CCTV Security monitoring student in classroom at school.Security camera surveillance for watching and protect group of children while studying.

A Great Time for School Security System Upgrades

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

CCTV Security monitoring student in classroom at school.Security camera surveillance for watching and protect group of children while studying.Upgrading School Security Systems

As a school administrator, are you wondering how to respond to new threats such as COVID-19 when you reopen your facilities? Besides the usual risks (vandals, thieves, intruders and potential shooters), administrators must now factor in hygiene and cleanliness protections (surveillance and monitoring may assist with these efforts).

The upside is that school buildings are less occupied and quieter than usual because of the pandemic. This provides the opportunity to get large projects done with less disruption, including bigger and more ambitious security infrastructure upgrades than would be possible during a normal summer season.

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Shot of an unrecognizable little girl playing with a sparkler at night time outside in nature

Safety Tips for the 4th of July

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

The 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 Shot of an unrecognizable little girl playing with a sparkler at night time outside in naturelist. 

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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young couple buying a new house

5 Reasons to Upgrade Your Home Security Before Selling 

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Invest 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.young couple buying a new house

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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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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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 →

Tips for Springtime Renovations

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Renovations Coming this Spring? Don’t Take Chances

With the snow melted and weather warming, you might be thinking of renovations to your house and property. Consider a security system as part of the effort.

Why? In a project of any size there will be workmen moving in and out of your building/worksite; valuable building materials (such as copper and marble) will be left in plain sight; and so on. However, there are steps you can take to protect your worksite and belongings, and there are electronic systems designed to help you do just that. Read more →

Chimney Fires: Preventable Danger in New England

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Chimney fires are dangerous and potentially devastating, particularly in the winter season here in New England. Chimney blazes destroyed 100 homes in the U.S. in 2016, according to Channel 22 News in Chicopee. A recent spate of chimney fires in western Massachusetts prompted another warning article.

The latter story notes how one fire broke out after the home’s chimney tiles cracked — and the chimney block cracked with them, which allowed the fire to enter the home. On New Year’s Day, firefighters from Newbury, Massachusetts, successfully responded to a blaze, which they contained in the affected home’s porch.

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Carbon Monoxide: Winter’s Silent Killer

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

This colorless and odorless gas escapes from faulty furnaces, as well as portable generators, stoves, lanterns, gas ranges and other sources. When the fumes enter an area lacking adequate ventilation, they become lethally dangerous. In fact, it’s the biggest cause of poisoning in the U.S. according to Mass.gov .

50,000 victims of carbon monoxide poisoning head to the emergency room annually, and out of those 430 never make it home. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control notes that carbon monoxide poisonings spike in December and January — due in part to power outages caused by winter weather, which lead homeowners to use alternative power sources. Read more →

Fire Prevention Week: Fire Facts

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

National Fire Prevention Week has arrived, providing an opportunity to stop and review home fire facts. This observation commemorates the Great Chicago fire of 1871, which killed 260, left 100,000 homeless, and destroyed 17,400-plus structures. This year’s theme is: “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are some grim statistics we should be aware of:

  •       In 2016 there were 352,000 home fires
  •       Three out of five fire deaths occurred in homes without smoke alarms
  •       Less than half of all homeowners have an escape plan

Fortunately, there are a variety of steps you can take to protect yourself this National Fire Prevention Week. Read more →

Merrimack Valley Gas Disaster: Proactive Vigilance Is Essential

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Tragedy can strike any time, from even the most mundane sources as the recent Merrimack Valley gas disaster demonstrates. According to WHDH News in Boston, excess pressure in natural gas pipelines caused explosions and fires in 80 homes in three communities. Dozens of houses were destroyed completely, and a young man was killed.

As a Providence Journal editorial on the disaster notes,: “The explosions are a stark and unwelcome reminder of the fragility of America’s critical infrastructure network, which includes the electrical grid, the banking system, telecommunications, the food supply system, the water system and public health networks.” Given New England’s aging infrastructure, such threats will likely continue, but homeowners can empower themselves to respond as proactively as possible and reduce potential threats to their properties, families and communities. Read more →