Emergency preparedness should be a priority for every family. Whether you’re preparing for a natural disaster or weather emergency, be ready to protect your family in a worst-case scenario. Most people start by making a disaster preparedness checklist and stocking up on necessities like food and water. These are great first steps, but it’s easy to overlook one of the most critical allies in your disaster preparedness strategy: your home security system.
Thanks to a wealth of smart sensors and automation tools, home security systems like Xfinity Home can not only help monitor your home’s safety, but they also add an extra layer of readiness to your emergency preparedness kit. Here are three ways that your home security system might be a helping hand when you need it the most.
1. Control doors and locks remotely
Most homeowners lock their doors before leaving, but storms and emergencies always seem to happen at the worst possible moments. If you’re across town in the office or even states away on a family vacation, you’ll want a way to make sure that your home is completely secure if a potential disaster is heading your way.
Thankfully, modern home security systems (like Xfinity Home) include integration with a wide range of smart home products. Smart door locks and Internet-connected garage door openers are valuable tools for helping your family gain access to your home every day, but they also work remotely. Combined with a smartphone app, you’ll have full control over smart door locks in your home no matter where you are. Are you worried you left the garage door up on the way into work this morning? Check your app to know for sure whether it’s locked hours before the big front rolls through town.
2. Get instant alerts to vulnerabilities and damage
Just as your security system’s automated tools can save you trouble before emergency strikes, smart sensors on your doors and windows can also be a valuable alert system during an emergency.
If a strong gust blows a door open or breaks a window, you’ll instantly receive a notification on your phone. If a window near your supply room opens unexpectedly at a suspicious hour, you can respond in seconds. Smart sensors can help you avoid water damage as well as stolen property and, when paired with professional monitoring services, even alert the authorities.
3. Keep your crucial systems online with battery backups
WiFi-enabled smart cameras are one of the most convenient features of modern home security systems, allowing you to keep an eye on your home from anywhere in the world. As powerful as these cameras can be, they do require an Internet connection to send a live video feed or recordings to your phone.
Unfortunately, a natural disaster might leave your home without power, and therefore, without WiFi. Have a backup plan to keep your system running no matter what. You can purchase an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) to add to your Internet router and security hubs. UPS units are inexpensive plug-and-play products that can add hours (or even days) of backup power to your home’s vital systems when the power goes out.
If a hurricane blows through or a winter storm knocks out the power, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your home will stay connected, whether you’re staying in town or leaving.
Having a disaster preparedness plan is essential in the face of severe weather. A modern and flexible home security system can be the backbone of that plan. As you seek out disaster preparedness supplies and put a plan together for your family, don’t forget these valuable tools. Your security system can help keep your home safe during both a disaster and everyday life.
