Ways a Home Security System Keeps You Safe

Posted by :Dominic Schwebs On : February 22, 2013
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Category: Home Security Systems

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You love the Pacific Northwest. Others may harp on the rain, but you love the moderate temperatures and beautiful landscapes. Even if you can’t imagine living anywhere else, you know that no state or city is perfect. Like all homeowners, you still have to worry about such things as house fires and frozen pipes, and even very safe neighborhoods aren’t immune to break-ins. Home security systems can help protect you from these dangers and frequently end up paying for themselves. Here are just a few reasons why a security system may be one of the smartest investments you can make for your home and family:

Protection against burglaries

The most obvious reason to purchase a home security system is to help prevent intrusion and theft in your home. Statistics show that homeowners who have installed some sort of security system are as much as 300% less likely to become targets for crime. In fact, 9 out of 10 convicted burglars freely admit that they wouldn’t target a home protected by a monitored system.

Plus, consider the long-lasting consequences a burglary has on your home and your finances. In addition to losing your most prized possessions, you’ll likely have to file a costly insurance claim. Right off the top of that claim there is a deductible. Depending on what was stolen and how much coverage you’ve previously purchased, you may not even be able to recover the rest of your financial loss. And there’s one more kicker – you could see an increase in your home insurance premium as a result of filing a burglary claim.

Compare those costs with that of installing a security system, and it’s easy to see how that’s an investment that pays for itself.

Protection against home accidents

Another advantage to investing in a home security system is that it will likely come with the option to install other home safety devices. Set up smoke/heat sensors, carbon monoxide detectors, flood sensors, freezing sensors and others in order to help alert your family of danger before it’s too late. These life-saving devices could also help prevent huge property damage costs and the long process of filing an insurance claim if an accident were to happen. Plus, many home insurance providers offer big discounts for installing safety devices such as these.

It always pays off to be prepared for emergencies. When you add up the safety and peace of mind a home security system brings to your home, plus big insurance discounts and other benefits, it’s easy to see why this is one of the smartest investments you can make for your family. Sure, a security system can deter break-ins. But the reality is that it can do a lot more.

This article was contributed by Kelly McMurtrie, a writer for HomeInsurance.com. Kelly has been writing content for HomeInsurance.com and other major brands since 2011 after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in Media Arts.

Home Safety Check List

Posted by :Dominic Schwebs On : October 16, 2011
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Category: Home Security Systems

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We’ve spent a lot of time on this blog talking about ways to make your home safe—from block watches to teaching your kids about your own security system. Really, we just think that there is no reason but to be safe, informed, and well-protected citizens. Most of these things can be achieved by being vigilant and by owning a home security system, but there are some things you can do in addition to owning a security system to make your home as safe as possible. We’ve compiled a checklist for you to consider when you consider the safety of your own home

We’ve compiled a checklist for you to consider when you consider the safety of your own home:

• When you leave your home for vacation, it is smart to make it look like someone is home (even if no one really is). Leave some lights or a television on automatic timers and have a friend or neighbor stop by to check on your home from time to time while you are away.

• Make sure all your doors have solid locks (without any spare keys floating around)

• Install a peephole in your front door so you don’t open your door to potential burglars

• No matter how safe you think your neighborhood is, don’t leave extra keys under planters, in mailboxes, or on top of the doorframe. Only ever leave an extra key with a neighbor of friend who you trust.

• If you have sliding doors or windows, lay a wooden or metal rod across the frame so the door doesn’t open from the outside.

• Always keep garage doors shut.

• Keep you blinds and drapes shut so that potential robbers can’t see what’s going on in your home—whether you are home or not.

• Store expensive jewelry, electronics, and important documents in a safe at home.

• Never advertise online that you are going away—you never now who reads your Facebook profile or Twitter account.

• Call your post office and have their put a mail stop on your incoming mail—you can collect it from the post office when you return home.

Have you come across any other good advice? We have some other good ideas for helping to prevent fires that we will share with you later this week.

Seattle Crime Statistics

Posted by :Dominic Schwebs On : July 22, 2011
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Did you know that last year was the safest year (crime-wise) in Seattle since 1967! Now you can tell your friends and neighbors who are always going on and on about how dangerous places have become and how it used to be different when they were children, that things haven’t really changed that much. So much for the good old days of the 1960s. It surprised me too!

Major Crimes in Seattle were down citywide by 6% when compared with the 2009 – this is led by the fact that robberies were down 20% (twenty percent!) when compared with 2009!  Property crimes were likewise down 5% when compared with 2009. In fact, the only increase, and a very slight increase it was, was in vehicle thefts. If you want more information about these stats or want to look at the crime statistics for the past several years, you should check out this website. It’s always good to be a well-informed citizen.

It’s great to know that we live in a safer place today than we did last year. But I can’t help but believe that a good part of the reason why Seattle has become a safer place is because people like you are working hard to protect themselves and their families. While 1967 may have had the same number of crimes per population, I’d bet that without proper protections and securities those numbers would be far different (and likely higher).

By installing alarm systems, locking front doors, keeping watching while you are walking in a less-than-perfect neighborhood, instigating neighborhood watch programs, and generally keeping your wits about you. It’s the small things that make a difference, but they sure do help. We have always been advocates of taking your fortune into your own hands – by installing safes, alarm systems, fire alarms and whatnot you can prevent that robber who might be monitoring your home, or catch the fire in your kitchen before it spreads to the bedrooms.

What do you do to keep yourself safe? Have you noticed your neighborhood changing in the past few years? Did 2010 feel any safer to you than 2009 or even 2000 did? What are your suggestions for other people who want to keep their homes and family safe? Does the city feel safer to you than it used to?

What does Crime look like in your Neighborhood?

Posted by :Dominic Schwebs On : July 20, 2011
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How much do you know about your neighborhood? Have you hear rumors and gossip of crime but you aren’t quite sure?

Have you ever seen this? It’s a brilliant website that helps homeowners and residents of different cities across America see crime reports in real time (the link goes to a street-by-street view of Seattle and all the crime reports there). Can you check and double check what’s going on in your neighborhood – to be sure to be especially vigilant if there is a crime spree. You can make sure to deadbolt your front door if there have been robberies around your home. You can make sure your kids always have a ride to and from school if you live near recent crime spots. Whatever your reason, this website is a great resource to understand your ‘hood.

Crimes range from shootings, assaults, robberies, burglaries, theft, arrest, arson and vandalism. You can see the date, time, and approximate address of the crime. For example, on July 16, at 1:23 in the morning, there was a shooting at 103XX (see, approximate) E. Marginal Way South.  And amazingly, you can even get a Google Street view of the street where the crime occurred. How amazing is it what you can find on the internet!

With the greater knowledge of your surroundings, you can better protect your home, property, and family. Here at Allied Fire and Security we have the tools and resources to help you. We have integrated security systems, digital video surveillance, fire alarms, mass notification and voice evacuation systems, safes, vaults & depositories, automatic water detectors, bullet resistant products and 24 hour alarm monitoring. We have wonderfully helpful consultants who can help you determine what security measures will best fit your concerns and needs.

If you are thinking about revamping your home or office security, be sure to stop by one of our stores in Spokane, Seattle, and Portland.

Have you checked our SpotCrime.com yet? Do you regularly monitor crime in your neighborhood? What other tools do you have to keep yourself and your property safe? Do you have any other good online resources to share with us and our readers?