Security Articles

Surveillance Cameras Types

Security surveillance cameras were once only thought to be security options for industrial complexes, government facilities or large commercial enterprises. These days, however, anyone can enjoy the safety and security provided by one of the most powerful tools in the security industry. Thanks to advances in technology, a security surveillance cameras can easily fit into most people’s budget. Installing a surveillance camera is an excellent complement to any existing security system and can add significant protection to any home, office or business. While there are multiple forms of surveillance cameras and equipment on the market they can primarily be broken down into two large categories, surveillance cameras that can be seen and surveillance cameras that are hidden. Both have advantages that make them a smart choice depending on the environments you wish to use them in.

Security Surveillance Cameras at Public

These days it is very common to see surveillance cameras in stores, offices and other public spaces. The presence of highly visible security surveillance cameras does two things. First of all it acts as a deterrent to crime. Most criminals do not want to be recorded engaged in any form of criminal activity as they realize that it significantly increases their chances of being prosecuted. The second thing a highly visible security surveillance camera accomplishes is peace of mind for the individuals using the office, store, business or public space. People feel safer and more secure knowing that a security surveillance camera is deterring crime.

While surveillance cameras have traditionally been used in office and business environments they are increasingly being used in residential environments to protect homes and families. The biggest benefit of a having a highly visible surveillance camera installed on the outside of your house is that it makes burglars think twice before breaking into your home. Most criminals make the assumption that the surveillance camera is a component of a more complex security system and in most cases this is a correct assumption.

Spy Surveillance Cameras

Another type of security surveillance camera that has risen to prominence in both the commercial and residential market is spy cameras. These types of surveillance cameras are used to catch criminals who are commonly present in your home or office. These cameras which are hidden in your home or office are used to watch individuals who have access to your premise. The classic example of this is the nanny cam hidden within toys to observe the behaviour of people you have hired to take care of your children. These types of surveillance cameras are also used to watch housekeepers, gardeners, maids, contractors and many more individuals who may have access to your home or office. The advantage of hidden cameras is that people don’t know where they are, for this reason they are incredibly successful at catching criminals in the act of committing a crime.

For more information on security surveillance cameras contact SafeTech today!

No matter the inventory or the clientele, retail sales outlets are popular targets of shop lifting and theft. There are a variety of security solutions that many stores implement in hopes of combating this inventory loss including, security surveillance cameras and security guards. However, the most widely used anti-theft security option is electronic article surveillance or EAS. While electronic article surveillance may sound unfamiliar chances are you have seen it in action at many retail outlets across Canada. Every time you are in a store and you hear an individual set off an alarm as they exit, that is electronic article surveillance at work.

How Electronic Article Surveillance Works

There are three main components of any electronic article surveillance system; the security tag, the security tag detacher and the detection system. The first element of an electronic article surveillance system is the security tag. Security tags are items that you are probably familiar with as many businesses use them to protect a variety of different products. Everything from books, to appliances, to clothing use a form of security tag to prevent shoplifting. The security tag that is most common is the hard plastic rectangle that is placed on many large clothing items like, sweaters, jackets, suits and dresses. This security tag is made highly visible in order to deter shoplifting from taking place. When shoplifters see this tag they realize that attempting to take the item out of the store will set off an alarm. This brings us to the second part of electronic article surveillance. Attaching a security tag to a piece of inventory is not enough to protect it from being stolen. In order to effectively protect your products you must also place a detection system at all entrances into your store. Detection systems are tall gate like structures that are commonly seen in most retail outlets. When a security tag crosses the threshold between the two posts of the detection system an alarm will sound. Therefore any article that is affixed with a proper security tag will not be able to be taken outside of the store without alerting the staff as well as other customers. The simple placement of a detection system at the entrance of a retail store is enough to discourage a shoplifter from entering in the first place.

Understanding Electronic Article Surveillance

This probably sounds great. You attach security tags to the items in your store, you put up a detection system at the entrance and nothing can leave your store without you knowing. But what about the items you sell, the items you want leaving the store, how do you get the security tags off these items so your paying customers don’t set off the alarm? This is where the third element of the electronic article surveillance system, the security tag detacher, comes into play. The security tag detacher is a simple handheld machine that attaches to the security tag and releases it from the item leaving no scratches and no marks. The security tag detacher allows you to safely detach the security tag and reuse it. It also allows for your customers to leave happy.

There are many other aspects and elements of electronic article surveillance that we will examine on this blog in the coming weeks. For now if you have any questions on electronic article surveillance, security tags, detection systems or security tag detachers please contact SafeTech.

I would like to thank the committee for allowing me the opportunity to speak on behalf of myself, the alarm industry and the many thousand of clients that SafeTech monitors and protects in this great city.

I own an alarm company called SafeTech Alarm Systems that services the Greater Toronto area. We are responsible for monitoring homes and businesses, mainly average size dwellings and small businesses, protecting people and their property.  We monitor against unlawful entry and various hazards such as flood, fire, carbon monoxide and natural gas poisoning etc…

I am here today to raise some concerns regarding the changes made in April 2010 to the City of Toronto False Fire Alarm Bylaw and state my objection to the proposed budget increase now being contemplated. I also encourage you to support Councilor Lindsay Ruby’s motion at City Council to re-instate the original Bylaw exemption of one false alarm per year.

The old False Fire Alarm Bylaw

The old False Fire Alarm Bylaw gave municipal property owners one free dispatch per annum and ‘Fire Services’ when required dispatched two vehicles at a total cost of $700.00. In April 2010 Toronto City Council removed the exemption for the first dispatch and ‘Fire Services’ began sending three vehicles per incident for a total cost of $1050.00. With the newly proposed $60.00 per vehicle increase the new rate of $410 per vehicle would mean home and building owners deemed at fault for a false alarm would now end up having to pay $1230.00 and this amount is out of reach for most property owners.

Out of my entire client base approx 10%, no more, are monitored for smoke and fire detection. Of that group only about 1% will have a false fire alarm dispatch per year. Up until recently, when a fire alarm signal was received by our central station we immediately called the premise; if we did not get an answer we called all the key holders and attempted to verify the fire alarm. Most of the time we are able to reach someone or check the account history and determine in advance if the signal was false or not. I believed the system worked fine!

However, now with the current Fire Alarm Bylaw costing $1050 for each False Fire alarm dispatch alarm companies have had to change the way they do things and not for the better. I have had to instruct my central station to not dispatch on a fire alarm unless it is verified by a client or key holder. This new policy puts the home owner at risk because now we will not dispatch unless we are sure. And we can’t always be sure. If we don’t dispatch and the place burns down and god for bid if there are occupants inside – it will be my liability. I think the new bylaw needs to consider all stake holders and the real incremental cost of a fire alarm dispatch. If the firemen and the vehicles are on standby anyway the actual incremental cost to perform a dispatch is not significant. Please consider this before raising the fire dispatch fee.

Under present rules a fire alarm dispatch can not be aborted. Once in progress three fire trucks must attend to the scene where the fire alarm was generated and make a physical determination of the fires authenticity. Even if a central monitoring station operator receives a call from the subject property owner indicating that the fire is false there is nothing he or she can do to cancel the dispatch, all fire trucks will still attend to the scene. This is a waste of valuable resources. The current dispatch policy is too rigid and will only ignite the frustration of property owners.

Even though municipalities have had a long history of providing emergency support services to home and building owners as part of the services provided to property tax payers the new False Fire Alarm Bylaw seeks to penalize anyone with a monitored fire alarm. The new bylaw is excessively restrictive and does not seek to find alternative less intrusive methods of reducing costs or minimizing the impact to Toronto property owners. In fact, I believe it would not be difficult to make a strong constitutional argument that the new bylaw infringes on the rights of property owners as is guaranteed by our County’s Constitution under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which requires law makers to create laws that are not overly restrictive and which will have minimal impact on citizen rights.

Building owners have a right to protect their property from the ravages of fire. As property tax payers they are entitled to use and rely upon the ‘fire services’ of this City. The new False Fire Alarm Bylaw may seek to reduce the nuisance of false fire alarm dispatches but what it actually accomplishes is the reduction of all fire dispatch services, both real and false, putting both home and business owners at risk!

SafeTech Alarm Systems is proud to announce that they have been named the 2010 Best Alarm System Provider in Toronto by the customer review site HomeStars.com. Homestars.com is an online word-of-mouth site that ranks local renovators, repairmen and home service retailers based on customer satisfaction. Each year HomeStars.com awards there best in Toronto award to the service provider that has the top customer reviews in each of the categories of the website. In essence the Best in Toronto designation ranks SafeTech as the top customer rated best Alarm System Company in the city.

Best Alarm System Provider Company

“I am very excited about the distinction”, says Sean O’Leary, President of SafeTech Alarm Systems. “There is no greater reward in any business than getting recognized for dedicated and professional service by your customers. I am proud of the entire SafeTech staff for delivering top quality service without forgetting the importance of personal interactions with customers”.

SafeTech Alarms won the best Alarm System Provider in Toronto distinction by receiving 68 customer reviews on the HomeStars website with an average customer ranking of 9.8 out of a possible 10. Customers who reviewed SafeTech were impressed with a wide variety of services but some of the themes that were present throughout the reviews was an appreciation of SafeTech’s no pressure sales approach, exceptional customer service, easy to use website and most commonly the quality of the alarm systems and installation process. All of these features inspired customers to visit Homestars and share their experience on a public review site so that others can benefit from the same high quality customer service.

SafeTech Alarm Systems has been offering security services throughout Canada for over 20 years. SafeTech specializes in security alarm systems, video surveillance, security guards, access control and security monitoring services. HomeStars.com is a growing online community of homeowners and home improvement companies throughout Canada and the U.S. HomeStars offers a free service for homeowners to find reputable renovators, repairmen and retailers by searching its database of almost 2 million companies.

When you think of home security and home monitoring the first thing that comes to your mind is probably home alarm systems. While home alarm systems are easily the most common element of home monitoring there are quite a few others that when added to a home security system can tremendously improve the amount of protection your home or business experiences. In addition to home alarm monitoring many security companies also provide, flood detection monitoring, carbon monoxide monitoring, smoke detector and finally heat monitoring. All of these elements are excellent add-ons to your home monitoring system.

Home Monitoring Facts

Flood detection monitors are one of many elements that can be added on to a home monitoring system. A flood detector can provide warning of a possible flood before the damage is done. Flood detectors work by detecting water or moisture that should not normally be present in a specific area. Flood detectors are usually placed in areas that are prone to leaks such as basements and garages. They work especially well during the winter months when pipes are prone to freezing and bursting. When linked up with your home monitoring system a flood detector can notify your central monitoring station which in turn can notify you so you can solve the problem before it causes significant damage.

In addition to flood monitoring there are a few other detectors that can be added to your home monitoring system including carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide detectors are used to detect the presence of carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. Common sources of carbon monoxide in the home stem from space heaters, water heaters, or a gas leak. Because carbon monoxide is poisonous and almost impossible to detect it can be fatal when it is leaking in your home. The addition of a carbon monoxide detector to your home monitoring system can prove to be a life and death decision. By linking a carbon monoxide detector to your home alarm system you will be warned if any gas is present.

Another element every home should attach to their home monitoring system is smoke detectors. Smoke detectors sense smoke using optical detection or using a physical process such as ionization. When smoke is detected, these machines trigger your alarm system to notify you and your central monitoring station of an emergency. Your monitoring station can then dispatch the necessary authorities to your home.

There are of course more elements that can be added and we will cover those in future blog posts. For now if you have additional questions or you would like to purchase any of the equipment mentioned here you can contact SafeTech alarm systems.

Most of us are familiar with the term home alarm system. We know what alarm systems are and for the most part we know how they function. Chances are we have seen an alarm system at a store or a friend or family member’s home; at the very least most of us have seen the alarm system logos and decals on store or home windows, or home alarm lawn signs throughout our neighbourhood. However, most of us don’t realize the amount of protection that comes with the installation of an alarm system in a home or business. The security protection does not end with the alarm system as many are backed by security monitoring. It is the security monitoring that increases the level of protection; it is the security monitoring that enables your home alarm system to become a virtual security guard while you are away. The security monitoring of an alarm system is the most important aspect of home security.

Security Monitoring Station

When a home or business alarm is installed, the owner has the option to elect for this type of monitoring. SafeTech will even install your alarm system for free, when you agree to a three year monitoring contract. What this means is that the alarm will be linked up with a central monitoring station that employs staff who will watch over your security alarm system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If a home or business that has security monitoring is broken into, the alarm lets the monitoring station know right away. When the alarm sounds, a staff member from the monitoring station will call the home or business immediately to see what the cause of the alarm was. If the owners don’t answer, or they do and indicate that their home security has been breached the security monitoring station will call the authorities and dispatch them to your home. If the owners indicate it was a false alarm the security monitoring station can help determine what caused the false alarm.

Security Monitoring’s Great Feature

Another great feature of security monitoring stations is that they can monitor more than just your home alarm system. The more elements you add to your home or business security system the more it can be monitored. For example if you have a CCTV security camera or other security surveillance equipment it can easily be linked to a security monitoring station. This will allow the staff at the monitoring station to see your CCTV feed in the event that an alarm goes off. This will not only help them determine if it is a real or false alarm but will help them direct the necessary authorities to exactly what is going on.

Security monitoring stations can also be linked up with fire or flood detectors among many other security devices. We will cover these topics in a later blog post. For now if you have any questions please contact SafeTech today.

Biometric Security Systems

Until recently you had a better chance to see a biometric security system in science fiction movies or high level military compounds then you were in regular offices. These days technological advances have allowed high-tech security systems to become more common. Biometric security systems are widely implemented in a number of offices and business across the globe as a means of security and access control.

The Benefits of Biometric Security System

Biometric security systems offer a high tech form of identification. These systems verify an individual’s identity through either physical or behaviour characteristics that may include hand geometry, retinal scans, voice prints or facial characteristics. A Biometric System that is integrated into an office’s security system requires staff to give their biometric information which is then stored on a hard drive. Each time an employee attempts to gain access to a protected area the biometric system will access the information stored on the hard drive to see if the individual has permission to enter the area. Due to the fact that it is impossible to duplicate individuals biometric information these security systems are widely considered the best security systems in the world.

Variety of The Biometric Security System

There are a few kinds of biometric security systems that various companies have been working on. The first and most used type of biometric security systems is fingerprint recognition. These units measure the various ridges and valleys that are unique to an individuals finger print to figure out an individual’s identity.A second type of biometric technology is facial recognition. These units identify individuals by analyzing certain facial characteristics such as the distance between the eyes or the length of the nose. Another form of these systems deals with the analysis of the shape of an individual’s hand. Iris recognition is a biometric system that has been dramatized in many science fiction films. In this system the coloured ring that surrounds the pupil is measured to determine the identity of an individual. The last type of biometric technology is voice recognition. These machines are based on software that measures the tone, pitch and cadence of an individual’s voice.

We are entering the heart of winter, blistering cold temperatures, bone chilling winds, heavy snow storms, wet sleet and slush storms are all weather conditions that we will endure over the next few months. It is obvious that these extreme weather conditions we face during the Canadian winter can wreak havoc on any of your exterior security surveillance equipment. The damp air, freezing temperatures and strong winds can interfere with the signal of your camera or worse destroy your camera completely. Since security cameras are not only a monetary investment but an investment in the safety of your property or family it is imperative that if your security camera is going to be exposed to the elements it should be weatherproofed.

Weatherproof Security Surveillance Cameras for Your Safety

Weatherproof security surveillance cameras are the best option for providing security surveillance in extreme Canadian weather conditions. The reason being is that weatherproof cameras are mounted inside an all-weather and waterproof housing. This housing protects the camera from the elements but does not take away from the quality of video it can record. The sealed housing prevents damage that is easily caused by humidity, water, wind, condensation and snow. As a result weatherproof security surveillance cameras offer the best exterior security protection for homes or businesses. A weatherproof camera may also be useful in some interior locations. Areas such as workshops, warehouses etc where there may be a lot of dust and debris present can be harmful to security cameras. A weatherproof security camera can also combat these conditions.

All of the weatherproof security surveillance cameras that SafeTech provides can be easily synced up with a SafeTech security alarm system to significantly add to your level of protection. Recent statistics indicate that the amount of loss can be reduced by 50% with the proper installation of security cameras, when coupled with an alarm system these stats can be reduced even further. To learn more about SafeTech’s weatherproof security cameras contact us today.