Author Archive

Keep an eye on Super Bowl safety

It’s a historic week in Dallas–Super Bowl XLV!

Two years of planning have gone into Super Bowl security to keep players, media, and spectators safe. With only days left before the big event, police training exercises have taken on increased urgency as security forces prepare for the worst possiblity: an attack during the game.

There are no credible threats, says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, but such a large-scale event is an obvious target. The biggest worry: expolsives carried into the stadium by a “lone wolf.”

The NFL is predicting a record-breaking crowd of at least 105,000, but millions will be watching from home, a party, or bar. So the real safety risk isn’t at Cowboys Stadium, it’s in those establishments and most notable, on the road.

Remember, buzzed driving IS drunk driving!

Some tips for you on Sunday:

  • Keep track of your alcoholic drinks. Pace yourself, eat lots of food, alternate with non-alcoholic drinks, and DON’T DRIVE if you are impaired.
  • Pick a designated driver. This is by far the smartest choice you can make if you plan on drinking at all.
  • If you have guests at your house, make sure no one leaves intoxicated. Fans don’t let fans drive drunk! (You can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired driving crash.)
  • Know numbers for local cab companies.
  • Stop drinking or serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter. Get in some sobering up time.
  • Buckle up and drive defensively–these are your best defenses against impaired drivers.

With that said, have fun! Enjoy Dallas! And let us know how YOU stayed safe.

Know Your Neighbor: How to Find Sexual Predators in Your Neighborhood

You’ve decided you need to be aware of sexual predators in your neighborhood. How do you go about finding out who they are and where they are? You can’t identify all predators because some haven’t been caught and some fail to register. What you can do is arm yourself with knowledge of how many registered offenders near your home. There are a couple of ways to go about getting this information and protecting your self.

  • Your local police department can provide you the most current and up-to-date list of registered sex offenders in your area.
  • The FBI national Sex Offender Registry Site at http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/registry.

The best possible defense against sexual predators in your neighborhood, though, is the formation of a neighborhood watch. Since we don’t have each and every offender identified, it is best to watch for suspicious behavior and remain on the defensive.

Tuesday tip: Test Your Alarm with MyMonitronics

An alarm system is as good as its ability to communicate and function. That’s why it is important to test it every month. You should confirm that all pieces of your alarm are in-tact and the alarm system, as a whole, is communicating with Monitronics. We don’t want is for you to find an issue during an emergency, when you need help.

Monitronics makes it easy to manage your account with MyMonitronics. One of the convenient functions we provide online is the ability to test your alarm system using our testing wizard. Follow these simple steps to test your alarm system today:

1. Log into MyMonitronics

2. On the left-hand navigation, choose “My System”, then “System Test”

3. Follow the instructions in the Test Wizard

And voilà! You’ve just taken an important step to protect yourself and your family.

VMS makes the news

Monitronics Authorized Dealers Versatile Marketing Solutions made the news this week in Rhode Island for their booming business and promising 2011 in that area.

Fox Providence’s “RI alarm company to hire 70+ in 2011” ran online and on TV Tuesday. CEO Jay Gotra was quoted as saying, “My people that work for me, my biggest asset is the people that work for me. It’s really the truth. I believe that if you have the right people you can do anything.”

That’s the kind of people Monitronics dealers attract every day! Congratulations, VMS!

Top Monitronics dealers rewarded with Cowboys game

Two top-performing authorized Monitronics dealers were treated to a special event on Sunday, December 19.

From October 1 through November 30, Monitronics held a contest in which the top five winners in each category would be invited to a game at the new Cowboys Stadium here in Dallas. The game against the Redskins was a real nail-biter, but our boys won.

Monitronics event attendees were: Mitch Clarke, Vice President of Marketing; and Ernest Celedon, Regional Territory Manager.

The winners honored on December 19 were:

  • VMS, Jay, Barry, and Brian
  • Nationwide, Jason and Mairin

Congratulations, dealers, on a job well done!