Man enters business wearing face mask during COVID-19 pnademic

Reopening Your Business During the Pandemic

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Reopening 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.Businessman with mask is going to work during COVID-19 pandemic

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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Young woman setting burglar alarm at home.

Stay Protected During COVID-19 Crisis

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

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.

Young woman setting burglar alarm at home.

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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Burglar’s Best Friend and Other Silly Security Stories

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Security is a serious matter. That doesn’t mean we can’t relax a bit in the summer heat and recollect some of the oddest New England home and business intrusion stories.

Here is a brief list of some of the most interesting encounters we’ve found between local felons, furry friends and property. Some were caught on camera, while one incident was apparent only by the evidence left behind. Read more →

Stay Safe When Offering Short Term Rentals

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Bay State short-term rentals appear to be increasingly popular. So indicates a WBUR article, citing Airbnb’s own statistics, which point to a “record year” in Massachusetts. The company claims that in Massachusetts alone, in 2018, 1.2 million people stayed in Airbnb rental sites, and hosts earned more than $256 million.
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Memorial Day Will Go Smoother with These Safety Tips

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Memorial Day is just a few weeks away. Remember, just because it’s a holiday, Memorial Day is not immune to thieves, fire or environmentally related events.

Ideally, if we follow the rules of the road, observe good grilling/campfire practices, and take the usual home security precautions if we should travel, we’ll do just fine. Let’s focus on two key areas: Travel and outdoor grilling. Read more →

Get Peace of Mind: Entrust Your Home Security to the Pros

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

As professionals, we’re busier than ever and devoting more and more time to work. This means we are at home less, and our property and families could be vulnerable to thieves looking for an easy, untended mark. Your absence also leaves your home vulnerable to fire, flood, or other environmental events.

A lot of us are very busy, driving, working, emailing, texting, and on and on. In fact, according to a Gallup poll, American adults working full time put in, on average, 47 hours per week at their jobs. If you factor in commuting and errands, this means many adults are away from their houses 10-12 hours a day. Read more →

Avoid Letting Your Dream Vacation Home Become A Nightmare

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Vacation homes are often a dream — and appropriately, they are often in dreamy, remote places. Perhaps yours is in the mountains of New Hampshire, or near the dunes of Cape Cod, or by the lakes in Maine.

Because of our usual long distance from these sites, we can’t always physically check on them in person. So, naturally, it’s reasonable to fret about your vacation home’s condition. You don’t want to have a getaway ruined when you arrive at your dream house and discover it’s been ransacked or flooded.

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How Far Must You Go to Prevent Your Home From Being Burglarized?

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Are you relying on a security system to foil any potential home burglars? Perhaps you have a mix of protections, including cameras that monitor the premises, maybe a watchdog.

These measures may not be enough, however. A full security system — the sort that gives complete piece of mind — will include cutting-edge electronic surveillance and monitoring services.

Gaps in security have resulted in successful home invasions and burglaries in the New England area. Any unsecured home can be vulnerable — all it takes is an unattended house with an unlocked door or an open window. Read more →

An Alarm System Can Boost Home Value and Enable Smart Living

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

home security alarm system

On the fence about installing an electronic alarm system to protect your personal or rental property? Not convinced your security demands such a solution? A home security system can lighten your financial burden, more tightly link your mobile devices to your home management systems, and, perhaps, give you convenience and peace of mind.

It’s possible you own a house in a super-safe neighborhood, with a great police department, and lots of nosy neighbors living next door. Maybe you have a particularly vigilant dog. Perhaps the extra security doesn’t quite move you to install a system. You still owe it to yourself to consider some sort of a surveillance/alarm system’s extra benefits — ones you can enjoy even if you live in Fort Knox.

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Home Protection Must Never Go On Vacation

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Nothing ends a vacation on a worse note than returning home to find it’s been robbed. A sobering FBI research statistic points out that of the 2.5 million burglaries a year, 66 percent are home break ins, according to the National Council for Home Safety and Security. Additionally, the police only solve about 13 percent of reported burglaries, given the lack of witnesses to the crime, or usable evidence.

So, if you’re planning on heading out with your family and leaving your house unattended, you have good reason to be wary. However, it’s not a lost cause: As the FBI also points out: Some 90 percent of home burglaries are preventable, says a Consumer Reports article.

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