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Tag: Home Security

  • Protect What Matters

    Protect What Matters

    When you think about alarm systems and home security, you probably think about how it protects your property and your family. But, for many people, protecting their family also means protecting pets. The good news is that the same tools that keep your human family safe can also protect your fur-babies.

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    Criminals can raid a house in seconds, stealing large amounts of valuables and damaging your property. When they do, they can also put your pets at risk. That’s why, to protect your pets and keep them safe, you’ll want to have a monitored alarm system installed. These systems are connected to our central monitoring station so we can notify you right away and send emergency assistance immediately, helping to keep your pets safe and secure in the long run.

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    Older or less sophisticated alarm systems often have motion detectors that can be tripped by pets, resulting in false alarms and systems that are rendered ineffective. Not only do the latest alarm systems have pet immunity devices that compensate for the movement of pets, our smart security systems integrate with cameras. This means you, or a central station operator, can view live footage of your property as soon as an alarm comes in. This means that we can quickly use this footage to determine if a crime is actually taking place or if your dog just knocked over a lamp.
    In short, a smart security system can provide you with your pet’s additional peace of mind.

    To learn more, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • Crime Spree

    The Windsor Star reports that a string of property crime, particularly thefts from vehicles, should have Essex County residents on high alert, say police.

    Police Officers charged one man with 23 separate offences for property related thefts in Leamington last week and then arrested three young offenders on Monday after they were caught rummaging through vehicles in Kingsville.

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    Essex County OPP urge residents to lock up their belongings.

    “Our officers patrol your neighbourhoods at all hours of the day and night but unfortunately cannot be everywhere all the time,” detachment commander Glenn Miller said in a news release. “We rely on the citizens of Essex County to secure their property and notify us if they see anything suspicious.”

    Here are some tips:

    • Always set your security system. Even if you’re just running to corner store, or when you go to sleep at night.
    • Always lock your doors
    • Keep your property well maintained so it is obvious that the home is lived in
    • Remove shrubs from around basement windows
    • Have a neighbor pick up the mail and keep an eye on he house when you’re gone for extended periods of time

    To learn more about adding video surveillance to your security system, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • Total Connect Touch ID

    Total Connect Touch ID

    The new release of Total Connect 2.0 from Honeywell includes the new Touch ID login feature. This great function lets you log in with a fingerprint instead of a username and password. Here are some the main benefits:

    Added Layer Of Security
    Using a fingerprint instead of a username and password provides an additional layer of security for the home. If a ‘bad guy’ gets hold of your phone, he can’t just press the login button to gain access to the home security system.

    Supported By Latest Apple Products
    Touch ID is supported on the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, the iPad Air 2 and above and the iPad Mini 3. The iPhone must be running iOS 8 Platform or above.

    Easy Set Up
    The first time you log in to the Total Connect app on a supported device with “Remember Me” selected, you will be prompted about using Touch ID. When you select “Yes”, your username and password are stored and you will be able to use your fingerprint to log in to the Total Connect app in the future.

    Easy To Use
    With Touch ID enabled, every time you open the Total Connect app, you will be presented with the Touch ID login overlay. From the overlay, hold your fingerprint on the iOS Home button to automatically log in. Your username and password are no longer required.

    Easy To Logout
    When you log outs with Touch ID enabled, you will be returned to the login screen. Your user name and password will be retained. The next time you open the app, the Touch ID overlay to log in will be present and the you will still be able to log in with a fingerprint. The password is not lost.

    Easy To Switch Off
    If a you don’t want to use the Touch ID feature, you can switch it off by selecting the ‘More’ option in the navigation bar, and then selecting Touch ID. This will return you to the standard log in/remember me functionality.

    To learn more about adding Total Connect to your security system, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • Summer Home Safety Tips

    Summer Home Safety Tips

    Secure it. Survey your property. Look for ways to get in. Be sure you have good locks on your doors. Lock up ladders, patio furniture, recycling bins and anything else a thief could use to climb up to a second-storey window. And never hide a key anywhere outside. Most criminals take advantage of opportunities, so a home that’s well protected is less likely to attract that kind of attention.

    Keep it living.Your home is less likely to catch the attention of a thief if it looks like it’s being lived in. Draw the shades or curtains. Turn down the volume on your phone – constant ringing is a sure sign that you’re away – and don’t forget timers for your lights.

    Maintain it.A home that’s well cared for is a less attractive target for thieves. Trim hedges that exceed window-height and cut evergreen branches up at least three feet from the ground to eliminate hiding places on your property. General maintenance also decreases the risk of other problems, especially water damage. Hot water tanks, toilets and pipes are the usual culprits, so keep them in good repair as prevention.

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    Shut it off.If you’re going on vacation for more than a few weeks, turn off the water to your home and drain the lines (turn on your taps for a few minutes and flush your toilets). The less water and pressure there is, the safer your home will be if a pipe, toilet or tank happens to burst. With the water on, even a tiny leak can cause devastating damage in a short period of time. Also shut off the gas and pilot lights in your furnace and electric appliances to minimize the chance of ignition if ever a gas leak occurs or the pilot light blows.

    Make a friend. Find a friend or neighbour you trust to keep an eye on your home. Have her cut the grass, park a car in your driveway, pick up your mail and even put out some extra garbage on garbage day. Inside, she can occasionally adjust the blinds or other visible property. Guardians can also check for any water, fire or wind damage and stop it from spreading.

    To schedule a free, no obligation security evaluation of your home, call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.

  • Spring Flooding

    Spring Flooding

    Flood damage is the leading cause of property damage in North America. In order to prevent a basement flood, there are a few things that you can do. These steps include:

    • Making sure that eavestroughs and downspouts are cleaned and positioned to direct water away from your house

    • Checking to ensure that there is appropriate drainage below your window wells

    • Inspecting your walls and the exterior foundation and repairing any cracks

    • Installing a sump pump as needed

    • Ensuring the ground slopes away from your home

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    Catching potential drainage issues or leaks is important. The sooner you spot an issue, the smaller the issue will be and therefore, you should be able to handle it more easily. Watch for water stains, peeling paint and, of course, visible water inside the basement.

    To learn more about adding a flood detector to your security system, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • Caught On Camera: California

    Caught On Camera: California

    A brazen California burglar was seen along every step of an alleged home invasion Tuesday, captured in footage recorded by 16 surveillance cameras. Authorities now hope the footage will help them nab the person responsible.

    San Jose resident Heidi Quezada said she was awaken by rustling outside of her home before 2 a.m. and used a phone app to look at some of the surveillance footage. Video shows the man checking out a window of the home, and popping a lock on a sliding door to get inside.

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    “I was just petrified,” she said.

    Quezada called 911 and crouched in her closet. As the home’s alarm sounded, the burglar could be seen walking through the home, unfazed.

    “I can hear him rattling around, and I’m telling 911, ‘He’s in the room next to me,’” Quezada said. “I was trying not to hyperventilate. I was trying to whisper and I was trying to tell them, ‘Please hurry.’”

    Quezada says she was motivated to react after the man wiggled the doorknob to the master bedroom and pushed against the door, trying to get inside.

    “I came out of the closet at that point and started banging on the door from the inside, yelling at him and saying, ‘Get out of here, the police are coming, they’re going to shoot you,’” she said.

    The man fled after Quezada yelled, leaving the home and climbing over a fence. The intruder was seen on a neighbor’s surveillance cameras, escaping on a skateboard. By the time police arrived the intruder had gotten away. But with his face splashed across social media, authorities are hopeful that the burglar will soon be captured.

    With Security ONE’s award winning Total Connect app from Honeywell, you can view your cameras in real time even when you are not home. To learn more, call 1-800-265-5317, or just CLICK HERE.

  • The Wrong Smoke Detectors

    The Wrong Smoke Detectors

    Most houses have smoke detectors installed but many of them could be the incorrect type—and potentially deadly.

    There are two major kinds, ionization and photoelectric. Ionization are the most common. In fact the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says 90% of all smoke detectors are ionization.

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    Ionization alarms use a small bit of radioactive material to trip the alarm when it detects large burning particles, have been shown to be less able to detect slow-burning or smoldering fires, such as those caused by cigarettes, frayed wires, and sparks from a still-smoldering fireplace.

    Statistics show 30,000 people in the U.S. have died since 1990 because they relied on ionization detectors. That’s because an ionization alarm can sometimes take between 20 and even 50 minutes longer to activate than a photoelectric smoke alarm.

    So why do ionization alarms get placed in homes?

    Answer: They’re cheaper.

    So what’s the best way to protect your family—besides not smoking and otherwise fireproofing your home and holding regular exit drills?

    Invest in photoelectric alarms in bedrooms and hallways, and leave the ionization alarms in the kitchen, if at all.

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    In addition, make sure they are properly placed high on walls or ceilings, are hardwired (preferably by a licensed electrician), which means they don’t rely on battery power, and are interconnected so if one sounds they all sound.

    To add photoelectric smoke detectors to your security system as a monitored zone, call 800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.

  • Call The Police

    Call The Police

    The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police have launched a crime prevention awareness campaign launched this year, and they are encouraging you to report all crime, no matter how petty the incident may seem at the time.

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    Windsor police recorded 8,600 incidents of property crime last year, which makes up nearly half of the 17,200 criminal code violations they investigated during that period.

    On average, police responded to one property crime every hour in 2014.

    Property crimes include arson, break and enter, theft, mischief and fraud.

    Windsor police statistics show 2,950 property crimes of thefts under $5,000 recorded in 2014, plus another 1,660 incidents of theft from a vehicle under $5,000.

    Combined, the 4,610 charges make up more than half of the property crimes reported last year. Even with these numbers, many property crimes go unreported, police said.

    People often in general don’t to be a burden or nuisance to already busy police officers by reporting a garage break-in or the theft of an inexpensive bike. But police crime analysts need every bit of information, if they’re going to identify crime trends and effectively target criminals.

    Video Verification

    Residents in Windsor and around Ontario are also asked to be vigilant in order to prevent crime in their communities. From suspicious activity or unusual noises at a neighbour’s home to unknown vehicles or strangers lurking on your street, police say too many warning signs are ignored.

    Police say you should give them a call. They’ll find out if those concerns are legitimate.

    They also suggested getting involved in your neighbourhood. Getting to know your neighbours and their patterns will all help detect unusual activity.

    Statistics also show that a monitored security system is three-times less likely to broken into. To learn how easy it is to have a Security ONE system installed, call 1-800-265-5317 or JUST CLICK HERE.

  • Watch Your Online Posting

    Watch Your Online Posting

    Woohoo! 8 days and counting!

    Mexico Here I come!

    Here’s me on Beach!

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    We’ve seen these posts come up in our feeds. You may even have posted something similar yourself! With March Break just around the corner, many people are planning vacations away from all this snow, but beware of the dangers of posting these type of posts online.

    They seem harmless, but when you make that kind of post, you’re really saying this to the world, “In eight days from today, my house will be empty for AT LEAST seven days, and I’ll be so far away, that I won’t be able to do anything about it.”

    One of the most common ways that criminals use social media to commit crimes is by researching when people won’t be home and taking this opportunity to break into their properties.

    The way algorithms on social media sites work can make your post visible to friends-of-your-friends. And to be honest, most people have “friends” on their profiles that are acquaintances at best. Do you REALLY know 623 people – that you consider to be a friend?

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    By sharing holiday plans in real-time online, you let criminals know that you’ll be out of town for a while. They can use this information to rob your home when they know you won’t be around.

    It’s much safer to share vacation details after the fact, once you have arrived home safely. Tell individual friends and family members in person the dates that you’ll be away, but don’t post the details online.

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    Finally, with our award-winning app, Total Connect, from Honeywell, you can stay connected to your home in REAL TIME, accessing video surveillance and confirming the status of your security system. To learn more about this fantastic service, call 1-800-265-5317 or just CLICK HERE.

  • Who Deserves To Win Finalists

    Who Deserves To Win Finalists

    Thank you for the overwhelming amount of nominations in our Who Deserves To Win contest! Of the over 100 nominations that came in from your emails, facebook, twitter and Radio, we’ve narrowed it down to SIX Finalists!

    Now, we need YOU to tell us… Who Deserves To Win! YOUR VOTE will help determine our Grand Prize winner ! We’ll install a complete Smart Home Security System for one deserving family in time for Christmas!

    Will it be…

    • A Family matriarch that still loves the neighborhood
    • A wife hides in the closet while husband is confronted by intruder
    • Wife robbed at work still has fears at home
    • Daytime intruder thwarted by Mom of 3
    • A young son that has trouble sleeping for fear of break-ins
    • Real life Grinch robs family in daylight

    Thank you for voting!!