According to this report by KOCO 5 News, there was no smoke detector found in the apartment where a deadly fire killed two 10 month old twins.

The mother was at work and the father was sleeping when he awoke to the smell of smoke. He sustained burns while rescuing the twin babies, but by the time he got to them, it was too late. They had already inhaled too much smoke.

If you own apartments or rental houses, make sure that there are smoke detectors in those dwellings. It is critical to also ensure that they are fully functional and have fresh batteries for battery backup.

The ideal situation is to have a hard wired system in each unit, monitored and protected by a security company. When the fire detection system detects a fire, the security company will be notified immediately and can contact your local fire authorities if needed.

At Best Security Products, we specialize in installing high quality Honeywell smoke detectors and fire security systems. Whether you need a simple installation of smoke and heat detectors or a more robust fire and burglary combination panel, we can work with your unique needs to install a custom system that is right for your business.

Honeywell’s commercial fire and burglary control platforms can also integrate with CCTV to add an extra layer of security.

The tragedy reported by KOCO 5 News need not have happened. A simple smoke detection system could have alerted the sleeping father that a fire had ignited. Quality smoke detectors are sensitive and usually provide enough time to escape. Take an audit of the fire detection systems in the rental units that you oversee, and contact Best Security Products to upgrade your system. It can mean safety for your tenants and peace of mind for you.

Give us a call or email us at 1-800–988–2378 sales@bestsecurityproducts.com.

According to this story in the Boston Globe, 4 people died in a Maine cabin recently.  They were celebrating a birthday and a high school graduation.

Evidently, the generator had been powered up and left to run in the basement of the cabin where the friends were staying.  The cabin has no electricity, so the generator was the power source. Even though the only safe place to run a generator is outdoors, there was nothing to suggest that the friends had taken the time to move it outside, and instead turned it on inside the cabin.

Authorities believe the generator had run until the gas ran out.  When the friends were found, they had evidently been dead for several days.  A dog died in the cabin as well.

Each year, approximately 4,000 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States.  The tragedy lies in the fact that death from carbon monoxide is so easy to prevent.  Simply installing a carbon monoxide detector is the solution.

The Honeywell Wireless Carbon Monoxide Detector is a smart way to keep yourself, your family and your pets safe from carbon monoxide poisoning.  Here are some features of this high quality detector:

Electrochemical Sensing Technology - Electrochemical detectors are the newest, most refined CO detectors available and provide the most accurate measurement of CO concentration obtainable. They can take readings from low levels that may be hazardous over long periods of time to high concentrations that present an immediate danger.

Local Sounder - A built-in piezoelectric horn generates the ANSI S3.41 temporal 4 pattern in an alarm condition. The local sounder will also alert the end-user of other conditions such as low battery, detector trouble and end-of-life.

LED Status Indicators - Dual LEDs provide local visual indication of the detector’s status–including normal operation, alarm, low battery, trouble and end-of-life.

End of Life Timer - When the detector has reached the end of its life, the detector will send a trouble signal to the panel. This indicates that the CO sensor inside the detector has passed the end of its life and the detector needs to be replaced. The detector’s lifespan is approximately six years from the date of manufacture.

Full Supervision - The 5800CO is fully supervised to monitor for low battery, case tamper and trouble conditions.

Test/Hush Button - This dual purpose button allows the end-user to perform periodic testing of the detector. In the event of a CO alarm, this button will silence the local sounder alarm for a five minute period. Note: the Hush feature will not operate at levels above 350 ppm (parts per million) carbon monoxide.

Versatile Mounting - Whether you choose to affix the detector to the ceiling or a wall, mounting is made simple with the enclosed hardware. The mounting base has large mounting ports, which accommodate drywall anchors for easy surface mounting.

Tamper Protection and Tamper Resistant Element - The detector has a built-in tamper switch that can communicate back to the control panel in the event it is removed from the base. For an added level of security, the detector also includes a tamper resistant element that prevents removal from the base without the use of a tool.

At Best Security Products, we specialize in commercial fire systems for your business or industry.  Contact us at 1-800–988–2378 or sales@bestsecurityproducts.com

Sources:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/07/18/die-apparent-carbon-monoxide-poisoning/x8FkfvL1ucqukiathGrnSP/story.html#
http://www.security.honeywell.com/hsc/products/intruder-detection-systems/life-safety/wireless-carbon-monoxide-detector/242073.html

It seems harmless enough.  You are about to go out with a friend for the evening, and before you go, you post a quick status update on Facebook.  We’ve all done it.

But that quick status update could result in a burglary.  That’s what happened to Keri McMullen, according to this report from CNN News.

Kerri was heading out to watch a show with her fiancé and posted her plans as a status update to Facebook.  However, one of her Facebook friends decided that Kerri’s evening out was a perfect opportunity to burglarize her home.

Sadly, Kerri made it easy for him.  He knew when she was leaving and had a pretty good idea of how long he had before she returned home.  By the time he and his fellow burglar finished, they took more than $11,000 worth of valuables.

This story has a positive twist though.  The reason Kerri was able to identify the burglar is because she had installed security cameras in her house.  The security camera provided an image recognized by others, and police were able to positively identify him.

Click the video to watch the report from CNN:

Let Kerri’s story be a warning for you.  Use social media with caution.  Here are a few statistics from the Prince William Virginia Police Department about how burglars use social media:

• Over 75% of convicted burglars believe that other burglars are using social media to find targets.
• Google Streetview is one of the most used tools of thieves, allowing them to case out likely-looking homes in complete safety.
• Social media tells potential burglars what you have, where you live and how long you are likely to be away from the property.

Please use social media safely.  Think before you post, and make sure your profile is set to be viewed only by people whom you can trust.

It is also a good idea to install video security cameras, just like Kerri did.  At Best Security Products, we can install and maintain your custom video surveillance system.

Contact us today at 1-800–988–2378 or sales@bestsecurityproducts.com