Car and Home Security in Rochester
Keep Your Car and Home Safe No matter where you plan on parking your car, you should never leave valuable things inside. It doesn’t matter if you are holiday shopping, at a friends or relatives house, or at your own home, break-ins, whether it would be in a car or home, can lead to valuable items being taken and for identity theft. In the last few days, there have been many posts on social media about car break-ins in and around Rochester. One of the individuals that had their car broken into had their groceries (soda and Gatorade) stolen, and then another individual had their expensive hunting gear taken. All of this was done while the cars were parked in their driveways. Now let’s talk about security at your own home for your car. What is the best type of security to have if your neighborhood or any surrounding neighborhoods have a high number of car break-ins? If you must leave valuable items in your car overnight or for a long period of time, there are some security tips and equipment that you can buy to protect your car. 1. Car Alarm System The first smart thing to do when purchasing a car is to get a car with an alarm or, if the car you like doesn’t have one, get one installed. A car alarm will go off when the driver side door is opened and the keys are not in the ignition to stop the alarm. 2. Motion Sensors Motion sensors are an important aspect of home security because they can detect when there is movement in a certain area. These lights will turn on when someone or something is moving near the sensor. 3. Video Surveillance A video surveillance system is a system that your security company can install that will allow you to be able to go on your mobile device or your computer to see any activity that may be happening. If there is a lot of activity that involves a lot of people at your house and your car does happen to be broken into, then you can go and see if the video surveillance footage can tell you anything. Not only is it good to do the three things that are listed above, but there are many other things that you could do to protect your car when parked right in your driveway. Don’t make your car and the things that are in it available for people to want to break-in. Contact An Expert Security Alarm Installation Company If you are interested in installing a security alarm or upgrading your alarm contact SPS Fire and Security at 585-770-0348 so we can help you get the security alarm that best suites you and your needs.
Home Fire Alarm Rochester: Christmas Light Safety
How to Prevent Christmas Light Fires It’s almost Christmastime and everyone likes to decorate at least a month early and use tons of lights. Some even have a beautiful light display that many will drive by to see. One thing that crosses many peoples’ minds is how much the electricity costs for the Christmas season or how do they keep from having a fire with as many lights as they use. Just note that because there is always a fire risk, you also need to ensure you have the proper fire alarm installed in your home so you and your family receive early warning that there is a problem. Christmas Light Safety If you are one of those individuals that like to decorate with lots and lots of lights, there are many things that you can do to prevent an electrical fire. If you forget to turn your lights off and are away from home, there are a few ways that you can turn them off right from your smart phone. Christmas lights When shopping for lights make sure you read the labels correctly. Putting inside lights outside can become dangerous and cause electrical shock. If you have lights from the previous Christmas, you want to check all the bulbs and the extension cord that they come on. If either is damaged don’t use them. Damaged cords can become overheated and cause a fire. Its always a good idea to save the extra bulbs that come with the string of lights so if one bulb needs replacing you are using the same exact light bulb for that string. Using a light bulb with a different wattage can be dangerous. When hanging lights on the tree, inside or outside, make sure that you connect no more than three strands of lights together. Connecting more could cause a fire because of overheating. Extension cords should not become overloaded with lights. When purchasing an extension cord, make sure you know how much wattage you are going to be connecting to it. Overloading the cord with more wattage than recommended can cause an electrical fire. Turning your lights on and off Make sure you turn off your tree lights, lights outside, or any Christmas lights used for decorating before you go to bed or before leaving your house. If there is ever a time that you forget, you can call a neighbor. If it becomes a repeated thing, you might want to invest in smartphone outlet plugs. These are plugs that you get for your house that you can plug the tree lights, outside/inside lights to. Once you have purchased the plug, you download the app that is connected to the plug. Follow the instructions in the app and you are good to go. Security System Fire Alarm Company Rochester If you have any additional questions regarding a home fire alarm Rochester residents trust in their homes during the holiday season and throughout the entire year, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 585-770-0348.
Former Burglars Reveal Reasons for Targets
Why Do Burglars Choose Certain Homes? Did you know that 71.9 percent of burglars target homes? That’s a staggering number. This figure was released by an NBC affiliate that sent surveys to convicted burglars throughout New Jersey and Jew York. The idea was to uncover the strategies that they used to break into homes. Below is what they found out, which is important for you to know so you can boost your home security and keep you and your family safe. The Biggest Findings The biggest findings had to do with unlocked windows. Forty-two percent of the burglars that completed the survey said that they entered their target homes through unlocked windows. Thirty-eight percent of them entered through unlocked doors. That is a lot of people leaving their doors and windows unlocked. The most common place they found valuables was in the bedroom. This was the first place that 75 percent of burglars looked after they broke in. The most targeted items were cash and jewelry. 84 percent of them went for cash and 80 percent of them went for the jewelry. Home security alarms do scare off burglars. Forty-two percent of burglars said that they left immediately when they saw an alarm system. Give Your Home Security a Boost If you don’t have a home security alarm, it is time to invest because that is the biggest deterrent when it comes to burglars entering your home. Here are some tips to help you give your home security the bump that you need: Install image sensors near all your windows or doors so that activity can be detected. If activity is detected, then the notification is sent to the monitoring center and to you. Smart lights are very good because they trigger at random times. This makes it appear as if someone is home although they aren’t. The lights can also be set to respond to certain events, such as movement in the home. If someone breaks in, a light can come on, and that can make the burglar go away. Surveillance cameras where there are high-valued items can be very useful. You can also place them near windows and doors. They can be placed inside and out. Back to the monitored home security alarm, one burglar gave advice to his own mother and that was for her to invest in an alarm system for her home so she would be protected. That says a lot when a burglar is telling his mother to protect herself against people like him. Other Security Tasks In addition to the items listed above, there are other things that you can do aside from keeping windows and doors locked and installing a security system. One thing is to make sure you lock your valuables away in a safe. Because burglars like to look in bedrooms first, you don’t want those things hiding under a mattress or in a drawer. If the safe is one that can be bolted to the floor or installed in a wall, you won’t lose those items. Also, never keep valuables sitting where a burglar can look through a window and see them. When they case the house, they are going to look through windows to see what they can steal. During the holiday season or even around birthdays, don’t leave empty boxes to electronics out with the trash. When a burglar sees that you have gotten a new television or computer, they are more likely to break into your home to steal those items. Make sure your windows and doors are locked while you’re inside. It is preached often that you need to lock them when you leave, but there are burglaries that happen while the occupants are home. This can be a very frightening experience. Make sure your doors are locked, windows are locked, and that your home security system is armed. That way if someone enters your home, your security system will alert you and the monitoring center will be alerted as well. Contact A Rochester Home Security Company One of the biggest things that you can do to ensure your home is safe from burglars is to contact SPS Fire & Security. Our experience, state-of-the-art equipment, and excellent service will help you protect everything that is important to you. To learn more, call us at 585-770-0348.
Things to Keep in Your Automobile in Case of an Emergency
Keep Yourself Safe on the Road All Year Round The thought of getting stranded or running out of gas leaves a nervous feeling in many of us. It affects our sense of security. There are Multiple things that you can do to make sure that your automobile is well-maintained, but what’s inside your car plays a key role as well when preserving your sense of security. Below is a list of ten of the most popular items that you would want to have in your automobile in case of an emergency: 1. Fully Charged Mobile Phone With technology these days, having a fully charged cell phone on hand is the quickest way to get in contact with someone. Some cars don’t charge cell phones while they aren’t running so if you notice that your phone is low on battery, charge it while driving. 2. Jumper Cables You come out from work, put the key in the ignition and your car doesn’t start. What do you do next? The smartest thing that you can do when finding a parking place at work or at any store would be to park where another car can park in front of you. Never pull through because it makes it harder for any one to help you out. Plus, it blocks car drivers from backing out. 3. Flashlights Flashlights come in handy for when you need to check under the hood or if you get stranded when it is dark outside. Again, your sense of security is very important. 4. Roadside Flares Roadside flares are the best form of light signals to have when it is dark out and you are on a busy road or thruway. Many people won’t see you or your car right away if it is a dark color. Having the roadside flares will allow other drivers to see you and your car ahead of time and give them enough time to move over to another lane, if possible. Keeping jumper cables in your automobile in case of an emergency, may not only keep you safe but others as well. 5. Blankets You should have one blanket for every person that is in your family. Even though you are in the car where it might be slightly warmer than it is outside, you want to be sure that everyone in your car is warm, especially if you have little ones. 6. Bottles of Water Keep one or two bottle of water for every person that is in your family. You never know how long you are going to be stranded for. Water is better for you and lasts longer than juice or soda. Keeping water in your automobile in case of an emergency, not only can keep you safe, but you could also use it to help another person or animal. 7. Food Granola bars are always a good food to keep in your car. Like Water and Blankets, you should keep one to two per person in your family in the car. 8. First Aid Kit Whether it is cleaning up a head wound from scattered glass or cleaning a boo boo for your three-year-old, a good stocked first aid kit always comes in handy. The first aid kit should have bandages, white tape, gauze, cotton balls, medical gloves, Neosporin, and anything else that you would think would be helpful during a medical emergency when on the road. Having a first aid kit in your automobile in case of an emergency, could keep someone safe until more help arrived. 9. Ice Scraper It is 5am and you are outside in the cold scraping your car windshield with a credit card. That is not always a good idea. Having a least two scrapers in your car would benefit you just in case one of them breaks. 10. Gloves (both work and winter) Both work and winter gloves are key essentials to your car kit. Winter gloves are not going to be safe if you need to check under the hood of your car. Buy safety work gloves in case you or someone in the car with you knows what it is that can be fixed under the hood. No matter what season (winter, summer, spring or fall) it is, always revamp your car kit based on the season. Sometimes you might not need the winter gloves or ice scrapers anyway, but you need extra water bottles because it is 90 degrees outside and there is always the possibility you’ll break down. When taking things out of the car kit, make sure that you have a bin to place all your off-season car items so you know exactly what it is that you took out. This keeps you equipped and organized. Contact Your Rochester Security Experts All in all, having a car safety kit is one of the most important things you can do for you and your family. You never know what is going to happen on your daily routine. Keep your insurance information and a good reliable towing service number handy in case of any emergency. To extend safety measures to your home, SPS Fire & Security can help you. Call us at 585-770-0348 to learn more.
New Parents: Using Home Security Products for a Safer Home
Using Home Security to Keep Babies Safe It is exciting to be a new parent. You have expectations and plans for your child. You want them to grow up to be a good person and to make something of themselves. You also want to keep them safe in every area of their life. Home security is where that safety starts. Keeping your child safe starts at home. There are several home security products that will help you make your home as safe as possible for your baby and you. This will give you what you need to be safe and feel safe. Peace of mind is a powerful thing when you are taking care of a new human being. The Usual Products in Home Security Of course, there are the usual products that you can use to make your baby safer. It won’t be long before your baby is crawling, so you want to put locks on toilet seats and covers for electrical outlets. You will also need safety gates to keep your baby from wandering all over the house. Pressure mounted gates can fit any size doorway and keeps you from having to permanently install hinges and latches in the door facing. It is entirely up to you, as babies eventually figure out how to knock down pressure mounted gates. You also need to childproof cabinets. There are some great locks you can buy at your local department store that are easy for you to figure out, but they aren’t so easy for the baby. This can keep them out of cleaning supplies and other harmful items. Lastly, a baby monitor that you can carry around the house with you while your baby naps or sleeps at night can help you keep your ears peeled. You know what’s happening in the room. Motion Detectors are Gold Motion detectors can be useful anywhere in the home. You can place them in your child’s room so that you know if anyone is trying to break into the house from that room. In fact, motion detectors can be useful around any doors and windows in the home. If you are a heavy sleeper at night and there is a possibility that you will sleep through the baby monitor, motion detectors are a good tool. Video Surveillance Video surveillance is another one of the best home security products you can opt for. This is because you can monitor your baby’s room while they sleep. As your baby gets older and begins sitting and playing on his or her own, you can monitor your little one in the room while you clean the house, do the dishes, or simply take a load off for a few minutes. Video surveillance is also useful for when you have a babysitter come to your home to watch your baby. You can keep an eye on things while you’re gone by accessing the system through your smartphone. If the babysitter doesn’t do their job or they are mean to your child, you can intervene or never hire them again. A video surveillance system can be just a camera or two or you can have many. Another area where video surveillance is useful is outside so that you can see who is at your door. This keeps your entire family safe. The Almighty Home Alarm System Motion detectors and video surveillance can be components of a full-scale home alarm system. If someone breaks into your home, you are going to know about it. The alarm will sound and it will most likely make the burglar leave very quickly, keeping your family safe. With video surveillance in place, you can get a glimpse of who the culprit is, increasing the chances they will get caught so they aren’t on the street to try and destroy another family’s sense of security. You can secure all doors and windows so that you have peace of mind, but also so you are much safer than you would be otherwise. Enjoy Your New Life With that said, enjoy this new life that you have with your bundle of joy. They grow up before your eyes and, of course, keeping them safe through every phase of their life is extremely important. With so many home security products that can secure the home and keep all of you safe, you take control away from anyone who would even think about interfering with your safety. SPS Fire & Security Can Help You with Your Security Needs To give your home the added security that it needs so you and your family can be safe, SPS Fire & Security offers state-of-the-art equipment and exceptional service so that you know you are much safer. To learn more about how we can help you, call us at 585-770-0348 for a free consultation.
Is Home Automation the Smart Choice for Your Family?
How Does Home Automation Make Life Easier? Home automation isn’t an entirely new technology, but it is one that is making great strides in making life better for families. However, many homeowners question how convenient home automation really is. It does involve everything from remotely adjusting a thermostat to turning on a light, but is it really worth it? The following list gives you a glimpse into the conveniences and if they are will help make your life easier. Reduce Stress Have you ever left your home and wondered if you locked the door? If so, you’re not the only one. Home automation allows for smart locks, which means that you can lock your doors from anywhere. If you leave for vacation and you wonder if the doors are locked, you can find out. If any doors are unlocked, you can lock them from where you are. This eliminates the need to turn around just to check the locks. All you need is home automation and a smartphone. Keep Things Peaceful Smart lighting helps keep things peaceful and you can even save money on your power bill. For example, you can put countdown timers on the lights in rooms that are used for short periods of time. Bathrooms are the perfect example. The light will automatically shut off in five or ten minutes. This will prevent the light from being left on for hours and that will save you money on your electric bill. Motion sensors installed in rooms can result in the light being turned on and off as people enter and exit the rooms. Another thing you can do is set lighting schedules, especially when you go on vacation. The lights can be scheduled to make it appear as if someone is home. This will help deter burglars from entering the home. If they do enter, your alarm system can run them off and video surveillance can capture who they are. Your Home Becomes More Accessible Home automation can also be great for those that are elderly or have disabilities. Some of the simplest tasks can be challenging for some people. Automating the home can make a significant difference in a person’s life. Certain actions can be achieved by simply pushing a button. Physical actions are reduced and this can make the home safer for someone who may have difficulty getting around. Stay Aware When you add video surveillance into the mix, you can look at your video feed from your smartphone when you are at work, on vacation, or when taking a walk. You can see what the dog is doing, what is happening in your yard, and what is going on in your house. This gives you peace of mind because you know what’s happening. Save Time Home automation also saves time because you don’t have to run through the house turning off lights or locking all of the doors. You can do this straight from your smartphone. Stand in one place and get it all done. It’s as simple as that. User Fewer Resources When you purchase your home automation system, you are making a contribution to the economy. You are also using fewer resources because you are cutting energy consumption by using only what is necessary at that time. Keep Tabs on the Kids It can be difficult to hover over the kids at all times. Through home automation, you can integrate home video surveillance that allows you to watch the baby while he or she is sleeping or monitor the kids while they are in the playroom. This gives you a lot of peace of mind and can even help you get more done. You Move Into the Future When you have home automation in place, you are moving into the future. As technology advances, your system can advance. That means you will always be poised to have the latest technology. As technology improves, this means that your system will get better and better Every single time you upgrade. Contact A Rochester, Syracuse & Buffalo Smart Home Installer At SPS Fire & Security, we specialize in a wide range of security products, including home automation. If you are ready to turn your home into a smart home or you want more information, call us at 585-770-0348 for a free consultation.
Five Ways to Avoid Identity Theft
How to Protect Your Identity Many people over the years have found that with the busyness of family gatherings, it’s so much easier to do their holiday shopping online. Unfortunately, identity theft via a computer or internet is the easiest way to gain access to an individual’s identity. Yes, just like a home alarm system keeps out burglars, anti-virus and anti-malware software can keep out thieves. Nonetheless, you have to take precautions. Below, you will find five ways to avoid identity theft when using your computer to make online purchases. Also remember that identity theft can also occur if a thief breaks into your home and takes personal documents. Having an alarm system in place will help prevent this from happening and, if it does, video surveillance is a great way to identify the perp. 1. Pay Close Attention to Accounts Always make sure that you are watching your bank and credit accounts. If you notice any unusual activity, make sure that you report it right away. 2. Never Give Out You Social Security Number Most banks and credit card companies will ask you for the last four digits of your social security number. Don’t give it out unless it is a bank or credit card company that you are associated with. That is one of the easiest ways a thief can get access to your account information. You can ask for a callback number so you can call them back and give your information. This can ensure that you are really talking to your financial institution. 3. Make Sure to Shred All Papers with Personal Information If your home doesn’t already have a paper shredder, it would be a great investment. You should be shredding all documents that have any personal information such as account numbers, partial social security numbers, and home addresses. As referenced earlier, a thief can break into your home and steal personal information for the purpose of identity theft. Again, having an alarm system installed can be a major theft deterrent. 4. Make Passwords Secure Never make passwords words or characters that someone could easily figure out. Plus, don’t write your passwords down and leave them around the house so that anyone could get them. Make your passwords words and characters that only you know and don’t give out your passwords to anyone that you don’t trust. 5. Use Protection On The Computer If you do a lot of home shopping from your computer, make sure that you have some computer security installed. Some proper security that you could install on your computer would be firewalls and spyware. Each one of the programs can keep your computer and identity safe from viruses and hackers. Make sure that the programs are updated before shopping online to secure that you have the best safety. Having knowledge of identity theft could save you from any harm happening to you this holiday season. One other way to protect not only you but your children is to teach them about identity theft. Teach your children not to give out any information to anyone that they don’t know or to anyone online. While identity theft is certainly something to watch out for during the holiday season, it defiantly should not keep you from doing your holiday shopping at your own comfort of your home computer. By following these tips, you can continue to enjoy the internet from just about anywhere. And don’t forget that an alarm system is also a valuable component in avoiding identity theft. Protect Yourself Better with SPS Fire & Security Although SPS Fire & Security is a home and business security alarm company, our services can keep burglars out that can steal your personal information. Unfortunately, thieves will acquire credit cards, social security cards, and important documents for the purpose of committing identity theft. To learn more about how SPS Fire & Security can help you, call 585-770-0348 for a free consultation.