Home Safety Tips | Home Security Blog

Crash & Smash Protection

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 10:00 am 1 Response »

May 162012

Imagine this scenario: while you’re away, an intruder breaks into your home when your alarm system is armed. After the entry delay (usually 30 seconds), the siren sounds. The intruder hunts down the alarm system – and these guys know where to look. He smashes the alarm control panel before it can dial out to the monitoring center. The police never come, and he gets clean away, with your cash, jewelry, and electronics.This really happens – and when it does, it’s called “Crash and Smash.”

I left out the part about your phone line being cut, since we have already covered that in my post on cellular monitoring – and that doesn’t stop a FrontPoint system!Today I’m focused on Crash and Smash, and what happens with a traditional alarm system, vs. a system with Smash and Crash protection. The good news? Someone figured a way to beat Crash and Smash, and that someone is Alarm.com, FrontPoint’s technology partner. Through its patented Interactive Monitoring services, the Alarm.com radio sends a cellular signal as soon as the first sensor is triggered, and treats the signal like an intrusion – so it doesn’t matter if the panel gets smashed or not. Your home is still protected. Read More »

Wireless Home Security - Top Tips for Safe Gun Storage

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 10:15 am No Responses »

Apr 272012

I’ve posted on guns as being high on the list of items frequently targeted by burglars. Guns often mean ready cash, which is what most burglaries are about. And sometimes the guns that are stolen end up being used in other burglaries, which is what scares me the most about guns being left unsecured. In this article from Denver, Colorado, a skilled carpenter and gun owner provides some great advice on guns in the home – and how to increase your peace of mind as a weapon owner.

I learned to shoot and to handle firearms safely as a teenager. My father was a police officer and also competed on the police force’s pistol team. I can remember always having guns around the house. My brothers and I were all taught the safety fundamentals at an early age. I still feel that education is the best tool for keeping weapons safe. Households that have very young children, however, need to take additional firearm storage measures, as curiosity often trumps learning and common sense.

Cabinets, Safes and Locks

One way to ensure that firearms are safe is to lock them away in safes, or lockable cabinets, or install locking devices on the guns themselves. These are the preferred methods for those who have small children in the home, or the potential to have children visit. Read More »

Biggest Lies Alarm Companies Tell

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 10:00 am 4 Responses »

Mar 302012

One of my colleagues here at FrontPoint suggested today’s blog topic. Ken Lawshe has spoken with thousands of alarm shoppers (many of whom are now happy FrontPoint customers!), and shared with me what he hears in the marketplace. There’s also plenty of online evidence that not all alarm companies are telling the truth – sadly. So here’s a list of the Top 10 lies that alarm companies use to get your business – and if you’re one of the nearly 80% of US homeowners without a monitored alarm system, you’ll want to keep this info handy when you do start shopping for peace of mind. Note: the links below provide helpful background on each item.

“You really don’t need cellular monitoring.” This is probably the biggest fib out there.Burglars cut phone lines – and even if they didn’t, if AT&T and other carriers get their way, there won’t be any traditional phones left in a few years to cut. The only safe and reliable monitoring method is cellular. By the way, Internet monitoring is just as bad as a phone line: it’s every bit as easy to cut your internet connection as your phone line – same $3 pair of wire cutters.
“Sure, our system is wireless.” Don’t be fooled by this dodge. Wireless equipment is not the same as wireless monitoring. You really want both, but some companies will try to pass off their wireless equipment as a completely wireless system, even though they still require a vulnerable phone line. Make sure you ask the tough questions, and get the right answers. Again, cellular monitoring is the only safe solution. Read More »

Where Intruders Break In

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 5:11 am No Responses »

Mar 282012

Burglars usually break in through a door, since it’s the most logical point of entry (and escape). Even when it means breaking down your door, that’s what they do. Don’t pay attention to those crafty cat burglars in the movies, unless you have a Picasso in the living room – your standard burglary is a random, opportunistic act that is usually unplanned and poorly executed. Believe it or not, there are statistics on exactly where the bad guys bust in to get at your valuables, so here they are: Read More »

Best Home Security Tips – Take One from the US Postal Service

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 11:10 am 1 Response »

Mar 202012

It’s easy to find home safety and security tips on-line. It’s even easy to find some good ones! And I should know, since I see them all the time and have posted them frequently, across a broad range of issues: general home security, fire safety, social media usage, special tips for peace of mind during the holidays, and even advice on how to shop for home alarm systems. This blog has also shared home safety and security tips from all manner of third parties (local police departments, FBI, National Fire Protection Association, Better Business Bureau, etc.) so that you have the best advice from objective and credible sources. Today I’m passing on a suggestion from the USPS (United States Postal Service), and it fits nicely into the important advice of making it hard for a burglar to know that you are away.

Going away for a while? Request Hold Mail for the time you’re gone, and we’ll keep your mail safely at the local Post Office™ until you return. Schedule the service up to 30 days in advance, or by 2AM CST (Mon-Sat) on the start date. Each address can have one Hold Mail scheduled at a time. All mail will be held, rather than an individual’s mail. Read More »