Planning Your Vacation? Plan Your Security NOW!!

As spring and summer approach, many families will be leaving their homes empty for a few weeks to enjoy a little R&R. Don't let your opportunity to enjoy some quality time away with the family become an opportunity for burglars to invade your home.

A well-planned vacation includes a plan for minding the fort while you're away. Some common strategies include: getting a house sitter, having a neighbor bring in mail and newspapers, leaving on some lights or putting some on timers, and possibly getting a security system.
The old standby in this situation seems to be: lights-timers-neighbors. Any plan is better than no plan at all, and ensuring that your papers and mail don't pile up is a good place to start. Having a trusted neighbor take care of these items and possibly even park a car in your driveway can be a great help. Shedding a little light on the subject property can't hurt either. Be careful with the lights though, when overdone it could actually send the message that the lights are on, but no body's home. If your home has a sprinkler system that is on a timer, you may want to set it up to operate intermittently while you're away too. Just be sure to abide by any watering restrictions that might be in place.

While leaving some lights on or utilizing items on timers might give the impression that someone is home. Someone actually being in the home is a much better idea. Try to get a trusted friend or family member to temporarily take up residence in your home while you are away. Your home will truly be more secure and you will be able to enjoy your time away that much more knowing that it is.

If you already have a security system, use it. If you haven't used it in quite some time and cannot remember exactly how, consult your instruction manual or your security company well in advance of your departure date. This will help you to avoid a great deal of last minute frustration. If you plan to have a house or pet sitter, ensure that they know how to operate the security system too. You should also communicate your vacation plans with your monitoring company. Let them know things like: the dates you will be away, your return date, if the house will be vacant or the numbers for your house or pet sitter, if there is to be one. Some companies may also let you request immediate dispatch if the home is to be completely vacant. This may temporarily bypass the need for a verification call to the home, which is required by most police departments and could speed up the dispatch process. You may also want to give them the numbers where you will be staying for ease of contacting you should they need to.
If you don't have a security system and are thinking about getting one, plan ahead. Security companies get a rush of business around vacation time too. The best companies will book up just like the best hotels at the beach. You should do your research and shopping well in advance to ensure that you can get your security system installed in time and that you get to use your alarm company of choice.

With a little planning you can enjoy your dream vacation without the worry of a burglary nightmare.

Contact me at kellywicks@atlasalarms.com for more information.

Home Security Monitoring

If you do not already have a monitored home security system, you might be completely unaware of the options that are available to you. Even if you already have security monitoring, you still might not be fully aware of the options available beyond your current monitored home security system. In its most basic sense home security monitoring protects your family and possessions from burglary but it can do so much more than that.

Protection from fire is just one of the other capabilities of a monitored home security system. While a monitored security system will not prevent fires, it can sound an alarm that could summon the fire department quickly enough to prevent catastrophic damage to your property. Many home security systems have a smoke detection system that enables the security system to detect the presence of smoke which could indicate a fire in the house. When this (fire) alarm is triggered, a message is sent to the Alarm Control Centre which alerts the operators that smoke has been detected in the home. The operators will then contact the property owner to determine whether it is a false alarm or a true emergency. If it is an emergency the Alarm Control Centre Operator will contact the local fire department to alert them to the fire on the property.

For this and more monitoring information please feel free to contact me at kellywicks@atlasalarms.com or visit Atlas Alarms Ltd. at http://www.atlasalarms.com/

I look forward to hearing from you!

Home Security 101

Congratulations, you have now decided to go ahead with a residential security system. Where to start?

This can be a very daunting decision, so many companies to choose from and so many views on the subject. Word of mouth is the best place to start when researching security alarm companies. Friends, neighbours or family members all are great resource tool. Yellow pages or the Internet are also good resource tools to implement. This can still be over whelming to say the least! Choose a couple of different companies to contact, each will have their own view on the subject and will advertise different packages to choose from. Remember your home is not a cookie cutter home therefore the cookie cutter package may not fit your security requirements. It is best to have a professional security representative visit your home and provide you with a professional quotation. Keep in mind when comparing the security company quotations that your should compare apples to apples; same number of door/window contacts, motion detectors, keypads, term of agreement and location of the alarm monitoring centre.

Facts to know about home security systems; what are the devices to be used?

Door/window devices or known as magnetic contacts are placed in the door/window frame and are triggered when the door/window are opened.

Motion sensors or motion detectors are placed through out your home to detect movement of an intruder once inside the home. Pet Immune Motion detectors are also available.

Keypads are the device that you use to operate (arm or disarm) the security system, normally placed at the main entry to your home. Additional keypads can be placed in locations such as master bedrooms or secondary entry points to your home.

Control panel this is the "brain" of the security system and is placed in a secure location within your home. A home owner rarely if ever has to access the control panel.

Smoke sensors or detectors are just that, smoke detectors, however the alarm company smoke detectors are connected to the security system and will send a "fire" signal to the monitoring centre.

There are two basic installation methods of security systems; hardwired and wireless or in some circumstances hybrid which is a combination of both hardwired and wireless devices. Hardwired means that each device has a wire connecting it to the main control panel, normally the wire is hidden in your crawl space, attic or unfinished basement. Wireless devices are just that - they are wireless, they are connected to the main control panel via RF signals.

Overwhelmed yet? Yes it is a bit confusing and that is why you should have a professional security representative visit your home. The professional is best to determine the number of points (entry areas) that are at risk and whether or not your home should be hard wired or wireless.

A monitored security system vs a non-monitored (local) security system.

When a monitored security system is activated, it connects to a monitoring centre via the phone line. If a detector goes off while the system is activated, the phone line automatically sends a signal to our monitoring centre. When a non-monitored security system is activated you are on your own, you can hope that the neighbours may hear the alarm siren and call the authorities but in today's society we are all trained to avoid others problems. Therefore for the few dollars a month it costs for security alarm monitoring is well worth the investment, besides most insurance companies will provide you with a discount upon proof of a monitored security system.

Not A Cookie Cutter !

Along with Atlas Alarms Ltd. strive to be the industry leader in the sales and installation of high quality alarm systems by combining expertise, exceptional customer service, and competitive pricing for both residential and commercial applications.

I will attend your premise, residential or commercial and provide you with a complete security evaluation, tips on “how to secure your home yourself” and a professional quotation from Atlas Alarms Ltd. I will design a security system to fit your Budgetary needs and your security requirements. Do not be fooled by other alarm companies offering a "Basic System", your house is not cookie cutter why would you want your security system to be.

I will work closely with the technician to achieve a balance of feasibility and functionality in order to ensure that both the needs of the and the challenges of the individual system are met. Contact me either via kellywicks@atlasalarms.com to have your professional home security evaluation.

BE PROACTIVE not REACTIVE

Let me start from the beginning: As a home owner you should be proactive instead of reactive. Thieves will not wait until your home is protected they will strike now while the picking is ripe. To many home owners wait to contact a security company until they become victims of a robbery, while in fact it is proven in statistics that homes with visible security are 14 times less likely to become victims of burglary.

To secure your home you should step back and think like a thief, take a walk around your home and look at the obvious entry points. Are there ladders just laying about that can easily reach that second floor balcony with that open French door? Are there windows left open for ventilation that can easily be accessed by a thief from the level of a nearby fence? These and many more areas are the most inviting to thieves, as they give them easy access to your home without much effort on their part. Take the time to lock down your ladders and always ensure that all doors and windows are properly secured before leaving your home unattended.

All exterior doors should be solid doors with deadbolts and door enforcers. Install peep holes for viewing before opening. Windows and sliding glass doors that can be lifted out from the outside can be secured by installing pan head screws in the upper track, adjust to allow free back and forth movement but with minimum up and down movement. Also secure with commercially available locks or use a broomstick or wooden dowel in the lower track. I personally liked broken hockey sticks, the shafts fit just perfect into sliding door tracks. Garage doors should be closed and locked whenever you are not around.

Install timers on all exterior lights that automatically turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn, thieves do not like to be seen. Keep shrubs and bushes trimmed as to not allow for hiding places. Outdoor sheds should also be locked with secure heavy duty locks.

Residential Security Systems: As every home is different with its own strengths and weaknesses, consult a security expert to visit your home and provide you a quality system designed to fit your security requirements and your budget. For less than a $1.00 a day you can protect your home with a security system, keep that in perspective when you think you can not afford one when you purchase your morning coffee.

A security system will not guarantee to keep the bad guys out but it will keep the time they are in your home to a minimum. Be sure that the security system you purchase is monitored. Alarm monitoring means that someone is always watching your home via the security system along with the alarm monitoring center. Once the system has been breached the monitoring center is notified and the appropriate authorities are dispatched to your home. The loud obnoxious siren will scare off the thief as well.

Security Systems are unique to each premise; hard wired, wireless or a combination of both, they can include fire protection, flood/water, heat and carbon monoxide, perimeter (doors and windows) and interior protection. Again have a security expert visit your home for your requirements. For more information on security for your home and a host of useful tips on safety visit email me at kellywicks@atlasalarms.com Kelly Lynn Wicks