Print this Home Security & Safety Checklist so you can refer to it as you inspect your residence. The questions can be answered "Yes" or "No." Because each question suggests a recommendation, "No" answers will alert you to areas that could be improved.

Perimeter Security

Doors

Yes No Question

Do all your exterior doors have a good-quality deadbolt lock with no less than a 1" throw?

Are all latch-strike plates on your exterior doors secured with at least 3" screws?

Do your exterior doors (except the front door) having glass within 3 feet of the lock have double-cylinder deadbolts installed on them?

Do all your exterior doors without glass have a wide-angle door-viewer installed for identifying visitors?

Are all exterior doors constructed of solid wood or metal?

Have you changed the locks since moving into your business, home or apartment?

Do you always lock all your doors when you are home for the night or when you leave your residence?
     

Sliding Glass Doors

Yes No Question

Do all your sliding glass doors have at least one of the following?
  • track lock
  • insertion pin lock
  • hinged door bar

Do your auxiliary locks prevent the door from being lifted out of its track?
     

Garage Doors

Yes No Question

If your overhead garage door is equipped with an automatic opener, does it use a "rolling code" to foil "code grabbers"?

If your overhead garage door is not equipped with an automatic opener, does it have good-quality padlocks installed on both sides of the door?

Do your exterior man-door and the door from the garage into your home have quality deadbolts? Are they always used?

Do you always close your overhead garage door, even when you are home?
     

Windows

Yes No Question

Are all your windows secured with an auxiliary keyed or hex screw window lock?

Are the keys or hex keys readily available in an emergency?

If you do not have keyed or hex screw locks, are your windows additionally secured by pins or nails?

Have your auxiliary window locks been installed to allow ventilation while maintaining security?
     

Exterior Lighting

Yes No Question

Is your front entrance lit well enough to enable you to identify visitors at night?

Are all other entrances illuminated well?

Do floodlights or some other type of area illumination cover all exterior sections of your home and property?

Do motion sensors control your exterior lighting?
     

Landscaping

Yes No Question

Are all your bushes, trees and shrubs trimmed to eliminate areas for a person to hide near your doors and windows?

Have tree limbs been trimmed to prevent access to upper floor windows or balconies?

Have you planted "prickly" or thorny shrubbery near windows to discourage loitering or hiding?

Is all outdoor foliage trimmed to prevent obstruction of exterior lighting?
     

Exterior Entries and Possessions

Yes No Question

Are all your gates locked with a quality, weatherproof padlock?

Are all sheds or outbuildings secured with a quality, weatherproof padlock?

Are all valuables stored outside (bikes, ladders, lawnmowers, motorcycles, etc.) secured to a fixed, immovable object?
     

Swimming Pool Safety

Yes No Question

Are all exterior doors leading to your pool area equipped with a specific door alarm that alerts you when someone has exited without using a bypass/reset?

If your pool area has a secondary fence, are the gates secured with a gate lock or auxiliary padlock?

Is your pool area or property line surrounded by at least a 6 foot high fence?

Is every member of your household trained in CPR?
     

Interior Security

While You're Away

Yes No Question

Do you have several lights in your home set up on automatic timers?

Do you have a working home alarm system?

Do you always remember to arm the alarm before you leave?

Did you know that your alarm system should be armed when you will be in your backyard for any length of time?

Do you discontinue mail and newspaper service when away from home on vacation or business?

Do you arrange for a friend or neighbor to come by and check on your home when you plan on being away several days or longer?

Does your telephone answering machine avoid announcing: "We’re not home right now?"
     

Home Safety

Fire and Carbon Monoxide

Yes No Question

Do you have a smoke detector in each of the following areas?
  • hallways near bedrooms
  • near family room and kitchen
  • top of any stairway
  • basement
  • garage

Are there carbon monoxide detectors in the same areas as your smoke detectors? Is there an additional carbon monoxide detector near your furnace?

Are there ABC-type fire extinguishers in your kitchen, garage, and basement?

Do all members of your household know exactly what to do in case of fire or other emergency?

Do you test your smoke detectors once a month?

Do you replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors twice a year? (Hint: Do this when we change our clocks from standard time to daylight savings time and back.)

Are all flammables in stored in original, marked containers away from sources of heat or flame?

Are all your valuable documents and possessions stored in a fire-rated safe?
     

Gun Safety

Yes No Question

Are all guns safely stored in a locked box, safe, or vault?

Are all guns stored separately from the ammunition?

Are guns that are intended for home protection equipped with a trigger guard lock?

Have all members of your household been trained to treat every gun as though it were loaded?
     

We, at Arrow Locksmiths congratulate you on making the effort to finish the survey! Discovering opportunities to improve your family's safety and security in your home is a big, first step in achieving the comfort that comes from knowing that you've done the practical things that are effective in protecting you, your family, and your belongings.