Many homes today can be found inside gated communities.  Some people find that gated communities are more desirable because they are looking for both security and privacy. Access to gated communities can be monitored by bar code readers, entry codes, or even security guards.

Many people love the perception of safety, security, and privacy.  Some people choose to live in gated community because of the exclusivity.  Kind of like belonging to a country club where only members are allow in.  Still others enjoy the increased property value that having a gate brings.

Designed to Keep People Out

Living in a gated community can keep out unwanted intruders or criminals from coming in.  They are there to allow only those that are authorized entry to get beyond the gates.  The only people that get in are the residents, guests with permits, or other authorized persons.

Does A Gate Increase Security

If a gate is designed to keep unauthorized people out, (which includes burglars) then having a gate must increase the security of the homes and the people that live inside the community.  Of course having a gate will decrease the amount of vehicle traffic and intruders that gets in but as you may well know, having walls, gates, fences, and even home security systems doesn’t always stop crime.

 
While I lived in south Florida during the nineties, there was an upscale neighborhood with a manned security gate, where for a time there was in increase of women being molested in their homes.  The ladies were usually attacked while working outside in their gardens.  It was quite some time before the guy was caught.  It was a scary time for the residents of the community and the gate with the security guard didn’t stop it from happening.

I probably shouldn’t say that the security guard didn’t stop it from happening.  They did their job which was to stop traffic and check the persons authorization before allowing them on the property.  The problem comes in when the criminal can go anywhere the want to on the property if they just leave their car and walk in.

 
This isn’t the only time a crime spree like this has happened.  Just because it is a gated community does not necessarily make the residents safer or make the neighborhood crime free.  It probably helps to cut back on the possibility of a crime occurring in the first place, after all most criminals will look for the easiest targets but that doesn’t mean that you should only rely on being in a gated community to provide your home security.

 
You don’t have to go crazy with beefing up your home security but you should take a look at your situation and take the necessary security precautions like installing and using a home security system, have proper outside lighting, good locks on your doors and windows, there are quite a few options available.  You just have to look for them.  This website is a good source for all of your home security needs.

Most of us can appreciate the need for having good security at home.  We all want to protect our families and our valuables from burglars or any of the other bad guys out there.  But what about our home away from home?  Shouldn’t we also protect ourselves when we are away from home, when we are on vacation or away on business?

Here are some basic security tips that you can use when you are traveling.

Home away from home security tip #1 – When staying at a hotel, avoid the rooms on the first floor.  First floor rooms are easier for criminals to break into than rooms on upper floors.  I know that being on the first floor makes getting in and out a lot easier but for the sake of safety it’s better to be on the upper floors.

Home away from home security tip #2 – Be aware of your surroundings especially when you are in unfamiliar territory.  If you are going to be going out on foot, know the route and what to expect.  Stay in well lit areas and whenever possible make sure that there are other people in the vicinity.

Home away from home security tip #3 – Leave the good stuff at home.  Traveling with valuables is just asking for trouble.  If you do take valuables with your, then lock them away in the hotel safe.  Wearing nice expensive jewelry may impress the Jones but it also will impress the burglars.  

Home away from home security tip #4 – Dress like a native.  In order not to bring attention to you, wear clothes that blend in with what the people in the area wear.  If you wear clothes that make you stand out, you could be painting a target on your back for criminals.  Of course, if you are in New York and it happens to be Halloween, then by all means go crazy.

Home away from home security tip #5 – Know where you are going.  Getting lost stinks but getting lost in a strange city is really bad.  Walking around with your street map open is a sure sign that you are not from there making you a target. The more you know about where you are traveling the less you look like a tourist and the more secure you will be. 

Being in a new area can be a wonderful experience.  I always like trying the cuisine in different places and shopping is always something that I like to do.  But even if you are touring a new place that doesn’t mean that you should wear a tourist sign around your neck.  The key to security when you are away from home is to pay attention to your surroundings and not to stand out.  This means that you should leave the expensive jewelry at home and the loud clothing too.  Do your best to blend in with the natives.

What is a burglar alarm?  Basically it is a system that is designed to alert you to a danger.  Sensors/devices are connected to a main panel either through wiring or they can also be done wireless using radio frequency signals.  The burglar alarm systems can also be used to detect fire in addition to intrusion protection.

One of the things that I noticed whenever someone called me about their home security system was that the customer actually spoke a different language than what my alarm system technicians spoke.  Since I want everyone to get off to a good start with their home security, I thought I would spend a little time talking about the different parts of a burglar alarm system and what each part does.  Don’t worry; I won’t get too technical here.  I just want to provide you with the basic parts of a burglar alarm and what they do.

Parts of a Burglar Alarm System

• Control Panel – first up is the brains of the alarm system.  The control panel handles everything to do with the burglar alarm.  It tells; the siren to ring, the phone line to send a signal to the central station, how long to allow someone to come in and turn off the system.  It is also where all of the wiring for the alarm system devices go to and are managed and it also houses the backup battery.  Most alarm system panels are located in utility closets or laundry rooms.
• Keypad –  the keypad is used to send to the control panel instructions.  This is where you arm and disarm the system, add additional user codes, bypass zones, etc.
• Key Fob – a key fob does the same thing as a keypad but it is limited to just arming, disarming, and sending a panic signal.  It’s very similar to the kind people use to unlock and lock their cars.
• Siren – a burglar alarm isn’t any good if no one hears it.  A siren is the noise maker. 
• Motion Detector – this device is what it says it is.  It detects motion and when there is something that tells the detector that there is movement within it’s field of view, it sends a signal to the alarm system control panel.  Based on how the control panel is programmed it will; set off the system, ignore it, or delay a reaction.  There are four types of motion detectors used with burglar alarm systems today:
  • Passive infrared (PIR) – this is the most common and usually the least expensive.  This motion detector looks for a change in temperature (like body heat).
  •  Microwave detector – this motion detector sends out microwave pulses and measures the reflection off of a moving object.  Think of it like something that is throwing out bouncy balls and each ball takes a certain amount of time to return.  When the ball comes back sooner than expected, it triggers an alarm.
  • Dual-technology – this motion detector uses a combination of passive infrared and microwave technologies.  The benefit of using this time of motion detector with your alarm system is that false alarms are less likely to happen.
  • Pet PIR/Motion detector – the final motion detector that I want to tell you about is the one that is designed to ignore pets that weigh up to 80 pounds.  These motions are great for people with pets but they can trigger false alarms if your pet is a known jumper.  Cats or dogs jumping up or down from a couch, bed, counter, whatever, can sometime set off an alarm.
• Window/Door Sensor – commonly known as contacts.  These sensors come in two parts that have to line up with each other.  When a door or window is opened and the two pieces are pulled apart, an alarm is activated.  These sensors can be wired to the control panel or they can be wireless using radio frequency.
• Sound Discriminator –  this device is used to pick up the sound of breaking glass.  It is also known as a glass break detector.  When glass breaks, it generates a sound in a certain frequency range.  These detectors are usually mounted in within 30 feet of the glass.
• Smoke Detector –  this one is pretty obvious.  A smoke detector is there to detect smoke.  The biggest benefit to having a smoke detector included with your burglar alarm system is that when your system is set off because of smoke, it can send a signal to the monitoring company and they in turn can call the fire department.
• Heat Button –  a heat detector is a device that reacts to the changes in the temperature.  Once the temperature reaches a certain threshold, it signals the control panel to set off the alarm.  Heat detectors are usually located where smoke detectors shouldn’t go.  They are usually located in kitchens, laundry rooms, garages, and attics.
• Battery Backup –  the battery backup is located inside of the control panel and it provides power to the system in cases of power failure.  How long the battery lasts depends on the size of the battery and whether or not the security system is using a lot of power.  If the alarm system is actually in alarm and the siren is ringing, then the battery may not last very long at all.

Well that’s it for this post.  I hope I didn’t lose anyone by being too technical.  I think that it is important to know the different parts of a burglar alarm system and what they are designed to do so that you can make an informed decision when it comes time to choosing an alarm system that is right for your needs.

There are probably just as many reasons to install a camera surveillance system as there are different cameras to choose from.  You may want to keep an eye on your employees or keep vandalism from happening on your property.  It doesn’t really matter what your reasons are for installing a CCTV system if you don’t get the right kind of CCTV equipment based on YOUR needs, you will just be wasting your money.

So, how do you know what to look for when you are buying a camera surveillance system?

Before you go out and purchase a home surveillance system, there are some question that you should ask yourself.

• Is what you want to see indoors or outdoors?  You want to know this because it will help you to determine what kind of CCTV camera you want to own.  If the security camera is going to be located indoors, you don’t have to worry about the weather conditions and you won’t have to purchase a camera housing.  But you also want to know if the area is going to be well lit or not.  If the area you want to keep an eye on is not well lit, you may want to consider a security camera that works well in low light conditions.
• Take the surveillance area under consideration.  Is the area you want to view wide, such as a back yard, or is it a specific location, like a front door?  Answering this question will help you to decide what kind of camera lens your want your surveillance camera to have.
• Is it important to see the smallest of details or is a general idea of what is going on good enough?  If you are placing a CCTV camera at your front door it might be a good idea to make sure that the camera is good enough that you can make out WHO is at the door.  A camera won’t do you any good if all you get is a vague idea of a shape or something.
• Do you want to be able to record the activities your CCTV system is picking up?  This ability can come in handy if you want to know something that happened in the past.  Without some sort of a recording device, you won’t have a record of what happened.  Not everyone needs a recorder however, if the CCTV camera is for the front door and is used only to identify who is there before you open the door, then you may be able to do without one.  If you do want a recording device, then you want to know how much storage it has.

Okay, now that you have an idea of what you are trying to view, you can go looking for the right kind of CCTV system to fit those needs.  Stay tuned, I will be writing about CCTV cameras next.