Home Security

When it comes to choosing a portable alarm system for an apartment, consumers should look for a few things before making a decision.

First of all, the decision to buy a portable alarm system is a smart one. Statistics show that apartment dwellers are more vulnerable to break-ins than single family homes. And many apartments have almost no security or security that is not adequate to protect you and your valuables.

Here are some tips when out shopping for a good portable alarm system:

—You don’t have to spend a lot of money. A good portable alarm system is simply one that works—it emits a loud sound that will scare away a burglar. Some portable alarms are as inexpensive as $10.

—It must be loud. Good portable alarms will emit a sound that’s loud enough to scare away a burglar. Look for alarms that emit an alarm of at least 80 dB. Remember, the bad guys don’t want to get caught, so if they hear a loud bell or beep, they’ll be gone. Try to choose one that shuts off automatically and resets, so that if it does go off inadvertently, your neighbors won’t be disturbed. It’s also a good idea to tell your neighbors you have the alarm, so if they hear it triggered, they’ll know to call the police.

—Don’t forget your windows. Some alarms can be used for both doors and windows. If you live on the first floor, it’s important to remember that entry through windows is one of the easiest ways for a crook to get what they want.

—Is it too sensitive, causing false alarms? Some alarms can detect vibrations, which can be important if a crook is smashing down a door. But if your apartment shakes when the train goes by, this type of alarm might not be the best for you.

—If you live in an area where alarms going off is common—and often ignored—another option to consider is a “barking dog” alarm. When this type of alarm is activated, the alarm emits the sound of a large and very unfriendly canine. One of the last things a burglar wants to encounter is a large, snarling dog.

When choosing a portable alarm, keep your lifestyle, the area you live in, and your budget in mind.



By: Charles Vibrock

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tfranks92057 asked:

Informative video about the benefits of a home LifeGuardian Medical Alarm System for seniors. Statistics show 1 in 3 of the 15 million seniors living alone will experience a fall this year. Many are unable to reach a phone to call for help. A LifeGuardian Medical Alarm call for help button can quickly and easily report a problem and notify friends, family, neighbors and emergency personnel if necessary. Additional details available on www.lifeguardianmedicalalarms.com

tfranks92057 asked:

Informative video about the benefits of a home LifeGuardian Medical Alarm System for seniors. Statistics show 1 in 3 of the 15 million seniors living alone will experience a fall this year. Many are unable to reach a phone to call for help. A LifeGuardian Medical Alarm call for help button can quickly and easily report a problem and notify friends, family, neighbors and emergency personnel if necessary. Additional details available on www.lifeguardianmedicalalarms.com

Some homeowners who find themselves with a desire to enhance their security will entertain a debate between installing a monitored or unmonitored alarm system. There are advantages to both, but monitored systems, all in all, do offer better security.

Price is usually the reason that homeowners have this debate in the first place. The assumption that a monitored system will be very expensive is, frankly, wrong. While there are discount stores that sell alarms that can be installed by the homeowner, and they may well seem cheaper, they have hidden costs.

First, the homeowner will be required to install the alarm themselves. Alarm installation is a profession that takes training and experience to master. Doing it yourself is a great way to save money for some things but, where security is concerned, the savings tend to be negated by the time involved and the hazard posed by an incorrect installation. If you have installed something incorrectly, expect it to be something a burglar knows how to exploit. In cases where you don’t even know the installation is incorrect, you’re in even more jeopardy of being robbed.

What happens when the alarm is tripped is as important as the alarm’s quality itself. If a burglar trips an alarm, it will certainly act as a deterrent. Most burglars, however, will be quickly aware if they’ve tripped an entire system or simply a cheap door alarm that need only be deactivated. In the latter case, a burglar will know that neighbors will be unlikely to respond with any real haste and will treat the alarm being deactivated as confirmation that the situation is safe. For verification of this, set off your own car alarm and see how fast people come running to assist. You may want to bring a book: You’ll probably be waiting for quite a while.

A monitored alarm system, once tripped, sets in motion a series of events no burglar can stop. Once the monitoring service registers the alarm, they will take action as specified in the service agreement. Unless the homeowner goes through the process required to indicate a false alarm, the monitors will treat it as a very real emergency and will take appropriate action. Burglars know this and seeing that they’ve tripped a legitimate, monitored alarm system will send any burglar rushing away from the house.

Unmonitored systems cannot call the police and, sometimes, sending unqualified persons into a potentially dangerous situation makes a bad situation worse. Frankly, it’s not a good thing if a neighbor happens to catch someone in the act of robbing your home. It puts that neighbor in danger of life and limb. A monitored system makes certain that qualified individuals are called when the alarm is triggered.

What it comes down to is not saving a few bucks. In fact, your monitoring system will cost about as much as Internet service. It’s about qualifications and capability. Monitored alarm services have enough of both to provide real security, not discount security.

By: Laura Williamson

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tfranks92057 asked:

Informative video about the benefits of a home LifeGuardian Medical Alarm System for seniors. Statistics show 1 in 3 of the 15 million seniors living alone will experience a fall this year. Many are unable to reach a phone to call for help. A LifeGuardian Medical Alarm call for help button can quickly and easily report a problem and notify friends, family, neighbors and emergency personnel if necessary. Additional details available on www.lifeguardianmedicalalarms.com

Think that the only way houses get broken into is when cunning, professional burglars get to work? Think again! Most of the time residential burglary involves amateur thieves taking advantage of a home owner’s home security mistakes. Avoid some of the most major blunders by avoiding these top ten oversights.

10. Always lock up the home when you leave. Many people think it’s okay to leave the house just for a few minutes to run to the store, visit a friend or neighbor, or go out for a run, with the doors and windows unlocked. Some might even leave the windows or doors wide open in the summer months, rather than close everything up just to run a quick errand. It only takes 5 to 10 minutes for a lot of damage to be done, so play it safe and lock up every time!

9. Change the locks when you move. Consider this part of the moving cost. When moving into a new house you’ll want to know 100% that nobody else has a copy of the key and will be able to walk right in. Think that might be paranoid? Consider how many people might have had a copy of the key to that house including not just the family but their friends, neighbors, babysitters, gardeners, the movers, the real estate agent, and various other strangers.

8. Use key caution. If your keys get lost, get the locks changed right away. If a new household professional begins to work with you, thoroughly check their references before handing over a set of keys. A little caution can save a lot of home security problems in the future.

7. Poor exterior lighting. No lighting outside the home is dangerous, especially when arriving after nightfall, and can lead to injuries through slips, trips or falls, or allow a criminal to hide in the shadows then overpower the unsuspecting homeowner.

6. Providing cover. Do your fences, shrubbery, trees or any other features of the exterior of your home provide cover where a burglar could hide, especially while actively trying to break in? Take the time to trim back and eliminate these hiding places.

5. Relying on the dog. While a dog can be a good deterrent it is not an exclusive home security system. Animals can be bribed, poisoned, or worse, and should not be left to defend a home alone.

4. Opening up to strangers. If you don’t know the person at the door personally, don’t open it until the visitor’s credentials are verified. Install a peep hole and ask the person who they are, and where they were sent from. Verify by phone, looking the number of their employer up for yourself, before opening the door.

3. Spare keys are dangerous. Having a spare key outside the home is a good idea to keep from getting locked out, but keeping it in the same old place as everyone else is like inviting burglars right inside. Either leave the key with a neighbor, bury it somewhere away from the house, or come up with an equally creative alternative.

2. Install deadbolts. Simple locks like spring-latch locks are easy to pick and should only be used on external doors if there is a separate, secure deadbolt.

1. Fix faulty alarms. If your home alarm system goes off frequently, even when there’s no emergency, it signals to not only your family but neighbors that there’s nothing to worry about. This means no help will come in a real emergency situation. Instead of falling victim as the ‘family that cried wolf’ get the problem fixed right away and advise neighbors that the change has been made.

By: Laila Jefferson

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With the alarming increase in crime rates, securing your homes would undoubtedly be your first priority. You need not spend a lot on securing your houses inside out. Simply invest in an alarm system that would go off whenever there is an intruder.

If you are living in an apartment, the risks are even higher because there are numerous guests and visitors who visit your neighbors’ homes. You do not recognize most of these people so the need to secure your homes is greater.

Following simple safety precautions will go a long way in preventing thefts at the first place. Always remember to lock your doors and windows before going out or while sleeping at night. Giving your spare keys to a neighbor or friend instead of keeping it back at home would also help. Do not keep a large amount of cash or other valuables at home. If you are planning to go on a vacation, keep your trusted neighbor and/or friend well informed.

Never allow salespersons and technicians to enter the house without verifying or checking their identification. It is better to ask the company to send technicians instead of asking unknown individuals to repair. These companies generally call up and inform you before sending their technician to your home.

You can use metal grills for your windows to prevent thieves form jumping in, but you should have the legal approval to install grills. Invest on sturdy locks. Install an alarm system, which goes off very loudly to attract everyone’s attention.

By: Kum Martin

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Due to harsh economic times, especially in developing countries, some houses lack the vital basic elements of safety. A non monitored house located next to one that is, gets to benefit from the same. Picture this; In case of danger, one can attract the attention of their neighbor who can then activate their alarm system and therefore deter any break ins or better still, attract the relevant authorities.

However, this is a risky affair since relying on neighbors is not always effective. A neighbor may be out of town when you experience this danger, leaving you with no one to call on to and at risk of falling victim to crime. All the same, there are various steps in home security that you can take to protect yourself and your family too.

Ensuring that your house has doors that are lockable from inside, your windows have grills and making sure that you don’t leave items of value lying outside the house, are just a few measures to ensure that you protect yourself and property. Converting your house garage into a store where you can keep items that are not frequently used is also another way of providing safety to your households.

As much as non monitored home security may sound ineffective, the value of this is great. It is therefore good to use it in areas that don’t need so much attention, but get checked on once in a while. This system gives you peace of mind and relaxation knowing that your home is in good hands. While it is readily available and pocket friendly, non monitored home security is one way to keep you safe and also at no cost at all.

By: Peter Gitundu

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I put in a Wireless Burglar Alarm System, and we stopped the bad guys before they had a chance to get my stuff. Let me show you how we did it. You don’t have to be a victim any longer.

We caught those thieves with our Wireless Burglar Alarm System. Crime had really gone up over the last year or so in our neighborhood. We blamed it on the economy and the lack of jobs, but I worked hard from my things and wanted to keep them. When I was notified that the police where at my house arresting two jerks who had broken into my house, I was jumping for joy that we got results from or new wireless burglar alarm system.

A month or so before our home had been broken into and left in disarray. I vowed then to get the best alarm service I could find to protect my family and my possessions. I had heard from neighbors who also had been robbed, that their telephone lines had been cut and the thieves made their way into those homes undetected. There was no way for the monitoring company to get the break in notification. The alarm sounded, but no one in the neighborhood paid attention, and the police were not notified. This resulted in them loosing their valuable to the thugs. I knew I needed to get a wireless burglar alarm system to prevent this from happening to me.

I checked around and got options and quotes from over 10 companies. I am glad I took the time to research each company. Not all companies support wireless alarm systems, but the best and most reputable companies support the technology. The additional fees for wireless alarm service should be around two to three dollars more per month, depending on the monitoring service.

When I got that call from the police saying they had apprehended two guys who had tried to break into my home, I was excited, angry and thankful all at the same time. We got the results we were looking for from our wireless burglar alarm system. Take my advice, if you are looking for strong, secure protection; get a wireless alarm system to secure your possessions. Wireless worked for me.

By: Gautier Newby

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With the decline of the economy, there has been a rise in the amount of burglaries leaving many people on edge when they have to leave the home they have worked so hard for. Many have taken steps to help prevent this sort of thing from happening to them, yet they know it’s just as likely to happen to them as to one of their neighbors or family members.

Here are some steps to help with better home security:

Install a wireless home security alarm system that is connected directly into your local dispatch or private security company from which the system was purchased. Place their protection signs in obvious areas throughout your home’s grounds so that a burglar coming from any direction can see you are protected by a security system. Always set the system when you leave home because it is useless if not activated. Getting a well trained watch dog may be an option for those who find that the dog’s bark alerts them to someone on the property. Canine training is necessary, or you will find that the dog barks at anything moving, which is no advantage to your home security. Place dead bolts on all doors to the outside to prevent the lock from being picked. Close and lock all windows at night. Never leave a window with only a screen in it open, as a screen can simply be cut and entrance to the home gained easily. When traveling out of town, monitor your home with a top-rated SmartPhone-ready wireless home security system. When going out of town, purchase timers for the lights throughout the home so it appears as if they are being turned on and off by someone inside the home. Form a neighborhood watch to patrol for suspicious characters that are out of place in the community and report their activities to the authorities for further investigation. Never mention in public that you will be home alone or going out of town since you never know who is listening to your conversation and someone could follow you home. Always let someone know when you are going out of town and ask that they pick up your mail and maybe arrange for the grass to be mowed. Never place a message on your answering machine saying that no one is at home. Instead, simply say that you are busy and cannot get to the phone at the moment. Always check the credentials of those who come to your door representing the government or a utility company. Trust your instincts, and if you have a bad feeling about their identity do not let them in until you have made phone contact with their office to confirm their visit.

It is always better to use prevention techniques. Things like this happen many times a day to many unsuspecting individuals. Once it has happened, a person usually never gets their belongings back, and worse yet, have lost forever that peace of mind they originally so valued inside their own home.

By: Brian Watson

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