Mobile alarm monitoring is an effective way of monitoring your home security system which provides wide variety of benefits, such as: easy access, control lights, locks, and thermostats and energy efficiency.

Below are 3 benefits of managing your home security system on mobile device:

Easy Access
If you’re like most people, you’ve got your smartphone or mobile device with you whenever you leave your house. You won’t need to carry another device or use a computer to access your home security system (unless you want to).

You’ll be able to do the following, anytime, anywhere:

• Remotely arm or disarm your system
• Check your security system history
• Never second guess whether you armed your system Source: Alarmrelay

Control Lights, Locks, and Thermostats
A centralized connection enables smart home equipment to talk to one another, so that it can work smoothly and cohesively together to meet your automation needs. For example, set your lights to automatically turn on when you unlock your front door, or adjust your thermostat to the perfect temperature when you open your garage. With a connected app, the combination possibilities are endless! Simplify your life by decreasing the amount of effort needed to manage your home.Source: Vectorsecurity

Energy Efficiency
Many home automation products, also known as “smart” products, help you manage your home’s energy consumption. For example, automate your thermostat to adjust settings throughout the day based around the times someone is home or the house is empty.
Some “smart” devices can be synced up to your appliances with real-time energy information. This helps your home appliances know the most cost-effective times to operate. For example, your dishwasher may run at 2am because this is the best time for the lowest price. Source: Adt.ca

Mobile alarm monitoring enables you to keep a check on your security system via phone, manage alarm settings, and get in touch with the monitoring company. If you want to know more about home security systems, contact us now or email us here.

Rushing out the door to begin enjoying a vacation can cause people to overlook several easy ways to ensure their homes will be protected. Luckily, we’ll discuss 5 tips for keeping your home secure while on vacation. Read On!

Keep your entryway clean

If solicitors are regularly leaving materials at your door or in your driveway, ask a family member, friend or trusted neighbor to collect these items for you.

Put your newspaper and mail on hold. Most post offices and newspapers will temporarily suspend delivery to avoid items from accumulating in your mailbox or driveway.

Eliminate potential hazards. Unplug appliances and other electronics that aren’t in use while you’re way. Source: Ackermansecurity

Hold Your Mail

Piles of mail and newspapers can make it clear that you are away. While you can temporarily stop mail and newspaper delivery while you’re on vacation, the IntelligentCruiser.com doesn’t recommend this practice because newspaper or postal workers will know you are away. Failing to receive regular deliveries also can tip off burglars that you aren’t at home. Source:OuterbanksVacations

Make Your Home Look Lived In

An occupied home looks lived in. Lights go on and off, and cars come and go. When you’re away, everything stops. To help create the illusion that the residence is still occupied, invest in timers that turn on the interior lights for a few hours every evening. If you can get a neighbor to take out your garbage and put the cans back after the garbage pickup, it’s another way to send the message that everything is proceeding normally at your house. Source: Home.HowStuffWorks

Remove Spare Keys

Remove any spare house keys you may have hidden around your property, including ones in your car or garage, under a doormat, inside a fake rock, under a potted plant, etc. Thieves know all the popular hiding places, so don’t take any chances.

Look in your windows from outside to see if any burglar-enticing valuables are out in plain sight.Source: blog.canary.is

Safe-Keep Your Valuables

Lock up jewelry, the deed to your home, wills, and any other valuables or sensitive documents in a fire-proof safe. Source: SafeSoundFamily

Taking the necessary precautions to protect your home while you’re away will save you those worries so you can thoroughly enjoy your trip.

If you are currently living in an apartment complex or considering moving to one soon, here are a few apartment security tips to remember.

Below are 3 tips for staying safe in your apartment complex:

Dos and Don’ts

Do

• Create impression you are not living alone; write initials on your mailbox, in sentences use the word we instead of I.
• Befriend neighbors who can help you in an emergency.
• Don’t let anyone in the building that you don’t know
• Lock you’re doors and windows at all times especially if you are leaving the apartment for any circumstance and when you go to bed.
• Check to see if last tenant gave back their keys to the building.

Don’t

• Make Duplicates of your apartment key or put the spare in a visible place.
• Give out personal information about yourself, where you live, what you do for work, what your plans are for the day.
• Leave valuables in your car or close to your window where people can see them.
• Leave notes on the door for roommates, neighbors or landlords saying that you are gone or what time you will be back. Source: MyApartmentMap

Survey your Space

Finally, you need to assess the safety of the apartment itself. Take note of the doors and locks. Wood doors are not as secure as steel doors (some wood doors are hollow, and easy to break through). You should also ask if you can change out the locks, or whether the landlord will be doing them on your behalf upon move-in. It’s an extra precaution to make sure that no one with an old key can gain access to your place.
In general, apartments that are above the first floor are safer than ground-floor or garden-level spaces, because it’s more difficult to gain access to windows and balconies. If you end up with a ground-level apartment, it’s better to have windows with security features that are hard for a potential burglar to access. This might include bars over the windows or glass blocks that let light in, but not peeping toms! Source:  ohmyapt.apartmentratings

Install a Reliable Security System

Chain locks offer little protection and cheap locks can be disabled easily. If the apartment does not have a good deadbolt lock on the door, ask permission of the apartment manager to put one on the door. Do be certain that the management has a key if they need to gain access into your apartment.
Never leave your apartment door unlocked. This includes when you leave to get the mail or take out the trash. Someone lurking in the breezeway could gain access quickly.
Most apartment complexes have peepholes already installed on the door. If not, ask if you can install one for your added safety. Source: StreetDirectory

There are different causes of false alarms that are easily preventable. We’ll explore the common causes of false alarms and give you tips about how to prevent them.

Below are 3 common cause of false alarms and how to prevent them:

Lack of Maintenance/Upkeep
The maintenance and proper use of an alarm system is the responsibility of the alarm user. False alarms can be caused by a variety of things; most are caused by human error. Defective equipment, telephone line trouble, electrical problems, improperly installed or adjusted equipment and overly sensitive sensors also cause false alarms.
How to prevent it: The best way to avoid false alarm fees is to ensure that your system is in good working order and that everyone uses it properly. If you are aware that your system has emitted a false alarm, have your alarm company cancel the police response. If we are canceled within five minutes, you will not be charged. If your system is set off because of a criminal act, report the crime to the Police and contact the Alarm Administrator. Source: Cityofdayton

Poorly-Designed Security Systems
Your system is more susceptible to false alarms If the installer did not consider the home, who lives in the home and how you use the home.
Some examples of a poorly designed security system include:

• Smoke detectors placed too close to heat sources. Your smoke detectors shouldn’t be too close to stoves or fireplaces or they could easily trigger false alarms.
• Smoke detectors placed too close to bathrooms. Steam from the bathroom can also cause false alarms.
• Not using pet-friendly motion detectors in a home with pets. A normal motion detector will cause all kinds of trouble for families with pets.
• Bad wiring. If you have a hard-wired alarm system, the wires can get crossed or come loose and cause false alarms.
• Loose doors or windows. Sensors on loose doors or windows can trigger false alarms when the door or window jiggles.
• Incorrectly placed motion sensors. Motion sensors placed too near a heating or cooling vent can create a false alarm. Check out our best practices for placing motion detectors.

How to prevent it: Hire a trustworthy security company to install a custom security system rather than relying on pre-packaged security products. Source: Ackermansecurity

Outdated or Old Equipment
False alarms are typically due to human error. In fact, roughly 70 percent of false alarms are attributed to user mistakes. But if you think a false alarm is caused by a malfunction of your home security system, contact your provider immediately. A representative from your home security company will be glad to check the status of your alarm system.
How to prevent it: The most fundamental way to prevent false alarms is by using your home security system on a regular basis. When your family uses the security system consistently, they’ll get comfortable with how it works, and that means there’s less likelihood of a false alarm. Source:Safewise

Do your kids know much about home security? Routines are an excellent way to install a good habit within children. These article will cover 3 tips in teaching kids’ effective security habits around the home.

Inform them About Security Alarm Basics
If your home isn’t already equipped with a home security alarm system, it’s advised that you get one as soon as possible. This is especially critical if there are times when your children are unsupervised at home. At this point, there are a number of alarm systems available that are packed with features, even options that make it easier for children to use them. If you plan to purchase an alarm system, hire a certified and fully trained locksmith to install it. Once installed, it’s your job to teach your children exactly how the home alarm system works and how to use it. Source:Technofaq

A Go-To Emergency List
This is very important when it comes to providing your kids with the information they need during an emergency. Make a list of all essential phone numbers such as police, fire, poison control, emergency contact cell phone numbers for all family members and so forth. Make sure you show your kids the list and go through it all with them so they know who to call when an emergency happens. Also make sure to put the list in a place that everyone can see it and find it. Source:Besthomesecuritycompanys

Open Door Policy
Before you leave your child home alone, teach them basic home safety practices, starting with keeping the doors locked. Stress that they should never open your home’s door to someone they don’t recognize, and discuss which family and friends can be let into your home when you’re not there.
Tip: If you have a monitored home security system, teach your child how to arm and disarm the system. You might also consider positioning a security camera at the front door so your child can see who is outside without opening the door. Source: Safewise

At a young age, it is a great idea to start building constructive habits that can help a child as they grow. If you want to know more about home security system, please give us a call or email us here.