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Should You make the Investment in Alarm Monitoring?

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Imagine the effectiveness of the following sign at your front door when a would-be intruder reads it:

WARNING: This house is protected by a remote monitoring service; if you break in while the homeowner is away, he’ll be instantly alerted and the police will be automatically dispatched. And if you break in while he’s home, well heck, you’re still screwed.

2WWhat exactly is a remote monitoring service?

  • It’s always ready for an intruder, 24/7, every single day.
  • A comprehensive service will also detect smoke, water heater problems and other issues like a carbon monoxide leak.
  • You will have a “safe” word that only you (and other trusted people) know.
  • If the alarm is tripped and the monitoring service can’t get the safe word from whomever answers the phone, or there is no answer, police will be on their way.
  • An advanced system will also allow you to remotely revise settings on your customer account.
  • Another feature of a high tech system is that it allows you to set silent alarms, so that the “intruder” won’t know they tripped the sensor, but you will get an alert to your phone indicating this. This feature is great for people who suspect a family member is snooping around where they shouldn’t.

The Technology

  • Joe Thug kicks down your back door (you kept putting off getting a top-flight strike plate).
  • The alarm is triggered.
  • This alerts the monitoring center.
  • They call you.
  • But you can’t answer because you’re not there.
  • The intruder answers, intending to convince the company that it was a false alarm. Instead he’s asked for the secret word. Startled, he hangs up and flees.
  • The police are dispatched.
  • After the dispatch, your secondary phone numbers are called (family, friends, etc.).
  • This same technology has a panic button for fire, police and EMT. Once pressed, help is on the way.

So should you make this investment? How worth it is your home, family and peace of mind? Invaluable.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Myth: My gated Community is Secure

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How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t have to worry about crime; I live in a gated community”? Yeah, the electronically-locked gate may stop criminals from driving in, but not from walking in!

5HThat stylish gate is more of an ornament than a crime deterrent. It may very well be a lure to thieves, since it suggests that there’s a lot of valuables in those houses. The gate may even suggest complacence with tougher security measures among the homeowners.

The big iron gate may even encourage residents to leave entries to their houses unlocked or windows to their child’s first floor bedroom open overnight. Any reason a pedophile can’t slip through the gate while it opens for a resident? And that assumes the perp isn’t bright enough to just walk into the premises.

The giant gate may as well have a neon sign overhead that says, “Welcome! We Have Lots of Valuables in Our Homes!”

Might a burglar assume that every home has an alarm system? No. He’ll avoid those that have signs of an alarm system, but he’ll continue poking around till he finds evidence of an unlocked house. An alarm system is worthless if it’s turned off and a door is unlocked. This risk-reward calculation is too juicy for a thief to pass up.

And here’s another formula to consider:

Gated community = more money = more empty homes while residents are on yet another vacation.

Still think that gate protects your community? How often have you forgotten your code or the keypad malfunctioned, and you waited for the next resident to open the gates, and you slipped in right after them? How easy was that?

How often has the gate mechanically been broken and you zipped right on through? Even a gateman who buzzes people in may not be on the ball. And even if he is, you should assume that many service technicians are given entry codes. It’s not an issue of how or if a thief can get in, but who.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Early Detection Will Save Your Life

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Early detection. What do these two words bring to your mind? A grain-sized speck on a mammogram? A colonoscopy?

6HHow about a house fire? Without early detection of THIS killer…you could, well…DIE.

House fires can be detected early with an advanced, well-designed fire alarm system. This will help save not only lives, but valuables, which sometimes cannot be replaced (there’s only one photo of you and Great Grandpa on your third birthday a month before he passed away).

Furthermore, losing “everything” in a fire can mean taking up to two years to resettle. Why wait for this to happen when you can have a fire alarm that will trigger a call to a dispatcher ASAP?

Seconds count for the escape, because you have less than one minute to get your entire family and pets outside to safety once that fire erupts. A smoke detector can double your chances of survival.

Have you taken precautions to prevent, or to detect early, a life-threatening actual disease that kills less than 3,000 Americans a year? Why not also take measures to prevent dying from a house fire—which kills 3,000 Americans every year? Of these fatalities, 40 percent involve homes without a working smoke alarm.

Most fire fatalities are from smoke inhalation rather than being engulfed in flames. Your view to the exit can be blocked by furiously thick, choking smoke. How often do you hear a report that says, “So-and-so died of smoke inhalation?” vs. “So-and-so died from third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body”?

Though people DO get trapped and their bodies burn, autopsy reports usually show that they were dead from smoke inhalation before their bodies became consumed by flames. Awful. Drowning in smoke.

Preparation

  • Safety begins by getting a smoke detector that always stays activated, even when you’re cooking. The device is designed to detect smoke first, not fire, for a reason. If the alarm goes off, get out of the house/apartment before your lungs get poisoned. And stay out.
  • Call 9-1-1 from outside.
  • For the hearing impaired and heavy sleepers, smoke detectors are available that flash lights and set off a vibration beneath a pillow.
  • What about retrieving family members and pets? You won’t need to if you’ve previously run fire drills for the entire family.

Fire Drills

  • For every room, establish two ways to escape (e.g., window and door). Then have all household members physically practice as fast as possible these escapes—which all lead to a single, predetermined meeting place outdoors.
  • Run the drills in the middle of the night, during heavy rain, frigid cold, sweltering heat, because a fire doesn’t care how comfortable or awake you are.
  • The escape plan should take into consideration babies, children, the disabled and elderly, and of course, Prince and Cupcake.
  • Make sure that everyone knows how to get out of a second story window. Have a collapsible ladder on hand.
  • Don’t forget about your smoke alarm. No fewer than two times a year, clean it and push its test button. To remember to change the batteries, coincide this with changing your clocks. If you’ve had an alarm all along, replace it if it’s more than 10 years old or you’re not sure of its age.
  • The National Fire Protection Association says that pets can start a fire. A cat might start playing with an electrical cord, knocking down its lamp, which is already turned on…need you read more to figure out how this ends?
  • A dog, cat, even a bird can knock over a burning candle. It’s hard to keep a candle out of reach from a cat unless it’s in storage. So either don’t use your candles or get rid of them.
  • Cats also jump onto stoves. Of course, you can’t get rid of your stove. But you don’t want to get rid of Cupcake, either. There are several devices on the market that can train cats to stop jumping on things. A stove knob can be accidentally turned by a cat. See if you can remove these knobs.

Heaters can be knocked down by dogs and cats, though this won’t be a problem if the unit has an automatic switch-off that’s triggered when the device is knocked down. If your heaters lack this sensor, replace them with units that have it.

What is an Alarm Duress Code?

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Ever consider the idea that a home intruder may force you to turn off your home alarm? Ever think that there’s a way you could secretly signal this to the authorities when you turn off the alarm while your captor is watching?

3HThere is: the alarm duress code. This code is entered on the keypad, sending a silent signal to the monitoring station of the system provider. This does not disable the system. But to your captor, you’re simply obeying his command to disable the system. He may not even know there’s even a such thing as an alarm duress code, and thus won’t have a clue what you’re really doing.

Most ADT systems’ default duress code is 2580. Call your provider if you don’t have ADT to see if it has a duress code. If you don’t yet have a security system installed, inquire about this with the technician as well as the company.

Duress codes are effective. However, they also provide peace of mind for any homeowner.

The problem with default duress codes is that if a burglar/home invader knows it, he’ll know you are signaling distress. So find out if your system has a default duress code. The user’s manual usually won’t tell you; the technician’s manual usually has this information. If there’s a default code, immediately change it. Of course, if there’s none, take measures to get one.

Other Kinds of Duress Codes

A duress code need not be electronic. It can be by voice if you’re on the phone. Your captor actually may permit you to make a call (such as to get a PIN). Of course, you’ll already have your secret word or phrase confirmed with those you trust.

The code must not be obvious to the captor, but so well-confirmed that there’s no doubt you’re in trouble. For example, everyone knows you hate sushi: “I’m about to order sushi and I forgot my cash.”

Any duress code should be simple enough to always remember, but not “discoverable.” Make sure everyone has it memorized; it should never be written down anywhere.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Home Invasion results in Child Casualties

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Two young girls died after a man broke into their second-story Cleveland apartment and set it afire. This was after the man forced the 55-year-old babysitter (the children’s’ aunt) into a bathroom, where she remained—until she began smelling smoke. Then she fled to outside and later reported that the man had started the fire.

1BIronically, in the week prior, the victims’ mother had been robbed at gunpoint. The man who broke in and the man who robbed the mother are still at large, and police aren’t sure if they’re not the same man.

Could this home invasion have been prevented? Possibly. Here are tips that will go a long way in preventing someone from breaking or forcing their way into your home:

  • Never speak to a stranger when all that separates you from that person is a screen door. Even worse is talking to a stranger when no screen is between the two of you. If possible, speak to them only through a locked door.
  • Instruct your children, or any kids in your house, never to respond to a doorbell ringing or knocking at any doors of the house. This includes even if you’re expecting someone, including pizza delivery. This also includes if you happen to be momentarily indisposed.
  • Get a burglar alarm system and keep it on, always. This means you’ll need to remember to turn it off when opening the door (or window). Kids in the house will also need to learn to turn it off or ask you to turn it off when they want to go out.
  • If you think that the previous suggestion is too difficult to manage, it’s important to realize that not all burglars (or rapists) knock or ring bells. Some will break in and you won’t know it till they’re inside your home pointing a gun at you.
  • A 24-hour camera surveillance system should be installed. The sight of a camera or the warning sign from the system’s company can be a strong deterrent to a break-in. Cameras should be aimed at all doors and entry points.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Burglar Hits County Sheriff’s Home

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In these posts I often point out what people do wrong and reverse engineer the scenario so we can learn from 20/20 hindsight what to do right next time. I’m happy to say, this post is about what was done right the first time.

There are many reasons why homes are broken into. Money is generally the primary motivation. Sometimes kids may be looking for a place to party or someone may be seeking out drugs or alcohol. But when someone breaks into the Sheriffs home, one has to wonder why.

Fairfield County Sheriff Dave Phalen is used to investigating break-ins, but this time it was his own home. The sheriff is offering a $1,000 reward from his own pocket for information leading to an arrest. Nothing was taken in the break-in on Sunday at the sheriff’s home on Wacker Drive, which makes the incident even more mysterious, Phalen said. “I would almost feel better if something had been taken,” he said. The burglar came between 5 and 6 p.m., while Phalen and his wife were out for a walk. Phalen said that the alarm system triggered and the burglar apparently tried to disable it. The alarm was beeping when Phalen and his wife returned.

The motivation here may simply be for money, but if they knew it was the Sheriff’s house, then more than likely someone was after information or they simply wanted to have bragging rights to say “I broke into the Sheriff’s house.”

What pleases me about this story is the home security alarm that was triggered in the break in. Any one who reads this will see that the Sheriff, knowing that crime happens when someone least expects it, locked his doors and set his home alarm system while he and his wife were out for a quick walk.

Even though he was only gone for a short time he took full responsibility for his families security and enabled the home security system. One thing missing is why wasn’t their any data about the alarm being monitored by a service and a call made to the “Sheriff’s Department.” Seems there is a lesson to be learned here.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

How to Spend More Money on Home Security

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Lets face it, if you had it you’d spend it, and what better way than on your families security! In today’s high tech connected world a networked and remotely monitored home security system is the way to go.

Keyless Access: Door locks that require a pincode make it easier to access without fumbling for keys. Many keyless locks are smart and can be set to allow contractors limited one time PIN access.

Remote Control Alarms: For a few extra bucks you can add remote controls to an alarm system that allow you to activate or deactivate from the driveway or online.

Robot Cameras: New and very expensive robotic camera equipped technologies will roam your property taking full day and night video.

Remote Monitoring: Having someone monitor a video surveillance system 24/7/365 is close to having feet on the ground. These same systems come equipped with speakers used to yell at the trespassers.

Bullet Proof: If you’re especially concerned about flying bullets then installing bullet proof glass, doors and shoring up your walls with bullet proof steal is a must.

Panic or Safe Rooms: A safe room provides a space where you can survive a tornado, hurricane or home invasion with little or no injury.  Residents can hide out in a relatively bullet proof, well stocked room equipped with wireless communications and wait for law enforcement to show up.

16 or 32 Camera Surveillance System: Once you go beyond 8 cameras prices start to rise. However 16 or even 32 cameras will provide you with a bird’s eye view of every single nook and cranny of your home extending into your neighborhood.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Self Defense on Fox Boston