Maintain Your Alarm/Safety Services During COVID-19 Crisis
First, we wish all safety for you and yours through the COVID-19 crisis.
It’s also worth remembering that though many of us are working from home and practicing social distancing, we still need to be reasonably cautious. This means maintaining our security and environmental surveillance and monitoring systems.
Sobering Statistics
Despite our relative isolation at home, we’re still vulnerable to theft or vandalism. That’s because despite good times or bad, criminals never really rest. In fact, contrary to what we might expect, crime hasn’t universally decreased: in some areas, it’s shown an uptick.
In New York City, general crime incidents spiked by 12 percent in the first three months of 2020 (as compared to the prior year) according to a news story. Burglaries rose by 22 percent, or 533 more cases. Possibly this is a mark of desperation, but whatever the cause, it’s a fact that robberies generally do rise in such crises, as local police and FBI statistics will likely bear out.
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Safety Tips for the 4th of July
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamThe Fourth of July brings the excitement of backyard barbeques during the day and awe-inspiring firework shows at night. However, as Pew Research describes, Fourth of July weekend is also considered the most dangerous and deadliest weekend of the year. Emergency rooms experience thousands of patients on normal weekends for a variety of causes, but Independence Day adds a high number of firework, alcohol and water-related injuries to the
list.
There’s no reason to let these statistics dampen your enthusiasm. Most – if not all – Independence Day accidents can be avoided by observing a few standard safety precautions. Implement the following tips to ensure that your Fourth of July remains a fun weekend of relaxation and entertainment.
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5 Reasons to Upgrade Your Home Security Before Selling
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamInvest in Home Peace of Mind
Planning to put your house on the market? Want to differentiate the property and build value for it in a practical, demonstrable way? Offer your buyers full security capabilities and extra peace of mind.
If you already have some sort of basic alarm system in place, consider upgrading it and implementing a cutting-edge, high tech and holistic surveillance/life safety solution. The safety of your property and loved ones is crucial. Anything you can do to enhance that protection will most likely appeal to future owners of your house.
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How Monitoring Your Kids’ Online Activity Mitigates Break-Ins
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamOnline “casing” has become a new favorite tool of burglars throughout the country. Statistics show that nearly 75% of home invaders used a resident’s online presence in some way to target and locate their home. While adults use social media and other online platforms to engage with the world, children are far more
invested in their virtual life, which makes them a vulnerable target for would-be burglars looking for easy access to a vacant home.
There are many ways you can monitor your child’s online presence to ensure that your entire family – and your home – are kept safe from intruders. First, it’s important to know exactly how potential robbers locate the information they need.
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Reopening Your Business During the Pandemic: Security Solutions for Restaurants
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamRestaurants Opening in COVID-19 Era Need New Security Solutions
As New England restaurants begin reopening to the new normal, their owners and managers are discovering new uncertainties and risks.
New regulations and policies for hygiene add complexity to an already difficult business. As noted in a prior blog, some patrons are impatient or unwilling to conform to the new rules. Businesses in cities like Boston and Brockton are now facing vandalism and theft as well.
Some of these challenges can be mitigated with technology solutions.
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Reopening Your Business During the Pandemic: Considering High Tech Protection
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamBusinesses Reopen: Consider High Tech Protection
Idling New England business owners and managers look forward to opening up to the public once again, but COVID-19 regulations bring challenges and risks.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has imposed a variety of restrictions on how businesses must operate to ensure workers and customers are protected from infection. Violations could result in fines and closure.
More customer-facing businesses, such as retail or restaurant operations, face special new challenges. There are rules around social distancing and the need for everyone on the premises to work masks, and so on. This requires completely new processes for security and safety.
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Reopening Your Business During the Pandemic
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamReopening Your Business? Check Your Security.
Idling business owners are still awaiting the opportunity to reopen, both here in New England and across most of the country. When these businesses finally come back online, cash and inventory will be flowing again — enticing potential burglars.
Given all the other challenges businesses face, besides the lost time and revenue, protecting future revenue should be a priority. Now is a good time to think through the safety and security processes involved in ramping back up your business’ physical location.
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Operating Through the Pandemic
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamOperating Through the Pandemic
We hope and trust you are safe and well, despite the COVID-19 crisis. We would also like you to know that American Alarm is an essential Massachusetts-based business, and one that remains open to serve the public. We continue to support thousands of New England residential, commercial and government
clients, including those other essential businesses that must operate through the pandemic.
Although the public’s focus is on COVID-19, traditional electronic security and surveillance solutions may prove as important as ever.
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Tips To Keep Your Basement From Flooding
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamFight Back The Floods
As New Englanders, we should always be ready to protect our basements from flooding — particularly when caused by spring rains or severe storms.
This blog has covered the risks storms and floods pose to our businesses and homes, and to seasonal homes in particular. A flooding disaster can cost thousands of dollars in damage to property, and inflict huge stress on homeowners.
Our basements can be inundated at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected ways, as one North Woodstock, New Hampshire, couple learned last
April. According to a CBSN Boston January article, the couple’s basement was flooded by 16 inches of water — which they alleged was part of the runoff from a commercial ice castle attraction.
The couple spent $30,000 on a system to drain the estimated 35,000 gallons of water from the basement and keep it dry. Read more →
Stay Protected During COVID-19 Crisis
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamMaintain Your Alarm/Safety Services During COVID-19 Crisis
First, we wish all safety for you and yours through the COVID-19 crisis.
It’s also worth remembering that though many of us are working from home and practicing social distancing, we still need to be reasonably cautious. This means maintaining our security and environmental surveillance and monitoring systems.
Sobering Statistics
Despite our relative isolation at home, we’re still vulnerable to theft or vandalism. That’s because despite good times or bad, criminals never really rest. In fact, contrary to what we might expect, crime hasn’t universally decreased: in some areas, it’s shown an uptick.
In New York City, general crime incidents spiked by 12 percent in the first three months of 2020 (as compared to the prior year) according to a news story. Burglaries rose by 22 percent, or 533 more cases. Possibly this is a mark of desperation, but whatever the cause, it’s a fact that robberies generally do rise in such crises, as local police and FBI statistics will likely bear out.
Read more →
Remote Surveillance for Those Most at Risk
/by American Alarm Blogging TeamUsing High Tech to Protect At-Risk Loved Ones
Given current COVID-19 related events, it’s more important than ever to have ways to watch and protect our elderly or at-risk relatives and loved ones. At the same time, these people want to live as independently as possible, and not feel as if they are a burden.
Unfortunately, it’s more difficult than ever to safely move around and visit loved ones most at risk – both here in New England and across the country. One way to compensate for the lack of in-person visitation is to deploy a secure and reliable remote medical monitoring and alerting system.
A Growing Safety Field
There is great potential in the medical monitoring industry, particularly as smart technologies rapidly evolve. A major driver is the maturation of Internet of Things (IoT)-based solutions. In fact, this tech was the subject of an expert panel held in Boston last December, as TechTarget notes.
The article describes how companies are exploring ways to embed “IoT remote monitoring for connected medical devices with the intent to improve their products and differentiate themselves from the competition.” These systems are largely still in development, but such an event shows how medical monitoring is a promising field.
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