GMan Creative Dot Net

Archive for February, 2009

HAS YOUR BURGLAR ALARM ACCREDITED BY LAW?

Due to safety precautions it is mandatory that every alarm installed in your house is registered with FARS. Before the system is placed into service you must check for the following accreditation,
• NSI (National Security Inspectorate)
• NACOSS (National Approval Council for Security Systems)
• ICON (an approval scheme run by NSI)
• SSAIB (Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board)
Registration
A non-refundable $30.00 registration fee must be paid with each initial registration. A separate registration must be obtained for each alarm user and/or location. Registrations must be renewed on a biennial (2 year) basis at a cost of $10.00. Failure to renew when required will result in no “free” false alarms and the imposition of an additional $100 charge for every false alarm.

False alarm
The main reason for the burglar alarm to be accredited by the government is because of false alarms. Each year the Oakland Police Department receives more than 30,000 false alarms! On average, each response to alarms involves two police officers and takes up to thirty minutes-costing the City in excess of 1.4 million, annually. This is equal to 14 full-time police officers responding only to false alarms.

The burglar alarm ordinance
• Authorizes permit fees (waived for alarm users age 65 and older)
• Authorizes fines and penalties for defective or misused alarm systems
• Requires alarm companies to play a greater role in how customers use and maintain their alarm systems.

Paying for your permit

What ever type of alarm you use it should be accredited by the government. If you have an alarm system that is functional and is activated, the alarm ordinance requires you to obtain a valid alarm user permit. Please remember, if you do not have a permit and the Police Department is dispatched to your location for a false alarm, you will may be subjected to a $250 fine.

A fire alarm system alerts people in the building of a possible fire. They help protect those inside by notifying them that they need to evacuate for safety. Most fire alarm systems will also automatically notify the nearest emergency personnel so they can take care of the fire.

Fire alarms can be triggered by smoke detectors, heat detectors, or manually. They are generally set to detect levels of smoke or heat that may indicate a fire. There is a loud bell that sounds to alert those in the building. This may also come with lights that blink in case of someone who is hearing impaired. There are many models of fire alarm systems on the market. Research for which one is best can be done on the Internet or by doing a search in your local area for manufacturers. Many fire alarm systems come bundled with intruder alert systems for maximum safety and protection of your home.

There are two costs to a system. The cost of the equipment can either be purchased or leased. The system will need to be installed which may also add a one-time fee. Systems start at approximately $20.00 for basic models and range up to $2,000.00 for more sophisticated models. For home use, a basic system with monitoring is usually sufficient. These will range anywhere from $100.00 to $300.00.

Because the system will alert the local fire department, there is also a monitoring fee generally paid monthly. These are typically inexpensive and cost approximately $30.00 per month. The one time expense of the equipment, installation, and the regular payments for monitoring are a valuable investment. Considering the costs associated with fire damage or the tragedies of losing a life in a fire, the investment is well worth it.

It is important to know what to do in case the alarm goes off. Fire drills are helpful in ensuring everyone in the family knows what to do. Practice this at least annually. If there is a small fire, one person should be in charge of using a fire extinguisher while the others leave the area. For a larger fire, everyone should immediately evacuate the premises and gather at a predetermined location. Once everyone is there, a count should be taken to ensure everyone is out safely.

A fire alarm system should be tested annually to ensure it is working properly. Notify the fire department of this before testing so they do not come out needlessly. False alarms are often charged to the consumer to account for the time wasted. A fire alarm system is a valuable investment. It can help provide safety and security to your family and home.

Creating a sense of comfort and peace in your home is equal parts family harmony and home security.

While we can do nothing about family harmony we can help you learn a preventative steps that add measurably to the level of comfort and peace in your home in the event of a burglary or fire.

Home Security Systems (Burglar Alarms) provide a heightened sense of well-being by alerting you to an intrusion attempt; however, many available units can also provide a security call to local constabularies. A good system should be mounted on an inside wall away from direct sight from either the front or back door. A two panel system is an even more effective system due to the fact that, should one system be rendered ineffective, the second panel can still alert officials. Wireless alarm systems can remain effectual when wired systems may be compromised by very skilled burglars.

Close Circuit Television (CCTV) can also provide a means of identifying those who may be lurking on your property. These easily hidden devises can also allow you to easily identify welcome visitors.

Security lighting is a key element in the safety of your property and can make it easy to see when you arrive home after dark. Interior lighting that is subject to a timer may confuse burglars as to whether there are family members inside. Outdoor lighting that uses motion sensing technology makes it difficult for robbers to gain undetected access to any vulnerable areas of your home.

The two primary doors burglars will attempt to gain access through are the garage and back doors. They usually are the easiest to compromise and they provide the greatest concealment. Glass paneled doors are a means of easy entrance into any home so consider replacing them with solid core doors when possible. Replace old locks with high quality mechanisms capable of resisting lock-picking attempts as well as prying and twisting. We also recommend the use of quality deadbolts. The use of a peephole is also advised when CCTV technology is not in use or in tandem when possible. If your home has sliding glass doors you can simply place a wooden dowel or similar commercial grade products like the charley-bar in the track to make it difficult for the door to slide should the latch be compromised.

With all the emphasis on doors we would be remiss if we failed to mention a burglar’s favourite means of accessing your home. It is far more likely that a window will be left either open or unlocked than a door. Because windows generally use latch technology, a secondary blocking device should be considered. Should you require nighttime ventilation be sure to block your windows so that they will not open more than a few millimeters.

Should your home be accessed by burglars, a home safe can further ensure the safety of your most valuable possessions.

Neighbours can also be an effective ally in keeping your home safe. Neighbourhood partnerships have assisted home owners in self policing the homes in their immediate area. Those participating in Neighbourhood Watch programmes can assist others by picking up mail, handbills and newspapers. A burglar will often look for homes with an accumulation of newspapers or postal deliveries as a means of assessing the potential success of a robbery attempt.

Should your home be robbed, there is a way to assist police in the potential recovery of your personal property. By engraving personal information on your valuables it makes it much more difficult for burglars to attempt to sell your property to others. When it is determined that the property does not belong to the seller, police may well be called thus increasing the chances that your possessions will be returned. A few minutes marking your valuables can prove beneficial should a burglary occur. You should also consider photographing and recording the serial numbers of high end possessions. Make sure a copy of this information is stored in a place other than your home to ensure its availability in the event of a loss.

When it comes to fire prevention, smoke alarms are a wonderful means of assuring the greatest chance of safety in the event of a fire in your home. The high pitched squeal is designed to awaken the deepest sleeper and has helped families escape what might otherwise be a horrific event. These cost effective devices continue to be a technology that is easy to use and hard to justify living without.

Making sure your home is safe from potential burglary attempts does not need to instill fear. The methods of home safety and security are simply tools to be used to help your family enjoy the benefits of life without needless apprehension.

For more information on CCTV go to www.musthavesecurity.com/cctv-kits.asp

Our homes are usually the most expensive single item we ever buy. Not only do they represent a significant financial investment, but our home is a big emotional investment. They are the places where we raise our families and celebrate our lives. Our homes are our refuge from a busy world – a safe place where we live, love and grow together. Yet in the U.S. alone there are more than 500,000 residential fires every year that are serious enough to require a call to the fire department. Worse yet, every year more than 4,000 Americans die in home fires and approximately 20,000 are injured. Tragic statistics indeed, but equally tragic is that the vast majority of these fires and related injuries and deaths are preventable.

Top Ten Tips for Fire Safety

1. Install Smoke Alarms
The single most important purchase you can make for your home is smoke alarms. Working smoke alarms can double your chances of surviving a fire. Most deaths that occur in home fires aren’t from fire, but from smoke. Homes should have at least one one smoke alarm on every level. To make certain smoke alarms are fully functional they should be tested monthly, kept free of dust and have the batteries replaced annually. The smoke alarm itself should be replaced every ten years, or as recommended by the manufacturer.

2. Plan an Escape Route
If a fire does break out, you must get out fast. Being awakened by a smoke alarm at 2:00 a.m. is not the time to have to think through how to get you and your family to safety. You must plan ahead by sitting down with your family and go over an escape plan that includes at least two exits from every room. If you live in an apartment building, your escape plan must not include elevators. Finally, when you develop your escape plan decide on a safe meeting place outdoors where everyone meets after the escape. Your household should practice the escape plan two times a year.

3. Beware of Smoking
The leading cause of fire deaths is careless smoking. Avoid smoking in bed and take great care to make large ashtrays readily available to smokers throughout your household. Cigarettes can smolder under and around upholstered furniture unnoticed only to ignite into a full blaze minutes later.

4. Take Care Cooking
Never leave your cooking unattended. Furthermore, be aware of flammable materials like curtains, dish towels or loose fitting clothing around cooking areas. To avoid accidental spills of hot oil or boiling water be sure the handles of pots and pans are turned inward on the stove so they can’t be bumped or grabbed by children. Should cooking oil in a pan catch fire cover the pan immediately with a lid. Under no circumstances should you pour water on a grease fire. This will cause the fire to spatter and spread.

5. Space for Space Heaters
Whether electric, kerosene or some other fuel space heaters need space. They should be kept at least three feet away from anything that can burn. Always keep children and pets away from heaters and never leave them unattended when you leave home.

6. Matches, Lighters and Children Don’t Mix
Children are often fascinated by fire. Teach your children that matches and lighters are tools, not toys, should never be played with and are to be used only by adults. Store all matches and lighters where children can neither see them nor reach them. Because children are naturally curious, don’t hesitate to check under your children’s bed, in closets and other places where they may hide matches or lighters in their rooms.

7. Use Electricity Carefully
Promptly replace cracked or frayed cords on appliances. If an appliance sparks, smells or smokes unplug it immediately and have it repaired or replaces. An all too common cause of electrical fires is the improper use of extension cords. Never run extension cords under rugs and never use an extension cord to overload a circuit. Only a trained professional should service circuit breaker or fuse boxes. If a fuse must be replaced, use only the proper sized fuse for that circuit.

8. Stay Low Under Smoke
If you must escape a fire, stay close to the floor. Smoke and toxic gasses rise, and the air near the floor is cleaner.

9. Stop, Drop and Roll
If your clothing catches fire, DO NOT RUN! Running feeds more air to the flames and will cause them to spread more rapidly. Instead, stop where you are, drop to the floor or ground, cover your face with your hands and roll around until the flames are covered. Should you encounter a person whose clothing is on fire, cover them with a blanket, rug or coat and roll them on the ground.

10. Treating a Burn
The best quick treatment for minor burns is to run cool water over the burn for 10 to 15 minutes. This will cool the burn. Never use ice on a burn. Using ice on a burn may damage the skin or even cause mild frostbite. And contrary to what your grandmother may have told you, don’t apply butter or any grease to a burn. It will prevent air from reaching the burn. If skin is burned severely enough to cause blisters or charring, seek medical attention immediately. Severe burns can easily become infected.

Preventing fires and fire related injuries and death isn’t a matter of luck. It takes planning. Every household should have a plan that includes a home safety checklist, smoke detectors, escape plan and regular safety audit. Make protecting your family, household and valuables from fire a priority. Your life may depend on it.

An alarm system for the home is needed to protect your home, your possessions and your family from intruders. According to statistics, more than 2 million burglaries occur each year and more than half of these occur in residential homes. When looking for an alarm system, you should know there are many different kinds of systems available. Many people look to an alarm system to protect their home. It does not matter what size of home you live in, whether it is a large home with three stories or a small one-room apartment. An alarm system provides you with the security and peace of mind you need while on vacation, at work or sleeping at night.

There are many different types of alarm systems. One alarm will work to detect motion from an intruder when the alarm is activated. Another type of alarm system may detect any type of temperature change in a specific room. No matter what type of alarm system you have, it will notify anyone passing by, your neighbors, the police or a monitoring center of the activity. When looking for an alarm system, you should know the different aspects of a home alarm. First, it will contain a power source, this is called a control panel. A keypad is put in place to allow the homeowner to deactivate the system upon arrival or activate the system upon departure. Depending on the type of alarm system you purchase, it may have contacts with doors and windows, motion detectors and glass break sensors.

What is great about an alarm system is that, if it is monitored by a monitoring center, it will have a backup system. This system will allow the system to work for around 24 hours if the phone lines are ever cut by an intruder or if you lose electricity. What is even better is that some home alarm systems offer protection in the event of a fire, can detect the difference between your pets and an intruder and even offer video surveillance.

When it comes to a home alarm system, there are additional fees that are associated with them, not just the initial purchase fees. This is likely to be a monthly fee as well for the monitoring system. From ATD, one of the most popular home alarm system providers, you can enjoy one touch pad, one motion detector, one indoor sounder, two window and door sensors and one button for manually notifying police and fire station of an emergency and a chime feature for an installation fee of $349.00 and a monthly fee for monitoring of $32.99.

Another system with ADT will provide you with one touch pad, one motion detector, one indoor sounder, two deadbolt strike cups, three reset keys, two window and door sensors and one police and fire button for $399.00 installation fee and $32.99 monthly monitoring fee. With ADT and many other providers, you can customize your alarm system to suit your needs and provide you with full 24-hour peace of mind and safety for your home.

Do you bank online? Do you store or use passwords on your computer or the Internet? Do you send personal information in emails? Do you conduct business on your computer? If you answer yes to any of these questions you could be putting yourself at risk just by opening some spam emails.

Whether you use Outlook®, Outlook Express®, MSN Hotmail®, AOL®, Eudora®, Thunderbird™ or any other email program you will be likely exposed to some spam and other junk email.

Spam is not just an annoyance. It can be dangerous! Simply opening and reading a spam message can open you to viruses that can damage your computer and the information that is on it. Spam that has spyware attached is the most often used way for criminals to gain access to your computer and more importantly the private and personal information you have on it.

Just because you receive spam, doesn’t mean it has to be a problem for you. Follow these rules to reduce or eliminate the SPAM and junk email you receive and protect yourself from the unwanted emails you do receive.

1. DELETE. If you don’t recognize the sender, just delete the email. Do people you don’t know ever really send you ‘important’ email?

2. DELETE. If the email asks you to ‘click here to verify your account,’ just delete the email. No reputable company will ask you to provide confidential information through an email. If your account has really been ‘compromised’ you will get a phone call or postal letter, not an email.

3. CONFIRM. Okay, you really think someone may have gotten into your bank account and your bank needs you to ‘verify’ your account. All you have to do is make a phone call and confirm that the email is legitimate. Go directly to the website for the company supposedly sending you the message. (IMPORTANT: Don’t rely on the link in the email since the contact information could be fraudulent. Type in the company’s web address or Google™ them). Look for a Customer Service or ‘Report Fraud’ number and call it. If the email is real, they will know, otherwise refer to Rule 1 or Rule 2.

4. DO NOT UNSUBSCRIBE. The ‘unsubscribe’ link on most SPAM email is really just a ‘confirm your email address so we can get more money selling it to other SPAMMERS’ link. Unsubscribing to SPAM won’t reduce your volume of email and in most cases will actually increase the amount you receive. If you want to unsubscribe to an email list that you signed up for at some point but just don’t want to receive it any longer (technically not SPAM) go to the company’s website and unsubscribe.

5. PROTECT. Install Anti-Spam software such as LIST AFFILIATE LINKS HERE or use an internet service provider or email service who does this for you. Find an email provider that provides spam filtering. Remember though, even with the best protection, some SPAM gets through. When it does, refer to Rule 1 or Rule 2.

Follow these simple rules and you can take control over spam.

Aubrey Jones is President and founder of Riverbank Consulting, Inc. Since 1996 he has worked to protect internet banking clients for one of the top US financial institutions.

In the 30 -35 years following 1960 about 93% of American households had their homes protected by installing fire alarms. This was not limited to any one form but apartments, single or family homes and dormitories all got their homes installed with some kind of alarms as required by the law which was made mandatory in 1980s.

How Will Fire Alarms Help
Alarm goes off hooting and alerting you in the event of fire breakout. Very sensitive, as they are, fire alarms alert you early facilitating escape with your kin and kith to safety. It protects loss of lives and property. It has been the single most important savior of lives and properties from fire hazards over years, according to a survey; no doubts about that.

It is fine, but how will it alert the hearing impaired persons who can’t hear the hooter going off? The Federal law, popularly known as Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 makes it mandatory for manufacturers of fire alarms to include strobe lights in addition to audible alarms.

Audible Alarms
Often fire fighters complain of hearing problems early in their lives. And they are not unjustified with this especially when fire alarms making loud sounds in the range of 90 – 100 decibels. The hooter or horn is designed to produce a variety of sounds depending on the distinct purposes. For example, ‘code 3 temporal pattern’ is used only when evacuation is necessary; and thus the alarm pulses too, vary in times. Other patterns include continuous tone, march time etc.

Fire alarms get triggered by sensors which detect either heat or smoke or both in fractions of a second. You can imagine the efficiency of the systems which detect the cause of fire (heat or smoke) first and trigger the hooter to go and still giving the residents enough time to escape.

Buying Fire Alarms
While buying fire alarms you may want to consider a few points. Generally, in public places where large number of people work together, ‘code 3 temporal pattern’ suits better which can well be heard over the rolling noise generated by the crowd, and for a home purpose a continuous tone type would suffice. Buy fire UL listed alarms. In case of confusion, don’t hesitate to consult the fire department. Occasionally, fire departments offer alarms at discounts too.

Offensive fire alarm pranks in hostels or dormitories, when students pull alarms are not viewed lightly in America. Students and pranksters must understand that it wastes the precious time of fire departments and needs evacuation of entire buildings at times.

Get tips on installation and mock drills from fire department.