Norbtek.info Podcast Show #019 for Saturday July 1, 2006
Today's podcast has an interview with Mr. Mike Jagger of Provident Security
and Event Management Corporation in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada. I speak with him about home security and specifically about
home alarm systems. We talk about why you need one and what every home
alarm system should have. Mike provides great insight as to what an
alarm system should do and how to keep potential burglars out of your
house. I also have some good tips on how to keep your house unappealing
to a potential burglar.
Residential Burglaries - Typically between 11 AM and 4 PM Monday through Friday
Burglar's favorit place to start looking for your stuff:
Master Bedroom
Sidetable Drawers
Closets
Commerical Burglaries - Typically between 1AM and 5 AM 7 days a week
Check your local law enforcement's website for crime statistics in your neighborhood.
Burglary Safes
Dead Bolts
Locking Gate Latches
What to do when looking for a professional alarm installer & monitoring company:
1.
Ask your insurance agent, friends, family or neighbors for referrals
and if they are satisfied with the quality of installation and service.
2. Call several companies.
3. Ask the companies if they have appropriate state and/or local licenses, if required.
4. Contact the Better Business Bureau and ask if there have been any complaints against the companies you are considering.
5.
Contact your local law enforcement's Prevention Department to see about
any requirements or fees associated with having a monitored alarm
system and typical response times.
6. After you've narrowed the
field to three or four alarm companies, ask for the name of the person
who will call on you. Consider planning the appointment time when all
members of your household are present.
7. When he/she visits, ask to see some company identification.
8.
Ask each alarm company representative for an inspection, recommendation
and a quote in writing. Use a checklist to compare different packages
and price quotes.
9. Don't forget to factor in monthly monitoring charges and length of any monitoring contract.
10.
Alarm systems should utilize at least these three types of detection;
door/window sensors, motion detection, and glass break detectors. Along
with that the systems should have a battery backup incase of power
failure or tampering and a cell phone backup communications device to
thwart the phone lines being tampered with.
11. Additional items
that can possibly be monitored by alarm systems are: Heat Detectors,
Smoke Detectors, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, as well as flood detectors.
A general rule of thumb for a basic install of a hole burglar alarm system is about $1.25/sq. ft. of your home.
Tips when going on vacation to secure your home:
* Get a trusted friend or relative to "house sit." Or, make sure your neighbors know your plans.
* Have a neighbor pick up your newspapers and your mail for you daily.
* Lock all doors and windows, and secure the garage door.
* Leave a car parked in the driveway, or ask a neighbor to park in your driveway.
* Leave a house key -- and a number where you can be reached -- with a trusted friend or neighbor.
* Use timers to turn lights on and off at certain times, altering lighting patterns, to create an occupied look.
*
Leave drapes and shades open as normal. (Closed blinds during the day
are a sure sign of an empty house, plus they allow a burglar to attend
to his business unseen by neighbors.)
* Arrange to have your lawn mowed.
* Be sure your trees and hedges have been trimmed. This gives burglars fewer places to hide.
*
Replace any burned-out lights in your yard. Consider upgrading outdoor
light fixtures with devices that have built-in motion detectors, which
turn on the lights whenever anyone walks past.
* Make sure that any
ladders, yours or an neighbors, is not accessible to thieves to use for
entering upper level windows, no matter how small.
* Secure all gates to your back or side yards with a lockable gate latch.
