Archive for February, 2010

Moni raises $16k for Haiti relief

After two weeks of intensive fund-raising and an outpouring of support for those in Haiti affected by the recent earthquake, Monitronics employees have crossed the goal line and will be making a donation to the American Red Cross for $16,786!

Haiti Earthquake 2010

Employees themselves raised $8,393 and the company is matching all funds. Getting to that dollar amount took a lot of effort and volunteers. Here’s the breakdown:

    Raffle and paleta sales: $4,735
    Coin collection: $265
    Popcorn/ fruit/ paleta day: $1,393
    Monetary donations: $2,000

Derek Hall won the raffle tickets for the Dallas Mavericks and Vandi Vongkham won two tickets to the February 18 Mariah Carey concert in Dallas. The Wii was won by Dave Bolles.

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all employees who generously gave so that the Red Cross can continue to bring much-needed help to the people of Haiti.

10 Twitter must-follows for the security industry

We’re Twitter junkies here at Monitronics (follow us at www.twitter.com/monitronics) and we learn tons about our industry from some of our fellow Tweeters.We want to know what’s happening in the industry, safety tips and know-how, and the best SEO/social networking practices. We happen to follow the @Verified_ALF feed because we loved bad 1980s television, but that’s neither here nor there.

    1. @APXAlarms: Seth Jenks of APX Alarms in Provo, Utah. Great community, interesting look inside his company, and lots of useful links.

    2. @SSN_Dan: Our favorite industry reporter, Dan Gelinas of Security Systems News. Lots of links to his blog Monitor This! and excellent industry updates.

    3. @IncMagazine: The magazine for entrepreneurs our of NYC. Fantastic articles. We retweet all the time.

    4. @CherylWatterson: She’s the woman behind LetsTalkHomeSecurity.com, an online security resource company. Great ideas for homeowners about protection strategies and practical tips.

    5. @NFPA: All the news that fit to Tweet from the National Fire Protection Association.

    6. @ProvidentMike: From Mike Jagger, President & CEO of Provident Security in lovely Vancouver. He’s a security speaker and expert on the topic.

    7. @CrimeReports: Lots of safety resources. The “I luv stupid criminals” tweets are entertaining.

    8. @KseniaCoffman: Interested in wireless, physical security, smart grid, ITS & B2B marketing/social media.

    9. @BrentDirks: Dallas-based E-news and Web editor for Security Products and Network-Centric Security magazines.

    10.@HoneywellSec: Honeywell Security Group delivers innovations, technologies, and products. Good stuff.

Some Twitter lists we love

What’s in your emergency kit?

Cold enough for you? Here in Dallas, we’re having 30-year record snows and lots of us are stuck inside. So it got me thinking about emergency preparedness kits–I might be using the candles in my kit tonight. Here’s what I’ve got in the guest bedroom in case of an emergency. What’s in yours?

    * Water filter: You need enough water on hand for one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days. I figured this would be easier.
    * MREs: I’ve got a month’s supply of non-perishable food
    * Radio: Mine is a hand crank/NOAA weather radio with tone alert
    * Flashlight. Forgot the batteries. Woops.
    * Battery lantern
    * Wrench and pliers: to turn off utilities
    * Personal sanitation items: washrags, moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties
    * Candles and lighters: to start and keep a fire going. And for mood lighting during an emergency.
    * Firewood
    * Extra food for my dog: she can’t have my MREs.
    * Sleeping bag and warm blankets

Snow day

Turns out I forgot a few things. Glad I looked into this.

    * Dust mask
    * Plastic sheeting and duct tape
    * A few gallons of water to augment the water filters
    * Whistle to signal for help
    * Local maps
    * Extra batteries for the radio, flashlight, and lantern
    * First-aid kit
    * Copies of my important papers, like insurance, ID, and bank account records, sealed in a plastic baggie
    * Cash or traveler’s checks and change
    * Fire extinguisher
    * Matches in a plastic baggie

Check out Ready America for a full list of recommendations and let me know how your kit measures up. I’d like to know.

Tuesday Tips: Picking a security company

There are loads of security companies out there clamoring for your business. How do you cut through the clutter and find the best fit and price? Obviously, we’re a little biased when we say this, but we think Monitronics is the way to go for residential or business security systems. Here’s a checklist for how to pick a security company and a bit about how Moni measures up.

    Security
    You want to know that your company is watching your premises at all times. Is the monitoring central station 24/7? Are they Five-Diamond Certified? We are both.

    Response
    How fast can the company respond to your alarm? Every second matters in an emergency. In 2009, our average response time was 22.1 seconds.

    Trust
    Who are you letting in your door? Are they well-trained and vetted? Our Monitronics authorized dealers go through background checks and are experts at security assessments and installations. They know how to customize a security system to fit your needs.

    Guarantee
    What happens if you have a problem with your system down the road? What’s the policy on fixing it? Monitronics’ lifetime service guarantee is great insurance. Generally speaking, it covers the parts and labor on your system with a reasonable deductible for any service request.

    Convenience
    With an online MyMonitronics account, you can pay your bill, update emergency contacts, test your system, and more.

    Portability
    Will your company relocate your home alarm system for free? We will!

Since 1994, we’ve been earning the trust of our customers through our proven performance and customer service. Let us prove ourselves to you.  Visit us online and we’ll connect you with a Monitronics authorized dealer in your area. If you prefer to call, you can reach us by phone at 800-290-0709.

MoniX video #5

This month, we’ve released four videos for our dealers about MoniX, our premiere training program taking place in Dallas February 16-18. Check them out here:

    * Video #1
    * Video #2
    * Video #3
    * Video #4

Now we bring you the final video, number five, starring the entire sales team here at Monitronics.

To register for MoniX, go to www.moniexperience.com and get all the details. We’ll see you there!