You spend a lot of time in your home. And most likely, you spent a lot of money to get it. So practicing home safety is essential to protect you, your family and your property. Take these five steps and you're on your way to a safer, more secure home.  

1. Practice fire safety. Place smoke detectors throughout your home, test them each month, and re-install batteries twice a year. Plan an escape route from each room and hold fire drills both night and day. Discard electrical appliances with worn cords or that overheat. Learn how to extinguish cooking fires.
2. Make your home "fall-proof." Use a step stool to reach high cabinets. Illuminate porches, hallways and stairways. Repair cracks and remove ice and snow in walkways. Install rubber mats or safety strips in bathtubs and showers. Repair loose carpeting.
3. Prepare for emergencies. If your location is susceptible to wildfires, floods, earthquakes, hail or windstorms, research safety information with detailed instructions on preparing your home in advance, assembling an emergency kit, and planning an evacuation.
4. Test for carbon monoxide. You can't smell it, and that's the problem. CO can have fatal consequences if it goes undetected, so it's best to install CO alarms around your home as you would smoke detectors.
5. Prevent burglaries during vacations. Suspend mail and newspaper delivery, lock doors and windows, install motion detector lights, set light timers in a few rooms and, if affordable, purchase a home security system.