How Your Home Security System Can Help Protect You from Door Knockers

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

The warm weather brings some great things back to New England. Every spring we enjoy the return of wildlife, flowers, and Red Sox baseball. But warmer weather can also bring out the pests, such as ticks and mosquitoes.  The spring season also brings “door knockers” to some neighborhoods. Door knockers have been reported, in many cases, to be deceptive, aggressive salespeople that sometimes use fraudulent claims to try and sell you services or gain access to your home. The Boston area has already had recent reports of suspicious solicitors going door-to-door.

The good news is that your home security system could play a big part in keeping you safe. Here is how:

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Shoplifting Rises During April School Vacation

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

iStock_000084928009_SmallAs that old saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. April also brings kids a week off from reading, writing and arithmetic.

In New England (with the exception of Connecticut and New Hampshire) spring vacation week is typically the third week in April. Without the structure of school, teens will be looking for fun things to do to occupy their time.

Unfortunately, some kids may turn to other types of not-so-fun activities. In the United States, shoplifting and arrest rates increase when students are off from school including during April school vacation.

When they don’t have regular routines, teens typically hang out at the local mall. No merchant is immune as shoplifting juveniles will steal from all kinds of stores, including big box stores, department stores, supermarkets, drug stores, and even convenience stores.

Teenagers may steal items from merchants for the thrill of it, or to impress their friends. Some of the most common items teens will steal include clothing, books, music, jewelry and anything they can fit into their pockets or purses. Read more →

School Vacation Safety Tips This Spring

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Spring vacation is just around the corner. Time for relaxation and fun. It’s a time of year many families take a break from their every day lives and travel to somewhere really warm and fun.

For other families, though, spring break means kids having to stay home alone or with a caretaker while mom and dad are at their jobs.

Whether you’re jetting off to Walt Disney World with your children or sitting in your office cubicle while they’re amusing themselves at home, it’s important to take some precautions to ensure their safety.

Here are some tips to help your kids have fun and stay safe during school vacation no matter where they are. Read more →

Spring Cleaning Safety Tips

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

spring_cleaning (2)A funny thing happens when we open up our windows in the spring. The oxygen which we have been deprived of through the stuffy winter months goes straight to our brain, and for a few weeks we feel like we are on top of the world! We become motivated to do all sort of crazy stuff, like clean the entire house. If spring cleaning fever has already hit you, follow these safety tips.

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Tips to Help Your Business Weather a New England Storm

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

New England Business Security During BlizzardSpring in New England comes with beautiful blooms, green grass — and the occasional late-season snow storm. This week’s nor’easter is a good example.

Here are some key tips to help make sure you successfully weather a storm. Read more →

How to Stay Safe During a Power Outage

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

New England Power Outage PlanningNew England is known for spectacular scenery, friendly people and changeable weather. No matter the season, violent storms are always a possibility — which means power outages can strike in the middle of a July thunderstorm or during a January blizzard – and can be just as dangerous.

With winter storm Regis currently passing through New England, here are some steps you can take to ensure you and your loved ones stay safe during a power outage. Read more →

How to Teach Your Teens to Be Safe Drivers

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

How to Teach Your Teens to Be Safe DriversMost teenagers start dreaming about getting their drivers’ licenses when they hit middle school. Parents, on the other hand, lie awake at night trying to figure out how to postpone the inevitable.

If your teen is on the road to getting on the road, they will likely need your assistance as a driving instructor to supplement any drivers’ education programs. For most parents, this can be a daunting task.

At American Alarm, we care more about just your home and business security—we care about your personal safety too. To that end, here are some tips to make teaching your teenager to drive less nerve-wracking while ensuring that you help your child become a safe and careful driver.

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Loss Prevention Tech Trends for 2016

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Loss Prevention Tech Trends for 2016When it came to loss prevention back in the day, retailers hired security guards, off-duty police officers, or other such folks to catch criminals trying to rip off their stores. The effectiveness of a retailer’s business security was mainly judged in terms of the number of arrests its security personnel made.

Times have changed, however. Now the name of the game is “loss prevention,” minimizing retail loss rather than making a lot of arrests. To that end, retailers are turning to innovative technology to help them mitigate theft and fraud.

Here are the four trends in “asset protection technology” for 2016, according to the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA).

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Winter Pet Safety

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

winter_dogsAny animal lover will tell you that one of the best parts of winter is watching your beloved pet play out in the snow. Of course, there are also pets that want nothing to do with the cold weather and would prefer to be curled up by the fire all day. Whether your pet loves or hates this season, it’s important to protect them from the elements! Follow these four winter safety tips to help keep your pet safe and healthy this winter. Read more →

Fire Inspections: Is Your Commercial Building Up to Code?

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

No building is completely safe from a fire. In 2013, there were approximately 93,000 non-residential building fires in the US—accounting for 65 deaths, 1,425 injuries, and nearly $2.5 billion in losses, according to the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Data Center.

Putting an efficient and effective fire prevention program plan in place, ensuring that your commercial fire alarm system is operating properly, and adhering to your state’s fire code and ordinances could prevent many of these fires. Before the fire inspectors in your town come out to inspect your building, you should be sure your property is up to code.

Here are 10 of the fire safety codes that must be adhered to in commercial buildings in Massachusetts: (Check the applicable laws in your state to identify the fire safety codes for commercial buildings.)

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