Three Vital Steps To Keeping Latchkey Kids Safe

Watch the nightly news and you'll quickly hear enough scary tales to make your skin crawl. Kids that never made it home from school, emergencies happening that they weren't equipped to handle and other disturbing problems that most parents don't want to think about. The truth is, the only way to navigate around these horrors is for you and your kid(s) to think about them and to prepare for them.

A lack of control is what makes most situations frightening. When you empower yourself and your children, you gain back control and are better equipped to overcome the circumstances at hand. Let's look at the three areas where most problems occur for latchkey kids and how to ensure your children don't fall victim.

1. Know When Your Kid(s) Get Home - Make it a practice for your children to call you the minute they walk in the door. If they leave later (to go to a friend's house or to play ball with the neighborhood crowd), repeat the routine. As soon as they get back, they should phone you.

What if your kids simply don't remember? There are many home security alarm systems equipped with automatic notification settings. This allows you to be sent a text message or email when your kids enter the house. That will certainly put an end to the "Sorry, Mom. I forgot!" excuse.

2. Plan Ahead for Emergencies - Strangers ringing the bell, a cooking mishap that leads to fire or roughhousing that goes too far are all pathways to disaster. What would your child do in these instances? Would s/he know what to do? Could s/he handle the situation if no adults were around?

Take time to write down then think through each type of emergency your child might encounter. If A happens, your child should know to do B. Then review the settings on your home security alarms. Many offer different programming options for various areas of your home. Does yours provide special settings to keep unwanted visitors out of the house? Can it automatically notify the proper authorities? Understanding what's available to you can make all the difference in the world.

3. Have Help Available - Kids are still kids. Even with a great deal of planning, they may simply panic, especially if they are younger children. There should always be help available. Is there a neighbor close by you can trust? Do your parents live just a few minutes away? You'll want to have an adult readily available and able to get to your house within a short period of time, just in case something drastic happens.

Another option - for those that have home security alarms - is to enable the two-way communication feature. That way, without even picking up the phone, your kids can instantly speak with trained professionals about whatever type of emergency they are having.

Plan, prepare, empower. When you take time to think through the scary stuff, you enable yourself and your child to create a substantially safer environment you'll both feel better about.

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Time to Take Home Security Seriously

The latest crime statistics are, to put it mildly, quite disturbing. Crime in United States accounts for more death, injuries and loss of property then all Natural Disasters combined. According to FBI statistics a burglary occurs in the United States every 15 seconds. On top of this the victims and their relatives often experience financial problems, and time is often lost from work to handle the legal, insurance and personal problems associated with being a victim.

Home intrusions continue to rise. In the 80's when crack cocaine hit the streets crime rose an average of 26 percent in most major cities. Now, a major contributor to home intrusions is the drug Methamphetamine. Burglary and thefts from auto's are the most prevalent neighborhood crimes. Often, breaking into an auto gives the thief a bonus, access to the remote control allowing the house's garage door to be opened. Household burglary is rampant because it is one of the easiest crimes to commit, half the time with no forced entry required. Most home intrusions occur during daylight hours while homeowners are away. The burglar will in many cases watch your home for a few days to see when you are out.

While home burglary is one of the easiest crimes to commit, it is also one of the easiest to prevent. Neighborhood Watch is a good starting point, and is a proven crime-reduction program. Most police departments are very supportive of these programs and will provide information and materials on how to set up a program. Members watch out for their neighbors and report suspicious activities to the police department. A term used often in these groups is "hardening the target". Hardening the target means steps you can take to cause a thief to bypass your house and move on to an easier target. Some of these items include using quality deadbolt locks, installing impact resistant glass on certain windows so someone cannot break the glass and reach in and unlock the door, installing solid exterior doors, installing motion sensing outdoor lighting, and others tailored to your particular situation.

Most of the security items mentioned are relatively inexpensive ways to "harden your target". Also, many high tech devices once considered cost prohibitive are now affordable. For example, a wireless video surveillance system can be purchase for around $50.00. Just mount the small camera in the area to be viewed and view the image on a channel on your home TV set. Elaborate systems, however, can still be costly.

Consider installing a home security system. This is taking "hardening the target" to the highest level. Homes without security systems are 3 times more likely to be broken into than homes with security systems. 90 percent of police believe alarms deter burglary attempts. A full article could be devoted to this one subject, but lets look at the main points. You will hear the terms hardwired or wireless used when describing home alarm systems. If you are renting your accommodation, a wireless system is the best choice because you can take the system with you when you move. If you own your home, either type system can be used. Most security professionals tend to favor hardwire, but the negative side is the higher cost due to the installation time involved. Wireless, by the nature of the name, is installed in hours compared to days with hardwired systems. A negative side is having to worry with batteries. Ultimately either system detects an intrusion and sounds an alarm. The alarm can be a local siren or bell, or a silent alarm to a security monitoring company, or both. The security representative surveying your home can make recommendations for your best protection based on your living patterns.

If you are just living as usual, you are putting your family, and your property at unnecessary risk. Home intrusions have increased to the point where every homeowner must become more aware of the dangers, and learn about the latest security products available to protect ones home, family, and valuables. Make sure your home is safe and secure.

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Tips for Buying a Home Security Camera

A home security camera or series of cameras can be an excellent addition to an already effective home security system. A home security camera is used for a variety of purposes. The primary purpose is to act as a visual deterrent to would be burglars. In most cases, having a home security camera or several cameras installed on your property is likely to discourage a potential burglar. For most homeowners convincing them a home security camera would be beneficial isn’t the problem. The problem is convincing them that buying a security camera isn’t as overwhelming as it seems. This article will offer tips for choosing the right home security camera for your needs.

One of the first aspects of a home security camera to consider is whether you will use a wireless home security system or one that requires connection to a power source. There are many security camera options that are wireless. This means the camera does not need to be connected to an external power supply and there is no need for wires. However, the camera still requires a source of power which is often an internal battery. A wireless home security camera may be easier to install because there is no wiring but it can be more difficult to maintain because the batteries may need to be replaced or recharged frequently.

The location of your home security camera should also be considered before you make your purchase. In most cases, a home security camera is installed outdoors. This requires several considerations. Protection of your camera from the weather elements is very important. You should choose a home security camera that is designed to work well in your environment. You should also consider where you wish to install the camera. To effectively deter a burglar, the home security camera should be installed in location of high visibility because burglars will not be deterred if they do not see the home security camera. This will affect your purchase because you will want to choose a home security camera that will be easily installed in the desired location.

Finally, you should decide how you wish to record the images from your home security camera. The recordings from your home security camera can be recorded in a variety of ways including on video tapes, DVDs and on your computer. You should determine which method you want to use before purchasing a home security camera to ensure the camera you choose is compatible with your method of recording.

There are many options available for those who wish to purchase a home security camera. All of these options can seem overwhelming and may intimidate some homeowners from making a purchase. It is important to remember that careful research will make the purchase of a home security camera a much simpler process

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Tips for Preventing False Alarms with Your Home Security Alarm System

You may not think that a false alarm on your home security alarm system is a big deal but more and more home security alarm providers and local police departments are beginning to impose fines when home security alarm systems are tripped without cause on more than one occasion. It is estimated that as many as 95% of all alarms are false alarms. While this may sound reassuring to homeowners, it can be costly to home security alarm system providers and local police departments. It is a waste of their resources when they respond to a false home security alarm. This is why many home security alarm providers and police departments are beginning to levy fines for excessive false alarms.

Homeowners should understand how their home security alarm system works in order to avoid future false alarms. A common cause of false alarms in home security alarm systems with motion detectors is mistakes made by the homeowner. If your home security alarm system has motion detectors you should not place hanging plants near the motion detectors. If they sway while the motion detectors are activated your home security alarm system could be falsely triggered. Also, if you have pets secure them in a room that does not have motion detectors so that they will not contribute to false alarms. Blinds and curtains could also cause a false alarm. Moving air expelled from air vents could allow blinds and curtains to sway just enough to trip the motion detectors on your home security alarm system. You should ensure that your curtains and blinds are not in a position where they can be moved by the air from the vents.

Other tips for avoiding false alarms in your home security alarm system are related to common sense. For example, you should ensure that each person who has authority to enter your home is aware of how to deactivate the alarm when they enter the property. Anyone who is able to enter your property should know how to deactivate the alarm system so that they do not cause a false alarm by entering the home and not deactivating the system. You should not only tell each person how to disarm the home security alarm system but you should also allow them to practicing arming and disarming the home security alarm system so that they will have no trouble when they need to enter the property. Also, keeping your doors and windows in good working condition can help to avoid false alarms in your home security alarm system. If your door or window is not functioning properly, it could trigger a false alarm.

Responding to false alarms from home security alarm systems is costly to the local police. When home security alarm systems trigger without cause, the police waste time and resources responding to these alarms. For this reason, homeowners should be diligent about avoiding false alarms with their home security alarm system.

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Tips On Avoiding Home Safety Risks

Tips On Avoiding Home Safety Risks. Now that you've weathered the winter, the door is open for you to focus on the maintenance of your home-not only the inside of your home but outside, too, making sure the house is safe and properly maintained. Doing this will help to prevent safety risks and costly repairs in the future. Dan Steward, president of Pillar To Post, North America's largest home inspection service, offers these suggestions:

Inspect the deck: Wooden decks can become damaged and corroded from the harshness of winter. See if nails or screws are popping up. Clean the deck and seal it.

Check electrical outlets and extension cords: Replace any loose-fitting plugs or frayed extension cords to prevent a fire hazard.

"Degrease" the garage: If the family car has been leaking oil or other fluids onto the garage floor all winter, now is a great time to clean it up. A greasy garage floor is slippery and potentially a fire hazard. Use nontoxic, nonflammable, biodegradable degreasers such as Simple Green. Pour the concentrate on liberally and scrub with a nylon brush. Cover the area with about an inch of kitty litter and let it sit for 24 hours. Sweep away the kitty litter for a clean floor at low cost.

Improve the yard with size in mind: Look to see how plants and trees have grown during the past year. They may be too large and could cause damage to the home's structure. Leave enough space between the house and those baby shrubs you're planting to allow 12" between the plant and wall. This provides adequate ventilation and reduces the risk of future damage.

Clean the A/C: Use your garden hose to rinse off the evaporator coil fins on your A/C condenser unit.

Check the garage door: The garage door can weigh up to 400 pounds. Springs and balancing mechanisms can fail over time, which can cause great damage to the door and harm to people around it. Now's a good time to take a close look at the springs.

To avoid safety risks and expensive repairs down the road, it's always a good idea to get a complete home inspection from a reputable and established company such as Pillar To Post.

Inspect smoke, radon and carbon monoxide detectors: Test them and change the battery every three months or as needed. Be certain there is a detector on each floor of the home.

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Tips On Buying An Effective Alarm System

Burglary is one of the most commonly committed crimes in the United States. Most homeowners fear that their homes are at risk of being broken into that they purchase insurance to protect them from losses due to burglary and fires.

But more than the insurance to protect them from the losses, a more important thing to consider is to install alarms to monitor and alert authorities on unauthorized entry and in cases of fire.

No insurance company can recover the losses due to damaged or stolen files, pictures, and items of sentimental value. Insurance companies also cannot restore you the delay and the time lost due to the hassles in filing for a claim. It is because of this that alarm systems are as important, if not more valuable, than insurance to one's home.

In buying alarm system, don't just purchase whatever is popular in the market. Consider your needs, the house structure, its wiring system and other aspects of your household before deciding on what to install for your house. Remember that what could have been effective for another house or establishment may not be effective for yours.

Here are a few things to think about before going about buying one.

* How many entrances are going to be integrated into the alarm system?

Consider the number of windows and doors in the house. It is advisable that all windows and doors, even the smaller attic windows, should be connected to the alarm system. The number of entrances determines the complexity of the wirings and it also determines where you should put control centers to turn the alarm on or off.

* Decide on the alarm system company to install the security devices.

Consult a security system specialist, an insurance agency, the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) or the police department for recommendations.

Make sure that the company does a free survey and inspection. Ask for the installer's recommendation, explanation for his assessment and the price quote. Have it properly documented so you can compare it with the contract, once you decided to avail of the services of the company.

You also have an option to buy a do-it-yourself alarm system, although this may not be as reliable as a system install by professionals. This is usually the "bells only" system where the homeowner is alerted by a sound if unauthorized entry sets the alarm off.

* Should you subscribe to monitoring station?
An advanced alarm system can connect to 24-hour monitoring company and alerts them if the system has recorded a breaking-in. The monitoring company then alarms the local police. This is the best option, though an agreement with a monitoring company requires a monthly fee.

Another option, which is less expensive, is to install dialer accessories that will b linked to your phone line. In case a break-in was detected, the dialer can call several pre-programmed numbers such as your cell phone number to inform you of the intruder. A problem that can occur with this, however, is that if the burglar had cut-off the phone lines before the entry, the dialer accessories will be of no good.

* Decide on the sensors' location and sensitivity.

This is very important if the people who live in the house gets up at night and roams around the house. Also, consider the presence of pets that can set the alarm system off.

If you have a motion sensor, make sure that this is install in places high enough not be disturbed by pets. You can also ask about motion sensors that will not be triggered by pets. These sensors can identify the size and the weight of the target.

If you have an infrared sensor, make sure it is properly located so it wouldn't detect areas that have heat sources.

* Assess the proper location for the control panel and keypads.

Ideally, a keypad is near the front door for ease in turning the alarm on/off when leaving the house or upon getting home. Another keypad may be mounted near the bedrooms, to be a manual trigger, in case an entry was not detected by the alarm system.

* Check the possibility of home automation.

There are burglar alarm systems that can also be connected to carbon monoxide and smoke sensors, flood detectors and the lighting system. This may be helpful in turning on all the lights during emergencies.

* Type of controls

The controls should be easy to use that the household members can remember how to use it during emergency situations. The switches should also be properly protected to prevent damages of freezing when the climate changes.

* Should you go wired or wireless?

The difference here depends on the complexity of the installation. A wired system is complex and requires drilling holes on the walls. A wireless system costs a little more than the wired system but its installation is not inconvenient.

With this information, you can be prepared when selecting what type of alarm system will be needed for your home.

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Tips to Recognize the Presence of Hazardous Materials

A chemical emergency occurs when a hazardous chemical has been released and the release has the potential for harming people's health. Chemical releases can be unintentional, as in the case of an industrial accident, or intentional, as in the case of a terrorist attack. Some chemicals that are hazardous have been developed by military organizations for use in warfare. Examples are nerve agents such as sarin and VX, mustards such as sulfur mustards and nitrogen mustards, and choking agents such as phosgene. It might be possible for terrorists to get these chemical warfare agents and use them to harm people.

Many hazardous chemicals are used in industry (for example, chlorine, ammonia, and benzene). Others are found in nature (for example, poisonous plants). Some could be made from everyday items such as household cleaners. These types of hazardous chemicals also could be obtained and used to harm people, or they could be accidentally released. Scientists often categorize hazardous chemicals by the type of chemical or by the effects a chemical would have on people exposed to it. The categories/types used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are as follows:

Biotoxins-poisons that come from plants or animals

Blister agents/vesicants-chemicals that severely blister the eyes, respiratory tract, and skin on contact

Blood agents-poisons that affect the body by being absorbed into the blood
Caustics (acids)-chemicals that burn or corrode people's skin, eyes, and mucus membranes (lining of the nose, mouth, throat, and lungs) on contact
Choking/lung/pulmonary agents-chemicals that cause severe irritation or swelling of the respiratory tract (lining of the nose and throat, lungs)

Incapacitating agents-drugs that make people unable to think clearly or that cause an altered state of consciousness (possibly unconsciousness)

Long-acting anticoagulants-poisons that prevent blood from clotting properly, which can lead to uncontrolled bleeding

Metals-agents that consist of metallic poisons

Nerve agents-highly poisonous chemicals that work by preventing the nervous system from working properly

Organic solvents-agents that damage the tissues of living things by dissolving fats and oils
Some kinds of chemical accidents or attacks may cause you to come in contact with dangerous chemicals. Coming in contact with a dangerous chemical may make it necessary for you to remove and dispose of your clothing right away and then wash yourself. Removing your clothing and washing your body will reduce or remove the chemical so that it is no longer a hazard. This process is called decontamination.

In general, exposure to a chemical in its liquid or solid form will require you to remove your clothing and then thoroughly wash your exposed skin. Exposure to a chemical in its vapor (gas) form generally requires you only to remove your clothing and the source of the toxic vapor.

If you think you have been exposed to a chemical release, but you have not heard from emergency coordinators, you can follow the washing and clothing disposal directions in the following selection.

Act quickly and follow the instructions of local emergency coordinators. Every situation can be different, so local emergency coordinators might have special instructions for you to follow. The three most important things to do if you think you may have been exposed to a dangerous chemical are to (1) quickly remove your clothing, (2) wash yourself, and (3) dispose of your clothing. Here's how:

• Removing your clothing:
  
  
  • Quickly take off clothing that has a chemical on it. Any clothing that has to be pulled over your head should be cut off instead of being pulled over your head.
    
  • If you are helping other people remove their clothing, try to avoid touching any contaminated areas, and remove the clothing as quickly as possible.
  
  
• Washing yourself:
  
  
  • As quickly as possible, wash any chemicals from your skin with large amounts of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will help protect you from any chemicals on your body.
    
  • If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes. If you wear contacts, remove them and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes (even if they are not disposable contacts). If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them.
  
  
• Disposing of your clothes:
  
  
  • After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag. Avoid touching contaminated areas of the clothing. If you can't avoid touching contaminated areas, or you aren't sure where the contaminated areas are, wear rubber gloves or put the clothing in the bag using tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects. Anything that touches the contaminated clothing should also be placed in the bag. If you wear contacts, put them in the plastic bag, too.
    
  • Seal the bag, and then seal that bag inside another plastic bag. Disposing of your clothing in this way will help protect you and other people from any chemicals that might be on your clothes.
    
  • When the local or state health department or emergency personnel arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or emergency personnel will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself.

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Today’s Home Security

Security is the most important aspect of life, most so in the case of home security. In the days of ever increasing crime and theft, it is all the more imperative for us to have a safe and strong home security system. The miscreants are well exposed to the modern methods of surveillance and monitoring making normal life highly vulnerable even inside our own home.

Many a careless family would tell their horrifying experience of house breaks and thefts that had happened to them out of sheer negligence and lack of proper security system.

Home security systems of varied nature and methods are plenty available. A simple warning signal by means of a security tag from a reputed security agency itself acts a deterrent for the robbers. However it is wise to choose an effective and economical system to make the security at home really effective. A good monitoring system to work in your absence and that would react when triggered enabling someone to see, or a system that produces an alarm, that can be directed to the Police or emergency service, is an ideal choice.

Use of variety of locks is another option to protect the house in one’s absence. Protecting the family and the belongings from the vulnerability of thefts and house breaks is no small task. One has to be quite relaxed when one is away from one’s house and has to ensure the possessions are quite safe even in their absence.

Wireless home security system, the modern effective way of protecting the home and the family, though a new concept, is really effective. One has to know the basics of wireless home security system before choosing the same.

The first aspect to be considered in a wireless security system is to determine the number of doors and windows that could be brought under the system. The placing of the control panel and keypads is an individual choice, while some prefer it near the front door, others find it convenient to be on the side of the bedroom.

The doors and windows need to be near to the sensors to enable them to communicate with the sensors. Various choices are available in monitoring systems; one option is to hire a company for a nominal fee. If on the other hand one choose to spend less, a basic system with a dialer connected to the telephone, that can dial the chosen numbers would be sufficient.

Motion detectors is normally a good option, unless of course the pets in the home roam around, during night or when the system is enabled making unwanted alarms or warning signals.

One should entrust the home security system to a reputable and trust worthy security agency. The wireless home security system chosen should monitor every zone in the house. Further the system should be user friendly and effective during an emergency.

The batteries used in the contact devices tends to be a costly as the same is to be replaced and each service call needs to be paid. The system therefore is a bit expensive compared to a hard wired system. One has to be a little technical savvy to avoid such expenditure and capable of reinstalling the batteries by oneself.

Installation of the wireless security system is quite easy and once the control panels and sensors are properly placed at desired points, the system is operational and you stand protected. Alternatively one can also get the system installed by a contractor or a company specialized in the service at a nominal cost.

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Trusting Your Home Security Company

Do you trust the home security company who is responsible for the security of you, your family and your possessions? If the answer is no, it is time to seriously reevaluate your decision to continue employing this company as your home security provider. Trust in your home security company simply cannot be underestimated. Your home security company holds a great deal of responsibility and if your instincts are telling you that they are not the right company for the job, it is time to begin an intensive search for a new home security company.

How do you know if you can trust your home security company? Relying on instincts alone is not the answer. It might be the driving force to investigate your home security company but it is usually not the sole factor that prompts a change in security companies. A home security company that has been around for quite some time and has relatively few consumer complaints listed with the Better Business Bureau is likely to be trustworthy. Idealistically, you would have carefully investigated your home security company before you chose them. However, if you did not do your research beforehand, it is not too late to attempt to require some background information on your current home security company. The Better Business Bureau and consumer advocate groups can provide you with information regarding the past performance of your home security company. In most cases, past performance is a fairly accurate predictor of future performance.

Why is trust so important when it comes to your home security system? In most cases, it is critical that you trust your home security company because they have the responsibility of protecting you, your family and your possessions. It is very unlikely that a home security company will divulge your personal information to someone who could harm or burglarize you but if they make mistakes in the installation of your security system or mishandle the monitoring of your security system, a home security company can be responsible for a burglary that a more responsible company would have thwarted. A home security company that you can trust will install your security system properly, tests the system to ensure functionality and will do an excellent job of maintaining your system and handling the monitoring of your system.

Trust in your home security company is critical to the security of your home. Your home security company should do everything in their power to ensure that you do not become the victim of a burglary. The diligence of your home security system can be the difference between a burglar vacating your properly quickly when an alarm sounds or a burglar gaining access to your home because the security system failed to detect his presence. If your home security company cannot protect your home, it is time to look for a new home security company.

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Utilizing Customer Service at Your Home Security Company

For many people the most important aspect of a home security company is the customer service department. The customer service department at your home security company can really help you out in a lot of situations. They can be beneficial in helping you to choose with products and services to purchase from your home security company, can answer questions you have relating to the function of your security system and can help you to troubleshoot errors in the function of your security system.

The amount of products offered by a home security company can be overwhelming. In most cases a home security company offers way more products than you need to protect your home. Simply viewing a website or a catalogue can be quite confusing. The best way to determine just what you need is to contact the home security company directly and speak to one of there customer service representatives. These valuable employees of the home security company are typically very knowledgeable about the products and services that the security company provides so they can evaluate your situation and provide you with insight into which products and services would be most useful and which are not really necessary.

The customer service representatives at your home security company can also be of assistance if you have questions about how your security system works. Their knowledge of the products and services that the home security company provides enables them to explain the features of the system to you in a manner that is clear and easy to understand. Your home security company employees these individuals to assist you in answering any questions that you might have.

The customer service department of your home security company can also be very helpful if you experience problems with your security system. They might be able to answer your question or to test your security system remotely. If they are unable to answer your question or solve your problem, the customer service representatives will be able to put you in touch with the members of the home security company who will do the repair work, maintenance or testing that might be required on your security system.

A customer service representative is the consumer’s main contact in the home security department. If they are unable to answer your question, they can put you in touch with the member of the home security company who can help you. Whether your questions are related to installation, purchasing, testing, errors or payments, the customer service representative will field your call and either handles your question directly or direct you to another employee of the home security company who can assist you.

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Wall Safes: The Safest Walls On Earth

With the increasing crime rates these days, it is best that you find ways to protect your belongings whenever you are indoor or outdoors. But the most important thing you have to protect is your home, especially if you and your household members are not at home most of the time.

By equipping your home with security gadgets like wall safes, you can eliminate the worries that fill your mind knowing that your most valuable possessions are safely intact.

Nowadays, keeping valuables in a bank’s safety deposit box is no longer the only available way to safeguard your valuables. With the advent of technology and creative inventions, wall safes are now considered as the next best thing to safekeeping.

Generally, wall safes are mounted and permanently pierced into the walls of your house. Because of its nature, you may mount your wall safes while your house or your office is still under construction or you may opt to mount it a little later. If you prefer to do the latter, mounting wall safes will not be very difficult because most wall safes are equipped with “flange”, thus, you don’t have to re-cover your walls.

When buying wall safes, there are certain elements you need to check first:

1. The ratings.

A quality wall safe has an Underwriters Laboratories rating. This means that the capability and efficiency of your wall safes is manifested by its ratings.

Basically, a safe with a Class-A rating can endure an inferno with a maximum of 2,000-degree heat for long hours. Whereas, a Class B-rated wall safe means that it can only endure a fire with 1,850-degree heat and will last for only two hours. The last rating, class C means that the safe is capable of enduring 1,000-degree heat and last for about an hour.

Like any safes, wall safes are also operated through a series of number combinations, keys, or electronic lock. Its function varies depending on the type you have chosen. It is upon your discretion which type of wall safe would best serve you most.

2. The price.

As with all commodities and products, wall safes are not created equal, and so, their value in the market will also vary from one to the other. Their variations may be due to the quality of composition or the dealer that distributes the material.

In most cases, the average wall safe will cost $400. And so, you have to shop around in order to get the best bargain. You may look at the Internet for available wall safes that will suit your needs.

However, when buying safes online, it is best that you see the items personally so as to scrutinize and evaluate if what the manufacturers claim online is actually true. After all, it is your money that is at risk and also your other valuables, so it is best to obtain a wall safe that can offer you both the protection that you need and the quality that you are looking for.

Generally, wall safes are used for the safekeeping of your valuables like jewelry, money, and even pertinent papers like contracts, deed of sales, and receipts. With wall safes you can be assured that all of your most treasured possessions are kept safely against burglars and accidents like fire.

So, for people who value their possessions, it is best to get wall safes. Not only are they easy to install, easy to access, and easy to manipulate but they are also house-friendly because you can place them in any part of your house without having to destroy or modify your interior decorations.

And so, it is better to think of your family and your finances’ safety now. As they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Do not hesitate to invest a little amount of money on wall safes. You’ll never know what can happen next, so it is better to be safe than sorry.

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Warning - You Have Been DataMined!

It affects hundreds of millions of us each day while we are blissfully unaware.

Today's high-tech world is drowning in data but is starved for knowledge. Data mining is the search for significant patterns and trends. It's also been called the poor stepchild to statistcial analysis.

To give you an example you go to your local supermarket to buy food and you use your store card for discounts and fast checkout. It give the store a record of how often you shop, what foods you like and at what prices in this case it's a win-win situation. This continues thoughout your day as you bank go to the mall, gas station, and so on.

However information is increasingly collected without your knowledge or consent. "Black Boxes" the size of cigarette packs have been installed in 40 million vehicles to monitor speed, seat belt use, and more. Only 5 states at the present time require that the buyer be made aware of this fact.

The trade-off is somone has a record of when and where you drive,what you eat, what over the counter medications you buy,whether you smoke or not,where you fly and with whom, what you like to read and watch and spend money on.

Any one item is not invasive but when birth certificates, credit histories, real estate deeds, military records, and insurance claims are pulled together it paints a very intimate picture. Add to the mix that the average person is seen by surveillence cameras 75X a day.

In the past decade an explosion of technology has taken place and the insatiable appetite of marketers for information about consumers has made data collection less voulutary and more worrisome.

Data mining is big business. Companies vacuum up data from public and private records, aggragate it analyze it and sell it to buyers ranging from private companies to the CIA. If an error exists there is no knowledge on your part thus it can't be fixed.

Data thefts are on the rise included are banks, credit card companies, and the biggest of the data brokers Choicepoint. When their records were breach they left millions of people vunerable to identity theft.

In closing technology is here to stay and we love convience but we must be aware and remain vigilant. Also it's time for Congress to step up and do their job to create a basic bill of rights for all information. This will provide us with much needed protection.

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What Are Disaster Recovery Templates And How Do They Help?

Understanding the Need for Disaster Recovery Templates

All around the world, the weather has been proving to be strong and unpredictable. From a tsunami to hurricanes and earthquakes, just about every corner of the world has been impacted by unpredictable weather. For this reason, many individuals, families, and communities are realizing the need for disaster recovery templates.

Disaster recovery templates are organized plans of action that should be implemented in a time of need. A natural disaster is the most common situation which may call for a disaster recovery plan, however, disaster recovery templates are used for a wide variety of other events and disasters. As the result of the many terrorist attacks around the workd, disaster recovery templates have become more readily available and easier to use.

Disaster recovery templates are developed and used all over the world. They may offer preparation and help for handling a natural disaster, however, the majority of plans are focused on the recovery and rebuilding process.

The 2005 hurricane season overwhelmed the Gulf Coast region of the United States. After a large death toll and constant media attention, it became apparent, that disaster revovery plans are essential. If a community implements a recovery plan, everyone, employees to citizens alike, need to understand the procedures. Disaster recovery templates usually fail if there is a lack of awareness about what is going to be done. Therefore, disaster recovery plans need to be clear enough to be understood by everyone.

Disaster recovery templates are especially important in areas where damage or destruction may occur unexpectedly. Although their paths may change, hurricanes are generally easy to track, and their courses are not difficult to predict. This allows residents in the path of a hurricane to take the appropriate steps to secure their property and evacuate. Tornados, flash floods, and earthquakes are examples of natural disasters that provide little or no warning to area residents. Disaster recovery templates are very important for people who live in areas where these disaters are more likely to occur. Without the proper warning, residents may be in danger, and a large amount of property may be damaged.

A disaster recovery template can be planned and developed by a family or a small group. However, the majority of disaster recovery templates are developed for whole communities and specific organizations. In the event of a natural disaster, it is not uncommon for churches or local community groups to get together and offer assistance to the community. Their recovery plans may be a little bit different from traditional state or community disaster recovery templates. On their disaster recovery templates, they usually have listed as a major priority searching, finding, and rescuing area residents or pets who may be stranded or injured.

Many families or organizations may plan and test run their own disaster recovery templates, however, often trained professional may be called in. There is a good selection of pre-established disaster recovery templates available for use. In addition to pre-established disaster recovery templates, there are many companies or individuals who have experience and are propely trained to develop such plans. Disaster recovery templates are an important tool in a time of need. Having a disaster recovery template in place can save lives and offer guidance in a time that is normally characterized by panic and confusion.

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What Are The Different Components Of A Alarm System?

Burglar alarms are used in houses, banks and shopping centers etc. There are numerous varieties of burglar alarms but they all are designed to do the same job. The main components of a alarm system would be a sensor, a camera, a motion detector, a buzzer a flash light and batteries.

Sensors
It is a component that is usually used to detect noise or a movement. Sensors are usually connected to the circuit. As soon as it detects the slightest noise or movement it initiates the circuit which results in triggering the buzzer and the flashing light.

Cameras
The camera as everyone knows, it is a gadget which is used to take a snap or video. You must be wondering why this is used for an alarm. Cameras help to show who and how many of them have broken in and hence resulting in identifying the burglar with ease.

Motion detector
This detector sends out bursts of ultrasonic sound waves and then waits for the reflected energy to bounce back. If there is no one interrupting the signal, the radio energy will bounce back in the same pattern. But if somebody enters the area, the reflection pattern is disturbed and the alarm sounded.

Buzzer
Buzzers are devices which are used to alert people that something has happened. These are set off as soon as the sensor or motion detectors give the signal to the circuits that something fishy is happening.

Flashing lights
These are powerful lights which flash in order to signal people that something is happening.

Batteries
Nowadays burglars are so professional that they do everything under the sun to burgle, they sometimes cut off the electricity so that you’ll not be able to see them and to deactivate the alarm but with improved technology and the use of Batteries it makes it impossible for them to switch off the alarm. Even when the current is turned off your bugler alarm still functions.

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What Are The Features Of A Home Security System?

Is your home really safe? When we ask ourselves that question we start to think about whether the safety measures we have taken are enough to keep our home safe. Prevention is better than the cure! Place an appropriate home security system to prevent your home from burglaries. Today, safety depends on how well prepared you are. With monitored residential security and alarm system, you can empower yourself and give your family peace of mind.

Alarm Statistics:

Government statistics have shown that around 60% of burglaries carried out on homes fitted with home security system are unsuccessful. Losses due to burglary average $400 less in residences with security systems. 90% of police believe alarms deter burglary attempts. This suggests that burglar alarms are a useful deterrent for prospective criminals.

Types of Alarms:

There are three types of alarms. They are a Burglar Alarm, Fire Alarm and Safety Alarm. These three are commonly found in electronic form today.

Features of Alarms:

- It detects intrusion, fire, burglary, and carbon monoxide presence.
- The alarm alerts you to a problem with a very loud beep and in some cases, is accompanied by bright flashing lights.
- Features also include, it beeps when doors or windows are opened.
- Fire alarm sensors are of three general categories: smoke, flame and heat.
- Safety detectors include thermostats for detecting excessively high temperatures, water sensors for flooding, excessive carbon monoxide concentrations etc.
- It can be activated and deactivated with either a simple turn of the key or a key pad control panel.
- Door alarms are relatively inexpensive and reliable.
- You no longer have to hire an electrician to run the wires through the ceiling or walls. Hence, many people now install their own door alarms.

Nothing is more important than protecting your home and family. There are many alarm companies that offer a wide range of services that can save your life and property.

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What Are The Features Of A Home Security System?

Is your home really safe? When we ask ourselves that question we start to think about whether the safety measures we have taken are enough to keep our home safe. Prevention is better than the cure! Place an appropriate home security system to prevent your home from burglaries. Today, safety depends on how well prepared you are. With monitored residential security and alarm system, you can empower yourself and give your family peace of mind.

Alarm Statistics:

Government statistics have shown that around 60% of burglaries carried out on homes fitted with home security system are unsuccessful. Losses due to burglary average $400 less in residences with security systems. 90% of police believe alarms deter burglary attempts. This suggests that burglar alarms are a useful deterrent for prospective criminals.

Types of Alarms:

There are three types of alarms. They are a Burglar Alarm, Fire Alarm and Safety Alarm. These three are commonly found in electronic form today.

Features of Alarms:

- It detects intrusion, fire, burglary, and carbon monoxide presence.
- The alarm alerts you to a problem with a very loud beep and in some cases, is accompanied by bright flashing lights.
- Features also include, it beeps when doors or windows are opened.
- Fire alarm sensors are of three general categories: smoke, flame and heat.
- Safety detectors include thermostats for detecting excessively high temperatures, water sensors for flooding, excessive carbon monoxide concentrations etc.
- It can be activated and deactivated with either a simple turn of the key or a key pad control panel.
- Door alarms are relatively inexpensive and reliable.
- You no longer have to hire an electrician to run the wires through the ceiling or walls. Hence, many people now install their own door alarms.

Nothing is more important than protecting your home and family. There are many alarm companies that offer a wide range of services that can save your life and property.

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What Causes Fire Damage

While some fires are caused by general causes and can occur anywhere, other causes are more specific for certain rooms.

General Causes

Electrical

Don't underestimate the fire risk from electricity just because there is no flame involved. The over warming of hot plugs and sockets and blown fuses may start a fire.

Smoking

Most cigarettes related fires start because the cigarette is not put out completely. Additional common causes include falling asleep with a cigarette and using improper ashtrays.

Candles

Even a tiny candle flame can have upsetting consequences. Many candle related fires start due to draughts that lead fire to catch burnable items and tilting candles that are not placed in suitable holders.

Room by Room Causes

The Kitchen

The kitchen contains many hazards that can cause fires. The common combination of open fire, grease, electricity, and water is very dangerous. Grease fire is a common cause for fires in the kitchen is and is usually caused by fry pans. This type is dangerous as it can set the whole kitchen on fire. Additional fires are dry cooking fires and oven fires. These types are easy to control and they are not likely to cause damage. Kitchen appliances may also cause fire if not maintained well.

Bedrooms

Bedroom fires are usually caused by misuse of electrical devices. Electrical fires can start due to overloading extension cords and the use of electric blankets and warmers with no lab-approval. Heaters are a concern during winter if they are recklessly placed near linen, clothes, and other flammable items

Attics, Basements and the Garage

Popular as storage areas these places usually contain fire hazards such as gasoline and other flammable liquids. Old clothes, papers and other combustible items are also hazardous and should be stored safely. Many of the electrical fire hazards are also located in these areas. Worn cords, electrical boxes and other signs of electrical trouble should be treated immediately.
Heating Devices and Fireplaces
These are planned to generate heat and may be hazardous if not maintained well. Operating the fireplace without a screen will allow sparks to fly into the room and cause fire. Other causes of fire are combustible items such as wallpaper, curtains, and clothing that are left without maintaining adequate clearance around the heater.

For more information visit www.RestorationSOS.com
Free guides are available

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What Everyone Should Know About Reducing the Risk of Identity Theft

Identity theft commonly begins with the loss or theft of a wallet or purse. But there are many or high-tech and low-tech ways criminals can get their hands on your personal and financial information in order to commit identity theft.

When someone uses your name or personal information, such as your credit card number, driver's license number, Social Security number, telephone number, or other account numbers, without your permission, you become a victim of identity theft.

Thieves steal your personal information and use it to open credit accounts, bank accounts, telephone service accounts, and make major purchases in your name. These criminals use your sensitive information to take over existing accounts, or open new accounts. Their criminal activities can result in damage to your credit rating and denials to credit and job offers.

Protecting Your Identity While there are no guarantees that your identity will never be stolen or compromised, there are several steps you can take to minimize the risks. Here are a few of them:

• Before you discard your personal information that you no longer need, such as credit card receipts, billing statements, and pre-approved credit card offers, shred them using, at best, a diagonal-cut shredder.

• Create unique passwords and personal identification numbers (PINS) and avoid using easily available information such as mother's maiden name, date of birth, or last four digits of your Social Security number.

• Do not give your Social Security number to people or companies that you do not know.

• Guard your mail from theft. Promptly remove your incoming mail from your mailbox and place outgoing mail in locked collection boxes at your local Post Office.

• As an extra measure of security, install a lock on your mailbox, even if mail theft is not an identified problem in your neighborhood.

• Before disclosing personal information, even to people you know where you shop or do business, insist on knowing the reason(s) your personal information is required and how it will be used.

Low-Tech Rip-offs: Thieves can do much damage with what they remove from your mailbox.

Criminals are increasingly creative in the methods they use to get their hands or eyes on your personal information, and ultimately, your money. Here are some of the low-tech techniques they employ:

• Dumpster Diving, one of the easiest ways for them to appropriate your personal information.

• Mail Theft from unsecured residential mailboxes. According to statistics, mail theft most often takes place at unprotected and easily accessible mailboxes in public places.

• Shoulder surfing takes place when a thief watches or listens literally over your shoulder as you enter your PIN into an ATM machine. They may even follow you home or your place of work to gather additional information about you.

High-Tech Techniques: Data transferred across the Internet can be intercepted during its journey.

• Phishing and Pharming: While phishing is a scam in which consumers are tricked into entering their personal information via a bogus email and website form, pharming occurs where hackers steal personal information from numerous people simultaneously through something known as "domain spoofing". They take over a DNS server and redirect user information to a new website that they use to gather, collect, "pharm" illegal information.

• Skimming: Thieves quickly and temporarily steal a credit card and run it through a skimmer, a credit card reader that has been reprogrammed to steal information off the card.

Fight Back: Reduce the Risks

Make education about the scams, schemes, and frauds criminal use to steal your identity your priority in view of the rising occurrence of this multi-million-dollar-problem. With education comes prevention. Here are some prevention tips to help reduce the risks:

• Safeguard your personal information. Never take simple things for granted.

• Carry with your only the information you need. Always keep your personal information and documents in a safe and secured place of your choosing.

• Order and review a copy of your credit report at least once a year.

• Shred documents containing your sensitive information before discarding them.

For extensive information about ways to protect your identity, visit "Protecting Your Identity" at http://www.ProtectingYourIdentity.blogspot.com/.

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What Features Should I Look For If I Am Considering the Purchase of a Home Security System?

As with many other purchases, individuals who are interested in acquiring a home security alarm system want to be sure that their money is well spent and that they get the features that they need and are expecting for their purchase.

One of the greatest benefits of a security system is the peace of mind that it allows individuals when it comes to their home and their belongings. However, there are a number of additional features that can come with a security system and some of these features are more popular and requested as compared to others.

Not all home security providers are the same in what they offer and provide to their customers. As a result, individuals will need to do appropriate research in order to determine specifically which alarm system companies offer the most benefits and those that they, as individuals, are most interested in having. Many security system do not just offer relief from burglars and break ins, but also fires and other types of disasters. Some optional alarm coverage also includes carbon monoxide detection, floods and dangerous changes in the temperature of the home, which may result in such problems are frozen pipes.

While most alarms will offer a central keypad inside the home, which can be used to activate and deactivate the alarm system of a home, there are some alarm system providers that will provide a keychain to account holders in order to activate and deactivate the system. This is convenient since the alarm can be utilized from outside the home as well as this inside.

A battery backup is also a great feature of an alarm system. Backup battery systems are installed in an individual's alarm keypad which powers the alarm system, even in the event that a home loses their electric power. If you are looking for additional security, in addition to monitoring the doors and windows of a home, individuals have the option of investing in motion detectors for their home. These motion detectors are set up around the home and will set off the alarm if a subject is moving around the home.

Happily for those who have pets, the motion detectors can be set to only pick up the motions of specific weights, such as over forty pounds. This allows animals such as cats and dogs to continue to roam freely around the house without setting off the alarm. Some individuals also enjoy talking controls, which can utilize voice prompts. Yard signs and window decals may seem like a negligible feature, but they have been proven to deter criminal acts. Wireless alarm systems help to keep one's home organized and free of additional clutter.

One feature that is desired, but not tangible, is that of reputation. Individuals looking for home security alarm should be sure to investigate security providers that are well-known and offer good service to their customers.

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What is Home Security Monitoring?

If you do not already have a home security monitoring system, you might be completely unaware of the options that are available to you. Even if you already have home security monitoring, you still might not be fully aware of the options available beyond your current home security monitoring system. In its most basic sense home security monitoring protects your family and possessions from burglary but it can do so much more than that.

Protection from fire is just one of the other capabilities of a home security monitoring system. While a home security monitoring system will not prevent fires, it can sound an alarm that could summon the fire department quickly enough to prevent catastrophic damage to your property. Many home security monitoring systems have a built in smoke detection system that enables the security system to detect the presence of smoke which could indicate a fire in the house. When this alarm is triggered, a message is sent to the home security monitoring station which alerts the staff that smoke has been detected in the home. The personnel will then contact the property owner to determine whether it is a false alarm or a true emergency. If it is an emergency the home security monitoring staff member will contact the local fire department to alert them to the fire on the property.

Another aspect of home security monitoring is the use of security cameras inside the home. Security cameras are often installed in the home when there are employees such as daycare providers or cleaning personnel who are unsupervised in the house. Using security cameras for home security monitoring enables the homeowners to oversee the work of their employees while they are out of the house or to review the recordings from the cameras when they return home.

Home security monitoring can also be used to view the outside of your property while you are home. Security cameras can be installed so that they provide a view of your front door. This enables you to check the television monitor to determine who is at the door if your doorbell rings. This type of home security monitoring is largely a matter of convenience because it enables you to not answer the door to solicitors. It can have some security value though. If you install two way communication devices you can use this home security monitoring feature to ask service personnel to display their identification badges before answering the door to ensure that they really work for the company that they say they represent.

Home security monitoring can have many different components. Your home security monitoring system can help to prevent extensive fire damage, can allow you to supervise employees in your home and can allow you to see who is at your door before answering the door.

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What’s the big push for Emergency Supply Kits?

The NOOA is saying that 2006 could be one of the worst hurricane seasons we have ever experienced. Worse than last year with 27 named storms, 15 hurricanes with 4 of those being a Category 5? Hurricanes Cindy, Dennis, Katrina, Ophelia, Rita & Wilma as well as Tropical Storms Arlene & Tammy touched the United States in 2005.

The NOAA says (11/29/2005): With six months until the official start of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, NOAA urges hurricane-prone residents to take proactive measures during this time. "The battle against the hurricane season is won during the off season. Winter and spring is the time to conduct hurricane preparations, such as stocking supplies, assembling a safety kit that includes a NOAA Weather Radio and preparing an evacuation plan," said Max Mayfield, director of the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

It is just not the east coast that should be preparing. There are many situations where Mother Nature will continue to show us her reign; tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, thunderstorms, and mudslides just to name a few.

Think about this for a moment: What would you if you were told to evacuate your house within 15 minutes? What would you take with you? Some of us can’t figure this out even if we were given a weeks notice! Do you have your insurance agent’s name & your policy numbers memorized? Do you have proper identification for you and your family members? How about your medicines or glasses? What about basic necessities – food, water, shelter, hygiene – how will you locate important items once you leave your house? Clothes – will you need extra clothes or just take the clothes on your back? Cash? Maybe some quarters for pay phones? Out-of-state relative’s addresses & phone numbers? What will you carry all your things in? How about your pets – what will you do with them? In a stressful situation, your mind races and things will be forgotten. Chances are you are not going to remember everything that you & your family will need. As with life, planning helps keep stress to a minimum.

A 72-hour kit will aid as a stress minimizer! A 72-hour kit can also be called an Emergency Supplies Kit, Disaster Kit, or Emergency Kit. How will it minimize stress? Well, if you had food, water, shelter, extra clothes, important papers, medications, in a durable, waterproof bag located in an easy-to-get-to area…grab and go…you won’t have to take those precious 15 minutes to think about what you will need for the next 3 days. Your stress would be minimized because you will have the peace of mind knowing that you have your necessities in one convenient, easy to locate, bag. Now, all you will have to focus on is your family, their safety and overall welfare.

Think about this for another moment: Floodwaters are coming up – and coming up fast! You & your family race up the attic stairs. You manage to bust your way through to the roof of your home with your bare hands or maybe with something that you have “stored” in your attic. Thankfully, the rescue helicopter picks you & your family from the roof and drops you off at the closest “safe place”. Now, what do you do? What do you have with you? Yes, hopefully, you will have your family & that will be a blessing but what about the basic human needs? You will now need to seek food, water, shelter, and maybe some hygiene items – not to mention any specific medicinal needs.

Why 72 hours? It is recommended by Red Cross, FEMA, as well as many state governments to have a 3-day supply. It takes about 3 days before relief makes its way to disaster-stricken citizens. This was witnessed during last year’s hurricane season.

It is our responsibility to take care of our families & ourselves. No one on this earth can assume that responsibility for us. With a little planning before the time of need arises, we can help ourselves and be better prepared to help others around us.

I’ve researched quite a few 72-hour kits for my family & I. These are some of the things that kept me from purchasing them:
** The bags were not waterproof - everything could get wet. Most natural disasters involve water.
** The bags were not strong enough to sustain a major beating.
** There wasn’t enough water (some had none or ½ cup every 8 hours).
** There wasn’t enough food. Some had only one 3600-calorie food bar for 72 hours – that’s only 1200 calories a day during a situation when your body will require energy the most!
** Would you want a lightweight, rip-prone tube tent to protect your family from the harsh elements?
** Many tools were not of the high quality that should be demanded during a life-threatening situation.

These are just a few of the reasons that prompted a company called Gorgimi to build a 72 hour kit that was durable, waterproof, ample food & water, as well as tools that will work when our lives would depended on it. Countless hours have been spent designing, prototyping, and evaluating the Gorgimi bag and its contents. Gorgimi has been determined to keep their kits within a reasonable price and maintain a high standard of quality. Gorgimi’s mission is to help everyone prepare for whatever Mother Nature has in store. Please visit www.gorgimi.com to see how we can help you prepare while the urgency is not prevailing.

Plan now. Spend your 15 minutes focusing on your family & their immediate safety. Rest easy for you will have your basic necessities taken care of during your time of need.

www.gorgimi.com Coupon Code: CP100

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What You Should Know About Portable Generator Safety

Portable electric generators provide a good source of power, but if improperly installed or operated, can become deadly.

To keep families safe, The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) offer a helpful new video and recommend taking the following precautions:

• Contact a licensed electrician to install your generator to make sure it meets local codes. Do not connect generators directly to household wiring without an appropriate transfer switch installed.

Power from generators connected directly to household wiring can backfeed along power lines and electrocute anyone coming in contact with them, including lineworkers making repairs. Other tips include:

• Make sure your generator is properly grounded.

• Keep the generator dry.

• Make sure extension cords used with generators are rated for the load, and are free of cuts and worn insulation and have three-pronged plugs.

• Do not overload the generator. A portable generator should be used only when necessary and only to power essential equipment or appliances.

• Never operate the generator in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. Use carbon monoxide detectors in nearby enclosed spaces to monitor levels. Generators can produce high levels of carbon monoxide very quickly, which can be deadly.

• Use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to help prevent electrocutions and electrical shock injuries.

• Make sure fuel for the generator is stored safely, away from living areas, in properly labeled containers and away from fuel-burning appliances. Before re-fueling, always turn the generator off and let it cool down.

• Turn off all appliances powered by the generator before shutting down the generator.

• Keep children away from portable generators at all times.

Electricity is a powerful tool. It can also be a lethal hazard. Better safety standards have reduced electrical hazards that cause deaths, injuries and property damage. But good safety habits are still the best prevention against electrical hazards.

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Whats The Top Burglar Alarm?

There are so many companies that manufacture burglar alarms. The most recommended and approved by the UK government are ADT systems, AGS systems and British gas home security.

ADT systems
They are the leading provider of electronic fire and security services in the whole United Kingdom. They specialize in home security, and commercial security including, electronic article surveillance (EAS), fire detection, alarm systems, gaseous extinguishing and asset tracking solutions to a wide range of people and organizations. They protect 89 out of the UK’s top 100 companies and more than 120,000 homes.

ASG systems
They have been manufacturing home securities for the past 40 years. Their company has its base in Washington. An example of their astonishing product is the digital video recording and management system. This system can be discreet or fully integrated with:

• Enterprise Level Access Control
• Surveillance
• Badging
• Intrusion Detection
• RFID Asset Management
• Visitor Management

British gas home security

They are the leading firm that manufactures and installs home security in the United kingdoms. They also give tips and information on home improvement projects. Their security systems are:

The Intruder Response/24 system: This is connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) which monitors your alarm 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If there is a break-in, the ARC phones your home for password identification. If it is not given the ARC contacts a key holder and possibly the police.

The Intruder Alert/24: This immediately calls up to four telephone numbers with a pre-recorded message alerting you to a break-in. An external siren is triggered to alert neighbours and deters burglars.

The Intruder Alarm/24 triggers an external siren, alerting neighbors and deterring burglars.

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Who Has The Keys To Your Home?

What can you do to safeguard your home if your house keys accidentally end up in the wrong hands? That's a question nearly two out of every three American homeowners should consider closely, according to a new study.

The study, Danger at America's Doorstep: Who Has Keys to Your Home?, looked at how homeowners protect--or fail to protect--their house keys and safeguard their home.

The survey found that a majority (64 percent) of American homeowners have knowingly circulated their house keys outside of their immediate family and nearly one-third (27 percent) of American homeowners have given out a key three or more times.

Every 15 seconds a burglar breaks into a house, apartment or condo in the U.S. Burglars are often quick to attack a home's easiest point of entry, and nothing's easier than unlocking a front door with a set of keys. According to John Heppner, President and CEO of Fortune Brands Storage and Security, including Master Lock Company L.L.C., "Too many Americans underestimate the potential risks they invite to their homes when they let their house keys wander."

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent strangers from entering your home--even if they have your key. For example, the Master Lock NightWatch™ Deadbolt looks and works just like a standard deadbolt lock, but it offers a powerful new security feature-a patent pending blocking function that locks out all keys.

To activate, owners simply lock the deadbolt as they would a standard deadbolt and then pull the lever towards them. This simple motion locks the deadbolt into an "engaged" position that blocks out any key. The lock can only be engaged or disengaged from indoors and can be easily installed in any standard entry door, replacing any other standard deadbolt.

To safeguard their homes, homeowners should:

1. Keep keys secured where they won't be forgotten or left behind.

2. Don't hide keys in "secret" places outside your home-experienced burglars can usually find them.

3. Never attach your keys to anything that lists your name, address or phone number, and never leave them behind in a locked (or unlocked) car.

4. Always separate your house keys from your car keys each time you valet your car or drop it off for maintenance.

5. Only give your keys to someone who will watch over them as if they were their own.

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Who Wants to Know What's Going On When You're Not There?

Wouldn't it be nice to know what is happing in your home or office while your not there?

In order to do so you need a surveillance system. There are many reasons why people need surveillance systems, so what's yours? Do you suspect a cheating spouse, or abusive nanny? Or maybe you have children or pets at home alone and knowing what they are doing gives you peace of mind.

No matter what your reason is, you just need to know. But what is it going to cost you? Using surveillance technology isn't cheap. From the cameras and expensive recorders to hardware components and maintaining a quality system you can spend anywhere from $700.00 to $10,000 and up. This amount of money may not be an option for you, and that's okay because now you have VISEC.

Developed by NASA level programmers, VISEC is a software that turns your existing home or office computer into a powerful, global-wide video surveillance system in 5 minutes or less.

Simply install VISEC on your computer and connect up to four cameras. Any webcam will connect directly to your computer through USB. Or connect any wireless or hidden camera with a digital video grabber like the GrabBee II. This is the bridge between your computer and camera.

Using your computer's IP address you can login from any Internet connection in the world an immediatly view live or past video. VISEC can record constantly or only when motion is detected. In motion detection mode you can set-up VISEC to alert you by email, cell phone or PDA when motion is detected. You can also set VISEC to record during a specific time. Companies use this feature during after hours. VISEC starts recording at closing and stops recording at opening.

In all recording modes VISEC can run as a stealth surveillance system. Just click the secret mode button and VISEC will disappear. In set-up you will be able to choose a hotkey that will allow you to bring VISEC back to normal operating mode. Operating in secret mode can help you catch a cheating spouse, abusive nanny or even a burglar. VISEC will record all the evidence you need.

One of the top features of VISEC is it's ability to FTP recorded video. You can FTP video to a server of your choice or VISEC's server. This insures that your video is safe in case anything happens to your computer. If your computer is ever stolen you can call VISEC and they will send you the video.

VISEC is a very easy program to use. Even people that consider themselves computer illiterates can operate this program. Best of all, VISEC has NO monthly fees. You can pay a one-time fee and receive a lifetime of free updates.

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Why Investing In A Smoke Alarm Can Save Your Life

A Smoke alarm or smoke detector have saved thousands of lives. Smoke detectors are your first line of security against fire and can reduce the chance dying in a home fire. Even though they can be a nuisance when you burn toast, An inexpensive household smoke alarm detector can mean that every member of your family gets out of a burning house alive. Prevention and deterrence should always be a front line method of avoiding home accidents.

What they are?

A smoke alarm is basically an electrical circuit that gets interrupted by particles. A fire sends miniscule particles into the air, when these tiny particles reach the smoke detector they interfere with the electrical circuit and alert a microchip. A smoke alarm's microchip is programmed to send a signal to set off the alarm.

Where to Install?

• Install the smoke alarm near bedrooms - high on a wall or ceiling.
• Don't install them near air vents.
• Replace detectors that are more than 10 years old.
• For the best fire protection install both an ionization smoke detectors. One is for fast burning flames and another one for smoldering fires.

Types of Smoke Detectors:

There are plenty of options available for you to select the best smoke detectors for your home. They are Battery Operated Smoke Detectors, 120V AC Hardwire Smoke Detectors, Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Ionization/Photoelectric Smoke Detectors, Smoke Detectors with Relays, Heat Detectors, Photoelectric Smoke Alarms, Strobe Light Modules-For Hearing Impaired and Wireless Smoke Alarm.

What suits as best?

Ionization smoke detectors respond first to fast flaming fires. Whereas, Photo electronic smoke alarms respond first to slow smoldering fires. Photo electronic models are best suited for living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens. This is because, these rooms often contain large pieces of furniture, such as sofas, chairs, mattresses, counter tops, etc. which will burn slowly and create more smoldering smoke than flames. These alarms are also less prone to nuisance alarms in the kitchen area than ionization smoke alarms.

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Wireless Home Security Systems

Adding wireless home security systems to your home or office can be quite easy as long as you know what you want and how to install them. With just a few simple facts in hand, you can quickly be on your way to finding what you want from the various wireless home security systems.

Prior to choosing wireless home security systems, you must decide a few things.

First you must look over your home to determine how many doors and windows will be used with the system. Next you must determine where you want your control panel and keypads. While some people find it is more convenient to have them close to the front door, others prefer to have them closer to the bedrooms. You can also have them in both places if you so choose.

You must also find out how far these doors and windows are from the system’s main sensors. If you are using wireless home security systems, they cannot be too far from the sensors or else they won’t be able to communicate with them.

Do you want a monitored system? For a small monthly fee, various companies’ can ‘watch’ your system. For a less expensive alternative, you can choose a basic system that connects a dialer to your home phone that can dial previously chosen numbers in the case of an emergency.

Motion detectors are also an option, but you may want to reconsider having them if anyone in your house, including pets, have a tendency to roam during the night or whenever your system is enabled.

Now that you have this information you can begin to look through the various options for wireless home security systems. The first step is contacting a reputable company that you know and trust.

When choosing the correct wireless home security systems model, make sure that you choose a system that monitors every zone in your home. With wireless home security systems you must be certain that it can perform correctly by reaching even the furthest zone.

Lastly, a user-friendly system is a must. If you don’t know how to use wireless home security systems, then they won’t do you much good in an emergency.

Be aware that when choosing wireless home security systems, each contact device takes batteries. It can be a bit pricier then a hard-wired system due to the fact that you must pay for service calls to replace the batteries. But this can be avoided if you buy them and install them yourself.

Speaking of installation, installing wireless home security systems can be quite easy to do yourself since they do not require any hard-wiring, only basic tools that you have lying around your house.

As previously discussed, the first step to installing wireless home security systems is figuring out where to put the control panels and sensors. Once you have done that, you are almost on your way to having your home ready to go in case of an emergency or break-in.

By following the instructions that come with wireless home security systems, you can quickly install your system while saving money. But, if you prefer to have it done for you, you can easily call a contractor, or a company specializing in this type of system, to do it for you.

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Wireless home security systems: An apt answer to home security concerns

People employ various ways and means of enhancing their home security and wireless home security systems are often touted as one of the best ways of implementing home security. Other ways are - use of watchdog, use of wired camera security systems, joining a neighborhood watch group, use of alarm systems, sophisticated locks and a plethora of other security systems and measures (some of which are quite weird). There is none denying the fact that all these traditional home security measures are quite effective. However, wireless home security systems seem to have an edge over these traditional home security measures.
The wireless security systems (e.g. Wireless camera security system) have 6 main advantages over their wired counterparts:

1. Easy to install: The wireless home security systems are so easy to install that you can install them all by yourself. There is no need for getting outside help for installation/ configuration of a wireless security system. This is an advantage because in such a case only you would know the location of your wireless security cameras and the security codes etc. On the other hand, most wired security systems are quite a hassle owing to their inherent ‘wire-ful’ nature. Managing these wires is quite a task in itself and in tackling those wires, you often tend to lose focus from the actual task i.e. proper and intelligent installation of a home security system. With wireless home security systems, you just need to concentrate on your home security plan without worrying about where you would run the wires from etc etc.

2. Install anywhere: Since wireless security systems forego the use of wires, you can install them anywhere you wish (as long as they are in the range of their controller). This really makes things very convenient. You can install the wireless home security cameras in the bushes, on the terrace or just about any point that you want to monitor. This is something that you would not be able to achieve with a wired security camera. Moreover, wireless home security also comes in camouflaged forms e.g. wireless home security cameras pre-fitted (or pre-hidden) in a lamp or a show piece etc.

3. Flexibility (in altering your home security plan): With a wireless security system, you can easily alter your home security plan whenever you want e.g. the location of outdoor wireless security cameras can be easily changed in a hassle-free manner. On the contrary, a wired home security system would have you thinking about the wiring plan and the related hassle even before you can think of altering your home security plan.

4. Cleaner look: One very distinctive advantage with wireless home security systems is that they are not at all messy. While a wired security system would have wires running all through your house (unless you want to compromise on your home security), a wireless security system (due to its inherent ‘wireless’ nature) would give a much cleaner look and without any compromises on the security of your home.

5. Extra safe: Wireless security can also be considered safer than the wired security. A wired security system can quickly become un-operational if the wires get severed either due to lack of maintenance or due to intentional tampering by burglars etc. However, wireless home security is difficult to tamper with in that sense (sophisticated thieves/burglars might still be able to tamper low-end wireless security systems using devices that disrupt the wireless signals).

6. Ease of maintenance: A wired security system is as such bulky (since the wires used for a wired security system also form part of the security system). Maintaining a bulky system is generally tougher and needs much more effort than a simple, less bulky one. The wires might need replacements or re-anchoring or re-routing etc. In case you go for a home improvement, your wired security systems might get affected quite a bit. However, with wireless security all these problems are non existent and hence their maintenance is quite easy
.
Wireless security is often treated as the most apt answer to the home security concerns. However, the best thing to do is to use a combination of traditional home security techniques together with some of the wireless home security systems.
http://www.wirelesssecuritymaster.com

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Your Guide To Buying Security Cameras

Today’s technology has made setting up security precautions such as security cameras a cinch! You no longer need to be a millionaire to set up one. You could even install one yourself! Security cameras provide a means for its owner to watch over his or her propery from the safety and convenience of any area he chooses. This type of system is a great deterrent to thievery and unwanted entry. Most organizations that have sensitive items or are off limits to the general public employ these cameras to help keep their places safe.

Purchasing and implementing such a system may save your business from the terrors of illegal entry. Investment in such could save you a whole lot of trouble.

Before purchasing a system, you will want to consider the following factors.

Your needs
Study your needs. The type of security measures installed will depend on your specific security needs. For example how large is the area you would like covered? How many cameras will it take to monitor this area? You must make sure the security camera system you will purchase can accommodate enough slots for expansion.

Do you need audio too? Some camera systems have audio recording equipment as well so you can not only see what happens, but hear it as well. This is important in cases when you would like everything documented. However, this may be costly. Many establishments only require video records of their security.

Also, you must ascertain whether you need to have your security cameras record in color or black and white. Color cameras are, of course, more sophisticated and show a clearer picture. However, they tend to be pricey. Color cameras might also not work in low-light situations.

Consider the location of the cameras. Will the location be hard to set up a wiring system in? In that case, you may want to consider wireless security camera systems. However, these cameras must be in a place that is conducive to high quality broadcast. There must be no interference. They can, though, be moved around the area. They are a bit more flexible than their fixed-wire cousins.

Will the camera system be for outdoor purposes? Cameras that monitor outdoor locations need special weatherproof housings and may not be recommended for extreme temperatures and various elements. Also those that may be vandalized must be protected against such.

Also, you must take in consideration the lighting for an area. If your camera cannot record a scene due to bad lighting, you will end up with muddy images that won’t help in your surveillance activities. Choose a security camera that has a good sensitivity to light. Also, try to illuminate such areas with external lighting.

You must consider where the power sources will be located. Make sure they are well protected against the elements and from tampering.

Consider the available methods for recording the images. You may use a variety of backup media. And with the advent of computer storage media, even the use of hard disks, compact discs, and DVDs can prove to be an inexpensive way to store your data.

Installing a Security Camera System
Most home security cameras require little wiring, but installation differs according to model. Here are the basic steps:

1. Survey the area to be monitored. Follow the instructions/manual that comes with your security camera product. Install the camera at a proper distance from the area to be surveyed. Cameras vary in the distances from which they focus, so it would do well to pay notice to such.

2. Secure the camera using proper mounts, etc. Make sure that if the camera you are to install should not be moved, its placing should be secure and tamper proof.

4. Connect the camera to the monitor according to the manufacturer's directions. Make sure the wiring is as hidden and as secure as possible. This will make it harder for vandals and thieves from damaging your wiring.

5. Fine tune your system. Make sure you optimize the images you receive from the camera. Set a maintenance plan and fail safe plans to employ in case your cameras break down.

6 Organize an archival system according to your needs. Backing up and recording your images are implemented here.

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