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.

The first thing you should do when moving into a new home, is have the locks recombinated by a professional locksmith. If you are renting or leasing, and the building owner or manager, cannot or will not assure you that the locks have been changed, do not move in.

Another area of concern is how you handle your keys. You should not have anything on your key ring that identifies you or has your address on it. If you feel this is necessary, see your professional locksmith, they can decode and record your keys, some will keep a record for you. If leaving your car at a parking or service facility, don’t leave any keys on the key ring, other than keys to the car, and don’t leave the trunk key, if you have any valuables in it.

If your keys are marked “Do Not Duplicate” or “Unlawful to Copy” are they safe and secure? People have been known to cover those markings with tape, liquid plastic, rubber key boots, etc. Not all persons who duplicate keys will look under these covers. The minimum wage clerk at the local variety store or hardware store cannot be faulted for not heeding those warnings. Some may even look at them as a challenge.

A good option to explore with your professional locksmith is the use of controlled distribution keys, or high security cylinders, along with controlled distribution keys. These systems feature keys that are not obtainable to key duplicators who are not contracted to purchase them. In some systems the actual keys are patented. One popular High Security, key control manufacturer asks the following questions in their advertising. “Do you give your keys to anyone?”, “Do you mind if they have copies made without your permission?” Unlike standard keys, high security keys are protected by patents and are only provided to authorized, contracted distributors or dealer locksmiths. The duplication of these keys cannot be done without your express permission. Some are so closely controlled that they are only duplicated by the manufacturer, and then sent to the authorized owner. Using this type of security for your keys, gives you the control over who has the keys to your castle.

Alarm System Glass-break detectors- Glass-break detectors are also known as “Audio Discriminators”. They are a perimeter device because they catch a burglar attempting to make entry into your home or business as opposed to walking around the interior and being picked up by a motion detector. They are available in both hardwired and wireless versions. The detector mounts in a wall or ceiling and listens to an area approximately 35 feet in all directions. They do not hear through walls or around corners or into a room because the door is open. The more windows you have in a device’s area of protection, the better the value. Some examples of good coverage are as follows.

* If you have an open concept kitchen, breakfast nook and family room you can cover all the windows with one device because they are within the 35- foot area.

* If you have a living room with many windows you can cover them all because they are in the same area. Often the dining room is within the coverage area and can be protected with the same device.

* If you have an unfinished basement with windows, this is a very vulnerable area. You can cover all the windows with a single device in most cases.

The glass break detector listens for the frequency of breaking glass and splintering wood. In the not so distant past the only glass breaks available were “Single Technology” devices. These listened for the frequency of breaking glass and splintering wood only. The problem was that sounds such as lightning cracking, some peoples sneezes, clanking two glasses together in the sink or a pet bird squawking would replicate this frequency and cause false alarms that only the most cunning detectives would figure out.

Although the single technology devices are still being used today because they cost alarm companies less to purchase, a well-informed consumer would insist on the newer “Duel Technology” device. The new devices must hear a “Thump” and than a frequency hit, in that precise order in order to go into an alarm condition. Lets see if you understand what I’m telling you about the new technology.

Q: If you sneeze at the same time your bird lets out a squawk and this causes you bang your head on the wall, will this make your alarm go off if it is armed?

A: (NO) because it did not happen in the correct order. You would have to bang your head on the wall first.

This small advancement in the use of artificial intelligence has created a very dependable device that you can count on to defend your perimeter.

One of the downfalls of the sound discriminator is that they are costly and you need one in each room that is vulnerable. These would be accessible windows on the main or lower level or upstairs windows with roof or deck access. I recommend placing these devices in the areas of most concern and backing them up with a main floor motion detector. This way you don’t spend your children’s inheritance turning your home into Fort Knox.

(WISE WORDS!) The best security systems are the ones where you don’t put all your eggs in one basket!

Security and convenience are usually delicately balanced. If something is secure it isn’t convenient and vice versa. It’s convenient to leave your keys in the ignition, but it isn’t secure. Keyless access products offer both aspects in an attractive package.

MECHANICAL KEYLESS LOCKS

· All pushbutton locks use a code instead of a key to unlock the door. Older mechanical pushbutton locks work, but they are limited to one working code at a time.

ELECTRONIC KEYLESS LOCKS

· MULTIPLE USERS These keyless locks offer the ability to have dozens or hundreds of individual user codes. Each user can be added or deleted without affecting others.

· SETTING CODES Adding, deleting or changing user codes is quick and easy. Basic models are programmable at the keypad. You can manage large groups of user codes with software on a laptop or PDA.

· AUDIT TRAIL AND TIME ZONES Some models will keep an audit trail of who used or attempted to use the lock and when they used it. Time zones can be set up that tell the lock who is authorized to enter and when they are authorized. Time zones can be set up for specific hours of specific days, shifts, opening and closing times, or to exclude weekends or holidays.

· USE EXISTING CREDENTIALS Some units can be equipped to accept various credentials such as swipe cards, proximity cards or fobs, even your own credit card. This allows the integration of Stand Alone Keyless products into existing access control systems, without the expense of changing existing credentials, or added separate credentials for only that lock. This feature can also allow the use of dual credentials for high security applications.

· WIRELESS Most stand-alone keyless access units operate on four standard AA batteries, eliminating the need for costly additional wiring and bulky external power supplies to activate the unit. However some can optionally be hardwired when battery power is not practical.

· EASY RETROFIT Keyless access products are designed to quickly replace existing lock hardware. The existing holes in the door are re-used and lock designs and finishes complement the existing commercial hardware in your facility.

· COMPATIBILITY Keyless locks are made for use with most brands of exit devices, mortise locks, knob/lever locks, deadbolts, etc. Most units allow for emergency key override. This feature can be utilized with a restricted (or high security) key or keyed to match your existing master key system.

· I/C PREP The popularity of interchangeable core locking systems (BEST-type) fits right in with these locks. Use your existing control keys and cores to maintain system integrity.

· GRADE 1 DEPENDABILITY Heavy-duty commercial locks are rated as Grade 1. Keyless access products in the market today allow you to meet Weatherproof, Grade 1, ADA and Fire Life-Safety requirements. Others are rated Grade 2 for use in standard-duty hardware applications.

Contact your local Locksmith or other Security Professional for complete information.

One of the biggest heartbreaks surrounding the Hurricane Katrina aftermath is the lack of preparation made for such a large-scale evacuation – and the despair of those who have become separated from their loved ones in the midst of the chaos and who have no idea if they are safe, or even alive.

Don’t be caught unprepared if a disaster strikes your family. Before you need it, you and your family should have a plan in place for reaching safety and for keeping the others apprised of your situation. Don’t rely on rescue workers and relief organizations to provide for your family’s safety, or to be able to tell you whether or not they are okay. These organizations, if they’re even present, will almost assuredly be overwhelmed and understaffed. They will be dealing with the situation in a triage manner of prioritization and even if they are able to help locate family members, their information may be incorrect. Make sure you have alternative plans for keeping your family safe and connected.

1. Have at least two out-of-state relatives or friends designated as check-in home bases, by whatever means necessary. Make sure that everyone knows to call, email or snail-mail these places as soon as possible, should they be separated in an emergency. Of course, you should offer to provide the same service in return. Note: sometimes SMS/text messaging will work even if the cell phone services are spotty and unreliable. Use this feature whenever you can’t make a good connection otherwise. Send as short a message as possible to ensure delivery, even just your name and “okay” to let everyone know that you are safe.  
2. For localized emergencies (fire, tornado, etc) have a designated meeting spot near enough to reach, but far enough away for safety. Everyone should know to meet there for a check-in as soon as they safely can. Ideas include a local store or church, the corner mailbox, the neighbor’s yard, a nearby park or school, etc. You should set up more than one, to allow for varying degrees of disruption. For example: in case of house fire, everyone meets at the lamppost on the corner. But in case of wider-spread destruction, go to the church at the top of the hill. For truly large-scale events, such as hurricanes and massive earthquakes, evacuation orders will likely supersede these options, but if possible try to regroup first then evacuate.  
3. Set up a “bug-out” bag (see article here) and make sure that everyone knows where it is and that it is to be a part of any evacuation except a house fire – everyone should know never go after any material items in the event of a fire. Also make sure that everyone knows where emergency gear such as fire extinguishers, first aid kits, evacuation maps, emergency numbers and so forth are kept.  
4. If you have a bank account set up for emergency situations, make sure that all responsible adults have access to it and know how to get to it. Also make sure that anyone who does have access is a responsible adult. You don’t want to be out on the street after a disaster only to find your emergency account empty because “someone” needed shopping money (or worse) last month.  
5. Designate someone in your family to be the “tribal leader” in the case of an emergency. Normally, this will be a parent or guardian, but in some cases it may be an adult child or other relative. Choose someone who has shown that they can operate with a clear head in emergencies, who reliably makes smart choices out of bad options and who has demonstrated an ability to lead without abusing power. Work out an order of second and third choices, in case the originally chosen leader is incapacitated. In an emergency, it is vital that valuable time not be spent debating various alternatives. Unless someone clearly sees a better option that the leader is not aware of, everyone should know beforehand that, no matter what normal give and take the family may be used to, in an emergency situation they are to do exactly what the leader says without argument or hesitation.

Don’t leave your family’s survival in an emergency up to luck and quick thinking. There are far too many things that can go wrong in such a situation. Set up a plan and run your family through it a few times a year, just like a fire drill, to make sure everyone knows what to do. First, get to safety. Second, take a headcount if possible. Third, follow the leader until the situation stabilizes. Fourth, try to make contact with missing members. And finally, if the emergency is a long-term situation, set up a “base camp” with routines and regular check-ins to establish a sense of order and safety as soon as possible.

Facing the prospect of partial or even complete destruction of everything you know and love is a fearful thing, and many people would rather avoid thinking about it as much as possible. But knowing that your loved ones are prepared to make it through such an event, and that they know how to take advantage of this preparedness, goes a long way toward making the crisis bearable.

Web cameras are really inexpensive these days. With no technical knowledge, you can hook up one or several camerass to your PC and create own surveillance system, much like CCTV (closed curcuit television). But you’ll need the right tools first.

Active WebCam

Active WebCam captures images up to 30 frames per second from any video device including USB and Analog cameras, TV-boards, Camcorders and Network IP cameras. The program broadcasts captured content or from your computer or uploads it to FTP server. Broadcasting can be viewed using any Internet browser; no plug-ins or downloads required. The program performs simultaneous recording and broadcasting from unlimited number of cameras. Your camera / cameras can be used as surveillance system. When the program detects motion in the monitored area, it sounds alarm, e-mails you captured images, starts broadcasting, or records video. Live broadcasting as well as recording can be password protected that all video and audio information are scrambled and cannot be viewed without valid password. The program has features to place image overlays and date/time stamp on each video frame, and adjust picture size / quality.

Free Download: http://www.deprice.com/activewebcam.htm

Blue Iris

Blue Iris is professional-grade software utilizing the latest video software technologies, including MPEG and Windows Media webcasting. Watch your home, cars, and valuables. Watch your pets. Watch your kids. Watch your nanny, babysitter, or your friends. Use up to 12 cameras, the $20 kind, or your digital camcorders. Use motion detection, audio detection, or capture continuously. Overlay text and graphics. Use the built-in web server, or post to a website. Receive alerts via loudspeaker, e-mail, instant messaging, or phone. Updates and support included.

Video Security:

* Use motion or audio sensing to trigger recording, or record continuously or periodically.

* Images may be captured as either JPEG images, MPEG movies or Windows Media movies (full version).

* Receive alerts via loudspeaker, email, instant message, voice phone call, or external program/script.

Friendly Interface:

* The initial view shows live views on the left, and a list of clips on the right.

* When you size the window, the main image sizes with you.

* Click on a camera view or clip to open it.

* Click on the image to zoom in or out.

* A status bar at the bottom lets you know what Blue Iris is doing, and provides help when you pass the cursor over windows and controls.

Powerful Clip Viewer:

* There are controls for playback and stepping frame by frame. A position slider allows random access to any point in the video.

* Zoom and Pan functionality.

* Control the speed of playback (audio as well as video) and the audio volume.

* Automatically archive and retire images.

WebCam Features:

* Built-in multithreaded web server, supports authentication.

* Post images to a remote web server.

* Broadcast MPEG, a JPEG image stream to a Java client applet.

* Perform “true” webcasting using leading-edge Windows Media Technologies such as variable and multiple-bitrate encoding (full version).

* Detailed stats.

The first step is to determine who or where you will buy your safe from. There are many places to buy a safe today, you can buy from a “big box store”, an office supply store, a furniture store, a hardware store, online, or even from a professional safe retailer or locksmith.

With any other than the safe retailer or locksmith you run the very real chance of not being able to get qualified advice as to what you need, not being able to arrange service or repair should the need arise. When you buy from a professional safe retailer or professional locksmith who also sells safes, you are likely to be dealing with someone who knows which safe will best fill your unique needs, these people make their living by selling safes, they know how a particular type or model will perform, they know the features and benefits, and what they are meant to protect. Being the experts they are, they also offer service, repair and delivery services.

Would you really trust the protection of your priceless valuables to the advise you will receive from a minimum wage stockperson at a “big box store”?

What do you want to protect and what do want to protect it against? Cash, jewelry, guns, important papers, or computer media could all require a completely different kind of safe.

Modern safes are manufactured specifically to protect against specific threats, a safe meant to guard against burglary, may not protect papers from fire. A fire safe, because of how it works, may actually destroy computer media or video tapes.

Burglary and jewelry safes are tested and labeled by a testing group according to how long it would take an expert thief, with all of the proper tools to break into the safe. The more time it would take, the more you have to pay for that safe. Contact your professional safe retailer for a complete discussion on burglary ratings.

Modern fire safes manufactured in the United States are tested and rated to keep the interior temperature below 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a specific amount of time, usually expressed in hours. The char point of paper is 405 degrees Fahrenheit, so therefore would be protected from burning. This is accomplished by the fill material in the safe releasing trapped moisture in the form of steam to keep the temperature within the proper range and seal entry points against heat and flame. This release of steam could destroy video tapes, photographs, and computer media.

Modern media safes are constructed using a dry fill that does not release moisture. These safes are usually much more expensive.

With the opening of world trade, and markets in the last few years, there are many safes being sold that are built in other countries, and some of them are labeled by groups other than ULâ. Some of these safes are very well constructed, some are very poorly constructed. The problem is that the testing standards are not the same, the construction requirements are not the same. It takes real diligence to be sure you are getting the protection you think you are getting. This is another reason you need to seek out a professional safe retailer.

Next you should decide what size safe you need, be very honest with yourself when estimating what will be kept in your safe, it may only be a little more expensive to buy a larger safe than you need today. Having to buy a new larger safe could be much more expensive.

If you buy a properly rated safe, built to protect what you are putting in it, could result in homeowners insurance savings, check with your insurance agent. Be sure that you follow whatever requirements they may have, failure to do so could result in no coverage.

Have your needs defined, and your questions ready, then visit a professional safe retailer or professional locksmith.

Home invasion formerly known as burglary is the type of crime that you can do something to prevent. Home invasion falls into two categories burglary and robbery. In my book “Crime Awareness 101″ I discuss the differences of both and what you can do. In this article I am going to address preventative steps to protect your home from being unlawfully entered. What is home invasion? Home invasion is where someone enters a dwelling with the intent to commit a felony, larceny (theft), or assault. In most cases these criminals look for easy opportunities or in other words look for the path of least resistance. In fact it is stated that statistically a home invasion criminal will not at the most spend more then two minutes attempting to break into a home. By understanding this, your best defense is to create a path of great resistance. Here some suggestions to securing your home.

Install deadbolt locks. The downside of deadbolt locks is that the deadbolt goes into the wood jam which makes up the doorway. Because most doorway jams are only about three quarters of an inch think, and the fact that the deadbolt is not long enough to penetrate into the stud. A good kick or two and that door is going to fly open splitting the door jam. During my time as a Police Officer I had to kick open a few doors and it’s not all that hard to do. The alternative is to get steel jams. The steel jams will not splinter like wood thus making it very difficult to kick in the door. I have also had my experiences attempting to kick in a steel jammed door, in which I was unsuccessful. We usually had to use a battering ram, or have the Fire Department come and pry the door open. This took some time and caused a lot of commotion something a criminal is not going to waste their time doing. Unfortunately installing steel jams on all your exterior doors is a costly proposition. However in researching this article I came across a company that does have an excellent alternative. What they provide is a steel plate called “Strike Master II” it’s about five feet long and easily installs on the door jam. It is installed on the side of the door jam that the doorknob and deadbolt secure to. By installing their product you in a sense have just created a steel jam but without any of the high cost, or extensive labor. For more information about all their products you can go here http://www.asafehome.net

Patio doors are another entry way that needs to be secured. Many people do not realize that some patio doors can be lifted up slightly and disengage from their locking mechanism. This is especially true for door walls that are a few years old and the jams have expanded. An easy and cheap way to secure a patio door is to put a pole in between the patio door end and the wall. Place the pole on the track where the patio door slides when opening up. This will prevent the door wall from being opened until the pole is removed. You can use an old broom stick handle or even a board. You want to cut it to the same length as the open track area when the door wall is closed. To keep the door from being lifted up and removed you can install a flat headed metal screw into the top of the patio door frame one should be about six inches from the edge and one in the middle. Make sure the screw is just above the door so that it will not interfere with the door sliding open or close. You can also purchase products which have been specially designed for patio door security such as patio door security bars, patio door pins, and patio door locks, etc… You can find these items at your local hardware store. The same thing goes for your windows make sure they are locked and secured the same way.

Note: be careful when you are installing anything which requires you to drill into your patio door frame you could result in damaging the door, or breaking the glass. If you are not that handy I would recommend you hire a contractor to do the work for you.

Lighting is an excellent deterrent to criminal activity at night. I recommend if possible installing outside lighting on motion detectors. That way the lights will go on when motion is detected. Many times they will detect small animals or some other thing and go on. Just because they go on doesn’t necessarily mean there is someone there. But having them go on is a good deterrent if someone was. Like stated above thieves don’t want to make a scene, and they surely do not want a light shining on them. If possible, it is suggested that you install flood lights on each of the four corners of you home. That way you could have perimeter lighting with motion detectors watching all sides of your home. When purchasing a motion detector spend the extra few dollars and get one of good quality.

Home alarm systems are also becoming popular and are a good deterrent. If you get just an audible alarm that will help, but I recommend that if you are getting an alarm system, get one that has a service that monitors your home and will contact the proper authorities when the alarm goes off. If someone does enter your home you want the police to be notified as quickly as possible. Also make sure your alarm company knows which police department to contact for your jurisdiction. We had numerous calls for police service from alarm companies whose customer’s residence was outside of our jurisdiction, this caused unnecessary delays in police response. If you do get an alarm make sure to put the notification stickers on the doors that state “This home is protected by…” A would be criminal might see those stickers and look for a house that isn’t alarmed.

When going on vacation I recommend you have a friend of family member (someone trustworthy) to stay in your home while you are gone. If that is not possible have a neighbor, friend, or family member keep an eye on your home and come by daily to take in the mail and any newspapers you have delivered. They should also do a daily walk around the house and check to make sure all windows and doors are secure. We have had people go away for a couple weeks only to come back and find there home broken into. Later it was determined that their home was broken into only a couple days after they left. The rest of the time it sat wide open to the elements of weather, and possibly another thief.

Over the last 22 years that I have been involved in the security alarm industry, I have seen quite an evolution. Changes have not only taken place in what type of equipment is available, but also in how the consumer buys and use’s the equipment.

When I first started in the business, alarms where used mostly for commercial applications. Businesses had to have them to watch over their product while they were closed. Insurance companies made sure their clients had one installed.

Residential alarm systems were owned mostly by well to do professionals who could afford such a luxury. As the years progressed people in or near big cities were getting burglarized and wanted to send future burglars to the neighbor’s house by installing a system in their home.

In the nineties large alarm companies speculated that the potential of the residential market was not being realized. Homeowners were not willing to layout thousands of dollars to protect their color televisions and stereos because that would be like buying them again anyway. Homeowners would rather gamble on the hope that they would not be victimized anytime soon.

As crime increased almost daily and alarm companies made purchasing a system affordable, the residential market grew considerably. Many more homeowners were realizing the peace of mind they could have by protecting their things while they were out. Many that didn’t purchase a system were getting burglarized and would then of course pay for a high cost system without hesitation, so that they could prevent the inevitable return.

What happened next in my opinion is the biggest change the industry has undergone. As more homes were being burglarized and changes in lifestyles allowed people to come home at different hours of the day, the terrifying prospect of walking in on a burglary in progress became all too possible. Burglars also became so desperate and brazen that they started to invade homes while they were occupied. These types of burglars started to commit crimes of a much worse nature against the homeowners that confronted them. In reaction, alarm consultants began to change their focus: alarm systems should be designed and utilized to protect people first and property second.

These days most anyone can afford an alarm system. Arm yourself with the knowledge of how to get the best deal and most protection for your money. There should be no reason that you allow yourself to become a statistic if you don’t want to be one. The hardest thing you may have to overcome is the feeling that you live in a safe neighborhood. What does a safe neighborhood look like? Is it possible you may be confusing a nice neighborhood with a safe one?

Do you need a system? – Very few people that I have met in my many years of security consulting knew before they were burglarized that they needed a system. For those that did have the unfortunate experience of being victimized, I would actually have to talk them out of buying more than they needed. I took great pride in my ability to calm down the customers enough to learn how to properly protect their family and home from future invasion. This approach always made my clients very appreciative of my services and would generally result in a long term- user of our monitoring service and in many referrals.

For those that had not yet been burglarized, I found that the consultations started with their feeling that security was just a luxury they were considering as a tool to protect their things. I then would show them exactly what was going on in their neighborhoods in the way of burglaries and the always-unexpected number of sexual predators. This would always surprise the homeowners, unless they already knew that they had moved into an area that was not so safe.

Most people believe that the lovely neighborhood they chose to live in is safe. Think about it. If a burglar is going to break into a house, don’t they want to steal the most valuables they can on each invasion? Doesn’t the perpetrator of more violent crimes want to prey on an unsuspecting victim? Please don’t be so naive as to confuse your nice neighborhood with a safe one. Many people in your neighborhood fall into a false sense of security and don’t even lock the front door while they are home during the day. How easy is that for someone to enter through?

After showing a potential client how a home security system would protect their family and themselves from several different types of crimes as well as assisting them in emergency situations, the necessity of having a system would become obvious to them.

If you can afford to install a security system before something happens to you or your loved ones, or before you have to find out what it’s like for some creep to rifle through your personal belongings, do it now! You will get much more out of your system if it prevents these crimes because you are likely to spend whatever you have to after the fact.

Does a free security system really exist? – “YES” there are such things as a free security system on the market these days and they can even be of the highest quality if you know what to ask for. The largest security firms own their own monitoring stations and are looking for the monitoring revenues as their major source of income. The Corporation will usually run the commercial side of the security business and use “Authorized Dealers” to take care of the residential side of the business.

The authorized dealers are independently owned companies that must meet the standards of the main dealership. Many of these authorized dealers are big enough residential security companies to do systems solely for the main corporation. The authorized dealer will purchase the equipment they like to work with and install it for you to their quality standards. After the install is complete the authorized dealer will submit your paperwork and a request for funding to the main corporation. The main corporation applies a sliding pay scale to your installation based on your credit score and your happiness over the install when they call you for a quality assurance call. The best install coupled with the good credit rated customers is funded at the highest dollar amount because the monitoring corporation knows you’re likely to stay with them for many years. The dealer makes plenty of money for the install and the corporation goes to work on keeping you happy so that they can earn your monitoring business well past the agreement period. They are also happy to have their warning sign in your yard, as this is the best kind of advertising.

Because everybody wins when this type of system is offered, the authorized dealer is willing to give you most or all of the equipment you need at no cost to you. And I do mean give it to you because you own the system, it is usually not a lease. You will have to sign up for a period of monitoring to get these free systems, but the monitoring is something that you need and would be paying for even if you already had a system. So the system really is free.

It is with this type of program that the opportunity to work with the best performing dealer in a given authorized dealer program plays to your advantage. The dealers already get a deep discount on the systems they buy because of the volume of business the manufacturers get from the main corporation. The ones that place the most systems will get additional savings on the higher quality systems and components. This means that if you search out the best performing authorized dealer in your area you will have saved hundreds or even thousands of dollars, if you obtain knowledge of how the security industry works.

I have been going off on the benefits and exciting offerings of the large promotional dealer programs. In all fairness to the independent mom and pop companies, I would like you to know there are some benefits to dealing with them if you have a quality company in your town.

For some consumers it is much more important to support their community businesses than saving a buck by dealing with the large corporations. Although I doubt a small Alarm Company will be able to give you a free security system and stay in business very long. I do believe a smart company can make you a great offer by adjusting in different areas. Some of these benefits are as follows:

They can offer you a lower monitoring rate and still use the services of the large UL listed monitoring companies.

They will be more likely to respond rapidly to your future needs as they are relying on local reputation for future business.

They will monitor your alarm on a month to month basis without a long term monitoring agreement.

They will be able to support you and your business, as they will be more likely to spend the money they made in their own community.

All of the things you need to learn about quality of equipment, how the device’s work and agreement negotiations apply to the small mom and pop alarm companies as well as the large security firms. Take time to learn these things, by accessing consumer advocate information sources. Your newly acquired knowledge will go a long way with the local company and the largest dealerships, who if they want to earn your business, will offer you the best quality they have on their shelves.

You may not believe it but most burglars do not plan their break ins. They are crimes of opportunity. They pick what appears to be a simple target. If they see a greater risk than they anticipated, they move onto a safer target. Therefore the more effort you take to keep your home from seeming to be a simple target, the safer you will be.

A multilayered structure is the best way to approach arranging your home security, and the first layer is the landscaping and other features of your yard.

Landscaping and Yard Security

A few simple changes to your landscaping can help to protect your home from would be burglars. They are looking for a home they can get into and out of quickly; the more time they spend in your home the more chance of getting caught. Their best target is a home surrounded by tall hedges and shrubs, which restricts visibility from the street and your neighbours’ houses.

Trim your shrubbery and trees so that your doors and windows can be seen by neighbors, and from the street, by forgoing a little privacy you will not be providing a hiding place for a burglar. If you have more than one floor, prune trees away from upper floor windows to prevent an intruder using them as a ladder, also make sure any trellises won’t provide a convenient ladder to gain entry to the upper floors.

All planting close to the sidewalk, driveways, doors or gates, should be kept low say no more than two feet in height. As you move further away from the sidewalk you can increase the height but keep it down to no more than four feet.

Any plant under the window should be kept below the windowsill.

Trees should have their lower branches trimmed to at least seven feet off the ground.

Be sure to keep your lawn trimmed; an uncut lawn will indicate to a potential burglar that you have been away from your home for some time.

By placing gravel on the ground under windows you will be warned if someone walks on it, this can be a useful psychological deterrent. Remember not to have any large rocks or stones near glass windows or doors. There’s no point in providing a burglar with his tools!

Plant spiny (thorny) plants along fences and under windows, and on border fences, roses are ideal. Protecting your home with spiny plants is as good as using barbed wire, and it looks a lot better too.

Street Numbers.

Make sure your house number can be seen easily from the street. This can save time for the police and emergency services if they need to find your home.

It is best to use numbers made of reflective materials, or alternatively black on white, they should be at least six inches high to facilitate visibility from the street. Keep the number clean and trim any plants, so it can be seen. The number should be illuminated and near the front door or the garage entrance.

Limiting Access to Yards and Store Rooms:

The main thing burglars are looking for is an obstruction free and speedy exit. Fences will stop burglars from carrying away your larger processions, if the gates are locked. Gates should be locked at all times!

Make sure that any ladders and tools are stored in a garage or a storage shed, and these should be locked when not in use. To increase security chain your ladder to the wall of the garage when it is not being used.

The idea is to use the landscaping to control access to your property. Proper fencing hedges etc. create barriers that will make a potential burglar feel uncomfortable as they approach your home, but will not prevent a neighbour or passer by from seeing any unusual activity.

I will be covering additional steps you can take to improve your home security in the next article in this series.

The alarm control is the brain of your security system. It is typically placed in an area that is out of the way like a basement, attic, closet or office. The motherboard and additional components such as radio receivers, backup power supply and zone expanders are inside this metal box, which is often locked. You will have little or no interface with the alarm control. Your alarm technician will need to access this unit to program it and wire it to general standards, or your custom standards.

There are many manufacturers of alarm controls. Each manufacturer will also produce several models within a particular product line. Alarm companies purchase direct from the manufacturer or more often buy their products through one of a few available alarm distributors in their area. These distributors and manufacturers do not sell product to the non- professional consumer. You can buy this equipment on line if you have the ability to install it and service it yourself.

As a general rule the controls that are most dependable and have the most programming options are more costly. I will teach you how to get the best control you can find as this will greatly affect your ease of use and your ability to have your alarm adjusted to fit your lifestyle.

In the interest of keeping this device as understandable as possible for you, I will forgo the intense and hundreds of differences among these units and I will break them into a few categories that should make more sense to you.

BASIC
There are many basic units available to the alarm dealer. They will often use these units knowing that the average consumer does not know the difference, and they will stock them at very little expense. A less qualified installer can also install these basic units, because there are few or no programming and wiring options.

(HOT TIP!)
What you should be most concerned about when it comes to these basic units is that we professionals refer to many of them as “ CROWBAR SYSTEMS.” These systems come as a control, keypad, siren, communicator and backup power supply all built into one unit. If a burglar breaks into your place and hears a siren coming from this unit, they are going to take the proverbial crowbar and smash it off the wall. At this time you would no longer have a control, keypad, siren, backup power supply or communicator to call for help. A lot of good that would do for you!

Now that you are educated in the pitfalls of a self contained unit I doubt that anyone will be able to sell you one, or even give you one for that matter.

AVERAGE
The majority of systems that professional alarm companies install fall into this category. They are dependable for the most part based on how long the model has been on the market. Some of these manufacturers have stuck with their dependable product lines for well over 20 years. Some of the newer models have nice new features but when it comes to mid-range units I have always avoided turning my clients into product testers. These units are comprised of any number of separate components that are wired together to make your complete system. This way if someone knocks a siren or keypad or any other component off the wall the alarm still does what it needs to do. The control panel in this range typically comes with at least eight zones. Zones give you the ability to use all or part of your system; you will also be able to pinpoint with some accuracy where a violation has taken place. An example of using part of your system would be as follows:

*You are staying home and want only your perimeter devices on and your interior devices off.

* You are lounging in the back yard and want to go in and out of the back door so you bypass that door and motion detector while protecting the remainder of the house.

* You are leaving work for the evening and your employees are staying late so you bypass the work area and arm the office so no one can enter that area.

When choosing your alarm company avoid the dealer that has many brands and models available to you in this range. That could mean that they are buying whatever is on sale that week from the distributor. The dealer that has used the same model for many years is more proficient when it comes to installing, programming options and servicing of that model.

HIGH END
If you know what you want in an alarm system and realize that these high-end systems can be programmed to do exactly what you want them to do for many different scenarios, you would settle for nothing less. All of your presets can be activated usually with the touch of one button. It is my experience that all of the many different features of these type of controls are designed for ease of use by the end user (That’s You!) and not the alarm dealer. They come with many zones so you have complete control over every aspect of your protection. These units can even be serviced remotely when changes are requested saving everyone time and money.

It takes a more qualified professional to properly install, find out what your requirements are, program the alarm to fit your lifestyle, and then teach you how simple it is to operate. I would assume you are like me and want the best-qualified installer you can find to work inside your home.

(HOT TIP!)
Find the dealer that places the highest number of installs in your area. Because of the volume they buy in, they will get the high-end equipment for the same price the rest of the dealers pay for the average equipment. They should always be willing to use the high-end equipment without extra cost to you, because it sets them apart from the others and due to the quality of equipment, they don’t carry the expenses of maintaining a large service team.

WHO CAN YOU CALL?
BBB, Burglar Alarm Associations (both local and national), State licensing authority or my favorite the promotions or sales manager of your potential alarm dealer, and let them know you know the difference!

Lets look at a typical zone layout for a control panel so that you can understand the way it is wired and programmed works.

ZONE 1- (DELAY) This zone is where the doors from which you most often enter and exit are. When you turn your alarm on, the exit delay will start a timer (programmed to your specifications, if requested) allowing you time to get out. Once the exit time has expired, (usually about 30-60 seconds.) the alarm will be in the on or “armed” condition.

When you return to your home or business and enter through the delay doors an entry timer begins. This timer is usually set at about 15-30 seconds. You do not want to have a long entry time as a burglar entering through a delay zone has the same amount of time in your protected area before the alarm goes off. During this time you would go to the nearest keypad and enter your code to turn your alarm off.

(IN THE KNOW!)
The delay doors have a chime feature that can easily be turned on or off. Most people elect to leave this feature on all the time, so that they can hear a tone when the alarm is off and someone enters. The high-end systems can be programmed to have a different tone for each door. If you can spare a zone have your delay doors put on separate zones as opposed to having them share one, and request that your control be programmed for different tones.

ZONE 2- (INSTANT PERIMETER) This zone would be for other than delay doors. The back yard door and the master bedroom to deck doors are good examples of these types of doors. There is no delay timer on these doors and when the alarm is on and entry is made the alarm will go off instantly.

ZONE 3- (INTERIOR) This zone is for your motion detector on the main floor. When you enter through a delay door the motion will delay also, giving you the ability to get to the keypad to turn off or “disarm” your system. If you do not enter through a delay door first and the motion sees you it will go into an alarm condition instantly. When you are staying home or arming your business system without leaving, you can arm your system in the stay mode. This will bypass your interior zone or zones allowing you to move around without restrictions while still having your perimeter secured.

ZONE 4-(INTERIOR) This zone is for your basement motion detector. It will function the same as your main floor motion detector.

(HOT TIP!)
Most alarm technicians will put multiple motion detectors on a single interior zone. I like to be sure these are separated, so that you have the flexibility of deciding which stays on and which are bypassed, when armed in the stay mode. This would be handy if you have an unfinished basement with windows, and you have no need to access that area while armed in the stay mode. This also gives you pinpoint indications of which area has been or is being violated when the alarm sounds.

ZONE 5- (INSTANT) This zone is for basement or lower level door or window contacts.

ZONE 6- (INSTANT) This zone is for main or upper level window contacts.

ZONE 7- (INSTANT) This zone is for main floor glass break detectors.

ZONE 8- (FIRE) This zone is for smoke and heat detectors. Any zone that is designated as a fire zone is on 24 hours a day even if the alarm is not armed.

As you can see there is great flexibility in the way your alarm control gets set up for you. In all my years in the business I have rarely seen an alarm company discuss this with the customer. Typically they will create a general setup standard and tell the client this is how this works. Understanding that you should be involved in this process helps you design a system that fits into your lifestyle instead of having to adjust your lifestyle to your new alarm system.

This is yet another reason to be sure you are getting the most bang for your buck when selecting an alarm control.

(INSIDER INFO!)
The alarm installer most likely has the ability to program a lockout code into your alarm control. This code prevents a different monitoring or service company in the future from re-programming your system, rendering it useless unless you do business with the installing dealer. Insist on “NO LOCKOUT CODE” in writing from your installing dealer. This way they have to earn your future business, leaving your freedom of choice intact.

Hardwired Systems vs. Wireless- Hardwired systems are those that have the devices wired directly to the control. Wireless systems send radio signals to a receiver in the control, which processes the signals. There is nothing more dependable than a pair of copper wires to send a signal from point A to point B. I would recommend a hardwired system over a wireless system in all instances where one can be installed. However there are times when the only thing that can be installed in your place is a wireless or “radio frequency” system.

If there is no basement or a finished one, and there is no accessible attic to run wire through, you would have to go wireless to have your system installed. In the wireless world there is a great range of quality available. Wireless equipment is more costly than hardwired equipment in general because each device has a radio transmitter built into it or attached to it. If you need to go wireless make sure you are getting the highest quality radios available. Some use common frequencies like 900 megahertz and others use licensed frequencies to transmit signals. The latter is the better one because there is little that will interfere with the signal. Some of the things that could interfere with the common frequencies are airplanes, CB radios, cell towers etc.

A good way to look at the differences in the quality of wireless equipment is to think of a wireless home telephone. The cheap $20.00 unit uses common frequencies. It works, but often has static and drops out. Sometimes you hear a neighbor with the same phone frequency talking. The range you can wander from the base is often less than desirable. The $100.00 unit makes all the difference in the world and, although you hated spending the extra money on the replacement, you appreciate the quality gained.

I would rather not have an alarm system at all, before I would have one that I don’t use because it is always going off for no apparent reason. The high- end wireless equipment is extremely dependable and you must be prepared to spend a little extra to assure you are at this end of the quality spectrum.

(FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION!)
If you have an area such as a basement or accessible attic to run wires in, and your alarm company wants to sell to you or give you a wireless system, consider not doing business with them. They are most likely going to use low quality, inexpensive wireless equipment and also save on the cost of installation. A wireless system takes less time for workers to install because they don’t need to take the time or to have the skill to hide the wires.

Wireless equipment has several other shortcomings that are unavoidable no matter what the quality of equipment you get:

* The transmitters are large and having one on each of your doors is not as aesthetically pleasing as the small hardwired devices.

* The transmitters have batteries in them that have to be changed periodically.

* Many wireless systems will not tell you if a transmitter is not working, so you have a false sense of security.

* Wireless devices are frequency and brand specific so they must match the manufacturer of the control. Updating your control in the future could thus render all your devices useless or restrict your choices in control features.

Hardwired devices of any brand with a few exceptions can be wired directly to any brand control. So if you are upgrading an existing hardwired system you will most likely be able to use the old contacts, motion detectors, smoke detectors, glass break detectors, etc.

One advantage of wireless equipment is that you can place devices exactly where you want them in what would be a complicated hardwire situation. There are great high quality systems at your disposal if a wireless system is a necessity for your installation.

You can also add a wireless receiver to any hardwired control at any time, so that you can transmit one or several devices to it. We call this a hybrid system, since it is now both hardwired and wireless. Reducing the amount of wireless devices on your system will reduce your cost and increase your dependability. The same rule applies to a wireless system since you can hardwire in any device that you can get a wire to.

Be advised that even if you have a wireless system, there are still a few things that must be hardwired to it, such as the keypad, power transformer, sirens and phone line. This may restrict placement of the control panel to an area that is wire accessible to all of these devices. It is worth repeating. There is nothing more dependable than a pair of copper wires to send a signal from point A to point B. If any wire would happen to get cut, it would open the circuit causing an alarm if the system is on.

Compare Apples to Apples- As you can see there is, as with most things in life a great range of quality available to you when choosing an alarm system and its components. Taking the time needed to compare all features of each component of your proposed alarm system will always be to your advantage. Most any alarm consultant will jump to the high end of available equipment, if their potential customer is asking for the differences to be explained.