Video Surveillance and Fighting Porch Pirates Before the Holidays
Tips to Protect Your Holiday Packages The holiday shopping season is here, which mean it’s that time of year when we begin conveniently ordering gifts online and having them delivered to our door. Many of us are at work when these packages arrive and, as home video surveillance systems have revealed, some delivery people don’t knock at all because they have so many packages they have to deliver this time of year. Unfortunately, approximately 23 million Americans have had packages stolen from their front porches after delivery. These thieves are called “porch pirates” and their antics are on the rise as e-commerce sales increase. According to the Porch Pirate Report by Shorr.com: 92% of consumers have their packages delivered to their homes 5% of consumers have their packages delivered to their businesses 1% have packages delivered to a friend’s house, 1% to a neighbor’s house, and 1% to a parent’s house 53% of people have changed plans to ensure they’re home to receive a package, although they aren’t required to sign for it. Protecting Your Packages One way you can truly protect your packages is through the installation of a home surveillance system. When there is a camera right outside the door where deliveries are left, you can get all the details. For instance, you can see when the package arrived. This ability doesn’t just help you see a porch pirate in the act, but can also help you solve delivery disputes. Unfortunately, packages can be delivered to incorrect addresses. If the package is marked “delivered” by the delivery company but never arrived, you can guess that someone else received it and initiate a claim with the delivery company. Simply having the outside camera can deter a porch pirate. If they see a camera pointing right at them, they are more likely to turn around and move on. Other ways to protect your packages include: Having the package delivered to your work if you are allowed Having the package delivered to a friend, neighbor, or family member who will be home Instructing the delivery company to leave the package at a back door or hidden area Your Rochester, Syracuse & Buffalo Video Surveillance Experts There are different ways for protecting your packages, but having a camera by the door is something that can serve you all year round. You will always know who has come to your porch, can be aware if anyone attempted or succeeded to get into your house, and can keep an eye on activities outside of your home. To learn more about you can protect your family and your home, call SPS Fire & Security at 585-770-0348 for a FREE, no-obligation consultation.
It’s Fall Y’all! Time to Prep Your House Against the Elements
7 Tips to Help You Get Your Home Ready for Fall The weather has been unseasonably warm, but can you feel it? It’s still there – it’s Fall! The leaves are changing, pumpkin spice is everywhere, the Fall events are in full swing. However, the change of seasons can take its toll on your home. That’s why it’s important to get your home ready for fall, which will also put you on the road to getting your home ready for winter. Fall Home Preparation Tips Here are some tips to help you prep your house: Prevent flooding by cleaning your gutters. Water that flows over the gutter’s edge can pool around the foundation and enter cracks and crevices. Over time, the pooling can create those cracks that can allow moisture into your basement. A gutter leaf is a good way to keep debris out of your gutters to make cleaning much easier. Clean the fireplace, chimney, or chimney pipe of debris so that a fire doesn’t occur. You can hire a chimney cleaner who will ensure a properly closed damper and that all charred wood and ash is removed. Outdoor faucets need to be drained to avoid freezing. An outdoor faucet with water still in it could freeze up and crack, which can cause a leak. Hoses should also be removed and shutoff valves turned to those faucets. Gaps around windows should be sealed up so you can keep home energy costs down. Plus, you’ll be a lot more comfortable if you don’t feel cold air from outside blowing in on you when you’re trying to cozy up on the sofa. Have a roof inspection performed. This is the perfect time of year to have a roof inspector come and check for small bits of damage so that the damage doesn’t worsen over winter. Roof inspectors can also see if you are at risk for ice dams. Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse get cold and ice dams are common and damaging. Prevention is key so you’re not calling an ice dam removal service in the middle of winter to take care of a problem. Check vents to the furnace to make sure they are not clogged or covered up by furniture or rugs. Blocked vents are fire hazards and can affect airflow. Upgrade your security alarm system if you haven’t yet. Systems can now detect fire, flood, and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a bigger danger in the fall. Carbon monoxide is a bigger danger in the fall – protect your family! Call Your Rochester Security Company Today! At SPS Fire & Security, we have helped people throughout Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo keep their homes safe and secure. These tips, along with our business security and home security services, will keep some money in your pocket and keep you and what’s yours safe. Call today at 585-770-0348 for a free estimate.
Protecting Your Packages During the Holiday Season
Don’t Be the Victim of a Porch Pirate It is that time of year again where many individuals get so busy that they are unable to make it to the stores to purchase their Christmas presents for that special someone. Since they are unable to make it to the stores, these individuals are heading straight to online shopping to make many purchases. Unfortunately, during the Christmas season, there have been reports of many package thefts happening all around the world. People will order their items online and then have them delivered. Chances are, they are unable to be home when that special item arrives. Leaving your items unattended all day and night on your doorstep will result in them getting stolen. According to ABC News, the average cost is $28 worth of packages stolen from your front door. Tips for Protecting Your Packages Major tip: Home security systems can come with video surveillance. Keep an eye on your porch and keep thieves away. If they still take the package, you have evidence. Here are other tips to protect your packages: Have your packages shipped to you at work if that is possible. If that is not an option, have a neighbor or friend wait at your house on the day your package arrives. When ordering online, keep a lookout for an email from the company you have ordered from for a link to the website with a tracking number. By watching the website for when your package will arrive allows you to plan accordingly for what day and time to expect the arrival. If you are sending a package to someone, pay the extra money if needed to have a signature requested when the package arrives. That way the delivery person cannot leave the package and you can feel more at ease to know it got to that special person. If the first three ways don’t make you feel comfortable then you can install a video surveillance camera. By doing so you can protect your home and packages. Plus you will have evidence of the package thieve. If you are a person that not only during the holiday season you have a lot of packages sent to you then you might want to take into consideration these helpful tips all year long. Contact Your Fire & Security Experts Also keep in mind that the holidays is a time for Christmas light hazards, tree fires, and break-ins. Consider contacting SPS Fire & Security at 585-770-0348 to make an appointment to have a security system installed. There are many options to protect you and your home and family from fire, carbon monoxide, and burglars.