Home Security in Phoenix is always important. Home security keeps our family and property safe. Crime peaks during the holiday season, but the threat of burglary, fire, carbon monoxide, home invasion and other losses don’t watch the calendar. Crime happens every day. Property losses happen every day. A home security system can protect you, your family and your property from losses when you are at home or away.

Having a home security system is important. There are also things you can do around your home to enhance your safety and security. Visit our website to find Safety Tips that you can implement yourself to enhance the safety and security of your family and home or call 480-213-7856 to schedule a free home security review.

Your Safety Is Our Top Priority!

Why should I have a Home Security System?

One of the most often asked questions we get is “why should I have a home security system?” The quick answer is that having a home security system makes your home far less likely to be a target of a crime. The longer answer is how does having a home security system decrease the chances of a break-in and protect you, your family from assault, injury or worse and protect your home against property crime?

Criminals look for easy to hit targets that they can get into quickly and quietly, with as little chance of being seen as possible. A properly designed home security system will Deter, Detect and Defend. What does that mean?

The first goal in home security is to deter break-ins, keep your family from potential harm and protect your property. This is done by having a sign in your yard that can be easily and clearly seen from the street, as well as window stickers. These let potential criminals know your home is protected by a home security system. FBI statistics clearly show criminals are 3 times less likely to commit a burglary or other crime in homes with security systems.

A home security system will detect when an unauthorized person enters your premises, as long as the home security system is designed correctly and the home security system has been armed. Detection is accomplished when a protected door or window is opened, when motion is detected or when glass breaks. Once the breach occurs, the home security system alarm is tripped and the siren begins sounding. The noise of the siren is designed to draw attention to the premises and scare the intruder so they run.

The third aspect of a properly designed home security system is to defend. This is accomplished by having your home security system monitored by a certified monitoring company that provides 24/7/365 coverage. Once the system detects an intrusion and the alarm is tripped, the home security system immediately communicates the alarm condition to the monitoring company. Within seconds, the monitoring company will respond by calling the premises or designated cell phones to verify the alarm and dispatch the police, if needed.

So there is the long answer to “why should I have a home security system” – having a home security system is simply a wise investment in providing the safety and security you deserve.

What should a home security system include?

Home security systems can be hardwired, wireless or a combination of the two. Regardless of the method of connection, the basic components of a home security system are:

* Contacts or sensors used to detect intrusion at exterior doors and windows.

* Motion sensors to detect an intruder once they’ve entered your premises.

* Keypad to arm and disarm the system, as well as system programming.

* Control panel, or the brains of the home security system that receives the alarm notice, sounds the siren and communicates the alarm condition to the monitoring company.

There are many other home security devices, features and options that are important to consider in the design of your specific home security system. For example:

Keypads. There are a wide variety of keypad to control your home security system. Traditional keypads look like a push button telephone. Newer, easier to see and use keypads incorporate icons and touch screen technology, just like the smart phone you probably have.

Smoke and fire detectors. Having these devices communicate with the control panel alerts the monitoring company of the fire and they will immediately dispatch the fire department.

Panic buttons. Wireless panic buttons can be worn on a pendant, bracelet, belt clip or on your keys. In the event of an emergency, such as a home invasion or medical emergency, depressing the panic button will immediately communicate with the monitoring company and help will be dispatched.

Glass break sensors. These sensors can be used to cover large areas of windows/glass. Glass break sensors may save you money by reducing the number of window contacts. In addition, the glass break sensors will detect the breaking of glass and immediately trip the alarm and sound the siren, as well as calling the monitoring company. Many homeowners prefer this type of protection to keep the intruder outside the home.

Asset tags. Many homeowners have TV’s on their patio. To protect them from theft, an asset tag can be placed on the TV. The tag will detect motion (like the TV is being removed from the wall bracket), as well as a tamper switch. If either condition is detected, the home security system will trip the alarm, sound the siren and call the monitoring company.

Water or flood sensors. One of the most frequent homeowner insurance claim is because of water damage. Adding water sensors to your home security system will detect the water and notify the monitoring company. The monitoring company would in turn contact the homeowner to alert them of the problem.

Communication method. Until recent years, using your home telephone line was the typical way to communicate alarm conditions to the monitoring company. However, with the decline of traditional home telephone lines came the need for alternate methods of communication. Communicating to the monitoring company can be accomplished using radio or cellular communication devices, as well as a traditional landline. Some homeowners will use their traditional phone line as the primary method of communication, but have a radio/cell unit as a backup

Video Surveillance. With more and more single parent households and households where both parents must work, the need and concern for the safety of their children has increased. In addition, seniors want to maintain their independence for as long as possible, but, their adult children worry about their safety and security. Video surveillance is an affordable and effective way to see exactly what is going on at your home or your parents home. Home security systems can send you text or email notifications, along with video clips. So, for example, when your daughter comes home and disarms the home security system at 3:15, you can receive a video clip showing her coming home, safe and alone. In addition, you can remotely look in on live video any time from most web enabled devices.

Home Automation. Home security systems aren’t just for emergencies and protection any more. You can also use your home security system to remotely control your thermostats, lights, locks, surround sound system and other small household appliances. You can stay in touch with your home and be in control of your energy bill and always give the perception that someone is home.

Physical Protection.  No, I’m not talking about having or using guns to protect yourself or your property. Your home security system should also include sturdy window and door locks, steal door strikes and hinges too. If you have a sliding door, have a pin or locking pin installed. These devices will keep the door from being lifted off the track and set aside for easy entry. The stick you probably have in the track is good for two things – 1, to keep the door from moving sideways, 2, as a weapon to be used against you by the intruder.

As you can see, there are a lot of potential components to your home security system. Installing and using a home security system is a smart move; being certain that it is designed to meet your unique and specific needs and concerns is even wiser.

Read more at Xpress Protection Security, where Your Safety Is Our Top Priority!

Phoenix Home Security

Having a home security system in Phoenix will reduce your chances of being a victim of a home burglary. According to the FBI, homes with security systems are 2.7 times less likely to be burglarized. They also report that 60% of home burglaries occur during the daytime hours and that criminals take less than a minute to enter a home.

Home security systems use to be just for burglary or fire alarms. While it remains extremely important to protect you, your family and your property from such risks, today home security are much more. Your home security in Phoenix can also protect you and your family from home invasion or ambush situation. In fact, if you need emergency response from the police or for medical emergencies, at the touch of a button todays home security system will put you in immediate contact with the appropriate emergency assistance. Adding two-way voice on your home security system allows the alarm monitoring company to have their emergency medical agents speak with you right through the home security system, without the need to pick up your phone.

Technological advances have also enabled home security systems to be completely wireless – from the contacts and detectors communicating with the central control panel, to the control panel contacting and communicating alarm conditions without using traditional phone lines. There is no longer the need to run wire or put holes in your walls to get contacts or detection devices installed to protect you and your property. In some situations, for example, a home with an existing home security system, it may make sense to have a hybrid home security system. A hybrid home security system incorporates both hardwired and wireless technology and devices. This allows for reuse of existing wiring, or adding a wireless device where an old wire has been cut, from remodeling perhaps, to adding new devices in areas that were not previously protected. Wireless technology is also appropriate for adding devices in homes with flat roofs or hard to access attic space to add smoke detectors or carbon monoxide sensors to the home security system.

There are a wide range of capabilities and conveniences available with todays home security system, and the need for protecting you, your family and your property has never been greater. The FBI further reports that a burglary occurs every 18 seconds in the US and that 1 in every 6 homes will be victim to home burglary. These numbers don’t reflect the additional number of home invasion and ambush that are occurring. You can’t pick up a paper or watch the news without a story of a home burglary, home invasion, shooting or child abduction in Phoenix. Here is a story from just last week.

You can protect you, your family and your home from such risks. There are many things that can be done, by everyone, to enhance their safety and security at home, in addition to having an using a home security system. Click here for Safety Tips for your home security in Phoenix.

5 Pet Safety Tips

Protect your pets from the dangers of fire and carbon monoxide when you are not home.

We have two toy Pomeranian’s – Boo and Kadee. Boo was saved by one of our sons, and Kadee we ‘inherited’ when another of our sons was traveling and playing football in NFLEurope.

Like most pet owners, we treat Boo and Kadee as if they are our children. So, their safety and well-being is a concern whenever we are not at home with them. In fact, Colleen doesn’t want to go on vacations or travel unless we can take ‘the children’ with us.

The main cause of concern we have for their safety is fire. Every year 40,000 pets are killed in house fires! Here are a few simple things you can do to protect your pets in the event of fire at your home when you aren’t there:

Pet Safety Tips

• Display pet alert decals prominently in your front and back windows to alert first responders that you have pets inside. You can get pet alert decals at your pet store, fire department, from your security alarm company, or you can buy them online.

• Keeping your yard clean and hedges trimmed will help minimize the possibility of a brush fire near your home.

• Have your heating and AC system inspected every spring and fall. Gas appliances and equipment can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is known as ‘the silent killer ‘ because it is tasteless and odorless. Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for more than 400 human deaths and 20,000 trips to the emergency room each year. Carbon monoxide can and does kill pets too.

• Invest in a monitored home security alarm system that will alert you via text or email of a fire or carbon monoxide detection, while simultaneously dispatching the fire department.

• Be sure at least one trusted neighbor has a key to your home. If there is an emergency, they may be able open a door to let firemen in—or your pet out.

Following these simple pet safety tips will give you peace of mind that your pets are safe at home, and that you have security measures in place if there is a fire or emergency at you home while you are gone.