Blog

Pet Security: Keeping Pets Safe with Monitored Burglar and Smoke Alarm Systems

When people think of alarm systems and home security, they usually think about protecting their property and their families. For many people, family also means pet security. The good news is that the same tools that keep your human family safe can also protect your four-legged friends.

Criminals can raid a house in seconds, stealing large amounts of valuables and damaging your property. They can also put your pets at risk. This is why pet security is important. In order to protect your pets and keep them safe, you’ll want to have a monitored alarm system installed. These systems are connected to a central monitoring station that can notify you right away and send emergency assistance immediately. All of which will help keep your pets safe and secure.

Older or less sophisticated alarm systems often have motion detectors that can be activated by pets. This leads to false alarms and systems that are rendered ineffective. Not only do modern alarm systems have pet immunity devices that compensate for the movement of pets, often a modern smart alarm system will have integrated cameras that can let you or a central station operator view live footage of your property as soon as a trouble condition may arise. This means that the central station staff 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, smart surveillance tools provide additional peace of mind to home owners with pets and improved pet security.

Monitored Fire Protection & Pet Security

When it comes to protecting pets from fire, it’s very important that you remember that pets can’t respond to audible alarms. They may see the fire and they may hear the alarm, but there’s nothing they can do about it. Pets are trapped in the house and this is why having a monitored fire alarm is so important. It is crucial for pet security.

A fire can spread in minutes, turning a small and controllable situation into a large and potentially deadly one very quickly. A monitored fire alarm system is watched over by trained staff at the central station at all times. If a fire, smoke or high level of carbon monoxide is detected by your system, the central station will react right away and contact the home owner and send the appropriate authorities to handle the emergency. This could save your pet’s life.

For more information on pet security and keeping your property safe and secure, please feel free to contact SafeTech Alarm Systems today. A member of our loss prevention and security team will be more than happy to speak with you and assist you in any way we can.

Finding a Toronto Home Alarm Installation Company

Home alarm systems are important tools in the fight against crime. Unfortunately, criminals frequently target homes and other residential properties. They spend time scouting residential locations, looking for opportunities to strike where they won’t be spotted, caught and made to pay for their crimes. In order to combat these criminals, it’s important that homeowners turn to a Toronto home alarm installation organization to protect their homes and families.

There are a number of things that you should take into consideration when looking at Toronto home alarm installation companies. One thing to keep in mind is the level of experience that the company has. Companies that have been around for a very long time and have established track records of success are much more likely to have the skills and tools necessary to keep your property safe.

You will also want to look for an organization that has received independent recognition for providing good service. This highlights the quality of the company. It’s also a good idea to read reviews about the company. If previous customers have said good things, then there is a good chance that you will have a positive experience with the company. You can find Toronto home alarm installation reviews online or you should consider speaking with friends and family that have alarms installed. These reviews can help you make this difficult decision.

It can also help to speak with a loss prevention professional from the company itself. Prepare a list of questions and call a few different companies. Compare their answers to your questions. Do the representatives sound experienced? Do they know what they are talking about? Can they answer what you’re asking of them? These are all important things to keep in mind.

How Toronto Home Alarm Installation Works

Toronto home alarm installation can often be difficult. This is because there are a variety of diverse neighbourhoods in the city that all have different crime concerns. There are also a wide assortment of different residential properties, from bungalows, to condos to townhouses to multi-level detached homes. What works in one neighbourhood and one type of property may not work as effectively in another neighbourhood at another property. Therefore it’s important that you choose a Toronto home alarm installation professional who understands the city and what it takes to keep Toronto safe.

Choosing an alarm system company is not a step that should be taken lightly. Protecting yourself and your family from criminals, break-ins, home invasions and other crimes is one of the most important things that you can do in life. When you’re looking at Toronto home alarm installation companies, keep this in mind.

Alarm Systems Monitoring Gets Better with SafeTech Monitoring Station

SafeTech Alarm Systems is pleased to announce the opening of SafeTech Monitoring Station. This state of the art alarm system monitoring station, originally purchased by SafeTech in January 2014, has undergone extensive upgrades. It now allows for Canada-wide monitoring of burglar, fire, medical, panic, flood, gas and temperature sensors and more. Conveniently located in Toronto – Canada’s largest city and one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in North America – SafeTech Monitoring Station (SMS) will improve upon SafeTech’s already award-winning alarm system monitoring services and allow us to offer a level of service unlike ever before.

This fully redundant and U.L.C listed central monitoring station allows SafeTech to continue to fulfill its mission of offering unparalleled client support while securing people and property across North America.

SafeTech Monitoring Station provides alarm signals processing coming from thousands of hazard detection devices located at the premises of our clients. We offer Two Way Audio, Video, GSM Cellular and IP Monitoring services for all types of facilities. Monitoring home and business alarm systems against different threats, improving security and safety for thousands of people and holding criminals responsible for their crimes.

Central alarm systems monitoring station operators at SMS can view the status of alarm systems, security cameras, smoke and fire detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, flood and water sensors and a variety of other security tools in real-time. This information can be used to relay important details to property owners in order to reduce crime and keep properties safer than ever before. Alarm systems monitoring station operators can also conduct real time visual and audio communication with the location and are able to remotely assist in trouble situations and even help responding authorities while they investigate.

SafeTech Monitoring Station also allows for video verified response. In the case of an alarm or trouble condition, central station staff can access live video from security cameras in order to specifically determine what is taking place at the property. This lets the staff verify alarms and reduce situations where emergency authorities respond to false alarms. It also lets alarm systems monitoring staff understand more about the situation that is taking place so that they can relay these crucial details to the authorities. This can help them respond to the situation in the most appropriate manner.

SafeTech Alarm Systems has achieved many milestones in the security industry including: • 96% customer satisfaction • 89 seconds average monitoring response time • Only .2% rate of loss – the lowest in the industry • Being ranked number one in security by both HomeStars and Consumer Choice

For more information on SafeTech Monitoring Station as well as SafeTech’s extensive line of security and protection services, please contact us today. With more than 25 years of experience, SafeTech has become one of the most trusted names in the security industry. We are known for our high quality security services as well as our dedication to customer service. The launch of SafeTech Monitoring Station will allow us to continue to protect our clients and deliver an even higher level of alarm system monitoring service than before.

Summer Vacation Safety Tips

The summer is finally almost here and that means that many people are going on vacation. Unfortunately, criminals don’t take vacations. In fact, they often increase their crimes around this time because they know many people won’t be at home. Criminals would rather break into an unoccupied location since they will have more time to commit the robbery and they feel as though they will be less likely to be caught.


Therefore, it’s important to take steps to protect your home when you leave town. Here are some summer vacation safety tips.

Make Your Home Look Occupied

One of the summer vacation safety tips for reducing the likelihood of a burglary while you’re on vacation is to make it look like someone is home. Criminals often scout houses for a while in advance before a break-in, and they look for properties that appear empty.

You can throw them off by putting your lights on timers, having someone come by to mow your lawn, asking a friend to periodically move your car or adjust your blinds, and by using many other similar techniques.

Cancel Mail and Deliveries

An obvious sign that a home is empty is when mail, newspapers and packages pile up near the front door. Fixing this is one of the most important summer vacation tips. If you’re going away, ask the post office to temporarily hold your mail or have a friend come by and pick it up on a regular basis. Put newspaper deliveries on hold and be sure not to schedule any other deliveries for that time.

Be Careful with Social Media

Criminals watch social media for specific details about when people will be out of town. Instead of posting “I’ll be away from the 10th to the 15th” on Facebook, Twitter and numerous other social networks, tell your friends and family privately. If you want to share your vacation details online, post photos and stories once you’re back home. Remember the importance of summer vacation safety tips when you do post.

Monitor Your Home Remotely

Here is a newer addition to summer vacation safety. Thanks to modern technology, you can keep an eye on your home from just about anywhere in the world. You can get status updates and notifications on computers, tablets, smart phones and even smart watches like the Apple Watch with a smart home security system.

Smart home security systems can send you notices and alerts when anything happens at your property so, if a sensor in your home is triggered or if your alarm system goes off, you’ll know right away and you can act. If you have surveillance cameras hooked up to your system, you can even view live video from your cameras from any Internet-connected device. This technology makes it easy to always know what is going on in your home, whether you’re right next door or on the other side of the world.

For more information on summer vacation safety tips and smart home monitoring, contact a member of the experienced security team at SafeTech. We can help you keep your home secure and show you the latest technology that will allow you to monitor your property remotely.

Control and Monitor your Home from your Apple Watch with Smart Home Alarm System Technology

The Apple Watch began shipping on April 24, 2015. The Apple Watch makes it easy and convenient to receive notifications on the go and to react to these notifications. This includes being able to monitor your alarm system, receive notifications and control your home.

All of these actions are possible thanks to the Alarm.com app for Apple Watch. Available at the iTunes store starting today, this app provides Apple Watch users with an easy and intuitive way to use their smart home security system.

Check out this quick video to see how it works!

Apple Watch Home Security

SafeTech Alarm System is an authorized Toronto dealer of Alarm.com security products. We understand the power and convenience of smart home alarm systems.

The new Apple Watch app makes it easy to control your smart alarm system from your wrist, wherever you are. This easy and intuitive solution makes your smart home security system more convenient and effective than ever before. By using the Apple Watch app, you can easily:

• Arm or disarm your alarm system
• Control the lights, locks and thermostats in your home
• Manage garage door access
• View live video from your home security cameras
• See your home’s status at a glance
• And more!

The app also features Actionable Notifications. These notifications come straight to your wrist and allow you to act on them immediately. For example, if you leave your home and forget to close your garage, you will receive a notification on the Apple Watch app. You can then quickly and easily respond to the notification and close your garage, all from your wrist.

You can also receive a notification if you leave your home without arming your alarm system. This is done by keeping tracking of the status of the alarm and of your physical location. If you are outside your home and your alarm is not activated, you will receive an actionable notification that will allow you to set the alarm remotely right from your Apple Watch. You’ll never have to worry about leaving your home unsecured again!

These features are also available on the Alarm.com iPhone app and coming soon to the Android app.

By making it easy and simple to monitor and control your home, these systems and applications make your property safer and your life easier. Contact us today for more information on smart home alarm systems, the Apple Watch app and to find out more about how they can keep you safe and secure.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors Mandatory in Ontario Homes on April 15, 2015

In October 2014, the Ontario government passed a law making carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in all Ontario homes that are at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The deadline to comply with this law is April 15, 2015. After that date, all homeowners and landlords with properties that house six residential units or less and that have fuel-fired appliances, a fireplace or an attached garage must have carbon monoxide detectors installed. These detectors must be installed near all sleeping areas.

Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion. It is often created when burning fuels such as natural gas, kerosene, propane, heating oil, coal and other fuels. It is colourless, odourless and tasteless, but it can cause very serious health issues. Health problems that can be caused by carbon monoxide include dizziness, flu-like symptoms, nausea, confusion, burning eyes and loss of consciousness. It can even lead to brain damage and death, in severe cases.

Carbon monoxide easily mixes with air and can quickly move throughout a home. In many cases, people are unable to tell that there are high levels of carbon monoxide in the air until it is too late.

This is why the government moved to make carbon monoxide detectors mandatory. Without a carbon monoxide detector, you may not notice potentially deadly levels of carbon monoxide in your home. The Ontario government recognizes this and this is the reason for requiring carbon monoxide detectors in all homes. Buildings that have more than six units will have until October 15 to comply, but individual homeowners must have them installed by April 15.

With Carbon Monoxide Detectors Mandatory, What Can You Do?

Now that the Ontario government has made carbon monoxide detectors mandatory, you will need to install at least one in your home. SafeTech Alarm Systems recommends installing monitored carbon monoxide detectors for additional safety. While non monitored carbon monoxide detectors make a noise when high levels of carbon monoxide are detected, a monitored carbon monoxide detector is watched over by a central monitoring station. This can be incredibly helpful since the station can take action to alert residents if they are not home or if they are unable to hear the alarm. If the station is instructed to do so in advance, station staff can even contact emergency authorities (such as the fire department or paramedics) right away. Homeowners with a monitored carbon monoxide detector can take comfort in the fact they will know if the dangerous gas is present before they enter their home.

With carbon monoxide detectors mandatory, it’s important that you install the right one.

Carbon Monoxide Special: SafeTech will install a carbon monoxide detector in your home at 50% off our regular price until May 31, 2015.

*With purchase of standard 36 month monitoring agreement from $28.95 per month. Talk to a SafeTech Loss Prevention Expert for more information.

Spring Flood Protection: Keeping Your Home Safe

Now that the warmer spring weather has arrived, many people are thinking of sunshine, warm temperatures and enjoying the season. However, spring is a key time for basement floods and, therefore, spring flood protection. “April showers” can mean extra rainfall plus, in many regions, snow, ice and frozen ground are still melting. All of this water needs somewhere to go. If you’re not careful, that place could be your basement.

Preventing Basement Floods through Spring Flood Protection

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

These spring flood protection tips will help keep your property safe.

Other Water Hazard Sources & Spring Flood Protection Tips

Here are a few other spring food protection tips that will protect your home.

• Faulty or dislodged washing machine pipe connection
• Faulty or dislodged toilet pipe connection
• Leaky or cracked water pipe
• Faulty or dislodged pool pump connection to PVC water pipe
• Back up of the main sewer drain

Preparation is Important for Spring Flood Protection

A big part of spring flood protection is catching potential drainage issues or leaks. 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. Other possible signs of water damage include rotted or warped floors, loose tiles, dampness in the air, the smell of water being present and several other signs.

A Fluid Detector for Spring Flood Protection

Installing a fluid detector will alert you to a flood situation early, likely before the flood can potentially cause serious damage. The sooner you recognize that there has been a flood, the more time you have to move valuables away from the area and repair the issue in question while it is still small and manageable. This makes it a key part of spring flood protection. A fluid detector works perfectly for these situations, since it will alert you to the presence of water almost immediately. You can connect a fluid detector to your home’s alarm system, which allows it to be monitored by the central alarm station. This gives you 24-hour flood monitoring and means that, no matter where you are, a flood will never catch you by surprise. Stay ahead of the game and make spring flood protection a priority.

Security Technology News: Tracking Stolen Goods with GPS Technology

New security technology allows you to keep track of items that are stolen, making it significantly more likely that you’ll get them back.

In the past, when an item was stolen, it was simply gone. There was no way for you to find out what had happened to your stolen bike, car, boat or other valuable item. Thankfully, modern security technology is making it easier than ever to track your stolen goods, allowing you to take steps to get them back.

The Black Knight Global Tracking system lets you track, locate and identify stolen vehicles, motorcycles, scooters, boats, jet skis, RVs, caravans, trailers and other valuable assets. It can even be fitted on fixed assets so that, if these assets are ever stolen, they can be tracked down.
Criminals are always thinking of new ways to commit crimes. Therefore, it is important that law-abiding citizens are always focused on new ways to stay ahead of the criminals. The Black Knight global tracking security technology is one of those ways.

How this Security Technology Works

The small security tracking solution is fitted on an item. If this item is stolen, you can easily track its position. The information provided by the security technology can then be provided to the authorities who will be significantly more likely to be able to retrieve the item due to the tracking device.

The Black Knight unit creates a “geofence” in order to determine when it has moved beyond its “parking spot”. To track the stolen goods, it utilizes Vodafone M2M technology, which allows it to be accurate to with 10 meters.

The battery in this security technology lasts up to three days without charging and it utilizes a sleep function that wakes up the tracking device when it senses movement. This allows it to conserve battery and data usage.

Since the device constant contact with satellites, it provides a user with incredibly accurate GPS positioning every 15 seconds. Users receive real-time tracking via Google Maps from a computer or by downloading the dedicated Black Knight app for iPhone and Android devices.

SafeTech Alarm Systems understands the importance of using security technology to prevent theft and track goods. Not only does using these types of technologies reduce the likelihood of a crime and make it easier to find an item after it is stolen, but security technology also adds great peace of mind.

For more information on different types of security technology and how this technology can be effectively utilized to reduce crime, please contact one of the loss prevention professionals at SafeTech. We’ll be more than happy to speak with you and help you out in any way we can.

Home Security Tips for Travellers: Protecting Your Home when you’re Away

When you’re on vacation, you likely put some time and effort into protecting yourself. You don’t carry too much cash on you. You leave your valuables at home. You might avoid certain neighbourhoods at night. But do you think about protecting your home when you’re away? It’s important to do so. Here are some great home security tips for travellers.

Keeping your Home Safe: Home Security Tips for Travellers

One of the most important home security tips for travellers is that you take steps to ensure that your home looks occupied. Hold your mail, cancel your newspaper delivery and arrange to have someone cut your grass or shovel your snow as needed. All of these activities are great home security tips for travellers because they make your home look occupied even if it isn’t. You’ll also want to consider placing your lights on timers, both inside and outside your home. You can even put a radio or television on a timer to simulate someone being home.

It also helps to ask a trusted friend or family member to stop by and check on your home occasionally. This person can collect any flyers that are left on your door and fix any issues that may be visible to a criminal, such as a burned out light bulb on your porch. Having someone make minor adjustments to your home, such as moving your car or adjusting your curtains or blinds can also make your home appear occupied and is one of the key home security tips for travellers.

Another one of the major home security tips for travellers to ensure peace of mind is to make sure that your alarm system is activated and working correctly. Before you go on vacation, it is a good idea to upgrade your home security system to a monitored alarm system. This will ensure that someone is always watching over your property while you are on vacation. If anything takes place while you are gone, the central monitoring station can react quickly to handle the problem, notifying you and the appropriate authorities right away.

By following these home security tips you’ll keep your home safe and be able to enjoy your vacation that much more, since you won’t be worried about the security of your home.

Winter Fire Safety is Crucial

The winter is definitely here and, in many parts of the country, the temperatures just keep dropping. When the weather gets colder, people look for many different ways to heat their homes. This increased need for heat also means an increased need for fire monitoring services. These are a very important part of winter fire safety.

One way that people heat their homes is by using space heaters. Unfortunately, if not used correctly, space heaters can be a serious threat.

While a space heater can provide relief during the extreme cold that many people are feeling, it’s crucial that you use these devices correctly and safely. You need to always think of winter fire safety when heating your home.

Recently, New Brunswick’s fire marshal Douglas Browne spoke about the dangers of space heaters and portable heaters.

“Space heaters pose a specific hazard associated with fire within the household”, he stated. Browne mentioned that there are three main problems with how space heaters are used that can lead to fires.

One winter fire safety issue is placing heaters near combustible materials such as curtains, linens and other similar items. Another winter fire safety hazard is leaving heaters unattended. The third potential issue is operating a space heater with a damaged cord or plugging it into an insufficient, overloaded or damaged outlet.

If you’re using a space heater in your home, take steps to avoid these three hazards.

Another way that many people heat their homes during winter months is with fireplaces. If you’re using a fireplace to heat your home, taking the appropriate precautions is important. When you’re using a fireplace, be sure to keep flammable materials away from it, check all equipment before use and use a screen to keep embers contained.

Fire Monitoring & Winter Fire Safety

Fires are very common during the winter months. For this reason, winter fire safety and fire monitoring services are very important. Even for those who are not using space heaters, fireplaces or other such heating methods, fire monitoring still protects your home. After all, remember that if a fire breaks out at a neighbour’s property, it could very easily spread to yours and cause serious damage. Fire monitoring can drastically reduce this potential damage.

If your home is already protected by monitored smoke and heat detectors, be sure to test them regularly and vacuum them out frequently as the air filters can easily clog. Also make sure our Fire Monitoring Station has the most current emergency contact numbers and email address to reach you at and alert you to a fire hazard when detected. Since fires spread very quickly, a faster response from us and City Fire Services could be the difference between confronting a small containable fire or facing a large damaging and potentially deadly fire. Being prepared is an important part of winter fire safety.

Fire monitoring better ensures that your home is protected from the ravages of a Fire. You will be comforted when you take these winter fire safety precautions in knowing your premises are watched over 24/7.