Case Study:  Retail Store Gains Increased Security—and Marketing Effectiveness—with Honeywell's Remote-View App

Stampede Tack & Western Wear, located in Cloverdale, British Columbia, has been outfitting horse and rider since 1966.

The Situation:

“With a retail area covering 10,000 square feet, we have space to carry a big inventory,” said Kevin Mykle, manager of Stampede Tack. Mykle says that although his staff members are extremely customer-service oriented and pride themselves on their ability to provide individual attention to shoppers, it’s not possible for them to be everywhere at once, so the store suffers its share of shoplifting.

Because the store is located in an historically low-crime area, during most of its history it has remained free from burglaries—yet in the past year the site experienced its first break-in. From that incident, store owners discovered it was crucial to share video evidence with the police to aid in their investigation and increase the chances of recovering stolen merchandise and they asked Surrey-based Panarama Technologies, Ltd. for help.

The Solution:

In addition to adding new cameras throughout the store, they introduced Mykle and his staff to Honeywell’s new HRDP H.264, a digital video recorder with web-enabled remote viewing software that enables the manager to check in on things from anywhere using his computer, his cell phone, or his Apple ® iTouch ®. After downloading the free Honeywell Remote-View app from the Apple iTunes ® store, Mykle simply clicks on the icon to instantly see live video feed from all sixteen cameras in the store.

When Panarama first recommended Honeywell security products, Mykle was skeptical: “We knew Honeywell is a large player in the security business, but we wondered what they could do for us—I was thinking they might be great for huge warehouses or military installations, but what about my small retail store?” He was pleasantly surprised. “Here we are, doing things with our security cameras and our DVR that we never even dreamed were possible.

The Products:

Honeywell HB70 Cameras
HRDP H.264 Digital Video Recorder and Remote-View App

Full version:
http://www.security.honeywell.com/documents/L_STMPEDCS_D.pdf

If you live in an apartment, you are 85% more likely to be burglarized than people who live in one-family homes, according to the National Crime Prevention Council.  This means that in order to be safe, you need to take extra precautions when it comes to securing your home.

Use the following tips to stay safer in your apartment:

1.  Upgrade your locks.  The harder you can make it for a burglar to enter your apartment, the less likely he will put forth the effort.  Install a high-quality deadbolt and use a security bar as well.  If possible, install a metal door.  If you have sliding doors in your apartment, place a strong rod into the track to prevent opening.

2. Install an alarm system.  Alarm systems are one of the best deterrents to break-ins. If your apartment does not come equipped with a wired alarm system, give us a call to help you set up a wireless system.

3.  Keep all areas well-lit.  Criminals prefer to work in darkness, because there is less chance of being caught.  Put the brightest bulbs possible into your exterior lights, and when you park your car, park under the security lights in the parking areas.

4.  Plan for time away.  If you leave for a few days, ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior. Notify the post office so your mail delivery can be stopped, and be sure to close all windows and shades before you leave.   You may also want to consider putting your lights on timers, so it appears as though you are home.

5.  Use motion detectors.  Motion detectors are a great way to alert you to the presence of intruders, both inside and outside your apartment. They also let criminals know their presence has been detected, and this may be all that is necessary to scare them away.

Let us help you make your apartment safer.  Give us a call at 1-800–988–2378 sales@bestsecurityproducts.com

According to this article from the New York Times, 7 siblings died in a house fire in Brooklyn, New York.  The cause of the fire was a hot plate which warmed food while the family slept.  Due to Sabbath restrictions, the Orthodox Jewish family was unable to light a flame, so the hot plate was used to keep food warm overnight.

This tragedy is made even worse because the family could have been warned about the fire if there had been working smoke detectors throughout the home.  Instead, only one smoke detector was found – and it was in the basement.  There were no working smoke detectors on the first or the second floor of the home.

While we grieve for this family, we can also learn a lesson from their tragedy:  make smoke detectors a priority both in your home and in your business. But having smoke detectors present is not enough if they are not checked and maintained regularly.

Here are some tips from Tim Gibson of Expert Village on how to test your smoke detectors:

1.  When you push the test button on a smoke detector that is interconnected with the other smoke detectors in the house, make sure you hear the test beeps from the other detectors.

2.  Press and hold the test button for one to two seconds until you hear the series of short beeps.

3.  If you press the button and you do not hear the beeps, you may need to change the batteries, replace the smoke detector itself or have the wiring checked.

Watch the whole video here.