A couple of years ago, my family and I packed up our suitcases and headed out of town for our summer vacation. We had been planning it for months, and my kids were so excited they could hardly stand it. We turned out all the lights in our house, locked all the doors and made sure it was safe for us to hit the road for our vacation. Looking back now, a simple phone call could have prevented what happened to our home.

A wire shorted out in our kitchen, and the wall broke out in flames. It wasn't until a few minutes later when a neighbor saw smoke (and knowing we did not have a fireplace), she called the fire department. By the time they were able to respond, nearly half of our home had been consumed by the flames, and the rest was so damaged by the smoke that it was irreparable.

Of course, we were called home from our vacation, but called home to a home that was no longer there. Our children were devastated. My wife was in tears because so many of our family belongings were destroyed. As a father and husband, this was the hardest thing I have ever had to witness. To see our home and belongings ripped out from under us while we were on our vacation, was more than terrible. If we had been there, a simple spray from the fire extinguisher and a call to the electrician would have fixed the problem. The biggest question I had for then myself was, "how do I keep this from ever happening to my family again?"

I called ADT security. Yes, ADT is the number one company for protection against theft and home break-ins, but they do so much more than that. Now, instead of relying on a neighbor to possibly see the smoke from a fire, ADT is directly linked to all the smoke alarms in our home. When any one of them goes off, they give us a call directly, and send help immediately.

Of course, my wife's biggest concern was, "how do we keep them from calling the fire department every time I burn the pot roast?" Simple. ADT gives us a call before they alert authorities. If we answer and say everything is fine, we simply hang up the phone and go on with our day. If we answer and say we need help, or if we don't answer (because we are on vacation), they send immediate help.

ADT security has been the biggest blessing to our family. And since the incident with our house, our neighbors called ADT security as well! They have been so thankful to ADT because they alerted the police during Christmas when some one tried to break in through their back door. Not only did the alarm scare the burglar away, but the police came and immediately secured their home.

The fire in our home was terrible, but we've since recovered and rebuilt, and with the help of ADT security, we know our new home is safe. We feel okay now when we leave for summer vacation, or when we have a bunch of Christmas presents sitting under the tree, because we know that our home is being protected 24/7, by a team of people whom we trust completely. Please don't wait until something happens to your home. Take the advice of a father and a husband. Call ADT security and protect your home and family today.