Whether you have recently moved into a new home or have just decided to get a system for your current home, security systems can be a cost-effective solution for protecting what matters most- your family and home. One of the first questions that will arise when you start researching securing systems is, “How much does a security system cost?” The answer can seem complicated because it depends on many different factors, but it doesn’t have to be.
Though many security companies can make it a confusing experience, it really shouldn’t be. The cost of an alarm system can be broken into four parts
The first item you pay for is the installation. A basic installation can sometimes be included with a full package and end up costing you nothing. Or, that basic price can rise with a number of safety components you add on. For example, arming every window in your house is going to cost more than just arming a couple of downstairs windows. Installing HD video cameras inside and outside may also raise the installation price beyond a basic package. Some companies sell packages that offer different levels of purchase. Other companies allow you to customize your package to fit your security needs. With the latter you can pick and choose security products with capabilities that fit your unique needs. After you pay for the install and the security products, you pay a monthly fee to have your house monitored. You want to make sure the company you go with has 24/7 monitoring at a UL-listed monitoring station.
The lights are hung, the tree is up, the candles are flickering. The holidays are meant to be merry and bright, yet, there are so many hidden fire dangers during this time of year. Fires are more common and more deadly now than during any other season. According to the American Red Cross, nearly 47,000 fires occur during the winter holidays, claiming more than 500 lives, causing more than 2,200 injuries, and costing $554 million in property damage. Don’t let your house become a fire statistic. Consider these ways to keep you family and home safe through the New Year.
Candle Safety:
Candle fires are 4x as likely to occur in December as any other month of the year. They set the tablescape, and their warm flickering glow puts you in the holiday spirit. But, when it comes to open flames, you can never be too careful. Never leave a candle unattended. Also, make sure your candles are on a steady base and have a protective glass covering around them (like a votive holder or a hurricane for larger candles). Place them a foot away from anything else so they don’t catch other decorations on fire. Make sure they are out of children’s reach. Kids are drawn to fire, so make sure your candles don’t become a fun “plaything” for the kids. And, after a holiday party or get together be sure to go through the whole house and make sure all candles are blown out.
Or, why not try an alternate to the traditional candle? The new LED candles come in all colors and shapes and flicker just like the real thing, without the worry.
Crooks don’t like to get caught on tape. But thanks to the growing affordability of security cameras it’s happening more and more.
Just as we have come to expect reasonably priced HD TVs and megapixel cameras, a lower price point is now making high-definition, discreet security cameras available to the masses. The trends indicate a similarly swift adoption of HD home cameras year-over-year.
Until recently, you had a choice: A) Purchase an HD security camera that was very expensive, bulky and hardly discreet. B) Purchase a cost-effective smaller security camera with the only standard definition. Standard definition or analog offers a grainy picture, making it hard to decipher details in the captured video. Clarity is the key word when it comes to HD video.
Advancements in HD security camera technology make it possible to purchase and have security cameras installed at a relatively low cost. Once installed and connected to your monitoring system, home or business owners can clearly see multiple security feeds live from different cameras on their mobile device, tablet, or computer. If you’ve had a breach of security you can review old footage too. Read More »
Smart home automation and energy management is still a relatively new concept and many families are starting to add these features to their home, for financial savings as well as home security. Consumers still have plenty of questions about what home automation is and what the benefits are. Let us help you out with some answers.
Q: Is automation the same as timers on thermostats and lights?
A: No, although time-based events can be part of your set up. Home automation combines timed events with the use of “scenes” that you can select with the click of a button. Since your schedule isn’t the same every day, planning out energy management by the clock won’t always work perfectly.
Scenes are designed around a set of circumstances your home will be in daily. For instance, when you choose “Goodnight,” your thermostat, lighting, locks, and alarm will all change to exactly how you would like them to be activated while you’re asleep. So if you go to bed at 11 p.m. instead of 10 p.m., you won’t have to worry about timed alarm settings being armed or the home heat dropping too soon.
A setting like “Away” customizes all of the settings you prefer when you’re not at home. Instead of just setting your home security alarm when you leave the house, you can also change lighting, and heating and cooling settings with the same touch of a button. Read More »
Walking into your home and realizing it’s been burglarized is a shocking moment.
It’s easy to feel emotionally overwhelmed by the violation you’ve just experienced. You will have a visceral reaction to seeing your home ransacked and your personal possessions missing.
Staying logical amidst the panic will be difficult. But the first few steps after you discover the crime are critical.
1) Call the police. Before seeking out what has been stolen, stay outside or go to a neighbor’s home to call the police, in case the intruder is still present.
Once police arrive, they’ll make sure the home is safe, and evaluate and photograph the scene exactly as it was left. You will not want to disturb the scene until authorities arrive, to preserve any evidence as-is. Read More »
Texas State Fair officials did their due diligence ahead of time, making sure that all food and ride vendors were following safety guidelines. But there also are a number of good practices that attendees can adopt to make the experience worry-free:
1. Have a separation plan. Designate a meet-up spot and tuck a paper with your cell phone number into your kids’ pockets. 2. Snap photos of kids in their current outfits. A shareable photo on a mobile device will be a great help to security find a lost child. 3. Don’t carry large tote bags with wide openings. Cross-body bags that zip up completely are much harder to pickpocket. 4. Stay healthy. Drink plenty of water, wash your hands or use sanitizer frequently, and apply plenty of sunscreen. 5. Park as safely as possible. Choose a spot near light fixtures that will be on at night, and stay close to other groups while walking to and from the event.
For most people, home feels like the safest place in the world. But if you’ve ever experienced a home invasion or a burglar scare, you know that feeling of safety can disappear in a moment. Even weeks, months, or years later, you can’t stop thinking about all of the ways a person could get in, where they would hide, what they would take.
Hopefully, you’ve managed to avoid this experience first-hand. But being a homeowner, the possibility is always in the back of your mind. You want to know your family is secure.
Luckily, there are a lot of good ways to prevent a break-in from occurring. Thieves don’t pick a house to target randomly; they can spot the signs of an easy entry. Read our home security checklist and find out if you have some room for improvement. Read More »
Home security systems offer a number of features you can choose between when putting together a custom build with a security technician. When making your decisions, you need to evaluate all of the possible risks. And homeowners in the DFW area have a unique set of safety concerns to consider.
Crime
According to the most recent crime statistics compiled by the FBI, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metroplex is only a moderately risky place, ranking 17th in the state for overall crime rates, with fewer per capita burglaries than some smaller cities like Lubbock, Texarkana, and Beaumont-Port Arthur. However, statistics aren’t much comfort if you’re among the victims. So it’s important to take steps to avoid being a target when possible. Read More »
While you normally think of home security as the protection of the inside of your home, there are also opportunities to be the victim of theft just outside of your front door. Some thieves skip the trouble of breaking into your home and opt to target mail and package deliveries left on your front porch.
Package thieves in Dallas and in Fort Worth were hard at work in the holiday season of 2014. Then early 2015 saw a wave of the related crime of outgoing mail theft when thieves were digging through residential mailboxes to find checks to launder. Another worry with outgoing mail – particularly during the tax season – many people send out documents with sensitive personal information that can be used in identity theft.
So how do you stop a porch package thief? Once the box is sitting on your front stoop, you’ve already lost several opportunities to protect yourself. The key is preventing high-value items from sitting for hours on your front porch in the first place.
Package Theft Prevention Tips
Pick up your package QUICKLY. Luckily, modern technology has brought us package tracking tools that make it easier than ever to find out when we’re getting deliveries. So be sure to check up on shipped items and retrieve them as soon as you can.
Customize deliveries. Some private package delivery services will allow you to schedule a time and date when you will be available to retrieve your items quickly.
Require a signature. Depending on the service, the sender OR the recipient may be able to request that a signature is obtained upon delivery.
Receive deliveries at a different location. If you work at a location with a mailing address, you can probably get your packages delivered to your workplace. (Check with your boss first, just in case.) If work isn’t an option, consider sending to a trusted neighbor, family member, or a storefront location of the delivery company.
Request a vacation hold. US Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS all hold package deliveries while you’re out of town for a few days. This is a good option for people who receive a significant amount of shipments, or those who have a wedding registry and may have multiple gifts sent to their home unexpectedly while they’re gone for the weekend.
Install security cameras near the front door. If visible, the presence of a camera can be enough to scare off potential thieves from approaching your home. Surveillance cameras connected with your home security system can record video of the exterior of your home that can be retrieved and given to police in case of a theft. Aside from mitigating package theft, cameras like the SkyBell video doorbell which allows you to peek at who’s at your front door anytime you like with their smartphone app.
Crimes Caught on Video
One Fortress Security customer, Tim, lives in the Mansfield neighborhood that experienced a series of thefts earlier this year. Security cameras outside of his home caught footage of the thief in action and aided police in their investigation.
Tim’s certainly glad he had those cameras in place. Even though his home had never been the target of theft or other crimes in the past, he was fully prepared. And he feels secure with a Fortress system protecting his home: “I would recommend Fortress to anyone. Everyone there has been top notch at helping me with my unique needs.”
If you’re interested in learning more about home security camera systems, get in touch with us, and we’ll develop a free quote, customized to fit your needs.
Choosing between the different types of security systems and accessories isn’t an easy decision. Searching through the marketplace, you’ve probably noticed different features and types of systems.
By learning the meaning of these security system details, from monitoring types to power sources, you can better prepare yourself for making the right decision. Read More »
