Great Honeywell video about using the Honeywell Lynx Plus system.
Viewing ‘Home Security’ Category
31
Aug
2010
Posted by Leah
Tuesday tips: Keeping Latchkey Kids Safe After School
Back to school time is a fun and exciting time of every year. In today’s economy, however, many stay at home parents have had to return to jobs outside of the house and their kids will, for the first time this fall, be on their own for a few hours after school.
If you find yourself in this situation, take heart. With a little thought and preparation you can insure that your child is comfortable and secure until you make it home from work. Follow the tips below to help create a smooth transition to this new way of life for you and your child:
Have Your Child Check In When Arriving Home – If you know how long it takes your child to get to and from school, you should have a pretty good idea of when to expect him or her to check in. A short phone call in which your child can hear your voice can supply the reassurance and moral support until you get home.
Establish an After School Routine – A brief list of after-school chores or, at least, an established order in which things should be done, will provide your child with structure and keep him or her from aimless moments, which can lead to mischief. For example, you may set a rule that prohibits watching television or playing video games until the dog has been fed and homework has been done.
Set Rules for Opening the Door and Answering the Phone - Set a strict policy about never opening the door of the house to strangers – even ones dressed in official capacities, such as firemen, policemen, or utility workers. Have your child phone you or a trusted, adult neighbor who’s at home if there is any question about opening the door.
If your child answers the phone while you’re at work, make sure that they never tell the caller you’re not there. Instead, instruct them to say that you’re busy at the moment or unable to come to the phone.
Prepare After School Snacks Ahead of Time – Most kids like to take a few minutes to unwind and have a snack when they get home from school. As kids get older – or just more precocious – they may try to prepare snacks themselves. Without the proper supervision, these culinary exploits could result in your child injuring himself or accidentally starting a fire.
Take a moment to set out your children’s after school snacks at the beginning of the week. If they require any sort of heating up or cooking (such as, microwave popcorn), make sure your child knows exactly which buttons to push on the microwave oven.
Also, occasionally unforeseen circumstances, such as inclement weather, bad traffic problems, or some unanticipated work issue might prevent you from making it home at your regular dinner time. Purchase some frozen dinners or set aside emergency pizza delivery money (for older children) so that they won’t have to resort to their own culinary devices to feed themselves.
Prepare a List of Emergency Phone Numbers – Provide your children with a list of phone numbers of people they can contact if you’re not available. Ideally, this list would consist of trusted friends, neighbors, and relatives who are nearby and can be reached during an emergency. Contact these people when you make the list to get an idea of their availability and willingness to serve as an emergency “lifeline” for your child.
You can also ad emergency and other frequently used numbers to the list, such as the Utility Company (in case of a power interruption) or your favorite pizza delivery service. Once the list is complete, place it in a prominent place in the house where your child can easily find it. If your child has a cell phone, you can also program the numbers directly into it.
If you already have an emergency phone number list, the beginning of the school year is the perfect time to update it and to touch base with your friends who are on it to see if they are still willing and available to be an emergency contact.
By following these simple suggestions, you can defuse a potentially stressful situation and help your child make the change to this new after school arrangement.
If you would like to take further steps to insure even more peace of mind, consider one of our Monitronics home security alarms. We can customize our home security systems to meet your specific needs, such as providing you with remote video access to your house or texting you as soon as your child walks in the door. Contact us today for more information: 800-447-9239.
24
Aug
2010
Posted by Leah
Tuesday tip: Back to School Safety Tips for Kids Walking to School
As school starts up again around the country, morning and afternoon sidewalks are full of kids walking to and from school or to the bus stop. Even in the safest of neighborhoods, however, these short journeys can present potential dangers and disasters that can easily be avoided by following a few simple rules.
If you have a child who walks to school, follow the suggestions listed below to insure a pleasant, stress-free experience for both you and your child.
Choose a safe route for your child to walk. Avoid shortcuts through alleys, dimly lit streets, or areas that pass by abandoned houses or buildings. Once this route is established, make an agreement with your children that this is the only route they will take to school.
Walk the route with your child. Make sure your child knows the traffic rules, such as which side of the street to walk on, where to cross the street, and how to look out for traffic before crossing. Also, try to anticipate any dangers. Is there a creepy house or troublesome dog that might make them alter their route and do something unsafe? If there is, address this concern and come up with an alternative plan.
Lastly, time the route. This way you’ll know how long it should take them to walk it, and when to expect them home in the afternoons.
Find safe zones along the route. Should your child become sick, injured or threatened along the way, where can he or she go to seek refuge? Do you know people who live along the route? Is there a friendly store or business along the way? Will someone be around during the times that kids are walking to school?
Many communities have programs where stay-at-home moms, retired couples, or trusted people who are home during the day volunteer to provide a safe haven for kids should they have any trouble on the way to or from school. These volunteers often mark their houses with a sign in the front window or in the yard. See if there’s such a program in your community. If not, consider starting one.
Make sure that your child walks with a friend or group of friends. There is safety in numbers. If one of your child’s walking buddies acts up or starts behaving dangerously along the route, make sure that your child feels comfortable telling you so that you can address the situation.
Establish a “No Rides from Strangers” Rule. Make sure your child knows who he can accept rides from. Child predators can be quite conniving and may try to lure kids with candy, a story about a lost pet, a lie that they know you and that you sent them, or there might even be another child in the car. Make sure that your child knows absolutely, under no circumstances, to accept rides from strangers.
Should someone try to force them into a car, your child should scream as loudly as possible and run back up the road in the opposite direction to the nearest safe zone that you established earlier.
Have your child check-in before leaving and after getting home. Having your child check in when leaving and returning home will give both of you peace of mind and can be accomplished with a simple text or phone call. Of course, our Monitronics home security alarms can also be configured to do that for you. Contact us today if you’d like more information on this feature or any of our home security systems.
Walking to school provides children with memories that will last a life time. By following the rules and suggestions mentioned above, you can help insure that those memories will be safe and happy ones!
23
Aug
2010
Posted by Jason
Monitoring Center operator saves the day
On Sunday, August 15, around 6 a.m., 91-year-old Luella Chamberlin from Arizona was awake and in her kitchen. As she started to prepare herself breakfast, she lost her footing and fell. It was a dire situation: she was alone, bleeding, and unable to get up. A feeling of panic began to overtake her, so she pressed the remote on her Monitronics monitored alarm system and hoped someone would help.
In our Dallas Monitoring Center, first-shift operator April Drayton had just started work when she intercepted Mrs. Chamberlin’s panic alarm. April accessed the two-way voice feature on the system and spoke with Mrs. Chamberlin, realizing immediately that an ambulance was needed. With the help of a colleague, April dispatched one within a minute.
April stayed on the line with Mrs. Chamberlin, calming and assuring her that help would soon be there. Within 10 minutes, the paramedics arrived and made a forced entry into the home. Once inside, they determined that Mrs. Chamberlin needed to be transported to a nearby hospital.
We checked in on Mrs. Chamberlin the next day–she had lost a lot of blood, but was safe and healing. “I got seven stitches in my head and I’m very weak,” she said. “[April] was so nice and polite. You don’t find them like that anymore. Thank you so much.”
Thank you, April, for your excellent work. You made a difference in a customer’s life.
20
Aug
2010
Posted by Leah
Dealer spotlight: Safe and Sound
Monitronics Authorized Dealers are the engine behind our business. They are the ones who sell and service our monitored alarm systems across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. As part of this blog, we will start spotlighting certain dealers that catch our eye. The first is Safe and Sound Security in Pleasant Hill, California.
Why Safe and Sound? Because excellence is the cornerstone of their business, and it shows. They are currently ranked #1, among all dealers, for the quality of the accounts they bring to Monitronics. Owners Patrick Chown and Jason Wagner say this is because of their business strategy: focus on high-quality accounts and bring in good customers who will stick around for years.
Safe and Sound became Authorized Monitronics Dealers in March 2009 and have a company of about 40 people. They picked our program because of the business processes and their experience with Monitronics dealers in the field.
“We were with another monitoring company before and never felt completely confident in them. We knew the process at Monitronics and wanted to be a part of the team,” said Patrick.
As they look to the future, Patrick and Jason say they are focused on “organic growth.”
“There are a ton of dealers in California and we are dealing with a lot of competition, so we have found a way to do things a little differently than the other guys,” Patrick said. “This ‘organic growth’ is about creating an environment that manifests growth, but does not outgrow itself. Because we have a balance of quality and quantity, we can continue to grow at a steady pace.”
“We’re looking for people who have an inherent interest in protecting their homes and families,” said Patrick.
You can learn more about Safe and Sound at their website, www.getsafeandsound.com, or by calling 925-234-4483.
10
Aug
2010
Posted by admin
Local crime watch on guard against scams
We encourage community activism, especially in the area of crime prevention. Good neighbors make good security.
A member of the Firethorne Community Crime Watch Committee near Katy, Texas, recently contacted us after receiving a Monitronics postcard warning of door-to-door scammers. They thanked us for the head’s up and said they’re taking action. We appreciate the shout-out and want to share their community notification:
DON’T BECOME A SUMMER SECURITY SCAM VICTIM
Firethorne Community Crime Watch Committee Warns of Door-to-Door ScammersAt least one security alarm company is warning its customers to beware of door-to-door salespeople this summer in Firethorne. Monitronics, a Dallas-based alarm monitoring company, recently called many Katy-area customers to warn about possible con artists.
These scammers, shady representatives of other alarm security providers, often offer fraudulent “deals.” Victims that fall prey to these scams can end up with double bills, non-working systems, and the huge headache of trying to get out of the situation.
According to representatives at Monitronics, these double dealers will knock on your door and likely claim that your current security provider is out of business or that they have a better deal for you if you will switch providers. They use high-pressure sales tactics to get you to agree to a “free upgrade” or other system bells and whistles. These swindlers often urge you to do the “upgrade” the same day.
Monitronics has a dedicated Summer Alert Hotline further describing this scam at 800-396-9815. You can also visit http://www.monitronics.com/SecurityScam.
26
Jul
2010
Posted by Leah
Storm season can mean false alarms
Summer storm season is here and so are our efforts to prevent false alarms based on those storms.
Every summer, we field numerous preventable false alarm calls during storms. Be sure to check all batteries in your system to keep your alarm from tripping during a thunderstorm. Another tip: make sure all doors and windows close and lock securely so that they don’t blow open in high winds. Finally, pick up tarps and trash if you have outside motion detectors.
Help us meet our goal of lowering false alarms this summer. If you have questions, call Monitronics at 800-447-9239.
21
Jul
2010
Posted by Jason
Awesome Home Security Technology
As a brief diversion we thought it’d be worthwhile to suggest some best-practices for building your home which could negate or reduce the need for an electronic security system altogether. For instance, simply building a moat around your house could reduce chances of break-ins by a factor of about 85%, according to our scientists’ estimates, and it could also be used for swimming. Introducing the “Swimming Moat” (Est. cost $275,000 to $650,000, depending on size of home):
"Swimming Moat" - Copyright © Steven M. Johnson. Used by permission.
For a more protective home-surround-system which includes aggressive, autonomous-agents (canines) which could fight off potential intruders, we recommend this feature –
15
Jul
2010
Posted by Leah
Customer feedback: Kudos Monitronics
We heart our customers! And we really love it when they give us constructive feedback. Our customer Roy Spencer sent in this description of his recent experience.
“I want to express my deep appreciation for your wonderful services as an alarm company. I have to admit that when I signed up with Monitronics, I was leery; however, when a heating company was sawing an opening for a cold air return on my wall, the sawdust made the fire alarm go off. Because Monitronics couldn’t get through to my cell phone, they called my brother and a fire truck was there in minutes.
“An unfortunate but very real emergency occurred Thursday, July 8, 2010, after 11 p.m. when three men were attempting to break into my home because they thought I was not there. Thanks to my panic button on my remote, the alarm scared them off! I called 911 on my own, but Monitronics was on the ball.
“Thanks for being such an outstanding alarm company, giving us not only fantastic service, but also providing a vast amount of security for a reasonable cost during these difficult economic times. I have been telling my friends and acquaintances about your wonderful company. It is a pleasure to be part of the Monitronics family. Thank you once again.”
07
Jul
2010
Posted by Leah
Secure your home office and play it safe
Many people work at home these days and it has its advantages. There are a few special safety concerns that small, home-based businesses need to consider. This is especially imperative if you’ve got kids coming in and out of the space.
- Obtain adequate liability insurance if customers, suppliers, or employees visit your home office and learn about your responsibilities to them.
- If your office gets its own room, put in a deadbolt and use it.
- If it’s sharp, pointy, or pinchy, keep it out of reach of children. This includes scissors, letter openers, paper shredders (unplug them), thumb tacks, paper cutters, and electric pencil sharpeners.
- Install a monitored smoke alarm as part of your home security system and keep fire extinguishers handy.
- Protect your home office and entire house with a monitored security system from Monitronics.
- Check out the OSHA safety and health topics for specific workplace hazards.
28
Jun
2010
Posted by Jason
Bicycle safety: avoid the red light of death and other advice
Life on two wheels is exciting and bicycles are great exercise. But sharing the road with cars can be a harrowing experience. The obvious piece of advice is “wear a helmet,” but a helmet offers you ZERO protection from a swerving car or distracted driver. Bike-related injuries annually land more than 500,000 people in emergency rooms and kill 700.
For situational safety and specific traffic dangers, the authority on this is BicycleSafe.com. We’ve got some more general advice, based on personal experience and research.
- Stay hyper alert. From opening car doors to distracted drivers, you’ve got a load of risks to manage.
- Get a headlight. At night, they are required by law, but a strobing or bright light can help drivers see you during daylight hours, too.
- Slow down. Any time you can’t make eye contact with a driver who is nearing your bike, reduce your speed.
- Don’t ride on the sidewalk. If you think cars aren’t looking for you on the road, try being on a sidewalk. They have NO reason to expect you crossing a street from there.
- Don’t ride against traffic. Again, cars are not expecting you and a head-on collision is one of the most dangerous. One study estimated that riding the wrong way was three times as dangerous as riding the right way, and for kids, the risk was seven times greater.
- Move out of a car’s blind spot. This holds for when you’re moving and at a stop.
- Pass on the left only. You’re asking to get hit by a right turn if you pass on that side.
- Wear bright clothing during the day and reflective at night.
- Get a mirror. A mirror for your handlebars is cheap and lets you see what cars are doing before you make a move.
22
Jun
2010
Posted by Leah
Tuesday tips: safety first for DIY work
It may be blazing hot in Texas, but that hasn’t stopped me from venturing outside for a little yard work and landscaping. Unfortunately, hedge-trimming and a momentary lapse in concentration meant I sliced my finger open; I’m lucky I didn’t cut it to the bone. I forgot two big safety rules: two hands on the power tools and take your time. It got me to thinking about what else I am forgetting as I go about with home improvements and DIY projects. Check out these basic tips and keep all your fingers and stay safe as you renovate.
DIY with safety in mind
- Take your time. Rushing things can lead to careless mistakes. Like hammering your hand or cutting yourself with tools.
- Get a first aid kit. If you do have an accident, this is essential. Check out the American Red Cross recommendations.
- Get smart with power tools. This is a big one: Never leave it unattended. Store tools away from kids and pets. Follow instructions and read the owner’s manual. Make sure the tool is off before you plug it in. Inspect it for frayed cords or damage. Finally, look for UL mark on your tool; that means it’s been tested for fire, electric shock and other safety hazards.
- Know your surroundings. What’s around you? People? Pets? Power lines? Be in-the-know.
- Dork out. Disregard how you look and get on those safety glasses, earplugs, or hard hats. Take off jewelry that could catch in moving parts and roll up long sleeves.
- Stay a beginner at heart. Even if you’ve done it a hundred times, maintain the caution and care you exercised the first time you did a DIY project. Too much confidence has led to more than one accident.
- Know when to say when. Don’t let your pride keep you from calling in the professionals when a job is too big. Know your limits to stay comfortable and safe.
09
Jun
2010
Posted by Leah
How to keep up with safety recalls
I recently started reading the Consumer Reports website for some high-tech recommendations when their safety blog caught my eye. Whoa. Recalls galore! And on products that I use!
This got me to thinking about how I can stay better informed of recalls. It appears that the Internet is my source. There’s not really a one-stop shop, but there are several great resources.
For updates on recalls on products like toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals, check out the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission‘s website; you can find info on over 4,500 product recalls on their site.
Another site I dig is Recalls.gov, where six federal agencies with vastly different jurisdictions have joined together to create a “one stop shop” for U.S. government recalls. You can join e-mail lists and get recall info delivered to you inbox on everything from food and boats to medicine and cosmetics.
Other groups:
Safe Kids
Consumer Watch
SafeCar.gov
Part of staying safe is staying informed and these sites can help. Let us know about your recall experience in the comments section. Would love to hear about it.
13
May
2010
Posted by Jason
Monitronics smoke monitoring prevents fire
One of the most gratifying parts of working at Monitronics is the stories of tragedies prevented. This week, we had just such an event that I want to share. Because of our monitored smoke protection, a near-fire was averted in a customer’s home, something that could have destroyed her home and killed her five beloved cats.
On Monday around 2 p.m., a fire alarm came into our Monitoring Station from the Shelly Kitchen residence in Fresno, California. Our second-shift operator Francisco Galicia responded by calling the Kitchen residence, but got no response. He dispatched the Fresno County Fire Department immediately. They arrived and found the dishwasher was the cause; a plastic part had fallen on the the heating element, which was smoldering and would have caught on fire.
Later on Monday, Mrs. Kitchen called our Customer Service department in tears to thank us for saving her home and her cats. She had cancelled her service at one point, but came back to Monitronics to ensure that her pets would be safe when she traveled.
“It’s so important for me to have control over my house and the monitored protection gives that to me,” she said. “I’m so happy with Monitronics. I want to express my gratitude for saving our home and our cats with such fast response Monday.”
11
May
2010
Posted by Jason
Tuesday tips: Prevent child drowning
Child drownings are devastating and preventable–drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children ages one to 14.
Things like pool fence laws have helped lower the numbers since the 1970s. While there are no federal pool fence laws in place in the US, several states, including New York, Florida, California, and Arizona, have their own individual ones. Some municipalities have their own laws, as well, and the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act governs public pools. (Side note: you can petition for stricter pool safety. Read about it at the Pool Safety Council.)
But even if every pool had a fence, child drownings would not stop. These are a few safety tips to follow:
- Adults need to be present and paying attention when young children are in the pool, bathtub, or playing around water. Put down the iPhone, don’t mow the lawn, set aside the margarita and watch closely. Alcohol in particular impairs your ability to effectively monitor kids.
- Get your kids in swimming lessons early. Some places even offer “mommy-and-me” classes for infants. But be aware that the American Academy of Pediatrics says that swimming classes should not be considered drowning prevention for children younger than four.
- Get a barrier around your pool and teach your children to respect that boundary. Never prop the door open.
- Keep a life jacket on your child while he or she is in the pool. “Noodles,” “water wings,” rafts, inner tubes and the like are not sufficient.
- Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). You might save a child’s life in the time it takes emergency responders to arrive.