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The best wall safes are also fireproof. This feature will be truly appreciated in the event of a house fire. Too many people lose their important documents each year due to home fires that destroy the paper information. Remember that a fire will also usually destroy sensitive computer data that many people have holding their insurance and credit information.

While a home security system with a smoke and fire detector that is signed up to a monitoring station will of course be your first wave of protection against a fire, it is wisest to have your documents in a fire proof safe just in case.

Wall safes are also perfect for fire arms. No guns should be left in any area that is accessed by children or even any adult not familiar with gun safety. In addition to providing a safe location for your guns, a fireproof safe will also protect explosive ammunition in the even of a house fire.

Consider a fireproof wall safe as an extra security measure in your home.
]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=689 Thu, 3 Jul 2008 18:26:23 -0500 http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=688
Before you decide on your homegrown fireworks displays, you should know that in many areas it is considered illegal to light fireworks at a residence. If, however, it is legal in your area, please follow safety protocols.

Here are some safety tips and concerns regarding the use of fireworks:

1. Never allow children to plan with any fireworks, this is especially important with sparklers. While many people consider sparklers to be a right of passage for children around the 4th of July, the fact is that sparklers can burn at around 1,800oF, which can translate to severe burns and clothing/hair lit on fire.

2. Do not purchase any fireworks with the names M-80, M100, Cherry bombs or Blockbusters, as all of these are completely illegal.

3. Never set off fireworks in your home. Use them only outside in a large, clear area. Always keep a bucket of water and a garden hose close to you in the event of a fire.

4. Set fireworks off one at a time. Do not attempt to set of simultaneous fireworks, as the fuses are set to different burn rates and it can be too unpredictable.

5. Ensure that your pets are calm and kept in a quiet area where they will not be in danger or able to cause themselves harm if they panic.

Be safe this Independence Day. Attend your local Fireworks display instead of trying to light your own.]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=688 Wed, 2 Jul 2008 11:17:33 -0500 http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=687
While the window contacts are a wonderful option, what happens when you have a large sunroom or solarium that is made up mostly windows? It is economically feasible to have a window contact on every single window? With so many homes utilizing an abundance of natural light for both heating and electric efficiency, the home security industry was asked to come up with a solution to this issue.

The solution was motion sensors and glass breaks. In rooms that were almost all glass, the easiest security solution was to detect any glass breaks or any movement within the room. Glass break protectors will guard a room and immediately call the monitoring station if it detected any breaks in the glass, as would be the case if someone threw an object through a window to gain entry into the house.

Working hand in hand with the glass break sensor should be a motion detection device. This device is mounted high on a wall and guards the entire room by sensing any movement in it at all. If a burglar pried open a window in the room, their entrance would still be detected immediately and the monitoring station would be alerted to a break in.

If you have a room that would be inefficient to guard by window and door contacts, consider motion sensors and glass breaks as a simple, yet highly effective solution.]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=687 Tue, 1 Jul 2008 13:36:03 -0500 http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=686
When you are considering a move to a new residence, keep home and personal safety in mind as you are looking at neighborhoods and homes. Here are some helpful hints about safety considerations to keep in mind when you are looking for a new home:

• Attached Garages: When looking at potential new homes, look for those homes with attached garages to offer you a secure entry point from the car to the home. You will not be entering and exiting your car in the open of your driveway, but instead from the safety of your garage. Be sure to check and make sure that there is an automatic garage door opener. If there isn’t, these can be installed quickly and easily by your local home contractor.
• Security Systems: Homes with installed and monitored Security Systems should be a key potential for your residential relocation. Homes with security systems offer a secure value over others. Remember that criminals want to go there way unnoticed, and so they will bypass a home with a security system whenever possible.
• Neighborhood Watch and Crime Statistics: Your potential residential site should have a low crime rate, and preferably a Neighborhood Watch group. Good neighbors make safe neighborhoods. Check with the national crime statistics by town, or contact the local police department for more information.
• Open and Lit: Quiet alleys and dark cul-de-sacs are beautiful, but they are also targets for burglars and criminals who are looking for places to rob where they will be not be seen. Consider well lighted streets for safety.
]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=686 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:56:11 -0500 http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=685 If you are concerned about your home security, there are many sources to turn to for help. Getting advice on home security can sometimes be confusing depending on the source, but there are two excellent sources that are your best bet to turn to.

Contact your local law enforcement officials to see if they are willing to come to your home and review your current security measures. Not all local police departments will be willing to do this, depending on their current workload, however it is in the police departments’ best interest to help ensure the safety of the people that they protect.

If your local police department is willing to come to your home to assess your security standards and needs, they will likely inspect your doors, locks, windows and locks, as well as your outside landscaping and how it affects visibility and access to your home. This would be a good time to discuss with them and local break-ins or security concerns that you have in your neighborhood.

This is also a good time to talk to them about any existing Neighborhood Watch programs that are currently in effect, and how to join.

If your local police department is not available to come to your home, a Guardian Professional will be happy to come to your home to discuss the many options that you have to increase your personal and home security.

Once you have your home security assessment completed by your local police officials or the Guardian Professional, you can proceed in making an educated choice as to your home security needs.]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=685 Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:48:48 -0500 http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=684
Here are some home safety tips that you can make that won’t cost you anything:

1.Adjust your water heater to 120 degrees (Doing this drastically reduces the chance of burns or scalding. In addition, this will save energy costs on your oil or electrical bill, depending on your water heating set up.)
2.Clean greasy stoves, ovens and exhaust hoods to prevent grease fires. Grease fires in the kitchen are a major safety hazard.
3.Clean lint-filled dryer vents. Dryers start hundreds of home fires every year, but then can be avoided if you clean your lint vent regularly. In addition, never leave your dryer on when you leave the house.
4.Keep cleaning agents and chemicals locked up and away from kids. Child safety locks on all of your cabinets will help ensure you children’s safety. Talk with them about the dangers of household chemicals.
5.Don't mix bleach and ammonia . This combination releases toxic fumes that can be deadly!
6.Use ladders wisely and always remember to have someone else at home if you are tackling high jobs such as cleaning out gutters.
7.Make a evacuation plan for the house, and have regular fire drills that include all members of your family. Have at least 2 exits planned for every room in your home. For instance, one plan is to exit through a window, another is to exit through a door.
]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=684 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:32:39 -0500 http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=683
1. Fencing: The best safety measure for any pool is a good fence. The chosen fence should be at least 4 feet high, with a sturdy lock. Please remember that a simple latching pool gate will not be enough to ensure safety. Every pool fence, even the kind that latches itself, should have an additional lock. A good, inexpensive option is to purchase a bike chain and a regular rectangular lock with a key.
2. Chemical Safety: Store your dangerous pool chemicals in a storage area that also has it’s own separate lock with key.
3. Covers: The new pool covers that completely go over the pool and without submerging. A cover is NOT an acceptable safety measure in and of itself. You still need to have your pool fence locked.
4. Pool Alarm: One of the newest ways to ensure the safety of your pool is to install a pool alarm. These alarms will detect entrances into your pool when the system is on, much like your home security system in your house will detect any entrance when armed.
5. Supervision: A sensible adult should supervise pool activities at all times. Children who have not passed swimming courses should wear life jackets.

Have fun in your pool this summer, and make sure it’s safe.]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=683 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:38:51 -0500 http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=682 home security system are curious about the police response activity, and how exactly the monitoring service comes into play.

When the alarm system is tripped in a standard manner, for instance a door or window contact is broken, the alarm sounds. Within seconds, the Guardian monitoring service will call the home to verify that the system is tripped, and the home needs police attention.

1. Why does the monitoring service call? Quite often, a tripped alarm is an accident, for instance the homeowner didn’t get to the system panel quickly enough to disarm it after entering. The monitoring station calls immediately. If the homeowner answers to say that it was an accident, they must then provide the passcode on file with the monitoring station. If the passcode is correct, the alarm call will be cancelled. If the call is not picked up, or if the passcode is not correct, the police are dispatched immediately.

2. Why aren’t the police dispatched immediately when a security alarm is tripped?
The police stations would simply never be able to keep up with the sheer amount of accidentally tripped alarms were they to answer first to every one.

By taking less than one minute to call and verify an alarm, the monitoring station is able to allay the increased cost to taxpayers that local police would have to instill to cover the manpower and time to respond first.]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=682 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:25:46 -0500 http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=681 The most obvious sign pointing to lightning hazards are thunderstorms.

Thunderstorms develop most often in the spring and summer as pockets of warmer air start to rise and form cumulus clouds. With continued heating, this can cause these clouds to grow vertically into high, towering cumulus clouds.

Once a thunderstorm develops, safety isn’t a just a matter of being a few miles away. Lightning can strike even as far as 10 miles away from the immediate rain-bands.

The basic rule is, if you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance. You should seek shelter immediately.

If you are near a thunderstorm, go inside a building or car immediately. It is important that you stay away from corded phones, computers, and other electrical equipment that will put you in a direct contact with electricity.

You should stay out of the shower of rub, and especially out of pools (indoor or outdoor!) and hot tubs.

If you seek shelter in a large out door building, remember to keep away from any metal support poles.

If you see a person struck by lightning, call 911 immediately. Burns, nerve damage, cardiac arrest and death are all very real concerns for the victim.

Go outside and enjoy the summer season, but please remember, if you can hear thunder, it’s time to get out of the pool and go inside to a safe location!]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=681 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:55:52 -0500 http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=680
* How many times have you slipped on your area rug? Place inexpensive but vitally important rubber slip-guards under your area and throw rugs.

*How many times have your tripped or faltered walking to your door in the dark? Most homeowners do not leave their porch/entryway light on during the day, and come home to a dark walkway and front entrance at night. Take the worry out of this by installing motion-sensor floodlights in front of your home. When you pull the car up the driveway, the sensors will turn the floodlights on and you will have a clearly lit pathway to your front door. A simple, inexpensive solution that will ease the worry that you face at night.

* How many times have your tripped on pavers and stepping stones that have been displaced by erosion or frost heaves? Take an afternoon to lift, level, and replace pavers and stones in your walkways that are tripping hazards. These hazards are compounded if your walkways aren’t lit at night. In addition to floodlights, you can also install solar pathway lights to ensure safe foot traffic on your pathways.


There are many simple and inexpensive ways to help ensure your safety, and the safety of visitors to your home. By taking a little time out to correct the flaws and hazard on the surfaces that you walk on and the paths that you take every day, you can eliminate much of these home safety concerns.]]> General http://www.guardianalarms.net/blog/index.php?itemid=680 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:00:14 -0500