You've probably been hearing a lot about fire-safety awareness with Fire Prevention Week recently upon us. Household fires tend to be more prevalent in the fall months. But people often zone out when they hear fire-safety info. That's a bad idea. Clark and his wife have a fire drill at home twice a year and discuss escape routes with their children. Perhaps the reason Clark is so focused on fire safety is that years ago his middle brother lived above an alcoholic couple who smoked and accidentally lit their apartment on fire. The woman locked herself in a bathroom during the blaze and passed out. Clark's brother went into the burning apartment, knocked down the bathroom door and dragged the unconscious woman out. Seeing the burned apartment building as a teenager left a big impression on Clark.

Clark and his family have their bedrooms on the second floor of their home, but because of the slope of their lot it's a three-story drop from their windows to the ground. So Clark and his wife bought a fancy exterior ladder system that's light enough for their 8-year-old daughter to lift and climb down. They've also instructed their daughter to rescue her toddler brother in the event that Clark and his wife can't do so. In fact, Clark is so conscious of fire safety that he looks at the back of his door at hotels to study the escape route. He knows that if there's a smoke-filled hallway, he won't be able to see the exit sign. Two simple ways to cut down on your risk of household fire are checking your smoke detector frequently and being aware of burning candles in your home.

A lot of people use burglar alarms to keep their homes safe. But such alarms aren't always safe for your wallet. Raleigh's News & Observer recently reported on how alarm salespeople canvas neighborhoods following a break-in and capitalize on the fear by signing homeowners to expensive three-year contracts. Even worse, many of the contracts have a rollover provision. So unless you properly notify the company otherwise, you'll be signed up again at the end of the contract -- even if you've moved out of the house! Clark despises some of the sales practices in this industry and even once overheard a veteran salesperson training a newbie while he was dining out. The vet was as bad as some of the burglars that might break into your home. Granted, not everyone in the field behaves like this.

Clark encourages people to go with alarm companies that don't require a contract. And beware of the TV ads you might see. Sometimes the initial fees are misrepresented to lure you in. Purchasing the alarm hardware is pretty standard, but make sure you're paying a reasonable price for monitoring costs -- in the mid-to-high teens range, and definitely lower than $20/month. Keep in mind that about 99.7 percent of alarms are false, so response time from the police may be slow. If you're worried about slow response time, a recent Forbes story detailed how you can now have a camera as part of your system. If the police can see an intruder via the camera, they'll be prompt first responders. But companies charge a huge markup for this camera technology. The article stated that in one instance the camera system cost $1,700 and there was a monthly monitoring charge of $45 on top of all the other fees. Fortunately, companies like WiLife.com sell affordable cameras that even a self-professed techno-idiot like Clark can operate. Clark's even heard of people with a second home at the beach or the mountains installing a camera -- not for security, but instead for when they're feeling nostalgic and want to see their other property!

What percent of burglar alarms are false? Would you believe just under 100 percent are false. Burglar alarms are just about last on the list of priorities for police officers because nearly every time they go it’s a waste of time. In fact, in L.A., the police chief said officers would not respond to alarms unless they were verified. You get one freebie. But if the police are called again, they will not go unless it’s verified. So, burglar alarm companies would have to find a way to verify these alarms. People in Los Angeles were livid! Clark published a poll on the topic to find out what you thought. More than half of the people polled said police should always respond. About six percent said cops should never respond because alarms are a waste of time. And just under 50 percent said alarms should be verified first. Now, L.A. has decided that money talks when it comes to alarms. The first time an officer responds to a false alarm at your house it’s $150. The second is $200, and $50 each time after that. The real issue is that we have these deterrents in our homes that are not effective. Putting cameras in the home is one way to allow burglar alarm companies to verify a crime in progress and tape it. But, in the meantime, it doesn’t make sense to Clark to waste taxpayer dollars on these false alarms.

Many months ago, Clark talked about a raging debate in Los Angeles over burglar alarms. Research shows that 98 percent of burglar alarms are false. So, police in L.A. decided not to respond to these alarms anymore and instead dedicate their time to other crimes. In police work, officers have discretion over the priority they place on a call. So, the city of Los Angeles has started a new procedure that compromises police needs with citizens’ needs. If a burglar alarm goes off, LA cops will respond twice in a year without any verification. On the third alarm, they won’t respond unless there is a third-party verification. Since the system has been in place, false alarm calls have been reduced by about 20 percent. Clark doesn’t know why that is, but it’s a positive sign. This is an area where technology will solve the problem. More and more companies will provide customers with cameras on their homes so they can monitor their homes while they’re away or out for the night. It will prevent false alarms and other potential damage.