The change of the seasons is always a good time to take stock in your car, finances, and house! For today, let’s take a look at a few home items you can easily get through on a nice fall weekend.

Check Fire Extinguishers

These often go overlooked, but are either easy to confirm are still in working order or easy to replace. Make sure everyone in your home knows where they are located.

Check your smoke detectors

Don’t wait until you hear that super annoying beep! Change the batteries on your smoke detectors or check them to make sure they are still in working order.

Have a fire escape plan and fire ladders on second and third stories

A little bit of planning can go a long way, especially in an emergency situation.

Turn Off your Outdoor Water Faucets

There’s no reason to keep your outdoor faucets on during the winter months.

Make sure your Security Lights are working

Another easy enough test; make sure your security lights are working by testing them out at night!

There obviously may be some other items in your home that aren’t on this list, so take a look around and be sure to use fall to your advantage.

Firefighters, EMS, and other first responders are some of the most respected and brave members of our society. They work any and all hours of the day and night and put themselves in harm’s way to protect those in their community.

That’s why it was so special to us to see this recent article detailing how locksmiths in one local community came together at the behest of its first responders to help in a time of need.

     “Amid the fire trucks, police cruisers, and gas service vehicles, they pulled up Friday in two red vans. One labeled Patriots Lock, the other Brinks Lock.

    They are locksmiths, what they called a dying breed.

    As emergency responders went door to door Friday to make sure gas lines inside homes were shut off after the Thursday afternoon explosions that rocked the area, locksmiths’ services were in high demand.

    “It’s the safety of the community,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow.

    Ed Fenby, deputy fire chief in Quincy, said gas company representatives got into most of the houses Thursday night, but they were double checking on Friday for safety reasons. He estimated that they will have to check 8,000 homes.

“”Wer’e still going to have to make sure there is no gas, safety is the key,” he said. “The gas company is looking at all the meters.”

    After the number of fires and explosions that rocked the area, he said, “they want to preclude that from happening again.”
In only a matter of hours, Colonna and his brother David MacEachern, who owns Patriots Lock, had picked dozens of locks to empty homes. And they expect they will have to pick countless more, as authorities work through a broad swath of houses to confirm that gas lines had been shut off.

    “This is nothing I’ve ever seen before; it’s chaos,” said MacEachern, who recalled picking locks in Lexington for a week in 2005 after a gas explosion at one structure.” SOURCE: BostonGlobe.com

Here’s to first responders and also to those who understand the value of community. We’re proud of you!

Vacation is supposed to be a relaxing time, but stressing over whether or not your home is safe may keep you from enjoying it to the fullest.

Here are a few tips to give you some peace of mind while you’re away on vacation!

Ask Someone to Check in On Your Home

Getting to know your neighbors is always a great idea and even more so when you’re not going to be around for awhile. Let a trusted neighbor know that you will be away on vacation and ask them if they wouldn’t mind just keeping an eye on things while you’re gone. If you don’t have any neighbors or aren’t comfortable asking them, ask a family friend or family member to drop in on your home once in awhile while you are away.

Drop in Remotely

You have your choice of home security cameras and many of them are quite affordable. Most of these cameras also give the option of viewing them on an app or your computer from anywhere in the world!

Install Timers on your lights

Much like the newer security cameras, there are a slew of electronic options to put your lights on timers to make it look as though you are home. If you’re not too keen on the digital route, you can even install the old time timers that plug right into an outlet and work off an analog timer.

Stop Your Mail

If you know you’re going to be away for awhile and your mail is usually left in an outside mailbox or at your door, contact the United States Postal Service and let them know you’ll be away. They can stop delivery for a period of time. Also, avoid purchasing items on sites like Amazon.com leading up to your vacation.

Don’t Leave a Spare Key Out

Is your spare key under the flower pot on your front porch? Many spare keys aren’t well hidden. Bring them inside when you’re going away for awhile or give them to someone you’ve asked to check in on your home.

/Hide Your Valuables

If your house is broken into, make it even harder for thieves to get anything good by stashing your most valuable or prized possessions either in a very safe place or in a safe itself.

No matter where you’re headed this summer, have a safe time on your vacation!

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