How to keep your family and home safe

Community development manager for Fidelity ADT Linda Goodenough cautions all residents to ensure they keep their family and home safe, whether they are out and about or staying at home.

Here are some safety tips to keep you and yours safe:

• Always ensure children are accompanied by an adult or older sibling:

Set a time limit for your children to be out. Designate a specific route for them to take. It is advisable to never allow young children to be out on their own. Teach them to be alert for any speeding cars in the suburb.

• Never allow children to enter a stranger’s house:

There is no kind of visit that is worth a security risk so do not allow your children to enter a stranger’s home, no matter how appealing the offer.

• Host your event:

If you want to be able to keep your home and children safe at the same time, consider having your small gathering.
This will allow you to choose who your children are mixing with.  But remember that your home can be a target too if perpetrators perceive that you are not paying attention to your surroundings.

While celebrating, having a braai always keep your remote panic with you, ensure your perimeter is secure and do not let strangers into your home.

• Arm your security system:

The excitement of getting ready for any event or celebration may make us forget to take simple safety precautions.
Make sure to arm your security system and lock doors and windows before you leave your home.

• Light up your home:

Whether or not you have plans to go out on any night, be sure to keep your home well lit.

Turn on a few lights around your home to give the impression that someone is home and still awake. Additionally, well-lit areas outside your home will deter potential intruders or malicious pranksters by eliminating hiding places caused by shadows.

• Wear your mask:

Last but not least Covid-19 has changed the way we do everything, make sure your family wears their masks at all times, adheres to social distancing rules, and has sanitiser on hand.

“No one likes to think about crime and about what it can do to you or a loved ones.

“Sadly, it has become a reality we have to be prepared for, and a subject we must address with our loved ones and our children,” said Goodenough.