Security Articles

Home Alarm Tools

If you have a home alarm system,·you may feel that you no longer have to think about home security. You may even feel like your house is now invincible. Unfortunately, that’s not true. While home alarm system is an excellent way to protect your home, and while it drastically reduces the number of break-ins and robberies that occur, there are still a number of precautions that you need to take into account.

Home Alarm Tools and System: Understand the Limitations

The first precaution you need to take is understanding the limitations of your home alarm system and completely recognizing which areas of your home it actually protects. Most people have alarm system that protect their front door and their ground floor windows, but what about your back door or side doors? Are those protected by your home alarm system? If you have motion detectors on the main floor of your house, are you doing anything to protect the second floor? What about the basement? You should have sensors on all windows and doors as many burglars head to the second floor of a home when they try and break in.

Only when you truly take the time to analyze your home alarm tools, you will understand its strengths and recognize if there are any weaknesses.

The same holds true for other areas of your home. Is you garage protected? Criminals know that many people store expensive equipment and tools in their garages. You should ensure that your home alarm system protects this area. This is especially true if your garage features direct access to your house.

Completely understanding your home alarm system will help you protect your home and your family.

But that isn’t the only precaution you will need to take.

You’ll also need to protect yourself when you are outside your home. If there are large bushes or trees near your home, criminals can use those to hide. They can also use darkness. There are many documented cases where criminals hide on a property and attack the residents when they return home. Properly lightning your home can go a long way to keeping you safe.

Unfortunately, protecting your property with a strong home alarm tools and system that covers your entire home and lightning your property so that criminals cannot hide isn’t always enough to protect yourself and your family. Adding security cameras can certainly help, but you’ll still need to take a few personal precautions if you want to remain safe.

Home Alarm System: All the Safety Features Must be Actuviely Used

This may sound simple and obvious, but the main precaution you must take is that you must actively use all of the safety features that your home alarm system offers. Most people turn the home alarm tools on when they will be out of the house for a long time, but what about when you make a quick run to the store? A lot of people do not fully activate their home alarm system when they know they won’t be out of the house for long. Unfortunately, criminals will often scout homes in advance and track the patterns of the residents. If you leave for 15 minutes every afternoon to take your dog for a quick walk, a criminal may know this and take this opportunity to strike. Just because you don’t think you’ll be gone for long, it doesn’t mean you should leave your home vulnerable.

Besides, there are many times when a person thinks that he or she will only be gone for a few moments but they are instead gone for much longer. Whether you get stuck in traffic, run into an old friend at the store or have an emergency occur, you’ll never know when a quick trip can turn into an hour or more. In those cases you’ll be glad that you set your home alarm system. The same is true for locking your doors. A deadbolt is the best way to lock a door and you should make sure that you always lock your doors.

Even when you are at home, you can set the home alarm system to monitor the doors and windows while turning the interior motion sensors off. Again, it’s important to lock your doors as well, even when you are at home. Criminals can take advantage of unlocked doors during a home invasion attempt.

While Toronto is generally a safe city, crime does unfortunately occur. Property crime is one of the most common crimes and it can affect almost anyone at any time. Stay informed with these property crime statistics.

The Toronto Star recently published a list of property crime by area.

Property crime statistics

The top 20 Toronto neighbourhoods with the most property crime are:

• Southwest Parkdale
• Greenwood/Gerrard/railway
• Steeles/Jane/Finch/Gosford
• Overlea Blvd/Thorncliffe Park
• Queen/Dundas/Spadina/Bathurst
• Northwest of Victoria Park/Danforth
• Lawrence/McCowan/Brimley/401
• Winchester/Parliament/DVP/Bloor
• Southwest of Lawrence/Markham Rd
• Carlton/Dundas/Jarvis/Parliament
• Bloor/Dovercourt/College/Brock
• Albion/Kipling/Martin Grove/Mt Olive
• Hampton/Danforth/Bain/Pape
• Lake Shore/23rd St/lake/13th St
• Winchester/Parliament/DVP/Gerrard
• Queen/Dundas/Jarvis/Parliament
• Sheppard/Highbury/Jane/401
• Bloor/Roncesvalles/Sorauren/Wright
• Finch/Bathurst/cemetery/Senlac
• Danforth between Main and Woodbine

The crimes that were tracked in those statistics include: Breaking and entering, motor vehicle or bicycle theft, possession of stolen property, theft, shoplifting and mischief against property or causing property damage.

What these statistics show us is that, unfortunately, property crime take place in a variety of areas all across the city. It’s not confined to one neighbourhood and it’s not easy to determine a pattern between areas with a high level of property crime.

You need to protect yourself against property crime regardless of where you live in Toronto.

As per Toronto Star bellow are listed the high burglary rates:

Here are the top 20: 1 University 2 Bay Street Corridor 3 Kensington-Chinatown 4 Moss Park 5 Bridle Path-Sunnybrook-York Mills 6 East End-Danforth 7 Casa Loma 8 York University Heights 9 Annex 10 Church-Yonge Corridor 11 Waterfront Communities-The Island 12 Rosedale-Moore Park 13 Woodbine Corridor 14 Clairlea-Birchmount 15 West Humber-Clairville 16 South Riverdale 17 Little Portugal 18 Roncesvalles 19 The Beaches 20 Forest Hill South

Security cameras and appropriate home alarm systems and commercial alarm systems can go a long way to protecting your property and ensuring that you do not become a victim of property crime. Not only will these security systems deter criminals from attempting to break into or damage your property, but they will also make it easier for the authorities to catch and identify the criminals after the fact.

For more information on Toronto property crime statistics, please visit the Neighbourhood Crime Report section of this security blog.

It’s not only important that you equip your home with a home security system, but it’s also important that you equip your home with the RIGHT home security system. What’s the right security system? That depends on your home.

Home Weak Points – What Kind of Security You Need

When you’re planning on getting a security system or a home alarm system, you’ll want to take some time to discover exactly what kind of security you need. A great way to do that is to look at your house with a critical eye and figure out its home weak points. Examine your entire property and look for areas that could be exploited by criminals.

The most common home weak points in a home are the windows and doors. Most people secure the front door and many people secure the main floor windows, but there are several other entrances that you should pay attention to as well. Second floor windows, back doors, sliding doors, basement windows and any other entry points are potential home weak points. A criminal could use any of these entrances to break in your home. You’ll want to make sure that every door is installed properly and locked with a deadbolt. You may want to place bars or gates on your windows and sliding doors. If you’re getting a home alarm system installed, make sure that all doors and windows are monitored.

Don’t forget about the garage door either. You likely have a number of valuables in your garage, including your car. Criminals will take advantage of an unlocked garage to rob you of whatever they can get their hands on.

You’ll also want to watch out for areas where criminals can hide. Trim back bushes around your home so that potential burglars cannot use them for cover. Install security lighting around your property to keep criminals in view. Use security cameras to track anyone who attempts to enter your home.

Your home security system is only as strong as its weakest point, so ensure that there are no home weak points. That will keep your home and your family safe and secure.

Home Security Lightning to Keep You Safe

Home security lightning systems and business security systems are great ways to keep your property safe. Installing alarm systems, security cameras, window bars, gates and other security services can certainly keep your property secure.

However, there is one aspect of security that people often overlook: Lightning.

Having proper home security lightning around your home or office is a very effective way to protect your property. How? It goes back to one of the most basic aspects of security: Criminals do not want to be seen.

This is the same reason why security cameras are so effective. No one wants to be caught breaking into a building or vandalizing a property. Not only does being seen increase the risk of being noticed while the crime is taking place, but it also greatly increases the risk that the criminal will be identified and caught by police. Having proper lightning will deter criminals.

You can make your home or office safer and protect it from danger by installing security lightning in various key locations. Take a look at your property and try to get inside the mind of a potential criminal. Think of places where the criminal could hide in the shadows. Think of where he or she could plan an attack. Then light those places. If you have adequate lightning, you’ll eliminate places where criminals can hide.

You’ll also want to illuminate the areas around doors and windows. If these locations are lit up, criminals won’t be able to attempt a break-in without being noticed. Lightning also helps security cameras capture more detailed video, which will make it easier to catch criminals in the act and hold them responsible for their crimes.

Lightning can also protect your person, not just your property. Criminals often lurk in the darkness while they wait to strike. It’s important to have proper lightning near your driveway, your garage, your garden, the walkway to your home and any other areas where you could be in danger of an attack.

Two of the most popular types of lightning are motion-activated lights and lights that are activated by darkness. Motion-activated lights turn on whenever someone walks by them. These are great because they are energy-efficient. You’ll only use the lights when you need them. They can also startle a burglar if they turn on suddenly. Lights that are activated by darkness turn on automatically during the light or other low-light times. These are great because you don’t have to remember to turn them on and off all the time.

We recommend that you use a mixture of both types of home security lightning. For more information on home and business security services, please contact us today.

Security Tips from a Burglar

There are over 12,392 reported burglaries in Toronto each year. These burglaries are not unique to certain neighbourhoods or pockets of the city; every home in Toronto is susceptible to the threat of break-ins. There are various techniques residents implement every day to protect their home from this looming threat, some strategies work, while others are less successful. How do you know if you are taking the right steps to protecting your home? In a recent article in the Bayview Post by Malcolm Johnston, an unnamed ex-convict and burglar visited a handful of neighbourhoods throughout Toronto and detailed what home owners can do to safeguard against burglaries.

One of the first lines of defence that many home owners use to prevent break-ins is a security alarm system. However, as the ex-convict points out in the story, an alarm system is useless if it is not properly installed. Most alarm systems are triggered by motion detectors placed throughout a home. When armed these motion detectors will trigger the alarm if motion is detected. According to the security tips of a burglar in the story most of these motion detectors leave a foot and a half gap in coverage along the floor. He indicated that many times he would be able to bypass a motion detector by crawling on the floor. If he saw the monitor go red he would lay silent and still until the light turned green. There are two ways to ensure that your motion detectors provide the best possible protection. The first is position them so they cover the floor. The second is position them in places that hide them from intruders. The burglar in the story admitted that if he ever set off the alarm, he left as quickly as he could.

A second tactic the burglar described he would use to break into houses is breaking basement or ground floor windows to gain entrance to a home. Most alarm systems include window contacts that trigger the alarm systems if a window is broken or tampered with. The burglar indicated that depending on the style window, he sometimes could remove it from the frame entirely avoiding the window contact completely. He suggested using tempered glass which he described as unbreakable to deter burglars from gaining access to your home. However, in this respect he is incorrect, tempered glass is made to shatter in many pieces when broken and as a result a burglar can still get inside your home if this is the only strategy you use. The best option would be to use a window film. Window film is a clear film that when applied to the inside surface of glass; can help keep glass fragments together on the surface of the film while the glass remains in the frame.

The ex-convict in the Bayview Post article mentioned a handful of other tactics to avoid break-ins and burglary. Among these security tips were, get a dog or a dog toy, burglars will avoid homes with a barking alarm. Investing in solid doors that can’t be kicked in and installing deadbolt locks is another valuable tip as is closing your blinds when your not home and keeping an eye on suspicious people in your neighbourhood. However, one security measure that he did not mention that is an incredibly powerful deterrent is a security camera. Security cameras are one of the most powerful tools you can implement to deter break-ins and protect your home. While in the past security cameras were once thought to be only used in commercial or industrial settings their successful results have seen them installed in more and more residential homes. For more information on break-in prevention security tips or to learn more about any of the security products discussed here contact SafeTech alarms today!

System Monitoring: Important Information

The modern home is filled with various computer systems that monitor and protect your home from a variety of elements, such as breaks-ins, fire, gas leaks and floods. These systems combined make up what has become known as a smart home. A smart home is more than just a buzz word; it is a system of computers that when properly implemented and monitored can provide your home with safety and security that is unlike anything else that exists today on the market. The key to getting that safety and security though is having system monitoring; which means each element can be linked together and be monitored by a security company’s monitoring center.

The first component of alarm and security system monitoring is one we are all familiar with; smoke detectors. As we all know smoke detectors are a vital part of the safety and security of any home or apartment. Smoke Detectors should be installed in various places throughout your home and should be serviced and checked on a regular basis. What many people do not realize is that you can add to the security a smoke detector provides by implementing system monitoring. This way when your smoke detector goes off it will not only alert you but the staff at a monitoring centre, who can dispatch the fire department to your house right away.

The Value of Alarm System Monitoring

Installing a Carbon Monoxide Detector is another aspect of system monitoring that can save the lives of you and your family. Carbon Monoxide is a deadly gas that is produced by dozens of household appliances. When these appliances are not functioning properly or a house is not ventilated properly this colourless and odourless gas can build up in a home unbeknownst to its residents, until it becomes fatal. Because the gas is impossible to detect it is imperative that home owners use a carbon monoxide detector equip with system monitoring. In the event that you are away the monitoring center will contact you and inform you that you should be careful upon return to your home due to high levels of Carbon Monoxide.

The final aspect of system monitoring that we will mention on this post deals with flood detectors. Whether it is due to excessive rainfall, leaky foundations, or bursts in water pipes, floods are a common occurrence in many homes. Installing a flood detector that is connected to system monitoring alerts you to the presence of floods in your home and allows you to take the necessary steps to either stop the flood from continuing or protect your valuables before it gets too bad. A monitoring center is particularly important for when you are away from your home as they can make you aware of the problem so you can take the necessary steps to address it.

System monitoring also deals heavily with alarm systems and security surveillance systems but that is a post for another day. In the meantime if you have any questions you can contact SafeTech.

Carbon Monoxide is a deadly toxic gas that is undetectable due to the fact that it is a colourless, odourless and tasteless. Each year hundreds of people are killed across North America in their own homes by this deadly poisonous gas. As you can see, it’s important to protect yourself from this gas, known as the silent killer. You can do so by having monitored carbon monoxide detectors installed. Carbon Monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of the fossil fuels that are present in very common household appliances like furnaces. Because carbon monoxide can be generated from everyday appliances, it is a necessity to protect yourself and your family by installing a monitored carbon monoxide detector. Take a look at this video to learn more about how Carbon Monoxide detectors save lives.

Benefits of Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detectors

One of the main benefits of monitored carbon monoxide detectors compared to those that are not connected to a monitoring service is that the detectors are watched over by a central monitoring station. This means that, if dangerous levels of carbon monoxide are noticed, you will be contacted right away. Unfortunately, without monitored carbon monoxide detectors, some people may not be notified in time. Carbon monoxide can cause a person to pass out. If someone is unconscious, they will not hear the signal from the detector. Imagine being away at work when high levels of carbon monoxide enter your home. Your family could be seriously harmed without you being aware and without them being able to respond. With monitored carbon monoxide tools, you will receive a call to report on the dangerous situation. You can then contact the authorities and have them come to your home to check on your family. This added peace of mind is only possible when you have monitored carbon monoxide services installed.

Smoke Detectors Benefits

This article is about the smoke detectors benefits. Before you read any further ask yourself, do you have a smoke detector? If you do, when was the last time you checked to see if it worked? Do you have enough detectors in your house to properly protect you and your family from fires? These are all tremendously important questions as a properly installed and maintained network of smoke detectors is the most effective way to alert yourself to a fire in your home. When a fire starts a smoke detector can literally mean the difference between saving your home and losing everything or even more serious the difference between life and death. Every year thousands of people in North America lose their lives in home fires that could have been easily prevented with the installation of these detectors.

Smoke Detectors – Safety and Security

There are a few simple suggestions to follow in order to get the most out of your smoke detectors and increase your safety and security. First smoke detectors should be installed in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. This ensures that no matter where a fire breaks out there is a smoke detector in place that can alert the residents of the home. These some detectors can be interconnected which means when one goes off they all go off so no matter where you are in the house you will be made aware of the situation. An even better step is to link your smoke detector with a SafeTech alarm system and have it monitored by our central monitoring station. This way when your smoke detector goes off it will not only alert you but our staff in the monitoring centre. When your smoke detector goes of our staff will call you to verify the fire. If you indicate there is a fire or they can not reach you they will dispatch the fire department right away. By having your smoke detector monitored your home will be protected even when you are away.

Maintenance of Smoke Detectors

Another way to ensure your smoke detectors work to the best of there abilities is to perform regular maintenance and checks on them. Smoke detectors should be checked at least monthly by pushing the designated test button to hear the alarm sound. The batteries of any smoke detector should be changed annually, if your smoke detector start making chirping sounds it means the batteries are low and need to be changed immediately. Never take out batteries without replacing them with new ones. All smoke detectors should be replaced after ten years of use as well.

One of the most important smoke detectors benefits is that they are a vital part of any home security system. If you have a home, or family it is important that you have the necessary amount of these detectors installed and ensure that they are always functioning properly. For more information on smoke detectors and how they can be monitored contact SafeTech Alarm Systems today!