Child safety

Spring is Here! Time for Thinking About Safety and Pool Gates

Spring is here and it’s time to get out and enjoy the benefits of the warmer weather.

That may include swimming at the local pool, working out, or socializing at the neighborhood clubhouse. While these amenities are great for residents, they can create liability issues for the HOA or property management group.  Controlling access while balancing convenience for the residents and monitoring for safety and security is important.   

Secur-Tek, Inc. sells and installs equipment and monitoring solutions for community pools and shared amenities in the greater Raleigh, North Carolina area.

Solutions using coded cards or key fobs to control the swimming pool and fitness center access are efficient and cost-effective. Requiring cards, or fobs to enter pool gates keep strangers or unattended children out while offering convenient access to members or residents.  They can also be set up to open gates at specific times and coded so authorized personnel can review when access is requested for legal as well as illegal entry. 

For ease of access management, Secur-Tek can provide remote hosting. Controlled internet access provides the ability to make program changes or unlock/lock a door/gate from anywhere. For best control of your point of access, we install Keyscan access systems manufactured by Dormakaba, a global leader in the security and access control market.  

In addition to good fencing and access point control, we highly recommend installing a camera system. Cameras serve multiple purposes. Most importantly, when visible, they act as a deterrent to potentially hazardous or destructive behavior. If the unfortunate happens, they can prove helpful for identifying and prosecuting individuals caught in the act of trespassing or vandalizing the property. Should the situation arise where someone is injured cameras also offer the option to review what happened and validate that safety equipment was in place.

Securing common areas while allowing convenient access for those authorized to use them is a critical issue for HOAs. Secur-Tek has the experience to help with this responsibility through the process of selecting and installing the right equipment given your situation, budget, and safety/security requirements. 

If you need to update or install a new access control system, give us a call at 919-387-1800

—–

​Secur-Tek is locally owned and operated in Apex, NC, offering home and business security, monitoring, automation audio and central vacuum systems.  Our service area includes Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Garner, Holly Springs, Durham, Raleigh, Morrisville, and Pittsboro in North Carolina.

Tips for Child Safety

One of the wonderful things about kids is their natural curiosity, lack of fear, and openness to new ideas, possibilities, and people. Given this, it is often hard for parents to teach their children the balance between trust and caution – but kids need to know how and when to be aware, at what times cautious, and what to do when needed.

To make this easier, here are a few tips to help keep your child safe.

For younger children:  Help them memorize their name, address (including city and state), and phone numbers (including area code) of your cell, office, or close relative or guardian. Role play a few situations and have them recite this information to you under varying circumstances.

For older children:  Review who to call in case of fire, injury, or other emergencies. Post an emergency phone list on the refrigerator or other place where the children can see it. Include 9-1-1, your work and cell numbers, numbers for neighbors, and the numbers for anyone else who is nearby and trusted. If they have a cell phone, make sure they also have those numbers stored in their phones.

 

Have a plan and practice reacting to an emergency. Even if your child is a “tween”, do not assume they know what to do or that they will act safely under stress. Tweens can lose awareness easily and practice will help for it to become automatic.  

 

Talk with children and adolescents about staying alert to possible threats. Non-verbal cues can have a major impact in certain situations; walking/running confidently is a great preventative tactic. And of course, stress the importance of walking and playing with friends and not alone or isolated. Review where to go given certain threatening situations and also remind them to tell a trusted adult immediately if anyone, even a teacher or close relative, touches or speaks to them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.

For children staying home alone:

  • Establish a periodic check-in procedure to follow, calling you at work or checking with a neighbor or relative.
  • If you have a security system, show them how to disarm and arm the system once they are safely in the house.
  • Remind them not to let strangers into the home, for any reason. Show them how to view people on your property or at your door. A security system with cameras and a video doorbell is useful for this – you can view your porch or property and let your child know if there is something they should do, like pick up a package that was delivered.
  • Tell them not to answer the phone unless they recognize the caller ID — and never tell telephone callers they are alone.
  • Remind them to be alert when arriving home from school. They should scan the doors, windows, driveway, and shrubbery for disturbances. If something doesn’t look right, or a door is ajar or a window is broken, they should immediately go to a trusted neighbor’s house and call the police.

Reviewing and practicing these simple safety procedures will give both you and your children confidence, reduce stress, and even possibly avoid an unpleasant situation.

At Secur-Tek, we care about you and your family’s safety. The security systems we install can help give you peace of mind — here are some examples:

  • The security system can send you a text message when children arrive home or leave – anytime they disarm or arm the security system.
  • You can add cameras to your security system to monitor your home swimming pool area. This allows you to check on anyone using the pool – especially if unauthorized individuals have trespassed.
  • The security system can help keep valuable or potentially dangerous items secure. For instance, it can text message if a child enters a hazardous area such as gun safe, medicine cabinet, or tool shed.

Download our child safety tips . 

If you have any questions concerning securing the safety of your home or other property, please contact us at 919.387.1800 or fill in the form below.

Secur-Tek, Inc. is locally owned and operated in Apex, NC, offering home and business security, monitoring, automation audio, and central vacuum systems. Our service area includes Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Garner, Holly Springs, Durham, Raleigh, Morrisville, and Pittsboro in North Carolina.

A Fall Back to School Checklist to Help Keep Your Children Safe

Fall is just around the corner. For those with children starting school, taking a few precautionary steps will help you and your children feel safer when they are home alone or coming and going with friends. To help you prepare, we have developed the following checklist, compiling information from many sources, including The Red Cross, Parent & Child Magazine, and Scholastic.com.

Test your security system. If you have a security system, test it to make sure it is working the way it should be. This a good time to review your security system password information/contact list and consider having your security system updated or monitored.

Have an emergency plan. Develop an emergency plan and talk it through with your child so they know what to do in case of fire, injury, or other emergencies. Review the emergency exits by drawing a map that outlines the best pathways to safety from each room in the house. Write the plan down and keep it in a central location. Make sure everyone in the household knows where it is. Then, hold a drill — sound the security alarm and practice what to do if it goes off. Your child should know to immediately get out of the house and call 911 from the safety of a neighbor’s house.

Post relevant phone numbers. Update your security contact list. This may include adding a new trusted neighbor, taking off students going away to college or moving out of the home. Post this list of emergency contacts in a prominent location. If children have approved access to smartphones or tablets, program this information into their speed dial numbers. You can also download the free Red Cross First Aid App so they’ll have instant access to expert advice for everyday emergencies.

Ensure flashlights are in assessable locations around the house. Make sure your children know where they are and that the batteries are fresh.

 Inspect your home thoroughly for any safety risks.

  • Make sure that all of the smoke detectors are functioning properly.
  • Safely store all dangerous items like guns, knives, hand tools, power tools, razor blades, ammunition and other objects that might cause injury in a securely locked safe or chest. 
  • Put away and secure any prescription drugs.
  • Ensure potential poisons like detergents, polishes, pesticides, lighter fluid and lamp oils are stored in locked cabinets or out of the reach of children.

Always check in. Make it a rule that your child calls a parent (or another adult that you designate) or leaves a message as soon as s/he gets home. This can be the first step in a daily routine that includes exercise, homework, a snack, and some downtime. If your child is older, set ground rules for going places and inviting friends over.

Lock the doors. If the home has a monitored electronic security system, children should learn how to use it to enter and rearm it when home alone for extra protection. Security systems with remote access, like Honeywell Total Connect, allow parents to be notified and view activity in the interior and exterior of their home for extra peace of mind.

Review safe usage of their cell phone and/or the home’s landline. Your child shouldn’t answer the phone for just anyone, so set up guidelines. Tell them not to answer the phone if s/he doesn’t recognize the name or number. If you have a landline that doesn’t have caller ID, tell them to let every call go to voice mail.

 Take the same way home. Have them take the same route that you have designated to and from school every day. If your child walks, review each street that s/he uses. If they take a school bus, make sure they take it every day, even if offered a ride from a friend, unless previously agreed upon by you. Knowing the route allows you to predict how long it will take them to arrive home and to trace their steps if there is ever a problem.

Caution/Remind children:

  • Not to talk about being home alone in public or on social media.
  • Never tell someone on the telephone that the parents are not at home. Say something like “He or she is busy right now. Can I take a message?”
  • Never open the door to delivery people or service representatives. Either ignore the doorbell or ask them through the door to leave the package on the porch. If you install a Skybell with your security system, the system will alert you so you can see who is at the door.

Keep them busy. Although a child needs some downtime to rest and rejuvenate, your child will be less likely to get into­ trouble if s/he’s occupied with homework, practicing music, and chores. Review what they have accomplished and give them feedback when you get home. Reinforcement is key to getting things done!

Practice first aid. Keep a first aid kit handy and review how to use the items in it with your child. Consider enrolling older children in an online Red Cross babysitting course so they can learn first aid skills and how to care for younger family members.

We hope you’ve found this checklist helpful and that you and your children will have a safe, enjoyable and active new school year!

 

Secur-Tek proudly serves the North Carolina communities of Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Garner, Holly Springs, Durham, Raleigh, Morrisville, and Pittsboro

Security & Home Automation