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05
Jul 2011
Posted by Lesley
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Tuesday Tips: Staying Cool During the Dog Days

It’s super hot outside . . . and it’s only getting warmer. The dog days of summer are upon us.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness. But, how do you stay cool when you need—or want—to be outside?

Heat-related illness is a serious problem, from 1979 to 2003, more people in this country died from extreme heat than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. So, if you absolutely must go outdoors during the dog days, follow these precautions identified by the CDC:

  • Drink plenty of fluids—but avoid alcohol and sugary drinks. Definitely don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
  • Replace your salt and minerals with a sports drink.
  • Wear sunscreen.
  • Try to schedule your outdoor time for the morning and evening hours—avoid the hottest part of the day.
  • Avoid hot food and heavy meals.

The summertime can be tons of fun, but can also be dangerous without the proper precaution. Be safe out there. See you at the pool!

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Posted in: Home Security, Tuesday tip

14
Jun 2011
Posted by Meg
2 comments

Tuesday Tips: Reduce Costly False Alarms

As a home or business owner, you know false alarms are a hassle. They waste time and resources for you, your monitoring company and responding police officers. And today, an increasing number of cities are beginning to charge individuals for excessive false alarms.

Don’t be the home or business that cried wolf. Follow these helpful tips from Monitronics on preventing those inconvenient—and potentially expensive—false alarms:

  1. Test your system monthly. It takes just a few minutes a month to make sure your system is working correctly.
  2. Secure all doors and windows. A curtain blowing in the breeze is enough to trigger a false alarm.
  3. Travel smart. Before you leave town for summer vacation, let your alarm company know that you’ll be away from home. Create a special passcode for the housesitter in case an alarm is triggered.
  4. Rethink your contact settings. Do you prefer not to be called after accidentally tripping your alarm? Change your settings. That way, your alarm company won’t automatically call you once you disarm the system.
  5. Update your call list. If your alarm company can’t reach you, they’re much more likely to dispatch police and firefighters over what may be a false alarm.
  6. Consider a pet-immune motion detector. This will keep Fido from constantly setting off the alarm.
  7. Know your code. Memorize your passcode, and share it with everyone who is authorized to be in your house, such as the babysitter, the cleaning woman and relatives.
  8. Be prepared to call. Post Monitronics’ toll-free number (800-447-9239) in an easily-accessible place so you and your family members can quickly cancel a false alarm.

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Posted in: Tuesday tip, Uncategorized

26
Apr 2011
Posted by Lesley
2 comments

Monitronics Nominates Anne Glickstein for CSAA Support Person of the Year

This year, Monitronics has nominated a dedicated and hard-working central station employee for CSAA‘s Support Person of the Year.

Anne Glickstein

Anne Glickstein

Anne Glickstein is right in the middle of the busy and dynamic atmosphere of central station. She happily supports anyone with any task. Part of what makes Anne so invaluable to Monitronics is her ability to work effectively with colleaugues, from management to support staff.

This is a super-exciting award to be nominated for in our industry. The winner will be announced June 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the annual CSAA Conference. Congratulations Anne!

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Posted in: Behind Our Doors, Industry Happenings, Uncategorized

05
Apr 2011
Posted by Lesley
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Faces of Fire: Meredith Hawes

Public Fire and Life Safety Educator Meredith Hawes is working to teach consumers about the life-saving potential of home fire sprinklers. Some people believe common myths about sprinklers, she says, but change their minds once they learn the truth.

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Posted in: Home Security, Tuesday tip

06
Apr 2010
Posted by Jason
1 comment

Tuesday tips: What to do when the alarm sounds

iStock_000011064387XSmallIt’s jarring, to say the least, when an alarm system goes off. The sirens, the panicky feeling, the sense of urgency. So what DO you do?

First, is it a false alarm? Did you set it off by opening a window or walking past a motion sensor? If that’s the case, walk to your panel and disarm the system. Anytime your alarm sounds, you have 30 seconds to do this–if you cancel the alarm in that time, it is not considered an emergency and you may not receive a call from the Monitronics monitoring center.  Do not disarm if there is a genuine emergency.

Here’s what to do in other situations:

Fire: Get out of your house as quickly as possible. We are going to dispatch the fire department when we get the alarm.

Medical emergency: When you receive a call from the Monitronics monitoring center, we will dispatch the emergency services and stay on the line with you until an ambulance arrives. Our average response time in 2009 was 22.1 seconds, so we’ll be calling or coming over your two-way voice panel quickly.

Burglary: Assess the situation. If you can leave the house, get out and call 911. You can also press the panic button on the alarm and we will dispatch the police immediately.

Carbon monoxide alarm: Leave the premise immediately we will dispatch the fire department.

Home invasion: Press the silent panic button on the alarm panel if you are able. Otherwise, cooperate with the intruder until the responding authorities arrive.

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Posted in: Business Security, Home Security, Tuesday tip