After months of mastering Zoom calls, discovering a newfound love for finish-at-home meals, and binging on Netflix series – everything from Tiger King to The Last Dance – Melbournians have finally made it out to the other side.
We’re easing back to what life was like before lockdown, and more of us making the most out of the relaxed restrictions. Seeing friends and family, dining out, travelling out of town and even returning back to the office.
As we start spending more time away from home – whether it’s during the day or weekend away – it’s worth reminding ourselves that our homes will be vacant more often. Meaning more opportunities for break-ins, burglary and property security offences to occur.
In September 2020, Crime Statistics Agency released new data reporting Victoria recorded its largest yearly spike in crime, with incidents risen by 5.6 per cent — an increase of 21,805 incidents to 407,768 — in 12 months. Theft and security offences were among the common crime incidents that increased during this time.
Combining this information with historical trends showing increased crime rates during economic downturns and increased burglaries over the summer months, Signal Security advises homeowners to assess their security measures to continue to keep their families and home safe.
Did you know that crime rates increase during economic downturns?
Downturns such as recessions come with a large increase in unemployment rates in youths, which have historically led to increased petty crime and theft.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), unemployment in our country has increased by just over 45% – the large majority being youths and young people. This is not only a huge upset regarding the unemployment rates but also the potential increase of crime within our communities.
Before we delve into the advice, it’s worth understanding the most common reasons burglars target a premise.
In 2015, a study was conducted of police detainees, who were found guilty of committing breaking and entering offences, to gain insight on burglary in Australia. Although years have passed since the study, there are lessons and learnings that are still highly relevant — especially, as we spend more time outside and away from home.
There are two main areas of focus for targeting premises, as reported from the study, a lack of activity around the property and the visibility/attractiveness of the property.
Lack of activity was indicated by:
And visibility/attraction came down to:
Our advice for keeping your home and family safe.
Improved security and electronic security is reported as one of the most effective ways to deter burglars from attempting to enter a property. And most importantly, an effective way to ensure the safety of you and your family. After all, the most precious possession —that is irreplaceable—is … OURSELVES.
Achieving peace of mind is not simply about installing a CCTV camera outside of your premise. At Signal Security, we take a logical approach to determining which systems and services should be considered to deliver maximum impact and return on investment.
You can download our FREE booklet on How To Achieve True Peace of Mind with Electronic Security Here
In short, there are three key steps in achieving peace of mind and our recommendation in approaching electronic security for your home:
There is nothing more effective in preventing harm and loss than a professionally installed intrusion detection system (burglar alarm) with fixed or portable panic buttons. Depending on the size, shape and layout of a property, coupled with its level of risk, an intrusion detection system can come in all shapes and sizes with various types of detection devices i.e. motion detectors, door/window switches and glass breakage detectors.
In its raw form, an intrusion detection system is a powerful tool that drives intruders away with its loud sirens and flashing lights but relies heavily on neighbours and passers-by to act swiftly in the case of an emergency. Unfortunately, in today’s day and age sounding alarm sirens will more often than not be ignored.
The only way to guarantee a response is to connect your intrusion detection system to a professional security monitoring centre. With highly trained security monitoring professionals available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure that every alarm signal received is dealt with in the shortest amount of time possible and that help can be sent in times that you need it most.
If a professionally installed intrusion detection system will aid in the prevention of harm and loss, and the addition of a professional monitoring service to the system will initiate an emergency response. Then what next? We need to find a way to assist with the real-time verification of events as well as being able to retrospectively go back in time and review any events of interest which leads us to integrate surveillance cameras (CCTV system) into the fold.
The thought of our homes not being a safe space can be jarring and a break-in is the last thing we want after the year we’ve had.
While we can’t predict when or what’s going to happen, we can put the right measures in place to keep our homes and family safe.
As always, our friendly, knowledgeable team of security specialists can assist you with any questions or security challenges you may be experiencing.
You can organise a free, no-obligation on-site security risk assessment by contact our team on 1300 73 83 93 or sending an enquiry from our contact page.
A home alarm system can come in many shapes and sizes. With something as important as your own security, it’s essential to understand the process, things to look out for, and what to expect when trying to achieve TRUE peace of mind.
Home security systems should not be treated as a one-size-fits-all solution which is why we recommend that if you’re being referred to an “alarm package” – which unfortunately happens often within the electronic security industry, you should start to look elsewhere.
Like a home, not all security systems are the same. Factors such as the size and design of your home, your existing equipment, whether you have pets or not, and many more, can all affect the final recommended solution.
Therefore, we’ve listed several important points which help to answer the question, “What makes the best home alarm system?”
Motion detectors are by no means the be-all and end-all of a home alarm system however they are the most common for good reason. They assist in covering a large area and as the name suggests, can detect any motion occurring within the space that the device is occupying. We know what you’re thinking… What about my dogs and/or cats? Luckily, nowadays most high-quality detectors have a form of pet-immunity allowing your furry friends to roam free whilst going unnoticed – it’s worth checking with a security specialist to determine whether the system you are looking for is pet-friendly.
The aim of a security system is to mitigate harm and/or loss, which is only as effective as the solution itself. This is why the best home alarm systems also have a form of perimeter protection through the use and integration of reed switches on doors and windows, and glass break detectors in areas with lots of glazing or windows with intricate framing. Adding these devices helps to expand your protected area by alerting you before any actual “intrusion” occurs, minimising the chance of “smash and grabs”.
In its raw form, an intrusion detection system is a powerful tool that drives intruders away with its loud sirens and flashing lights but relies heavily on neighbours and passers-by to act swiftly in the case of an emergency. Unfortunately, in today’s day and age sounding alarm sirens will more often than not be ignored.
Adding a professional monitoring service to your system is an easy way to transform your “noisemaker” into a potential lifesaver and contrary to what you may think a lifesaving service such as this could cost, it’s actually really affordable with your investment being less than half a cup of coffee a day.
Summary
When looking for the best home alarm system, it’s important to look at the whole solution rather than brands or product. Make sure that you steer clear of “set packages” and speak to a qualified security specialist who would be able to provide professional advice to ensure that you are getting the most appropriate set-up for your home and family.
If you would like to speak to one of our security specialists about your tailored home intrusion protection, simply contact us here or call our Customer Care Centre on 1300 73 83 93.
“How much should I pay for a security system?”
Let’s start with a simpler question.
Why are you getting a security system?
More than likely it’s to do with the protection of your family members and your home. This comes down to the foundation of security and the reasoning behind each type of system – see our Hierarchy of Security to learn more.
To beg the question, why would you only look at the price tag when there are so many other factors to consider when choosing a device that could potentially save your loved ones or your hard-earned belongings?
We understand that price comes into consideration, however we’ve compiled a list of an additional 3 factors to consider when it comes to choosing a security provider. See below:
At the risk of sounding egotistical, the reputation of a company is one of the most valuable factors to consider when looking at different security providers.
In an industry where saving lives is a consideration, it is important to know that the company you choose is trustworthy and can also deliver on your expectations.
Hearing from friends or family from whom you trust is a primary source of information and one that you should definitely acknowledge. Another way, which is the most popular and trusted ways to hear the stories of other people’s dealings with the company, is through online reviews – in particular Google Reviews. These are real ratings and real comments from real people (for the most part). There are also other websites such as Word of Mouth or Three Best Rated that can provide insights into past experiences with the company.
Again, dealing with something as incredibly important as safety and security, you want to make sure that the people you’re entrusting it with are licensed and accredited to do so.
This doesn’t simply mean a business card.
You need to ensure that:
In any industry, the amount of time any business has been around can be a telling sign as to how trusted the company is and if they will be able to support your queries down the road. Sole traders are often culprits of leaving you to voicemail and never returning your calls, however larger businesses with more staff usually have a better structure around after-installation support.
Although rare, some businesses slip through the cracks and are able to continue business despite unsatisfactory service, so it is important to consider tenure alongside other contributing factors!
Like mentioned at the beginning, we encourage you to think from the ground up. Why are you getting a security system? Why take a risk which will more than likely backfire?
Take a step of confidence. When researching your next security provider, ensure that you are taking all factors into consideration while decision making, so that you can take the next step towards achieving true peace of mind!
The term “peace of mind” is referred to a lot these days especially within the security industry. Time and time again companies promise that their product and/or service will provide it, but very rarely are they able to demonstrate exactly how they will deliver on their promise.
In order to solve this age old challenge, we must first ensure we gain a deeper understanding of what causes ones angst as well as have the tenured experience to know which solution or more often than not, which combination of solutions are required to adequately mitigate the risk.
With 20 years of experience protecting thousands of Australian homes and businesses, Signal Security has been building on its experience and continuously evolving its thinking with the aim of formalising a methodology that all team members can be trained in to help its customers achieve “true” peace of mind.
At the core of this methodology is what Signal Security CEO and Co-founder Justin Nesvanulica refers to as the “Hierarchy of Electronic Security” – the logical order to which systems and services should be considered to deliver maximum impact and return on investment.
Most people are under the impression that the number one priority for the security industry is to prevent loss and/or damage to property. In fact, the industry’s core priority is much more meaningful, it’s to prevent harm to the most valuable asset we will ever possess… OURSELVES!
Therefore it is important to understand that achieving peace of mind is not simply about installing a CCTV camera outside of your premise but about understanding why certain systems are installed, what their core purpose is and how layering numerous systems and services will go a long way to stopping those fleeting thoughts of whether or not your security has been compromised.
With so much on the line, where do we start? There is nothing more effective in preventing harm and loss than a professionally installed intrusion detection system (burglar alarm) with fixed or portable panic buttons. Depending on the size, shape and layout of a property, coupled with its level of risk, an intrusion detection system can come in all shapes and sizes with various types of detection devices i.e. motion detectors, door/window switches and glass breakage detectors.
Nonetheless, the key to preventing harm and loss is trying to detect an unauthorised entry as close to the perimeter as possible and ensuring there are an adequate amount of warning lights and sirens once activated, the attention drawn to the property will make even the most brazen criminals limit their time within the property, therefore minimising the opportunity for loss and in most cases preventing it completely.
Having sirens sound as early as possible becomes even more important if there are people residing in the property at the time of an invasion as it provides valuable seconds for an attempt to retreat to the most secure areas of the property. Fixed or portable panic buttons are an extremely effective way to activate sirens moments before or during an attempted invasion as occupants can trigger sirens as soon as they feel threatened. The piercing sound of internal sirens are designed to cause havoc on the human middle ear which in itself will naturally drive intruders out reducing the likelihood of altercations occurring between them and the occupants inside.
Intrusion detection systems are cost effective, provide exceptional value for money and should be considered first and foremost before all other security products. An intrusion detection system is the only solution that will actually minimise the impact of an unauthorised intrusion and should form the foundation of any comprehensive security solution.
In its raw form, an intrusion detection system is a powerful tool that drives intruders away with its loud sirens and flashing lights but relies heavily on neighbours and passers-by to act swiftly in the case of an emergency. Unfortunately, in today’s day and age sounding alarm sirens will more often than not be ignored.
The only way to guarantee a response is to connect your intrusion detection system to a professional security monitoring centre. With highly trained security monitoring professionals available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure that every alarm signal received is dealt with in the shortest amount of time possible and that help can be sent in times that you need it most.
Most people are unaware that all mainstream intrusion detection systems are designed to be professionally monitored and have inbuilt features to request help via the monitoring centre, where the services of the Police, Ambulance and Fire Brigade can all be summoned at the touch of a button. In addition to being notified in the unfortunate event of a break in, you will also have a quick and convenient way of requesting assistance in the event you are faced with a life-threatening emergency.
Adding a professional monitoring service to your system is an easy way to transform your “noise maker” into a potential life saver and contrary to what you may think a lifesaving service such as this could cost, it’s actually really affordable with your investment being less than half a cup of coffee a day.
If a professionally installed intrusion detection system will aid in the prevention of harm and loss, and the addition of a professional monitoring service to the system will initiate an emergency response. Then what next? We need to find a way to assist with the real time verification of events as well as being able to retrospectively go back in time and review any events of interest which leads us to integrating surveillance cameras (CCTV system) into the fold.
Should an unfortunate event occur at your property the monitoring centre will call you to inform you of the breach. Being informed that a movement detector has been activated is one thing, however being able to cross reference it with live video footage is another. Having the ability to quickly and easily review as much information as possible on your smart device or laptop computer pertaining to the incident is crucial to obtaining the quickest Police response possible. A CCTV system will allow you to see what happened, show you how it happened, provide a full timeline of events from start to finish and give you every opportunity of identifying those responsible. Without this information it will be almost impossible to track down and prosecute the perpetrators and recover any of your losses.
A professionally installed CCTV system is the perfect companion to your intrusion detection system and professional monitoring service and should not be considered before the previous solutions are in place. Without them intruders will have nothing to drive them away from the premise and will allow them an ample amount of time to spend searching your property for items of value. Nothing is more frustrating that being a victim of a burglary only to watch recorded footage of how they did it and got away with it. Worse yet, arriving onsite only to find that your CCTV recorder with all your recorded footage was also taken.
Adding a professionally installed CCTV system is an important addition to overall security and should be treated as such. Being a passive solution, CCTV will never stop or minimise an incident from occurring it will merely show you how it happened.
Remember, peace-of-mind can come from the implementation of a range of security products and services, however, as a security provider with over 20 years’ experience, we believe that the way to achieve true peace of mind is by following the above steps.
If true peace of mind is your goal, there is no better way to go about your electronic security than making sure that you’re minimising loss and harm, initiating an immediate response and finally, verifying incidents and gathering evidence.
Want to achieve “true” peace of mind?
Our friendly, knowledgeable team of security specialists are on hand to assist with any security challenges you may be experiencing. To organise a free, no obligation on site security risk assessment please contact our team on 1300 73 83 93.
It’s unfortunate that today’s burglars and criminals are becoming smarter when choosing a home to target. They are becoming more attentive to little details that the average home owner often overlook.
You may not even be aware of what you’re doing that could lead to your home being a potential target for any would be intruders. Fear not though we are about to reveal the top things burglars look for so you can avoid being a target in the mind of a criminal.
Open windows or unlocked doors
It’s as silly as it sounds but as the warmer weather approaches we often leave the home with open windows. Checking all your windows and doors to make sure they’re locked before you leave unfortunately still gets ignored by the majority of home owners. They believe that a 30 minute trip down the street will be fine and that their home is invulnerable during this time. If a criminal sees an open window or tries to open an unlocked door, it’s pretty obvious that they could take a lot of precious irreplaceable mementoes during this time.
Signs of a vacant home
Criminals look for signs that you haven’t been home in a while. This could be rubbish in the front yard, no sign of cars in the driveway, overgrown trees and garden beds or even overflowing mail in your letter box. A big one to remember is not to overflow your bins with any newly purchased state of the art gear such as a home theatre system. Don’t advertise this to the public where all your bins are full of home theatre cardboard boxes. This allows criminals to easily choose your home as a prominent target as they attempt to take this extremely valuable item, especially if you have gone holidaying for a few days whilst leaving the bins out for collection.
Unilluminated homes
The cover of night is an easy reason for criminals to pick a home without any illumination. No one from the street can see who comes and who leaves the home, leaving an easy target choice for those intruders. If your family live in the rear part of the home and don’t have any lights on in the front of the home consider getting garden or sensor lights to not only brighten up your home but to deter intruder by taking away their cover of darkness. We recommend getting timers for lights which illuminate your home at random times to make it harder for criminals to guess when you are home.
Social Media Habits
Yes we love to publicise our next holiday as it’s exciting! But what you may not be aware of is who can see your social update. Once a friend likes your post your post gets shown to all of their friends who you may not even know. If you include dates you are away this invites any stranger or previous person who you may have left on unfavourable terms with in the past into your home. If you need to let people know you are away or if you wish to share photos, set up a private message with loved ones.
These simple tips will provide peace of mind so when you leave your home you know your home is safe and sound. Check your doors and windows and make sure they are locked, keep your home looking vibrant with garden maintenance, brighten up the home at night and most importantly don’t advertise to the world you are heading on holidays with certain dates.
After all who has time to worry about if their home is at risk? Go live and enjoy your life, stress free by protecting your home, your mementoes, assets and most importantly your loved ones.
Before you start thinking about sipping cocktails by a pool in the hot European sun lets first think about why you are leaving Australia in the first place… Because it’s cold, dark, windy, wet and miserable… Right?
Well these very reasons are exactly the same reasons why we see a huge spike in burglaries and property theft over the winter months. How so? Well it’s quite simple once you think about it.
A) People are vacating their homes in doves and heading away for overseas vacations for weeks at a time which makes this very attractive for would be intruders.
B) Its darker for longer therefore the bad guys have an increased window of opportunity where they won’t be seen.
C) The cracking of thunder, the howling winds and the sound of rain pelting down makes it extremely difficult to hear if a door is kicked in or window is smashed.
And to make matters worse, unlike the good old days the reliance on neighbours is no longer a viable option. This has resulted in many families adopting the latest in home security technologies to help better protect their homes and loved ones. Let’s face it the last thing you want whilst away is to have those random thoughts about the security of your home back in Australia especially just as your tray of cocktails arrive.
Get a security alarm system professionally installed.
Most homes already have one but if yours doesn’t make sure you have a professionally installed security alarm system. Ensure you get a system that has the a night time and day times arming modes and one that has panic buttons to give you access to the Police, Ambulance and Fire Brigade. This way you can be protected whilst you head away overseas as well as whilst you are home.
Have your alarm professionally monitored.
Panic buttons are enabled when your alarm professionally monitored.
Monitoring is compatible with most if not all modern security systems (installed within the last 10 years). Having a professionally monitored alarm means you will always be guaranteed a response from a licensed monitoring professional. Our monitoring team are available to assist 24 hours a day 7 days a week and can provide immediate access to emergency services as well as Australia’s largest network of security guards.
When choosing alarm security monitoring, go wireless!
Wireless monitoring provides many benefits than compared to traditional ‘analogue’ phone line monitoring. Below are just a few of those benefits:
Remote arming and disarming via your smart phone.
Our Pocket Secure phone app
Never experience that sinking feeling again, when you are travelling to the airport and the realisation of not arming your alarm kicks in. Just pull out your smart phone, check the armed status of your alarm and if you did forget simply arm your system with the touch of a button.
Wireless monitoring checks in with us every 12 hours, so you can enjoy the scenery.
The monitoring centre will receive test signals from the alarm system twice a day to make sure your alarms wireless monitoring module is operational and communicating as it should. Should something go wrong you or someone on your emergency contact list will be notified as soon as a signal is missed.
Receive SMS and email alerts when the alarm is armed and disarmed.
Receive SMS phone alerts in the event of alarm detection
Should your neighbours need to feed your pet whilst you’re away, you will get an alert each time your alarm is disarmed and armed to confirm and show what time they arrived and left. This function is also great for verifying the time and attendance of tradesman, cleaners, gardeners and contractors whilst away.
No additional telecommunication costs.
Unlike traditional phone line monitoring that uses a local call (20c) for every signal sent to the monitoring centre. Wireless monitoring uses the data network that is inclusive of your monthly investment.
No hidden costs means no nasty surprise bills in the mail from your telco provider. Isn’t it great not having to prepare for the unexpected.
If you are keeping a phone line purely for the alarm system we have good news. This can now be cancelled to save you even more money (Approx. $50 per month).
NBN Ready.
If the NBN is due to rollout in your local area whilst you are away (or whilst you are back home) the last thing you want is for your alarm to lose connection with the monitoring service. If you are on phone line monitoring consider changing to wireless monitoring so you don’t have to deal with any headaches.
And if that’s not enough to convince you to jump on the extremely popular wireless monitoring band wagon before you jet away. It’s extremely easy to operate and they say proof is in the pudding. Just set and forget, enjoy your holiday and let us look after your home whilst you enjoy your time away.
If you would like to speak to a member of our security specialist team to discuss how to better protect your home and family, please call 1300 73 83 93.
As highlighted in our previous blog we provided our top 4 tips to help protect against aggravated home burglaries and what you can do to feel safer. All of which has crawled over our social feeds and been in the news which now seems to lie with the youths of today.
The latest inside crime knowledge from Victoria Police suggest the latest car jackings and aggravated burglaries are now predominately caused by the youths of today some as young as 15. Victoria police are suggesting that this behaviour is caused by poor parenting.
It’s unfortunate that many of these youths have a “live now, die young” mentality as they have no purpose or direction in their lives. Stealing and causing crime is far easier than working hard in a job to one day live in a nice home.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton says Parents either don’t have control over their kids OR they don’t care about them.
Mr Ashton said it was time for a bold change to deal with youths. They are being “locked out” of society and are travelling along the crime treadmill and police alone will not be able to handle the spike.
At Signal Security we firmly believe that parents need to be the positive role model that gives their children purpose and direction in life.
Children always look to their parents as a way of finding their own two feet in the world whilst also modelling or imitating behaviours parents’ exhibit as it’s how they learn.
Huffington Post, Raisingchildren.net.au and Victoria’s Better Health Channel all agree on the importance of being a positive role model as a result.
Become a positive role model in 3 easy steps.
Without parents showing their children love, the feeling of worthlessness creeps in and their sense of purpose is lost. This will also hinder them becoming caring parents themselves as they won’t know how to provide that feeling.
Give them the best school education possible (not necessarily the most expensive) as they make new friends, they can partake in a variety of co-curricular activities and learn different subjects. This lays the foundations of what they might want to do later in life as a career. Don’t force them to join or learn new subjects, rather encourage them to pursue those they may like.
Teach them practical life skills, such as the value of work (pocket money for chores), manners and decorum, clean the house and how to keep to a basic budget.
If you use your phone at the table, they will too. Put it away and encourage social interaction and talk about what your child learned each day.
Explain how you deal with certain situations and actually do it, children mimic your actions. If you want to take a day off from work, don’t tell them you are sick because your child will think that lying is OK.
Above all take the time to explain why things are right and why things are wrong. If they can grasp this they will be well on the way to making you proud.
As you can see being a positive role model is the key to ensuring that the children of today grow up to live happily and allow them to differentiate right from wrong. This should guide them away from trouble and go a long way to ensure they become law abiding citizens.
Of late, it has been impossible to turn on the TV, scroll through social media or even pick up a newspaper without reading about the huge spike in aggravated home invasions and carjackings. It’s literally everywhere which is unfortunately causing more and more concern among our local communities every day. But what’s even more unfortunate… It’s reality!
Naturally this has caused many families and couples to contact us, asking what they can do to increase their level of safety. The Herald Sun’s latest article has Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Steve Fontana stated that ‘everyone should make their homes harder to break into’.
As we aim to provide peace of mind to all Australians, we have compiled our top tips to increase your security and provide genuine protection so you can live life with the peace of mind you deserve.
It’s astounding that with alarm monitoring rates as low as they are; there are still families who would rather risk the safety of themselves and their loved ones by trying to self-monitor their alarm (having it ring their mobile) or worse yet not having any form of monitoring what so ever.
Believe it or not, the overwhelming reason why people are risking it all is to save as little as $1.50 a day.
By having a professionally monitored security system in place you will have trained professionals ready to assist in the unfortunate event of a life threatening emergency e.g. home invasion. Depending on the situation at hand these professionals can quickly respond and where required deploy emergency services and or private security guards to assist you.
Most mainstream security systems installed within the last 10 years are compatible with professional monitoring and can be connected with little or no upfront investment. Once activated monitoring will open up numerous life saving features previously not available to those systems that were un-monitored or self-monitored. These life-saving features include fixed panic buttons, silent duress codes and wireless panic pendants all of which designed to alert those that are most capable of assisting you in your time of need.
Maximise the value of your alarm system by enabling stay at home arming mode. Most modern-day security systems allow you to use your alarm when you are home by turning some devices on whilst leaving others off.
Most families are unaware that their alarm systems even had such a function but once educated there was no hesitation and they immediately looked to arm parts of their home like door/window switches or even outdoor movement detectors whilst at home. This provided the freedom to move around the home, whilst still keeping their home safe, sound and secure from any unlawful entry especially whilst sleeping at night.
With technology evolving and the demand for higher levels of security increasing, CCTV is rapidly finding its way into homes all over the country. In addition to a monitored alarm system, CCTV is the perfect companion allowing home owners to verify any alarms from their smart phones as well as providing a continuous record of events, enabling police to piece together a time line in order to catch and prosecute those who are doing the wrong thing.
We recommend having a professionally installed High Definition CCTV system with night vision cameras and remote viewing function to give you the best chance of quickly identifying any incidence of concern.
The higher the definition of cameras you install the better chance there will be of capturing the finer details such as number plates, tattoos and facial features to assist with any police investigations.
Video intercoms provide a fantastic way to stay safe inside your home whilst speaking to any unknown visitors who arrives at your front door.
In some cases you may have a front gate which you can grant access to a visitor from the comfort of your own home.
Some video intercoms also have the ability to record snap shots and or video of all missed calls throughout the day. This is particularly important if a potential intruder is casing out your property more often than not they will ring a door bell numerous times to ensure no one is home. Unbeknownst to them, their face is being recorded at every attempt of ringing the doorbell.
There you have it, our four top tips to increasing your level of home security without costing the earth.
We understand that no two homes are alike and no two family’s requirements are the same, therefore our team of security specialists are readily available to thoroughly understand your requirements and provide the best possible advice available.
If you would like to speak with one of our friendly security specialists please don’t hesitate to call our team on 1300 73 83 93.
The National Broadband Network (NBN) has been rolling out across the country for a while now and is expected to be completed by 2021, well so we are told anyway.
Most people know the NBN is designed to increase communication speeds for phones and internet. But what I didn’t know was the impact it had on my monitored alarm system whilst my entire street was being upgraded.
How does my monitored alarm get affected?
I’ve had a monitored alarm for as long as I can remember and when I was advised of the NBN coming through my area, I thought great I can stream and download even more, faster! What I didn’t know was the NBN Co disconnects the old home phone line from my alarm and never connects it back up.
After receiving a call from my monitoring centre saying they were no longer receiving signals, I started to panic. The NBN technicians had disconnected the phone line. Great just what I needed. This meant I could no longer have my home protected without the reliance on my neighbours, hoping they were home whilst I went to work each day.
I called my security company to ask what options I had to get my alarm back online. They suggested I upgrade to wireless monitoring so if the phone line ever gets cut or street works happen again my monitoring service will never be stopped. This is awesome; I never want to have any down time again especially as I just purchased a new TV and speaker system for the lounge room!
Wireless monitoring is the national change as phone lines are being made redundant
With the use of my mobile, I never really used the landline. I was paying a phone line connection fee only for my alarm system to be monitored; this allowed me to save money by having my phone line connection stopped.
In addition my security company told me I would receive two extra benefits by having wireless monitoring. I could arm and disarm my alarm system via my smartphone. Just the other day I rushed out the door and whilst on the train my heart dropped knowing I forgot to protect my home with my alarm system not being armed. I need not worry; at the touch of a button on my smart phone I’ve armed my system.
I could also receive email and text message alerts when my alarm was armed and disarmed.
I usually work late and knowing when my partner comes home from work by disarming the alarm puts my mind at ease, especially when she forgets to text me.
In short I wish I had wireless monitoring before the NBN rolled out in my street. The stress of having my home not protected during this time was not worth the toll it took on me. If you want to provide your home with extra security I strongly recommend you explore wireless monitoring, especially if the NBN is coming through your area in the near future.
If you would like to find out more about what security products or services are available to home owners affected by the NBN Click Here.
If you wish to speak with our friendly home NBN security specialists don’t hesitate give us a call on 1300 73 83 93.
You cannot put a price on the lives of your loved ones. It goes beyond price. Some would say it’s something money cannot quantify, but for the purpose of this exercise let’s say it could. This begs the question: How much would you pay to bring back a loved one from the grave?
So what is the correct answer? Well there is no right or wrong answer but considering the lowest figure that you could choose has six figures it would be one extremely expensive investment to bring a loved one back however as I’m sure you would agree it would be well worth it… right?
So if we agree on this and would be prepared to shell out in excess of one hundred thousand dollars to bring back a loved one then why do most of us look to skimp in part or even worse in whole on life saving systems and services that are designed to one day save the people in our lives that we care about the most?
In my employment at Signal Security as an electronic security and monitoring specialist it is really interesting to see what motivates those looking for security. To my absolute surprise, price is still one of the most influential factors. So much so that I see customers choosing unlicensed installers who run their entire businesses out of a van over reputable security businesses for a saving of a couple of hundred dollars. How is it possible that we have got to the stage where we are risking the safety and wellbeing of our families for peanuts… It’s crazy!
Below I have provided a number of key areas that one should be considering, in order of priority, when looking for a reputable security company… and price is last!
1. Licensing & Accreditation
Ensure you engage with a security company that is licensed by Victoria Police and is an active member of the Australian Security Industry Association Limited (ASIAL).
The Victoria Police and ASIAL provide protection for consumers by ensuring that specialists and installers who are licensed by their respective organisations meet stringent police checks and technical competencies. Always ask to see the consultant/installer’s security licence before letting them into your home. An electrician is not the same as a security technician, nor is a security technician an electrician, so be careful of those who claim to be able to assist you without the appropriate accreditation. After all, you are placing yours, and your families, safety and well-being in their hands.
2. A Company’s Rating and Reputation
With the internet now a big part of life and social media consuming a large part of it why not use it to your advantage when selecting a security product or service. Google reviews and social media are great because they speak the truth. They indicate a real person’s experiences both good and bad that can help guide your decision making process. Where possible, utilise reviews from third party websites as they can’t be altered like testimonials on a company’s own website can. Such review sites can include, but aren’t limited to Google, Facebook and True Local, to name a few. If a company doesn’t have reviews, BUYER BEWARE!!!
3. Price
Off course price plays a role in any purchasing decision however, long term return should be thought of before short term investment.
My experiences have indicated that although there are cheaper products on the market, they are cheaper for a reason. These solutions normally appear to be significantly cheaper initially but if they don’t work correctly or in some instances don’t work at all, can soon turn out to be the far more expensive option. Therefore, choosing a security provider that ticks all the boxes but requires a slightly higher initial investment will go a long way to ensuring you have a system that lasts the test of time and if maintained correctly could you save hundreds, if not thousands, in the long run.
Just remember the three fundamental areas outlined above when deciding on a security company. As you can see there are more important factors that come into play before price does so try and use price as the last indicator to ensure that in a time of need you have a system and a response that you and your loved ones can rely on.
You cannot put a price on that can you?
Lambros Katopothis – Customer Relations Specialist
