False alarms are a big inconvenience for homeowners, but homeowners are not the only ones affected by them. The monitoring company which services your system is also affected, as their time and resources are taken up as they deal with these false alarms.

You may also find that you are charged a hefty fine if your false alarm engaged first responders.

The good news is that most false alarms are preventable. Below are some top tips to reduce the risk of false alarms from your security system.

1. Know your system. It is important that you are completely familiar with how your system works. User error causes many false alarms. When your system is installed, ask plenty of questions and practice using it while your technician is present. Keep the user manual handy at all time, so you can look up any additional questions you have, rather than using trial and error to figure it out.

2. Professional installation. False alarms can be further reduced by having a professional install your system. DIY installations sometimes work and sometimes they do not work. When a professional installs your system, you can be assured that it has been done correctly and will work as expected.

3. Dead batteries. If you have an older alarm system, dead batteries in motion detectors may trigger an alarm. Make sure your batteries are fresh and new.

4. Pets. Pets roaming around the house can trigger motion detectors. Consider installing new motion detectors that are ‘pet smart.’ These motion detectors are designed to recognize if a pet is present and will not trigger the alarm.

5. Check your doors and windows. If your doors and windows do not fit securely and instead are loose, they may trigger the alarm system. 

At Best Security Products, we specialize in fire systems for business and home.

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

There are lots of ways to make your business less vulnerable to intrusion: securing doors and windows, installing an alarm system, keeping landscaping trimmed back, adding motion detectors, organizing a neighborhood watch and setting up adequate lighting both inside and outside.

There is one way, however, that can help catch a thief after he has burglarized a business: high quality security cameras.

Even the best defenses fail occasionally. Doors get kicked in, alarm systems may malfunction and in spite of the best lighting and observant neighbors, intruders sometimes make it into businesses and steal from them.

It is at these times that you need a backup system: a way of identifying the intruder after the fact. Security cameras can help with this.

But it is important to realize not all security cameras are created equal. Even if you have a security camera installed and running during an intrusion, if the resolution is so low that the intruder cannot be identified, it will not help you solve the crime.

However, a high quality, high resolution camera can record details of the burglars face and clothing so that it may aid authorities in identifying and arresting the thief.

This is what happened in a robbery case in Chicago¹. According to this report, a man accused of robbing salons was caught on camera and later identified based on his clothing. Click here for the article and to see an image of the man’s sweatshirt – which is what he was wearing when arrested.

Do you have surveillance cameras installed in your business? If you do, do they take clear images – clear enough to be used to identify intruders should you be the victim of a break in?

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.

^{1 http://www.securitysales.com/article/release_of_surveillance_footage_helps_police_make_arrest_in_string_of_chica}

After a Kansas City mother left for work, an intruder attempted to break into her house where her two daughters, ages 12 and 14 were home alone.¹

The full story is reported here.

According to the report, the burglar began by beating on the doors and then attempted to enter through a bedroom window. The mother told the terrified girls to call the police, but their screams scared the intruder off before the police arrived.

This frightening situation could happen to anyone. What can you do to protect yourself? One of the smartest ways is to install a home security system. If a burglar suspects there is an alarm system installed in a home, he is much less likely to attempt a break in in the first place. You can let a burglar know you have an alarm system by placing yard signs in both the front and back yards.

If an alarm system in installed in the home, a siren could have been triggered that would have alerted not only the neighbors that a burglary was taking place, but it would have also been a strong warning to the burglar himself.

Further, the monitoring company would have gotten the alert and could have contacted the police.

Setting up outdoor security cameras is another deterrent. Burglars do not like the idea of being on camera and may leave if they think they are being recorded. Just make sure the cameras are in plain sight.

Finally, have a plan. No matter how well you think you have protected yourself against intruders, it can happen to anyone. If you do not have a plan, it will be hard to decide what to do in a moment of panic. Talk through with your family what would be the best course of action in such a situation and practice the drills frequently.

^{1 http://fox4kc.com/2016/06/23/family-on-edge-after-intruder-attempts-burglary-in-south-kansas-city-while-girls-were-home-alone/}