To Real Home Security

Transcription

1 6Steps To Real Home Security

2 Dear Friends, Evergreen Security has been involved in protecting the lives and properties of our neighbors throughout the Northwest since During that time we are proud to have been chosen to protect thousands of homes, businesses, schools, churches, government offi ces and many other types of facilities in the Puget Sound area. T hanks to the continued loyalty of our valued customers, we are one of the largest independently-owned security companies in the area. T his booklet was written by Mark Weigand, a certified security consultant who was a member of our team for over fifteen years and has designed thousands of electronic security and fire detection systems. While we believe that it is extremely important that each system we provide be individually tailored to the needs and desires of the client to be protected, certain tried and true methods are always recommended in the decision making process to help achieve an optimum (and cost effective) level of security. T hese methods and the reasoning behind them are explained in detail in the following pages. We hope that you find the ideas in this booklet both interesting and useful. And we hope that you will consider selecting Evergreen Security to provide a quality security system for your home or business. T hank You! William A. Murray President/CEO Everett Corporate Offices: 8115 Broadway, Suite 101, Everett, Washington 98203, S. Snohomish Co Seattle S. Whidbey N. Whidbey Skagit Co

3 What Security is Not Before we talk about the six steps to real home security, let s talk about what security is not. It is not a barking dog. It is not a gun. It is not bars on your windows or sticks behind your windows. And it is not the socalled package security systems promoted so heavily by some large security companies. These things are part of security, but they are not real home security. Here are six steps to get real home security for yourself and for your family. Step 1: Stopping the Burglar Start with safety devices, such as dead bolt locks, on your doors. Add to that an electronic burglar alarm system. That means putting magnetic contacts on all opening doors and windows in your home. Don t scrimp do all of the openings. Close to 70 percent of all break-ins are through windows. If the window 1opens more than nine inches, contact it. Always have your windows double contacted so you can leave them open to the first stop for ventilation during the summer months. Statistically, by contacting all your opening doors and windows, you have stopped the burglar 95 percent of the time while his little feet are still planted in the flower beds. Now let s talk about the last five percent. The burglar might break out a glass window or kick out a skylight. He might cut a hole in the floor or in the side of the building. Remember, there is a less than five percent chance this will happen. But if it does, he is in. Now we have to stop him by some other means. The best device to do this, provided there are no large pets in our home, is a motion detector. Motion detectors are a great back up and should be used in hallways, stairwells, and other large spaces where they will pick up movement through the house. Motion detectors can also be used in high value areas such as gun rooms or rooms where a safe is located. Never use a motion detector where false alarms might be caused by a pet. In these instances, other devices, such as floor sensors, glass breaks, photo beams, or simple door contacts can be used to cover the inside of the house. When you re home, you won t use the inside devices because you will want to move around your home freely. So don t spend a lot of money inside the home. Keep your investment on the perimeter of the house using door and window contacts. Your security system keypad should allow you to turn off portions of your security system.

4 This is called zoning out an area. The more zones in your home, the more flexibility you have. We recommend at least ten zones. The system also should be accompanied by both an external and interior horn. By contacting all the opening doors and windows and adding a little security inside to be used when you re away, you will have stopped the burglar 99 percent of the time. Step 2: Stopping the Stalker 2 This is the person we hope you never have to deal with. He or she is after you. It is imperative that you can call for help immediately when you are being threatened. Add a bedside panic button to your security system. There is nothing worse that waking up to find someone in your home or maybe even in bed with you. The panic button at bedside can always be pushed, even in a struggle. It can save your life. If you can afford it, get a wireless panic button to carry with you when you have to leave the protection of your home. If you have a detached building or covered parking that is away from you home, carry your wireless panic button with you. Most wireless panics will allow you to be 150 to 200 feet from your home and still send a panic signal. Your security system keypad should have a panic code that allows you to send a silent alarm for help while turning your system on or off. This is called a duress code. If an intruder follows you into your home and forces you to disarm the system, use the duress code to turn the system off. It sends a silent alarm to your monitoring station, allowing them to send help without the intruder knowing it. Step 3: Monitor Your System Monitoring your system is essential. Some people feel the monthly expense of monitoring is too costly. We disagree. A police officer once told us that a security system that is not monitored is like a gun without bullets. Let us explain what monitoring is, and then you decide. If you think monitoring your security system is a way to alert the police department to catch a thief, you re dead wrong. Most of the time, the thief has already run away from the premises before the police arrive.

5 After all, he doesn t want to be caught, and if a siren is going off, he knows he has been detected. Here s how monitoring works. Police respond differently to the different signals received from your monitoring station. A door, window, motion detector, or glass 3break detector going into alarm is treated as a burglary and will be responded to accordingly. A panic or duress code signal means someone is home and in trouble. This signal brings a much quicker response from the agencies involved. Your monitoring station will also notify you as soon as something happens. You won t come home to the surprise of someone breaking into your home. If you are on a vacation or away on a business trip, your monitoring company will notify neighbors, relatives, or friends who can take care of the broken door or window. Monitoring can also help save your home from fire. Smoke normally engulfs a home long before a flame starts. Early warning is critical. If your monitoring station can receive a signal and dispatch the fire department with the early warning of a security system, damage will most likely be minimal. By the time your neighbors see smoke (if they do), it is usually to late to save your home and priceless keepsakes. By monitoring your security system, you have a third party watching your home 24 hours per day. In the event of loss, you have third-party documentation. This can be most helpful in court cases or disputes with insurance companies. In addition, you ll likely save money on your homeowners insurance. The average rate to monitor a home runs between $21 and $29 per month. It is worth every penny. It only takes one fire, theft, rape, or medical emergency to pay the cost of monitoring a hundred times over.

6 4 5 Step 4: Fire Protection Today, smoke detectors are required in new homes in all bedrooms, passage ways, and stairwells. These detectors are there to save lives. What they don t do is call the fire department when you re not home. By the time the neighbors see smoke coming from your home, it is too late in most cases to save the property. You lose everything, including pictures and family heirlooms that can never be replaced. To protect yourself and your property, add to your security system communicating smoke detectors as well as rate-ofrise heat detectors in the kitchen, utility room, and garage. We recommend heat detectors in the attic as well. Fires can sometimes smolder for two to six hours before they break into flames. Early warning to the fire department can save you thousands of dollars, as well as the grief of losing irreplaceable keepsakes. Always include fire protection in your security plans. Step 5: Medical Protection Today, many families are caring for an ailing family member that may have a medical emergency. Perhaps you have an elderly parent or grandparent living with you, and because you work outside the home, you cannot always be there. You may feel guilty because you need to be home watching your family member but are forced to work. Let your security system watch for you! Any good, monitored security system can do the job. Just install medical panic buttons that the person can wear around their neck or that can be kept at bedside. In the case of a fall, heart attack, or other medical emergency, help can be summoned with the push of a button. Twoway voice capability lets the person talk to the monitoring station from anywhere in the home, just by pushing the button they carry with them. Quick response by professionals saves lives. And you will be notified the moment something happens so you can respond, too. All security systems should have this capability, even if you don t now use it. Ask your professional consultant to explain the benefits and design a medical system to fit your needs.

7 Step 6: Video Surveillance Systems 6 CCTV surveillance systems are a good tool for recording what is going on at your home while you re away. Well-placed cameras, concealed or in view, can record events that happen in your home or on your property that you might want to know about. If someone cares for your children in your home while you re at work, you might like to watch what is happening. If you are home alone, you might want to know who is knocking at the front door before you answer. Break-ins and vandalism are other things you might want to record. Being prepared is smart, but recording events is even wiser. The old saying, A picture is worth a thousand words, is so true if you have to go to court to protect your rights. There are cameras that can be concealed in ways you would never see them, and recorders that can record up to 940 hours of events on your DVR. You can even access some camera systems in real time through your computer, giving you access to your home from off site. Once again, we encourage you to talk with a professional security consultant for advice. But please remember that a surveillance system is a recording device. It goes well with home security, but it is not an alarm system. It will let you watch and record what is happening. The alarm system handles the job of notifying the police or other agencies. Co n c l u s i o n In our judgment, and that of many law enforcement officers, this is a day and age when everybody needs a good security system. This brochure has been written and provided with that idea in mind. In fact, a study by Temple University found that homes with a monitored security system are six times less likely to fall victim to a crime. And 90% of all chiefs of police agree that security systems deter crime. Perhaps you need a complete system, or maybe you need only part of the system, but you do need protection. Law enforcement can only respond to events as they happen. The day of prevention by law enforcement is gone. It is up to you to protect your family and your property. Be smart and get a professional security consultant to help you build a plan of protection. Costs can vary, depending on how far you carry your protection. Keep in mind, however, how much you could lose if your family is devastated by burglary, fire, rape or vandalism. Don t wait until it happens to you. Take steps to protect yourself and your family now.

8 Protected By: EVERGREEN SECURITY SYSTEMS This sign posted on your property shows you have selected the best! Call now to see how simple and affordable security can be. Corporate Office 8115 Broadway, Suite 101 Everett, WA Everett: (425) So. Sno. Co: (425) Seattle: (206) So. Whidbey: (360) No. Whidbey: (360) Skagit County: (360)