Security Talk Blog

If your business has either private or public spaces that are utilized for business then you need to formalize your master “Workplace Security Plan.” These security plans are so essential that both state and federal agencies have published dozens of documents that help your business in addressing this topic.

A good security plan always starts with an assessment of the physical space and how access is controlled for both authorized and unauthorized individuals. Here is a simple check list to start with:

• Exterior Doors: Are they substantial enough to deny entry by force? Can they easily be opened in an emergency?
• Windows: Should not open far enough for a person to reach through to the latch.
• Locks and Keys: The major problems with lock/key security are the unaccounted for issuance of keys and unauthorized key copying.
• Interior Doors: The most common problems are unlocked office doors or doors left open.
• Areas that have restricted access: Designated areas of the workplace which have restricted access make it easier for employees to identify suspicious persons who should not be there.
• Architectural features to separate the public from service providers: Such features can help define restricted access areas.
• Alarms: Intrusion Alarms detect unauthorized entry during non-business hours. Duress alarms enable employees to call for help without being obvious to the person causing the problem.

Once you have assessed your physical space you need to address your security communication processes: How do you communicate a building lockdown? Can each section of your facility communicate with its adjacent sections? Can each section communicate with the main office? Do you have assigned roles for an security breach?

Finally: Is your plan integrated with your Health and Safety Plan, Emergency Evacuation Plan, and have you tested it?

Many modern home security systems connect into your home networking environment and can actively send alerts and other information to your internet connected devices. As you start connecting your specific selection of security monitoring devices you soon or later need to address the range and signal strength of your network. Most of us have spent a few frustrating Sundays trying to get our different computers and devices to successfully communicate on our wireless network. Recently, I simply gave up on getting my wireless signal to reach the far side of the house and I turned to “Power-Line Networking” as the solution.

Power-line networking is based on the concept of “no new wires.” You almost always have an electrical outlet near a computer. In power-line networking, you connect your computers to one another through the same outlet.

Here are the advantages of a power-line network:

• It’s inexpensive.
• It uses existing electrical wiring.
• Every room of a typical house has several electrical outlets.
• It’s easy to install.

The latest generation of Power-Line network products has a very fast transfer speed and can utilize good old standard USB ports or standard Ethernet. So if you have wireless network problems and just can’t get that remote device to connect…. then it is time to think Power-Line networking.

Here’s a short video we found to help you prepare your home for the coming (and maybe already here) winter weather! Remember to be careful while you’re out there and that you’ll thank yourself for any work done while the sun is still shining and there’s no snow on the ground.

We found this great write up on the web (just another reminder that our website is a wonderful resource for customers or potential-customers out there)

Monitored alarm customers have the option to choose Private Guard Response to replace police dispatch in the case of a possible false alarm. What does that mean for you the customer?

If the Monitoring Center is unable to reach the first two contacts on your call list, if you choose Private Guard Response, the Monitoring Center will dispatch a private guard service to the alarm location and you will be billed for that response. The cost for a Private Guard Response is typically $50 or less per incident, as compared to more costly false alarm fines you would receive if the police respond and cannot find evidence of a legitimate alarm. A Private Guard responding has the authority to request immediate Police Dispatch if they find evidence of criminal activity or other legitimate cause for alarm.

How can I avoid False Alarm Fines?

The City of Spokane implemented a false alarm ordinance in January of 2006 requiring all alarm systems in the City of Spokane to be registered. Other cites in Allied’s service area have implemented similar ordinances designed to reduce false alarms and unnecessary police dispatch.

In the event of an activated alarm, our Monitoring Center is required to provide your Alarm Registration Number to the police dispatch to have authorities dispatched. If the authorities arrive and can find no signs of a break-in or attempted break-in, the event is automatically considered a false alarm and there is subsequently a fine levied against the property or business owner. This fine currently amounts to $85 for residential alarms and $165 for commercial alarms in the City of Spokane. Other cities in Allied”s service area will likely soon be adopting a very similar ordinance and we anticipate area counties may do the same.

Aside from the common practices for preventing false alarms such as regular maintenance and testing of the systems and ensuring all alarm users are properly trained in the arming and disarming procedures, there is an option allowing you to avoid costly fines in the event of a false alarm. That option is Private Guard Response for situations where an actual alarm activation cannot be immediately verified. What that means is, when your alarm system is tripped, our Monitoring Center is required to attempt a minimum of two phone calls before dispatching police. Typically the first phone call will be to the premises where the alarm happened. If there is no response at the site, the Monitoring Center is required to call the second number on your call list, which is typically a cell phone for one of the owners or another designated responsible individual.

Over the last few weeks we have investigated the concepts and major companies behind the “home automation” movement. It is difficult to read through even one document in this emerging market without a reference to the Smart Grid and Smart Appliances. There appears to be substantial misunderstanding of these two terms and considering the momentum behind this movement it is important to clarify the terms.

Extracted from a whitepager delivered by Energy.gov: “Smart grid” generally refers to a class of technology people are using to bring utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st century, using computer-based remote control and automation. These systems are made possible by two-way communication technology and computer processing that has been used for decades in other industries. They are beginning to be used on electricity networks, from the power plants and wind farms all the way to the consumers of electricity in homes and businesses. They offer many benefits to utilities and consumers — mostly seen in big improvements in energy efficiency on the electricity grid and in the energy users’ homes and offices.

According to AHAM: Smart Appliances refers to a modernization of the electricity usage system of a home appliance so that it monitors, protects and automatically adjusts its operation to the needs of its owner.

The following six key features that are associated with Smart Appliances:

1. Dynamic electricity pricing information is delivered to the user, providing the ability to adjust demand of electrical energy use.

2. Automatically ―shed or reduce usage based on the consumer‘s previously established guidelines or manual overrides.

3. Integrity of its operation is maintained while automatically adjusting its operation to respond to emergency power situations and help prevent brown or blackouts.

4. The consumer can override all previously programmed selections or instructions from the Smart Grid, while insuring the appliance‘s safety functions remain active.

5. When connected through a Home Area Network and/or controlled via a Home Energy Management system, Smart Appliances allow for a ―total home energy usage‖ approach. This enables the consumer to develop their own Energy Usage Profile and use the data according to how it best benefits them.

6. It can leverage features to use renewable energy by shifting power usage to an optimal time for renewable energy generation, i.e., when the wind is blowing or sun is shining.

Examples of Smart Appliances are:

Freezers, Dishwashers, Cloths Dryers, Alarm Systems, Refrigerators, Range Tops, Ovens, Microwaves…

Smart Grid and Smart Appliances are dramatically shifting the way people everywhere consume energy. Although these appliances may come with a higher price tag in the beginning, the increased saving in utilities combined with government rebates is prompting more and more consumers to replace their old appliances.

ZigBee is a set of standards that help define how you can integrate all the devices of your home or office into a single intelligent system. ZigBee is the only standards-based wireless technology designed to address the unique needs of low-cost, low-power wireless sensor and control networks in just about any market. Zigbee provides hundreds of manufactures a common standard to conform to and provides certification services for these standards.

What this means to the consumer is the integration of all the home systems to a common standard and huge savings resulting from reduced duplication of equipment, energy savings, and hundreds of new features that provide a safer and healthier home.

Zigbee offers standards across of the following categories:

• Smart Energy Products
• Home Automation Products
• Remote Control Products
• Telecom Services Products
• Gateway Products

As you start to investigate how you can save money and enhance the security in your home, you should study the Zigbee website and then ask your product sales people to explain how ZigBee standards fit into the master home automation plan. Here are just a few examples of ZigBee enabled home automation devices: Door Sensors, Occupancy Sensors, Smart Locks, Energy Monitors, Lighting Controllers, Home theater systems, heating control systems… and the list goes on and on.

Winter in the Pacific Northwest can be a strange and unpredictable time—for example, an epic snow storm in Seattle may hardly register in other parts of the Puget Sound because of the area’s unique weather patterns. This said, you need to take precautions to prepare yourself for the possibility of winter weather both while you are home and while you are travelling.

Plan ahead. Make sure you have all the transit timetables for the county in case you need to travel by bus during winter weather. Identity the best route home with the fewest hills, small streets possible. Large streets, freeways and bus routes are your best bets for getting home safely.

Develop an emergency plan. What should each family member do in case of bad winter weather, where do you store your food, where should you go if you cannot make it home, make sure everyone has contact lists and a back-up plan.

Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlight at home in case the power fails.

Schools: Listen to local radio and television stations for information on school closures and schedule changes.  Please be sure to retain the snow and ice information that your local school distributes.

For a recorded message on Seattle School District schedule changes, call 206-252-0207.

Power Outages: Seattle City Light – 206-684-7400 for a recorded list of power outage areas. If your area is not listed, let City Light know.

Puget Sound Energy – 1-888-225-5773

As a homeowner, make sure that your home and the roads in front of your home are in the best condition possible to help aid in the recovery of the roads following winter weather. Additionally, make sure that you have all necessary provisions for 3 to 4 days of being “snowed in”

This week we continue our research into the major players in the home automation world. CABA ( Continental Automated Buildings Association) is an international not-for-profit industry association dedicated to the advancement of intelligent home and intelligent building technologies. The organization is supported by an international membership of nearly 400 companies involved in the design, manufacture, installation and retailing of products relating to home automation and building automation. Public organizations, including utilities and government are also members.

CABA is dedicated to advancing integration of automation for residential and commercial buildings, helping members create increased market opportunities, supporting multi-disciplinary partnerships, while serving as a preferred global source of information, knowledge and networking for key stakeholders.

Over its 23-year history, CABA has carved out a niche for itself in the most unlikely of areas: home automation. This field deals broadly with the creation of “smart” or “connected” technologies in the home and it is a sector with which the common consumer is largely unaware. Yet, according to CABA officials, this technology is the way of the future.

CABA does not advocate a particular methodology or product, but focuses on promoting the best of the new smart technologies. In a recent talk, Ron Zimmer, the president and CEO of CABA explained, “Home automation encompasses everything from safety and security technology, to climate control, to lighting, to energy management, and even to entertainment and multi-room AV systems,” he said. CABA remains undaunted, though it has ta ken on such a diverse number of platforms. The organization has taken a ‘full court press’ approach, aggressively researching each platform with marked skill and expertise.

On the CABA website you will find dozens of research papers on the entire range of home automation. My favorite paper on the site is “iHomes and Buildings.” Start with this well-written overview document and then dive into the website.

January is the perfect time to upgrade your current home security measures. Christmas and the holiday season has come and gone and you are now settling into your New Year’s resolutions (you are keeping your resolutions, right?). Well, add one more to the list and this January vow to get your home’s security in tip top share. We’ve identified a step-by-step guide to figure out if you are in need to a home security reassessment.

1. Identify the problem: look around your home and identify those entry points most likely to be used by a burglar.

• Which entrances are hidden/out of view from my neighbors?
• If I am locked out of my house, where could I get in without too much difficulty? Every door/window you list in response to these questions should be a number one priority.

2. Basic Security improvements: make some of the following very simple improvements (if your home is lacking these) before calling any security companies. This will save you lots of money as you go along and make sure that we’re only brought in for the things we do best (high quality security protection). Exterior doors should be strong enough to withstand excessive force.

• All exterior doors should be secured with a deadbolt lock that has a minimum one-inch throw.
• All strike plates and frames for exterior doors should be anchored to the home’s main construction.
• All exterior doors should fit snugly against the frame and all frames should be free of warping, cracks, and other signs of wear and tear.
• Solid core wood, metal or other reinforced doors, Reinforced door jams or jam braces.
• Three-inch screws, heavy-duty strike plates and tamper proof hinges.
• The main entrance door should have a doorwide-angle (180 degree)viewer/peephole.
• Sliding glass doors and windows should be secure against forcing the locks or from being lifted completely out of the frame.
• High-risk windows (basement, garage, ground-level, partially or totally secluded, latched, etc.) should be secured sufficiently enough to discourage or impede possible intrusion.
• Double-hung windows should be secured with pins or extra locks to discourage prying.
• Trees and shrubs should be trimmed to allow visibility along the perimeter (particularly entries) of the house.
• Timers (both interior and exterior) should be installed to activate lights in your absence
• All entrances (doors and windows) to your home should be well lit at night.
• Safety glass or security film on vulnerable windows.
• Motion sensor lighting, specifically directed and focused on entry points and vulnerable areas, no flood lighting and beware of light trespass.
• Your address should be posted on your house and be clearly visible from the street both night and day.

3. Install an alarm: this is where you pick up the phone and called Allied Fire and Security. We are the pros in this matter and will help you assess your homes security needs to ensure that your family and belongings are kept safe and sound.

Over the last few weeks we have starting covering “Home Automation” and how your fire and security needs integrate with the larger home network. For many of our reader the question occurs; “Why do I want to integrate my fire and security solutions with my home network?” The simple answer is; “In the long run it simplifies maintenance and provides additional levels of security.”

If we look at the evolution of the modern house we trace the development of indoor plumbing, electrical systems, heating/cooling systems, watering systems, telephone systems, TV/entertainment systems, computer networks, wireless networks, home security systems, and fire alarms. As these systems evolve the idea of each system being isolated starts to add complexity and costs to the maintenance of your home. At the primary level you probably ask; “Why can’t I control everything from a central computer (or ipad)?” If you could control all of these systems from your computer you could simply stop wasting resources and stop duplicating communication networks. “Why install more wires for your alarm system… why install more wires for your home entertainment system?” No matter how you look at it …. at some point you will want to stop duplicating systems, and every time you eliminate a duplicate system you start to save money.

Perhaps even more important than saving money and reducing complexity is adding new levels of security and safety for your family. It just takes one dead smoke detector to start compromising the safety of your home. An integrated system would simply report that you have a failing smoke alarm… and you fix it. The security of your doors, windows, garage and exterior building is paramount to the security of your family. Even when I am at work, I want to know that my house is safe for my family. If there is an intrusion in my home… I want to know immediately… no matter where I am. These are the services that an integrated system can deliver to you… as your security systems all report to you over the Internet… even when you are in London for a business meeting.