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13
May 2010
Posted by Jason
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Monitronics smoke monitoring prevents fire

FirefightersOne 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.”

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23
Feb 2010
Posted by Jason
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Tuesday Tips: Prevent chimney fires

I recently noticed that the back metal wall in our fireplace looks loose. When I push on it with a fire poker, it bows a little. Freak out! I love our cozy winter fires, but am acutely aware that our delightful fire could burn the house down. So what to do? Clearly we need to get a chimney check, which turns out to be tip #1 in the top ten provided by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. Here’s how to stay safe, from their site.

Chimney fire

1. Get an annual chimney check. Have chimneys inspected annually, and cleaned as necessary, by a qualified professional chimney service technician. This reduces the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to creosote buildup or obstructions in the chimneys.

2. Keep it clear. Keep tree branches and leaves at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney.

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29
Dec 2009
Posted by Jason
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Tuesday Tips – New Year’s Home Security Resolutions

You never know what the future holds, but many emergencies and crimes can be easily prevented with just a little preparation. Incorporate these three simple safety tips into your normal routine to make 2010 a year of safety and prosperity for you and your family!

• Shred all junk mail
Criminals can use junk mail to order products or credit cards in your name and establish steal your identity. It’s even important that you even shred the return envelopes, as many of them have barcodes, which contain your personal information.
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• Set the lock your doors and set alarm EVERY time you leave the house
Raise your right hand and repeat after me, “I will set the alarm every time I leave the house,” and then do it. As many as 30% of all home intrusions are classified as “unlawful entries” because the criminals don’t have to force their way inside. They simply walk in through an unlocked door or window.

As great as our Monitronics home security alarm systems are, they don’t work when they’re not activated. Please, lock your doors and set your alarms!

• Have a safety plan for fire, emergency, or other natural disaster
Do your kids know what to do in case an emergency or inclement weather strikes while they’re home alone? Do you and your family know what to do in case a fire strikes in the middle of the night? The Szloseks from Palmyra, Tennessee did and thanks to their quick thinking and Monitronics monitored smoke and fire alarm system, they escaped their house in time to avoid serious injury or even death.

We at Monitronics would like to wish you a safe, healthy, and prosperous 2010 for you and your loved ones! For total protection against burglary, fire, and carbon monoxide poisoning, consider installing or upgrading your Monitronics home security system.

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04
Dec 2009
Posted by Leah
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Christmas tree safety

As you spread holiday cheer, Monitronics wants you to be fire smart, especially when it comes to your Christmas tree. That beautiful decoration can turn a small fire into a huge one in a matter of minutes. These tips come from our friends over at the National Fire Protection Association.
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Picking the tree
* If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant.
* Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.

Placing the tree
* Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 1–2” from the base of the trunk.
* Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
* Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
* Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.

Lighting the tree
* Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
* Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.
* Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
* Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

After Christmas
Get rid of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside against the home. Check with your local community to find a recycling program. Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.

FACTS
Each year, fire departments respond to an average of 210 structure fires caused by Christmas trees.
* 48% of home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems.
* A heat source too close to the tree causes 27% of the fires.

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24
Nov 2009
Posted by Jason
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Monitronics Tuesday Tips – Prevent Candle Fires

Though they make the house smell good and go a long way in helping to create a holiday ambiance, candles are a chief source of house fires during the holiday season. Candles are the third leading cause of home fire injuries, and there are four times as many candle-related fire incidents during the holidays than at any other time of year. Instead of using lit candles, consider these creative alternatives.
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Flameless candles
Powered by batteries, flameless candles give the appearance of lit, burning candles without the mess of dripping wax or danger of fire. They are available in a variety of scents and styles and can be safely placed near flammable decorations.

Reed diffusers
Another popular alternative these days, reed diffusers require no heat, batteries or flames and can emit a pleasant fragrance for months at a time.

If you do use lit candles this holiday season, make sure that the candle holders are not flammable, that candles are not placed near any decorations that could easily catch fire, and never leave them burning unattended.

Following these common sense tips can help keep your family from becoming one of the numerous fire statistics this holiday season. For additional protection of your house while you’re both home and away, consider a monitored smoke and fire alarm system from Monitronics. Call us at 800-290-0709 for more information.

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20
Nov 2009
Posted by Leah
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Thanksgiving fire prevention: Stand by your pan

This Thanksgiving, as you strain the gravy and carve the bird, take care to stand by your pan. U.S. firefighters responded to about1,300 home fires involving cooking equipment on Thanksgiving in 2007, roughly three times the daily average of cooking fires. If you’ve got something on the stove, don’t leave it unattended, even for a moment. Stand by your pan and stay safe from a stove fire.
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14
Oct 2009
Posted by Leah
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Burglars may talk, but your house won’t

Yesterday, we tweeted about a great article called “13 Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You.” It’s a funny take on the burglar mindset, with points like, “Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier” and “Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.”

Author Michelle Crouch even has eight more things a burglar won’t tell you on her blog. We love that one of the sources is convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky. Jackpot!

The response to our tweet was big and we’ve been thinking about the whole premise of Michelle’s article. We’re a company that offers monitored security systems and the first thing people think of is protecting themselves from break-ins. But only a small percentage of home emergencies are actually burglaries. A monitored security system offers protection against so much more. So we played with Michelle’s original thought and came up with a few things your home knows, but won’t tell you. That is, unless you have a Monitronics monitored alarm system.

10 things your home won’t tell you, but an alarm will

1. Your teenager just got into the liquor cabinet and is mixing crème de menthe and soda with his chemistry lab partner.

2. Your telephone line has just been cut by someone sneaking around the side of your house. We offer wireless monitoring of your system.

3. That cheap space heater in the bedroom is starting to overheat and is producing smoke. But not enough to reach the one detector you put up years ago in the den. (Does that thing even have a battery?)

4. Your mother has not opened her medicine cabinet today and that means she has not taken her medication.

5. The reason you feel so sleepy lately is because there’s a growing amount of carbon monoxide in your bedroom.

6. Your fifth grader just got home from school and is playing inside safely. You don’t have to worry.

7.   Neighborhood kids just hit a home run over your fence and shattered your glass back door.

8.  Your aging father slipped and fell in the bathroom an hour ago and doesn’t have any way to let paramedics know because he’s not wearing a medical pendant.

9. The door to the gun cabinet just was opened, but the only person home is your teenage son.

10. Your babysitter is outside, talking to her boyfriend, while your six year old cuts her brother’s hair. With video monitoring, you could be watching this on your smartphone.

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04
Oct 2009
Posted by Leah
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All that sizzles is not safe in bedroom

It’s national Fire Prevention Week 2009 from October 4-10, a time to pay special attention to risks around our homes. According to the National Fire Protection Association, last year, fires caused more than $15.5 billion in directly property loss, with $8.6 billion of that being residential.

Many of those fires started in the bedroom, a place that’s designed for comfort and relaxation, but is no safe haven when it comes to home fires: Nearly 6,000 people die annually from bedroom fires, says the United States Fire Administration.

Sleep tight with these safety tips for the bedroom:

  • Replace mattresses made before 2007 that don’t meet the new flammability standard.
  • Never smoke in bed.
  • Make sure that electric blankets, bed warmers, and space heaters are lab tested and do not have frayed electric cords.
  • Operate space heaters at least three feet away from flammable objects, like curtains, clothes, bedspreads, sheets, and blankets.
  • Keep matches, lighters and candles out of the reach of children. When children play with these items, they often do so in their bedrooms.  This is especially critical during the holiday season when the number of house fires by children increases to a peak of 60 fires per day during mid-December.
  • Routinely check under beds, in closets, and furniture in children’s rooms for lighters, burnt matches, or other signs that they might be playing with fire.

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18
Sep 2009
Posted by Jason
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Avoid kitchen fires, stay safe

Got some tasty treats cooking up in the kitchen? Keep it safe with these fire prevention tips. Your safety and home alarm system needs aren’t limited to anti-theft protection.  Statistics show that the No. 1 “home intruder” is fire. In fact, cooking is the number-one cause of all home fires: almost 40% start there and most start during the dinner hours, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The sooner a fire is detected and emergency responders are notified, the greater the chance that your loved ones and possessions will be safe

• Think prevention when you’re cooking. Have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and have monitored smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. According to the U.S. Home Safety Council, 97% of U.S. homes have at least one basic smoke detector – but an off-the-shelf smoke alarm may not be enough to protect your family and property. Monitored smoke detection and fire alarm systems work even when your alarm system isn’t armed – and early detection of smoke or fire is the key to faster response.

• Never leave the kitchen while cooking and avoid cooking when you’re tired.

• Avoid wearing loose clothing around burners or gas flames.

• Move flammables away from stove-tops—paper and plastic catch on fire easily.

• Smother grease fires with a lid, metal tray, or cookie sheet. Don’t spray with an extinguisher. You could spread the fire to the walls.

• Unplug small appliances when you aren’t using them.

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