Internet network. Nice serious male programmer looking at the laptop screen and checking the work of Internet servers while standing in the middle of the data center

Benefits of Using a Quality Local Security Company

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Internet network. Nice serious male programmer looking at the laptop screen and checking the work of Internet servers while standing in the middle of the data center

Security is about more than alarm systems and surveillance products. Many companies provide these resources. However, only quality security companies offer the high-level service and intangible benefits that create a true feeling of safety in your home or business.

Nationwide security companies may initially seem more reliable than smaller, local companies due to their name recognition, but don’t be fooled. The impersonal nature of these companies lowers the quality of service you will receive. They also tend to outsource their installations and service calls to local contractors who are not always the most reputable. A name doesn’t keep you safe.

Quality local companies must earn your trust through years of service and a commitment to excellence in their industry. They want to work harder for you. This is to your benefit, as you can always count on them to show up for you – no matter what. 

Let’s take a look at some of the other key reasons why a quality security company is a better option than a large enterprise security company.
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Man taking notes and looking at laptop, at home office, portrait.

Increase Work from Home Productivity with Smart Home Technology

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Man taking notes and looking at laptop, at home office, portrait.The uptick in work-from-home positions due to the pandemic (from 7% to 62%) has caused many to question how they can make their workday more productive. Kids at home, pets, endless chores, and sometimes a considerable lack of space can inhibit work productivity and create unnecessary stress. These distractions have a lingering effect. Studies show that it takes almost a full half hour to refocus after a distraction at work. 

Smart home technology has become an answer for many who are seeking an end to remote work distraction and a more streamlined, healthier, and happier at-home working experience. Smart home technology allows your devices to communicate with each other and with you via a remote control, smartphone, tablet, or voice command. They save time, energy, and – usually – cost. These days, it seems like almost anything in your home can become “smart.” Refrigerators, coffee makers, speakers, alarm clocks, thermostats, smoke alarms…the list goes on. 

Here are some pieces of smart tech you can use to boost your on-the-job productivity from home.

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Cardboard boxes on the door mat near the entrance door

How to Protect Your Home Deliveries

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Cardboard boxes on the door mat near the entrance doorAmong its other effects, COVID-19 is fueling the growth of online retail purchasing in New England. This means more deliveries of goods to the home, which in turn creates more opportunities for parcel thieves.

Criminals can just grab a package from the doorstep in broad daylight and vanish, without needing to break in. To combat this threat, online customers can leverage proven surveillance and high-tech solutions to catch or frustrate these criminals.

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A Hanging Birdhouse

How to Disguise Hidden Home Security Cameras Indoors and Outdoors

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

How to Disguise Home Security Cameras

A Hanging BirdhouseApproximately 67% of all burglaries occurring in the United States target residential properties. This results in nearly 3.5 billion dollars in homeowner property losses each year. Of those burglaries, 15% occur in homes in the Northeast, and nearly half of those take place while the resident is at home.  

This makes security cameras a very important tool for both the safety of the home and the homeowner. Yet, an effective camera isn’t enough. You also need effective camera placement. 

In some cases you may not want your cameras right out in the open where they can be tampered with. Instead, you want to ensure that they are well hidden, yet still placed in prime position to capture any would-be intruder.

Here are a few great places to hide your indoor and outdoor cameras to ensure that they are as useful as possible while remaining undamaged by potential burglars.

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High school students at school, wearing N95 Face masks. Teenage girl wearing eyeglasses sitting at the school desk and listening to the teacher.

Returning to School: Security Tips for Parents

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Depending on your state, county, city or town, your child may be returning soon to the classroom. With the threat of COVID-19 remaining here in New England, you’ll want to take the best approach to ensure your child’s safety in and outside the school or playground.High school students at school, wearing N95 Face masks. Teenage girl wearing eyeglasses sitting at the school desk and listening to the teacher.

The challenges for successful reopening and education are considerable, as a Mayo Clinic article on the subject notes. It states, “As schools reopen, they must balance the educational, social and emotional needs of their students along with the health and safety of students and staff in the midst of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.”

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Loving couple paying bills online at home using a laptop computer and looking very happy - lifestyle concepts

How to Secure Your Home Without Breaking the Bank

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Loving couple paying bills online at home using a laptop computer and looking very happy - lifestyle conceptsRoughly 250 New England homes out of every 100,000 are burglarized each year. Massachusetts residents alone have about a 1 in 79 chance of becoming the victim of a property crime. 

If you want to ensure that you do not become part of that statistic, you’re not alone. Homeowners are looking for better ways to secure their property – that don’t come with a hefty price tag.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to achieve greater home security that don’t involve a lot of additional investment. Often, some creative thinking matched with wise decisions are all it takes to ensure that your home is safe from would-be intruders.

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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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Remote Surveillance for Those Most at Risk

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

 

Using 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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Shedding Light on Crime

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

You couldn’t be blamed if you assumed light (electric or natural) is an effective crime deterrent tool here in New England. After all, no self-respecting burglar would try to rob a house or a business where he or she could be easily observed and reported. 

If we look at some crime statistics, we might discover that just leaving the lights on isn’t necessarily useful — without an accompanying comprehensive defense strategy. In fact, according to an Alarms.org article, in 2015:

  • There were 1.5 million daytime burglaries 
  • And 1.3 million nighttime burglaries 

This means there was a 6 percent higher chance that a burglary would happen between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. than in the evening. The reason is simple: most people are away during the day performing errands or working. While night offers a certain amount of security to thieves, it also increases the likelihood that someone will be home. 

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