Holiday Safety Tips for Home and Office

Safe holidays mean keeping your family members and your employees safe, happy and secure. Unfortunately, living in the unsecured times we find ourselves in, many different safety occurrences can happen, putting a real damper on our holiday spirit. Letting our security guard down at home, entertaining family and guests or at the office can often mean disaster if your dwelling is not properly protected. Complete protection includes not only a well-designed security alarm system but also professional monitoring performed by trained personnel. If you plan on leaving home for any extended period of time, traveling, vacationing, attending events, or visiting relatives and family members don’t take chances not being thoroughly protected. Many times, we take for granted that the homes we leave unattended will remain safe throughout the holiday season.

December is the biggest month for business sales and also thefts, break-ins, and burglary. Seasonal criminals take advantage of the many opportunities the holiday season provides with homes and offices left empty.

At ESI, Emergency Systems Inc. Jacksonville’s largest commercial and high-end residential security company, we believe the biggest holiday concern should be keeping your family, customers, employees, and assets well-protected. ESI provides modern, state-of-the-art commercial grade, security alarm systems that are both effective and affordable.

Here are ESI’s Holiday Season tips for commercial as well as residential owners, keeping everybody safe this holiday season.

Holiday Tip #1

Empty buildings or soft targets are easy prey, and even a parked car at a shopping center might contain Christmas gifts. Breaking into a parked car is much easier than one might suspect.

Vehicles have limited protection from vehicle break-ins while parked at most shopping malls. Therefore, it is always a good idea to place your valuables in the trunk. When returning to your car after dark, look around and make sure you are not seeing someone who might have mischief on their minds. Be constantly aware of individuals in your immediate vicinity. Most shopping centers today have stepped-up security measures around the holidays, but not all do. And if you have to park your car a distance away from the stores, take extra precautions.

Holiday Tip #2

The internet has become the most convenient way to shop, but with purchases being delivered and arriving at all times of the day, criminals will steal whatever they can. Businesses too, as well as residential homes, get package deliveries, and having a state-of-the-art, security surveillance video camera is maximum protection at its best. In the event a thief tries to steal a delivered package, this type of security device will not only aid police in apprehending the perpetrators but could thwart the crime altogether. ESI recommends that if a valuable item is to be delivered, coordinate the delivery time with someone to sign for it. Always be aware of anyone lurking around that does not look familiar. Never try to approach anyone alone if you catch them in the act of stealing an item. Police are usually available for most in-progress crimes.

Holiday Tip #3

If you receive a valuable package in an identifiable box, don’t leave the empty out until garbage day. Burglars love to know what items you have had delivered for Christmas. Don’t let your home or office become the target for new items of value that you have just received, because they will if the wrong type of people are watching. It is always a good idea to flatten and stack cardboard boxes for disposal, so they cannot be identified.

Holiday Tip #4

When leaving your home, office, or retail business, put indoor and outdoor lights on a timer. If you have more than one car it is a good idea to leave it in the driveway. Most criminals don’t like to invade occupied homes or businesses. If someone is guarding the house or business, you have less chance of being broken into. Smart Security Systems from ESI is always an easy solution to solving these problems. Being able to remotely turn lights on and off, control your thermostat or enable the alarm system at will, is a convenience.  Remote access apps are a marvelous tool modern security systems employ.

Holiday Tip #5

Remember live Christmas trees, in your home or office, can become a fire hazard. Employ the use of low voltage LED bulbs to reduce the risk of fire. Live Christmas trees should always have plenty of water to keep them moist, which will reduce the risk of drying out and becoming a fire hazard. Leaving Christmas tree lights on for long periods of time can be especially vulnerable to issues. A virtual Keypad App will allow you to turn them off and on from anywhere you have cellular service.

Holiday Tip #6

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, remember to have it inspected every few years. Sappy woods like pine or spruce should not be burned as they can leave a residue and sediment that can re-ignite causing a fire.

Why Choose ESI as Your Security Alarm Company Provider

Nothing can ruin a potential burglar’s day more than seeing a home, office, or business protected by a sign that says “Protected and Monitored by ESI”. ESI has protected 1000’s of homes and businesses all over North Florida. Our award-winning and affordable “smart security systems” are scalable and offer maximum protection for any security application.

It’s amazing how wireless security systems stop the most ingenious crooks from gaining access to any dwelling. Since 1979, ESI has been serving the commercial and residential security needs of its customers providing fire alarms, burglar alarms, motion detectors, cellular boosting equipment, fire suppression and sprinklers, CCTV, video surveillance, panic and silent alarms, keyless entry/access control, and gate operating devices, just to name a few.

Visit our website @GetESI.com and see all of our security products and services. These products are built by the world’s leading security manufacturers.

Call us at 904-388-3975 for a free no-obligation security analysis. We have professionally trained and knowledgeable security technicians available to answer any of your questions. We custom build security shields designed for your specific needs.

Happy Holidays from the great folks at ESI.