes and moisture in the air can really do a number on your locks—so get them replaced at the right time. Learn more in our  Home Security Hardware Replacement Schedule post.
 

3. Set up emergency supplies

It’s always good to be prepared. Your home should have emergency bags of food, first aid items, water and other survival supplies for everyone in the house. Keep a stash of non-perishable food items and make sure to replenish the stock when the expiry dates come along. See the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s  Basic Emergency Supply Kit for a detailed list of items to include.
 

Disaster and emergency readiness is everyone’s responsibility.

4. Change your passwords, PINs and security codes

Make changing your passcodes a New Year’s Resolution! Even passcodes shared such as your home wireless network with your kids or family members should be updated.
 

5. Check the house for pests every month

Did you know that pests are responsible for most of the deteriorating areas in your home? According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. residents spend at least $1 billion on termite control and repairs each year. The EPA has these  Do’s and Don’ts of Pest Control that everyone should practice because prevention is better than cure.
 

Pests can cause a variety of home concerns.

6. Update your smoke alarms and fire extinguishers

Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be inspected regularly. Furthermore, there is no one fire extinguisher that can work on every type of fire. Learn more about fire extinguishers and fire types  here.
 

7. Be safe on social media

A change in mindset may be all you need to practice safe social media. Get rid of photos that show the inside of your house in detail. Remove people you don’t know from your friends list. Stop posting updates and photos publicly.
 

Learn more about how to use social media safely  here.

8. Schedule repairs on your home as soon as possible

Make it a New Year’s resolution to fix every broken window, door, ceiling, faucet, lock and pipe as soon as you can. The more your home is in tip-top shape, the safer and more secure it is.
 

9. Get to know those who serve your local community

Knowing those who serve your community is a very good thing. People such as sanitation workers, city maintenance, emergency services, police and fire fighters all keep you safe. Did you know that garbage collection is one of the most dangerous jobs? Impatient drivers and exposure to bacteria are the main causes of injury and death. Showing appreciation and showing gratitude to all everyday heroes for keeping you and your family safe can go a long way in keeping them motivated and feeling valued. Kevin Daum has a great article with  9 Simple Ways You Can Show Appreciation.
 

Take some time to get to know the people in your community who take care of you.

10. Practice better home safety habits

Having the whole family practice better home safety is a habit that pays off. Remember to lock up each time you leave, and put away your tools and ladders after you use them. Start improving home safety by avoiding these  Top Ten Home Security Mistakes.
 
What other New Year’s resolutions have you made? Let us know in the comments!

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