Alarm System Keypads
June 28, 2008
The keypad is the device you and your loved ones will interface with daily. It is typically placed at one or more of the following locations:
* House to garage door hall. * Front door * Master bedroom * Inside garage
You need at least one keypad to communicate with the control panel. If you elect to have only one keypad you should have it installed as close to the door you use most often as possible. Even if you or others sometimes use a different door, you can put it on its own delay zone and have a longer entry time to get to the keypad from that door.
There are different levels of keypads available for each model of control panel. The one that the dealer uses as their basic model varies by company. The choice of keypads is usually made for you as sales persons tend to stay away from technical discussions even if they do know the difference. If you know that you have a choice and find out what your options are you can make sure that you get the keypad that will work best for you. Following is a general list of the main differences:
Security Alarm System Motion Detectors
May 26, 2008
Passive Infrared Motion Detectors- These detectors are also known as PIR detectors. The technology they utilize is "passive infrared". The device is mounted on a wall or in the corner of a room. It sends invisible fingers out into the covered area in several layers. The top layer goes the furthest and averages about 60 feet straight ahead and 35 feet on the sides.
The center layer of beams spreads the area about mid way and the bottom layer sweeps the room closest to the detector. These beams individually measure the infrared temperature of what ever they land on and look for a clash of temperature against that point. For example if a beam lands on your couch and knows what temperature it is, when you walk in front of the couch your temperature is different and causes a violation. You would be hard pressed to match the temperature of everything in your home as you walk about and that makes motion detectors hard to compromise.
Passive motion detectors have a microchip in them that will adjust the device for slow and methodical temperature changes. This way as your room warms up and cools down during an armed alarm period, you will not get a false alarm.
Where Does Safety & Security Begin? Security Expert Explains
April 23, 2008
Personal safety begins with you. It is widely accepted that a wide-ranging personal safety strategy must incorporate prevention, deterrence and defiance.
PREVENTION: Is the first and most important element of any personal safety strategy. Prevention includes all those things that can be done to avoid dangerous situation. The most obvious and critical of those things is maintaining a keen awareness of your surroundings at all times.
DETERRENCE: Being aware of potential danger is only one step in your personal safety strategy. Deterrence includes a wide variety of tactics to help tip the odds in your favor. Such tactics might include body language, verbal aggression, screaming or using a sound device ? any actions - which put you back in control. Send the message loud and clear ? that you are an assertive person that can deter many potential attackers who are looking for easy victims.
HOW SOUND WORKS AS DETERRENT: Crime prevention experts view SOUND as a highly effective and powerful tool in the fight of personal security. Sound is assertive. Making sound notifies the attacker that you are not willing to be a victim. Sound increases the attacker’s fear of being caught. Sound can startle and disorient and attacker who is not expecting it. Sound calls attention to the scene of the attack (or potential attack). Others can help or call for the Police, and attackers never want witnesses.
Who Has Keys to Your Castle?
March 20, 2008
One area of home security that is often overlooked, and one of the most visible, is the common key. Even if you are the owner of a new house, or the first tenant of your apartment, you cannot be sure that no one else has a key to your door.
Many times new locks are supplied to a building site that are keyed with special construction keys and pins. The theory is that when the builder turns the property over to the owner of the property, inserting and turning the owner key will trap the construction pins, rendering the construction keys useless. The reality is that not all projects receive locks that are construction keyed, some manufacturers do not offer the option, some builders may buy their hardware from a regular hardware store, etc.
Others who could have a key to your home include, the builder or a construction worker, real estate agent, ex owner or tenant, friend or relative of last owner or tenant, any of a dozen or so service people, or a neighbor who still lives next door.
What is Your Security Awareness IQ?
February 16, 2008
Are you aware of the need for security?
Your awareness of the need for security, is the best place to begin a discussion on physical property security. What is security awareness? Our definition is multi-faceted, and includes the ability to identify known and unknown threats, being aware of the technologies, products and services that can defuse those threats, knowing how to operate the products and systems you have, and most importantly the awareness that these systems must be used, and must be used all of the time. This security awareness may be more important to the security of your home and business than any of the security hardware or systems you install. Why is this? Any lock or security system, will not do you any good unless, You use it!
An old adage states that “locks only keep honest people honest”, and is possibly very true. If the “bad guys” really want to get in, all we can really hope for is to slow them down. If you, with our help, choose and have installed the correct hardware and/or systems, we CAN slow them down - or at least discourage them from threatening your loved ones and your property.
Home Security System, You Are A winner
January 14, 2008
Have you ever been to a local trade show or fair and filled out a raffle and later you find out you have won a Home Security System? Well, you are not alone. Sometimes everyone one wins. That’s right you are not as lucky as you think you are. Well you are lucky in one regard; home security systems do work, not only do the little flags out front of the stickers near the front door help prevent crime, but an alarm sends the culprits running big time.
The blaring alarm sends the thieves running down the street in a 100-yard dash and protects you and your family from harm, property damage and theft. Alarms are good things; so why is being a winner not all it is cracked up to be? Well a couple reasons; one it is a little misleading. Although you probably would not have filled out the form if you had not actually wanted to win something. Many times the alarms are free with a sign up. Similar to the free-cell phone deals. You get a free cell phone if you sign up right? Well yes but you have to agree to sign up for two-years at an agreed rate plan.
Someone Spying?
December 11, 2007
Someone Spying? So are the Teddy Bear and the Potted Plant
See the cuddly teddy bear over on the shelf? Well, it sees you too. "Right here in the camera, behind the left eye." said Marvin Badler, the owner of The Spy Mart a Monmouth County company dedicated to the proposition that what you don’t know can hurt you and what you do know can protect you from being caught off guard.
"There’s a wireless camera transmitter in here." Mr. Badler said, holding the teddy bear in his arms and pointing to it’s furry little head. " It can send a signal up to 300 feet away , so you don’t even need a wire to attach it to a VCR.
Mr. Badler a licensed Private investigator since 1961 and former chief investigator for the New York City Department of Correction, was demonstrating some of the item he sells from The Spy Mart’s showroom. "See that planter over there." Mr. Badler said, pointing in the direction of an ordinary-looking potted plant. "There’s a camera in the pot. We build it last week. I was shopping with my wife, I saw the planter and came up with the idea."
Estate and Mega-Yacht Security Systems and Safe Rooms
November 8, 2007
Why do I need a "safe room? I really don’t need one; I’m not that high profile". This is typical V.I.P. client frame of reference or attitude concerning security systems and safe rooms.
What most clients don’t realize is "being high profile" has a definite impact on vulnerabilities, however, not being high profile does not mitigate the vulnerabilities and overall exposure caused by their "lifestyles" and "net worth".
Firstly, security systems are usually designed and installed by security system companies. The salesperson of the vending company is primarily interested in selling the highest dollar components and system. The viability of the system is usually important but not usually paramount to their operational concerns. The clients usually are persuaded to purchase the "high end" version of systems and usually get very good systems.
Secondly, what they do not realize is they would have benefited immensely from the use of the services of a quality security consultant, who would have been savvy of security system requirements and the needs specific needs of the client.
The Case for Personal, Estate, Corporate and Child Abduction Security in today?s World
October 6, 2007
When one considers the historical nature of security applications and programs of any type, i.e., CCTV, intrusion detection and alarm systems, corporate policies and programs and countermeasures of any type, the phenomenon of the Denial Syndrome, Complacency and Failure to properly allocate a Security Budget can not be over emphasized. If we, as individuals, as a country and as a government, have not learned anything from the lessons of 911, it is the benefit of being pro-active and utilizing the concept of foreseeability.
No mater how, when or where, the denial syndrome is the one human response mechanism which can be most fatal in any security response program or effort. On too many occasions, individuals, whether VIP’s, corporate executives or the neighbor down the street will simply place their hand in the sand and resolve themselves stating to themselves "it won’t happen to me".
Too many clients respond to their threats whether due to a: stalker and/or threat from a disgruntled employee or corporate enemy, a Workplace Violence issue, internal thefts ? both Estate and Corporate, security issues due to high profile or net worth, corporate espionage, marital disputes, etc., with the denial syndrome. Too many individuals simply feel that they can "safely play the percentages" and ignore the threat or the possible repercussions. The results of this type of complacency is too may times very costly and potentially, deadly.
Six Common Criminal Types And How To Avoid Them
September 2, 2007
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" that saying is as true for crime, as it is for health. After taking literally thousands of reports over the years I spent as a police officer; I found that a lot of crimes that had happened could have been prevented. The easiest and most effective way of dealing with crime is not be a victim of it in the first place. This is easier said then done, and no matter how cautious you are you can still be a victim. Nothing will give you a 100% guarantee; however, there are things you can do to at least limit your odds of being a victim. But first; you have to know what you are preventing yourself from, in order to know how to prevent against it. This article will in general show you some of the common criminal types, and give some suggestions on how to avoid them. I have made up my own classifications for these people based upon my experience as a police officer.
Passive thieves:
