How Social Media Posts Of Your Holiday Travels Can Impact Home Security

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Social media is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends around the world, especially during the holidays. However, even though you may set the privacy settings, they can only do so much to limit what others can see and learn about you via your social networks.

According to AAA, 107.3 million Americans will take planes, trains, automobiles and other modes of transportation to travel over the river and through the woods to grandmothers’ house for the holidays.

If you’re planning to join them, be aware that using social media could put your holiday safety and home security at risk. How so? Well, your friends and family may not be the only people paying attention to your posts. Smart thieves are watching not only your house but also your social media channels.  So your Facebook live broadcast of your holiday travels, or a photo of your vacation could signal a savvy burglar that it’s safe to probe your home’s security vulnerabilities. Read more →

Top 11 Reasons Commercial Buildings Fail Fire Safety Inspections

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

During a recent inspection, fire department officials in Portland, Maine informed the owners of the iconic Time and Temperature office tower that it had failed a safety inspection.

According to the officials, there were no sprinklers on six of the buildings 14 floors and no smoke detectors in the hallways of multiple floors, in violation of city laws. The inspection also found a number of other fire and safety hazards, including loose wiring, broken emergency lighting as well as blocked or sealed emergency exits. Read more →

How to Protect Your Home or Condo Complex from Holiday Package Thieves

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

This year in the 25 days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, UPS says it will deliver over 750 million packages to its customers. In fact, UPS says this record-breaking seasonal global delivery volume is approximately 5 percent above last year’s holiday peak shipping season volume.

FedEx, which also anticipates another record peak holiday shipping season, estimates it will deliver between 380-400 million packages. In the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the U.S. Postal Service also expects to deliver 850 million packages, which is more than a 10 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Read more →

How Stores Can Mitigate Organized Retail Crime this Thanksgiving Shopping Weekend

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Thanksgiving shopping weekend can be a hectic experience for everyone involved but for your business, it’s one of the most profitable. All told, 20 to 30 percent of your 2017 retail sales will likely happen this holiday season with a large portion will occur this weekend.

Of those considering shopping the long holiday weekend, the survey found that 20 percent plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day (32 million). Black Friday will remain the busiest day, with 70 percent planning to shop (115 million).

Read more →

Business Security: 7 Common Security Measures Too Often Overlooked

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

As a business owner or manager, you know that security is critical to protecting your building and its occupants as well as maintaining your peace of mind.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, security can be compromised, especially if you overlook important elements of your risk mitigation plan.

We’ve put together a list of seven common security oversights commercial property owners and managers often make to help you avoid them. Read more →

The 3 Emergency Shut Off Switches You Should Know

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

As we enter the more treacherous months for New England weather, it is important to plan ahead for an emergency. While it is important to have an evacuation plan and an emergency preparedness kit, it is also essential to know how to shut off the utilities before a disaster. If these utilities are not shut off they may cause damage to your home and possibly endanger your family.

Read more →

Fire Prevention Week: Do You Have a Fire Escape Plan in Place?

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Oct. 8-14 is Fire Prevention Week, which stresses the importance of having a home fire escape plan in place.

When it comes to getting out of your house if there’s a fire, you really do have to make every second count. In fact, if a fire starts in your home, you only have two minutes to escape because under the right conditions a fire can double in size every minute, according to the American Red Cross.

That’s why you should install smoke alarms on every level of your home, at the bottom of every stairwell and outside each bedroom. Test smoke alarms every month and replace the batteries as needed.

It’s also critical to develop an escape plan and practice your plan until everyone can evacuate the home in less than two minutes.

Read more →

How to Mitigate Organized Retail Crime This Holiday Season

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Dealing with organized retail crime (ORC) is one of the major challenges for loss prevention programs across the country. Now that holiday and Black Friday shopping are fast approaching, ORC is likely a primary concern for your retail business.

Why are most retail businesses concerned? ORC costs the retail industry about $30 billion each year, according to the 2016 Organized Retail Crime Survey, an annual survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF).

Moreover, the problem is growing. For the first time, 100 percent of the retailers surveyed by the NRF said they have been victims of organized retail crime, up from 97 percent in 2015. In addition, 83 percent of the retailers surveyed reported an increase in ORC year-over-year. Read more →

13 Tips to Help New Parents Baby Proof Their Homes

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Baby boy opens up kitchen cupboard and pulls out various cleaning products from under the sink while his parents are distractedAs a first-time parent, you’re probably overwhelmed by all the challenges of caring for your beautiful bundle of joy. However, before you know it your baby will be crawling, walking, climbing and getting into just about everything.

That’s why it’s important to make your home safe for the new addition to your family. You should set aside some time – probably a weekend – to walk through your house, room by room, making a list of the things that need to be baby proofed. Then take the necessary steps to secure your home to keep your baby safe. Read more →

7 Tips to Help Keep Your Kids Safe Online

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Child busy playing the smartphone mobile games does not pay attention to the moving car. Boy child playing mobile games on smartphone on the streetIf you’re a parent, you already know the way tweens and teens socialize is online via video game chat rooms, virtual worlds, social networking sites, and blogs.

Although the Internet offers lots of useful and entertaining information, being online can put your kids at risk of falling victims to other online users – children as well as adults – who want to exploit and/or intimidate them.

It’s your responsibility to take the necessary precautions to protect your children. Read more →