condominium security

If you live in an apartment or a high-rise condominium, you may feel that typical home security systems and home security tips do not apply to you. There is some truth to this as many high-rise condominium apartment security tips differ from tips for those living in single-family homes. However, it’s incorrect to assume that you do not need to be concerned with home condominium apartment security if you live in a large apartment building or condominium complex.

There are a number of condominium apartment security concerns that you will need to pay attention to when you are living in a large building. While you don’t have as many doors or windows as a standard house and you may have more barriers to entry than you would in a house, you also have a great number of people living in proximity to one another. This not only makes high-rise buildings tempting targets for criminals, but it also means that you never know who else is in the building at any given time. It also makes it much more difficult to determine if someone belongs in your building or if they have broken in.

Just like when you first move into a house, you should have your locks changed as soon as you move into an apartment or condominium, if possible. If you are not able to physically change the lock on the door you can get a locksmith to adjust the tumblers so that old keys cannot open your unit.

Tips for Condominium Apartment Security

It’s also important that you do not allow anyone into your building unless you personally know them. Letting a stranger into your condominium complex is the same as inviting a complete stranger into your home. If someone calls up to your suite an asks for entry, don’t let them in unless you know who they are and you can verify this fact. Many large buildings allow you to view a “lobby cam” on your television so that you can see who is calling you. Sometimes criminals will pretend to be delivery people as well. Even if you are expecting a delivery, it’s safer to tell the person to leave your package at the concierge desk or offer to come down and pick it up. There are many ways to increase condo and condominium apartment security.

Criminals and burglars sometimes try to sneak into a building by following someone inside. If you see someone hanging outside your building, be sure to close the door tightly behind you so that they cannot get inside. If someone tells you that they forgot their keys or that they are just stepping inside to meet a friend, apologize and let them know that you can unfortunately not let them inside. Everyone who lives in the building should appreciate your focus on safety. Report any damaged lightning, doors, locks or other condominium apartment security tools to management or the building superintendent. These measures are important to protecting your building and they should be in working order at all times.

If you have a smoke alarm inside your suite (and you should) make sure that it is in working order. If it requires batteries, make sure that they are replaced with new ones twice a year. You should test your smoke alarm regularly to ensure that it is functioning properly. If you have an alarm that is hardwired into your electrical system, be sure to alert building management or the superintendent if the alarm is not functioning properly. A fire can cause serious damage very quickly in a high-rise building.

Always close and lock your windows when you are not home and secure sliding windows so that they cannot be opened from the outside. You may feel that this is unnecessary in a high rise building, but criminals have been known to climb onto higher floors as these windows are often left unlocked. If you have a balcony, make sure you lock the door that leads outside. Criminals can enter your balcony from a neighbouring unit and gain easy access to your home if the door is not properly secured.

Finally, you should always use the peephole on your door. Remember that strangers could have entered your building in a number of different ways, so you should never just open the door without finding out who is knocking. Criminals will sometimes pretend to be representatives of the building’s management office in order to trick you into letting them inside. Always verify all unannounced visits with management before you open the door. A simple phone call can protect you from a break-in.

What To Do When Faced With Fraud

March is “Fraud Awareness Month” and therefore it’s important to note that there are many more ways to become a victim of fraud than ever before. Even if you follow all of the traditional rules for protecting yourself (not giving out information to people who randomly call or email you, protecting your financial information, keeping your social insurance number private, etc.) you could still be faced with fraud. Bank fraud, credit card fraud and identity fraud are far more common now and there are a greater number of ways to be hit. How can you protect yourself? What can you do if you’re faced with fraud?

“The best thing is precaution,” says Sonja Schindeler, vice-president of fraud solutions of Trans Union of Canada. “There are lot of services you can buy to help you fix a problem after you have one.”

Credit agencies offer monitoring services that allow you to look at your credit rating and ensure that someone hasn’t set up an unauthorized loan or credit card in your name. You can even get a monthly credit report sent to you for a fee.

A number of insurance companies also offer services that can help you. An identity theft protection program will allow you to quickly re-establish your identity if it has been compromised. The insurance company will deal with the lawyers in order to speed up the process. You can also purchase insurance that will protect your from financial harm if your identity is stolen. Different companies offer different services and you should check with your insurance provider for a list of options. Banks and credit card companies often cover financial losses due to identity fraud as well.

Some insurance packages cover other financial losses that stem from identity theft as well. These costs can include lawyer fees, notary fees and the time you spend reestablishing your identity.

“If you have to take three days off work, we can pay up to $5,000 for indirect losses like lost income or vacation time,” says Henry Blumenthal, vice-president of TD Insurance.

Insurance companies can handle the entire process for you. Re-establishing your identity can take months and having an insurance company take care of the steps can make it a bit less painful and a faster as well.

Protecting your Home or Business from Fires

Fires can cause a great deal of damage to your home or business in a very short period of time. Not only can a fire destroy your property and perhaps even the building inside, but you could lose irreplaceable valuables in a fire. If you run a business, you could lose all of your company’s finances and client information. A fire in your home could destroy your personal documents and other valuables. Here are a few ways that you can protect your home or business from fire.

It is important to verify that your smoke alarm in functioning at all times. You should test your unit monthly and, if it runs on batteries, be sure to replace· these batteries with new ones twice a year. A good way to remember to change the batteries in your smoke alarm is to change them at the beginning and the end of daylight savings time. If you didn’t do so recently when you switched your clocks ahead an hour, you should do so now. In addition to smoke detectors, you may wish to install heat detectors in kitchens or utility areas where smoke alarms should not be installed. You may also wish to install a carbon monoxide detector. Businesses and office buildings should have working sprinkler systems as well. For more information on these devices, please visit the fire detection page on our website.

You can also protect your home or office by having a working fire extinguisher on site. There should be at least one on your property and it should be in an easily-accessible location. Mounting one on the wall is an excellent idea. Fire extinguishers should be regularly maintained and fully charged at all times. In most areas businesses are required to have their extinguishers checked each month and detailed records should be kept.

It is also important to protect your valuables in case there is a fire. Fire-resistant safes are an excellent place to store important documents such as passports, birth certificates and business information. Make sure that you purchase a safe that has been tested by an independent agency such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL.) There are different levels of fire-resistant safes and some can last longer in intense heat than others. You can also store important documents (or copies of documents, depending on the type of document) in a safety deposit box in a separate location.

Of course, not all important information is stored in a physical form. Many important documents are stored on computers. There are several steps that you can take to protect your important digital documents. Printing them out and placing them inside a fire-resistant safe is one method. You can also store a copy of the information on a hard drive, flash drive, DVD or CD and place this inside your safe. You may also want to look into an online back-up service. These services allow you to store copies of your important documents on their servers. This will keep them safe in case of a fire. Do some research on different online back-up services before you choose one to trust with your data.

Finally, whether you are in a home or an office, you should have an emergency escape plan for everyone in the building. This plan should include two escape routes from each room. The door will be your first escape route and, in many cases, the window will be your second. Make sure that all sleeping areas have windows that can be opened wide enough for a person to fit out. It’s important that you make sure that any security devices (such as bars and gates) can be easily and quickly removed from inside. You will also need to choose a meeting place out of harm’s way where everyone can meet up after escaping. This will make it easier for you to notice if anyone is missing. Make sure that everyone is familiar with your emergency escape plan and practice it every six months or so to ensure that everyone memorizes it.

Positioning Security Cameras For Maximum Protection

A security camera is an excellent way to keep your home, office or any property secure. Security cameras are able to capture important details on video and produce powerful evidence that can be used for a variety of purposes. Surveillance cameras also act as a deterrent. People understand exactly how powerful security cameras are and they will be less likely to commit criminal or dishonest acts if they know they are being recorded.

However, the location and positioning of security cameras is incredibly important. You want to position your camera in locations where they can capture video clearly. You also want to make sure that all important areas are covered and that there are no significant “blind spots” where criminals can hide.

You will want to place your cameras up high enough that they cannot be easily tampered with, but you do not want to place them so high that they cannot capture details (like faces and license plate numbers.) You will need to take a look at your property and determine the right height for your particular situation as it varies between different locations. Building entrances and exits are key places where you should install security cameras. Criminals will more-than-likely use a door or a window to enter your property. By installing cameras in these locations, you increase the effectiveness of the entire system. You should not leave any potential entry points unsecured by video surveillance. Doing so creates a “blind spot” that criminals will target. Many criminals scope out their targets before committing a crime and they will notice an unmonitored door quite quickly.

It’s also important to consider lighting factors when installing security cameras. You want to choose different cameras depending on the lighting in a particular area. In well-lit situations, full colour cameras will likely provide the best quality video. Black and white cameras often function better in low-light situations. You may wish to install additional lighting as well. Only only will this make it easier for your cameras to record high-quality video, but criminals tend to stay away from well-lit areas where they can be seen. You’ll also want to determine if there is any mixed lighting or changing light in your area. For example, in some locations opening a door to the outside can flood a previously dark area with light. You may find that the sun shines directly into your camera at a certain point in the day. These are all factors you will need to consider when positioning security cameras.

Finally, you’ll want to ensure that your cameras have an unobstructed view. Look for trees, awnings and other obstructions that can get in the way of your cameras. It is a good idea to check out the field of view from each location before you install a permanent camera. SafeTech Alarm Systems has years of experience in properly installing and positioning security cameras. Visit our security cameras section for more information or contact us today.

When you live in a condominium, you may not pay the same attention to security as you would if you were living in a house. This is especially true if you are in a high-rise condominium.

However, condo security is important. The fact that you may have a security desk or an entry phone system – combined with the fact that your unit may be located on a high floor – might be enough to make you feel as though you don’t need to be concerned with security at all. Unfortunately, that’s not true.

You can still be a victim of crime when you live in a condominium. The threats are different than in a standard house and so the precautions that you take will also need to be different. Here are a few tips for condo security.

What to Look for in Condo Security

One of the best things you can do is to investigate the condo security features that are in place before you move in. You do not want to move into a condo – either new or resale – that has weak security. Some buildings feel that security is less important in a condo than in a house, but this is certainly not true. If you already live in a condominium, you may wish to speak with your building’s superintendent, property management office or security team. Knowing which security features your building has and finding out exactly how your condo keeps you safe is incredibly important.

The main entry point to a condominium is obviously the front door. However, your building could also have alternate entry points such as side and rear doors or garage doors. All of these doors should be secured, not just the front door. It should be impossible to get into your building without being noticed. If your building has a security guard or concierge at the front door, find out how he or she monitors the building’s other entrances as well. Many buildings have surveillance cameras that are monitored by building security. This is necessary to keep you safe in a condominium and a big part of condo security.

Many condominiums use high security keys or fobs to enter the building. These are definitely important for condo security and safety as they are difficult to copy. Criminals will have a hard time gaining access to a key fob and even if a criminal steals or finds your key fob, you can report it to your building and have the fob deactivated immediately. A standard key does not offer  the same type of security.

Protecting Residents: A Key to Condo Security

You will also want to look into the kind of condo security technology that your building uses on its doors. Investigate the security on the door to your suite and on all other doors in the building. Pay special attention storage room doors and exterior doors. Doors should lock with a strong deadbolt and suite doors can have doorknob covers installed to prevent smashing and tampering. You may also want to find a condominium that has a “full-length astragal” installed on exterior doors. This is a security plate that makes it more difficult for burglars to pry open your door and is a key condo security tool.

Lighting is also very important, both inside the building and around the exterior of the building. Criminals like to work in the dark where they can avoid being seen and where they can use the element of surprise to attack. A well-lit building will keep you safe. Think of this when you are analyzing the condo security at condominium building.