Quality of Business Security Surveillance Video Technology

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Video surveillance is increasingly becoming a key component of any business security strategy. A business security video surveillance system can play multiple roles when it comes to protecting your company’s assets, including:

  • Reducing employee theft
  • Documenting break-ins or vandalism
  • Providing a chain of evidence when investigating accidents
  • Reducing insurance premiums.

premise liability

Not all business security systems are created equal, however. In fact, in order to fully benefit from the protection of video surveillance, it is necessary to make sure that the system you order matches your particular needs.

Read more →

American Alarm and One Fund Boston, Inc.

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Boston StrongAs a New-England based company, we at American Alarm were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic events that occurred during the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Needless to say, it hit close to home and our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected.

To do our small part, we held a special company-wide casual day for our employees to raise money for One Fund Boston, Inc. This fund was created by Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to raise money for those affected by these events.

Additionally, Attorney General Martha Coakley urged Boston citizens to be careful of fraudulent charity sites, and only to donate to reputable organizations such as One Fund Boston, Inc.

The following picture shows a portion of our Arlington team showing our Boston pride and support.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm and Child Safety Tips for the Kitchen

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Your kitchen is likely much more than a place to have meals; it can be the best place to study, to sit and talk with family members or friends and to plan futures. It’s a place to make you feel safe and secure.

child kitchen safetyMaybe all that’s changed today — although we’d like to think not — but one thing hasn’t changed; if you’re not careful, the heart of your home can become a dangerous place for children.

One of the most important aspects of kitchen safety for both children and adults is the inclusion of carbon monoxide monitoring within your home alarm system. With recent heat and electricity outages in Brockton, Mass., one family tried to use their gas stove for warmth. This led to the hospitalization of three adults and two children, according to enterprisenews.com. Although all are expected to make a full recovery — a functional carbon monoxide alarm would have alerted these individuals of the danger before falling ill.

Read more →

How to Keep your Business Secure and Prevent Employee Theft

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Preventing employee theft used to only involve stopping a worker from walking out with your goods or helping himself to the money in the cash register. Take, for example, a recent incident at the Home Depot in Watertown, Mass., as reported in the Watertown Patch.

Employee Theft

Home Depot security officers, who suspected an employee of stealing, caught him allegedly grabbing a $100 bill from the register and putting it in his apron. After he was arrested, the suspect admitted to taking approximately $5,000 in cash over five or six weeks.

While this type of theft still clearly occurs, times have changed, and employees have turned to more sophisticated ways to steal everything from merchandise to data from their employers.

Here are a few old school and cutting-edge ways to prevent your employees from stealing from your business;

Read more →

How to Prevent Smoking-related Fires in the Home

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

You’ve probably heard the stories about people who have fallen asleep with a lit cigarette in their hand and woken up to a house on fire — or who have been pulled out of the charred remains of their home by a fire crew. Those aren’t tall tales: each year, the U.S. Fire Administration documents close to 1,000 cases of individuals killed in home fires started by cigarettes.

cigaretteRecently, a Westfield, Massachusetts woman was killed by cigarette smoking near a home oxygen system. The fire not only took her life, but caused significant damage to the downtown apartment complex. While smoking should NEVER take place near highly flammable materials such as oxygen systems, fires often still occur in homes without obvious risks.

Aside from quitting smoking, there are a few ways you can try to reduce the chances that you will ever have to deal with a home fire caused by a lit cigarette. Read more →

Business Security: Common Ploys Used by Shoplifters

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

The fact is that every year businesses lose tens of billions of dollars to shoplifting, and if you’re retailer you’re all too well aware of that painful fact.

Ploys used by ShoplifersFor example, just recently police in Dedham, Mass. were called to a local supermarket by the store’s loss prevention employee who witnessed a woman putting items in her purse and in her cart. Then she tried to leave the store without paying for the merchandise.

Although it’s not possible for you to completely do away with shoplifting, there are ways to prevent shoplifters from taking advantage of a five-finger discount. Read more →