Best Security Products blog

Peter Brown, project manager for Turner Construction’s Sibley Hospital construction project, was frustrated because for six to eight months, they were dealing with thefts in the building. The thefts ranged from pieces of copper wires to larger thefts totaling in the range from $5,000 to $7,000.

Though the subcontractors wanted Peter to provide a full security detail on the site to reduce the thefts, Peter did not have the money to fund such an expense. Therefore, Peter decided to research other ways to increase security at the site without going over their allocated budget.

The agreed upon solution was to install motion detectors with video verification. The video verification would be a way to avoid false alarms, which are a nuisance to anyone who has to manage them. The system works by being triggered when a motion alarm detects motion in the monitored area. A dispatcher confirms that the activity is caused by a human being, and then once this is confirmed, the necessary information (the dispatchers describe the scene) is sent to the authorities.

The system installed was fully wireless – a plus in a construction site where things change daily. A wireless system easily adapted to these changing conditions.

Once installed, the system began picking up instances of intruders entering the building.

As a result of the video monitoring system, the police were able to make an arrest in the case. In addition, the incidents of intrusion and theft stopped completely at the site. Peter Brown said that he made sure word got out!

Peter Brown was able to add on cameras and other services as needed throughout the construction project. Currently they are using eight cameras provided by Urban Alarm in Washington DC to monitor the site.

Click the video above to watch the report.

Best Security Products can help you reduce theft at your place of business. Give us a call or email us at 1-800–988–2378 |sales@bestsecurityproducts.com. We specialize in Honeywell business security in Escondio.

Welcome to our three part series on how to cut through the B.S. about home security companies & choices!

In part one, we’ll be discussing choosing a company, equipment and services.

In part two, we discuss the differences between hard wired and wireless system, whether you should have your system monitored or not and what you need to know about system connections. Click here to read part 2.

Part three of this series focuses on what areas of your house you want protection for, whether you should install the system yourself or have it professionally installed and we’ll discuss cable companies and phone companies.

Part three will wrap up with a discussion on how one chooses between the many options. Click here to read part 3.

So, let’s get started!

There are many choices regarding home security options:

1) The company (National, Large or local)
2) The equipment
3) Services ( standard alarm monitoring, home automation features)
4) Hard wired vs. wireless
5) Monitored or non monitored
6) Phone line connection or cellular or radio connection (system connections)
7) What coverage to consider, all the doors and windows or some partial system? 
8) Self installed or professionally installed? 
9) Cable Companies, Phone Companies

So how does one choose the options and company?

Well it depends who you ask, but usually it depends on the agenda of the company you ask. They will all have one and they obviously will tell you a story that will benefit their product and/or service. This makes sense since they want you to go with their product or service. 

But what is the real story?

Some Answers:

1) The Company: The national companies will tell you of their vast resources and strength and how the smaller “local companies may go out to business.

There are not too many advantages to go with the large companies. If you want to have to work to get service done or even talk to someone, then the larger companies may be for you. If you want to be treated as just another number and not shown any respect, then go with the big national companies. They always talk about how big they are but will rarely boast of their ongoing service records.

And what’s the advantage of going with some large company? Think of your bank, or cable company or cell phone provider; is that a pleasant experience when you need to get something done? Probably not! Most of the larger security companies have dealers that sell their accounts to these larger companies. Once they get paid, they are not “invested” in the account and their willingness to keep you happy is not that great. Then you will have to work with these larger operations to get service, and in most instances it is a hassle.

Do your homework and check the BBB in your area and try to go with a local company that has been in business at least 10 years. As long as these companies DO NOT sell their contracts off (some will, so ask!) to someone else then these companies are “invested” in your continued happiness and depend on you because you are their greatest asset.

2) Equipment: There are only 3 major manufactures’ of security equipment which is: Honeywell, DSC, GE, and there are a few peripheral players such as Napco, DMP, Visonic, and few others. One of the top 3 should suffice, and no matter where you buy the product from, make sure you know the warranty and what and where the support will be coming from.

3) Services: This is where you need to ask yourself, “What are my real needs? Not what someone else is getting, but what will work for me and my family?” If it’s just standard monitoring or something you can control with your smart phone, decide if the features will be used on a consistent basis. Sometimes something sounds like it’s “cool,” but after a few months it’s never used again. Remember you can always add these features later if you can’t do without them.

Continued in part two. To read part two, click here.

Give us a call for a consultation; we can design a custom system to meet your unique needs and budget.

We are looking forward to talking with you! 1-800–988–2378 or sales@bestsecurityproducts.com

ABC15 news in Arizona has some timely tips for how to burglar-proof your house this summer. These budget friendly tips may make the difference between being burglarized and staying safe.

Criminal generally want to get in and out of your house fast. So the harder you make it for them, the more likely they will give up and move on.

Click the video below to watch the whole presentation (it is a little more than 2 minutes long). We have summarized the main points for you here:

The garage is a good place to start. The garage door cord that hangs in your garage can be access from outside the garage. All the intruder has to do is fish a coat hanger through and tug on the cord. This releases the door so he can enter. The solution is easy: just cut the cord.

Now let’s head to the front door. Your door-jam probably has small screws which do not provide much security. Your lock is only as effective as your door frame is sturdy. The solution? Remove the small screws and instead use 3 to 3 ½ inch screws. Use these screws to secure the door-jam all the way to and into the 2x4 that the frame is attached to. That will make it very difficult for a burglar to access. And as we mentioned above, the harder it is for him to enter, the more likely he will leave before gaining access to your home.

Finally, if you live in a home development which has locked mailboxes, you can have the lock changed or rekeyed. If you do not change the locks, the previous owners may still be able to unlock your mailbox. This exposes you not only to having your mail stolen, but they could steal your identity as well.

Click the video to watch: