With the holidays right around the corner, many people are preparing to take their vacations. As clients pack up their car and head out for a weekend in the snow, a family dinner, or a favorite holiday destination, our UL listed Central Station keeps close watch on their home while they’re away. Our customers tell us it’s one of the best things about security system monitoring: they know their property is being monitored, regardless of where they are.
We want our customers to feel as safe as possible while on vacation. That’s why we’ve compiled these helpful vacation safety tips to make sure your house stays safe and secure while you’re away. After all, the holidays are a time to bring everyone together and should be spent relaxing with your loved ones, not worrying about what’s going on at home.
1. Prepare a List of Vacation Contacts
If you’re going on vacation or heading out of town, you should always prepare a list of alternative emergency contacts to give to Alarm Relay before you leave. That way, if we receive an alarm or fire signal from your home alarm system, we can contact both you and someone else who’s able to get to your house in case of an emergency. Make sure your vacation contacts know your entry codes or have their own entry code and teach them the basics of how your alarm system works.
2. Contact us Before You Leave and After You Get Back
Always contact your alarm monitoring company before you leave on vacation. For your security, Alarm Relay requires any change in dispatching or notification to be in writing. You will need to send us your vacation instructions and updates by a written letter, fax, or email. Be sure to tell us your departure date and time as well as the day you expect to return. In the written notice, you can also give instructions to have your temporary changes expire on the day you get home. When you return from your trip, give us a call to confirm that the instructions have expired. Or, if you chose not to have the instructions expire when sending the first notice, send another letter stating that you would like your dispatch procedure to resume as normal. Also, remember to contact Alarm Relay prior to your vacation to test your burglary system.
3. Don’t Announce Your Vacation Plans Online
It’s tempting to post your vacation plans or start a “vacation countdown” on social media, but sharing your plans online lets potential intruders know that you’re going to be out of town. Instead, share your plans (along with your vacation photos) when you get back.
4. Fire-Proof Your House Before You Leave
In addition to our UL listed security system monitoring services, we also provide complimentary fire monitoring for our residential customers. If something should happen while you’re away, we’ll notify you, your emergency contacts, and the fire department immediately. But a few minutes of prevention can save your home and family from devastating fire damage.
Unplug all of your electronics before you leave – in addition to preventing an electrical fire, you’ll also be saving electricity. Make sure nothing blocks your heat ducts or your baseboard heaters, this is especially important during colder months.
5. Make Your House Look “Lived In”
In addition to arming your home alarm system, take preventative steps to ward off intruders. Use a timer system for your lights. Temporarily stop your mail and newspaper service to keep unread mail and papers from piling up.
A vacation should be a literal getaway – you can get away from your stresses, your obligations, your worries, and your commitments. Remember: a few minutes of prevention before your vacation can mean the difference between a relaxing getaway and a trip cut short because of an emergency back home.
Alarm Relay wishes you and your family a wonderful and safe holiday season!
