Vacation homes are targeted for break-ins at a higher rate than primary homes are, and on average, the financial cost to the victim is much greater. Despite this, statistics reveal that a homeowner is much more likely to have state-of-the-art security system in a primary home than in a vacation home. The reason why is unclear, particularly when you consider that the overall cost is relatively minor and usually offset by an insurance discount.
A Monitored System with Video Surveillance and Remote Capabilities
Ideally, a vacation homeowner should opt for security alarm installation from one of the leading home security providers in the area. The home security alarm installation should take into account the home’s unique features, and the system should be monitored around the clock. It should also have interior and exterior video surveillance as well as remote capabilities, which allow the homeowner to access and manipulate the entire system from the comfort of their primary home.
Alert Your Monitoring Service
The monitoring service experts should be aware of your schedule, which puts them in a better position to react to triggered alarms. Ideally, you should provide them with access to the video cameras while you’re away, and if necessary, leave a spare key with them. This kind of access can help you to avoid fees for false alarms from local law enforcement.
Alert Your Neighbors
In addition to your home security providers, neighbors should know your schedule. If there is a neighborhood watch program in your vacation neighborhood, participate. The idea is that you watch out for your neighbor’s property while they are away, and they do the same for you.
Be Mindful of Social Networks
Bad behavior online can undermine the best home security alarm installation. Be very careful about the information that you distribute on public channels on social networking and media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. A burglar is often someone you know, and your online conversations may provide him/her with all that is needed to break into your vacation home and get away with it.
Configure Mail and Newspaper Delivery
Create that lived-in look, and a basic way to do that is not allow mail and newspapers to pile up. The post office has a program in place that allows you to schedule rerouting for the entire year. Most of the major carriers, like UPS and FedEx, have similar services in place at no additional charge. Some home security providers will even perform that duty as part of the service.
Schedule Lights and Appliances
Another key to achieving a lived-in appearance is to have lights and appliances on at various times of the day and night. Standalone timers work well, but if you use multiple units, you should put them on different schedules and use some that are random or controlled by light. Ideally, you should opt for a networked solution, which will allow you to control it from your primary home.
Arrange for Services in Advance
It’s also a good idea to hire a caretaker, at least on a part-time basis, who can take care of any tasks you may not be able to account for. Another service that you may want to schedule in advance includes a landscaper. An unkempt lawn is a sure sign that you’re away. Similarly, if it snows, be sure to have someone who can clear the driveway and walkways, for appearances and insurance purposes.
A.C. Daughtry provides security systems that integrate seamlessly into your home and/or company's day-to-day business. Our systems provide peace of mind and are as easy to operate as a touchtone telephone. Each system has many built-in features which meet even your most complex security needs. We service the residents and businesses of the state of New Jersey with home security and business security systems.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
A.C. Daughtry, a Full-Service New Jersey Security Company Explains the Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
There's a silent killer that could be released in your home without your being aware of it. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that causes more than 150 fatalities each year.
Carbon monoxide is formed from the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, such as natural gas, kerosene, heating oil, gasoline or wood. It often results from burning in enclosed spaces, where there's not enough oxygen to produce harmless carbon dioxide instead. Unvented gas or kerosene space heaters can be sources of carbon monoxide, as well as generators or cars that are run in closed garages. Gas stoves, water heaters, and furnaces can also be sources if their parts are leaking or not connected properly. A fireplace or wood stove can present a carbon monoxide hazard if the flue is partly or wholly blocked.
Carbon monoxide is dangerous because it prevents the bloodstream from carrying oxygen throughout the body. It combines with hemoglobin in the blood and takes up the space that oxygen should have. A carbon monoxide concentration of 667 parts per million may reduce the body's oxygen by 50 percent, which can result in coma or death. The concentration around a properly working gas stove should be no more than 15 parts per million. Carbon monoxide can also cause heart and central nervous system damage and can severely affect a developing fetus.
The early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may be difficult to recognize because they're often much like the flu. They include headache, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting. Families may not realize the problem is carbon monoxide and think it's "something going around." Later signs may be vision problems, confusion, fainting, seizures and coma, which can soon lead to death.
There are some steps you can take to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Have your central heating cleaned and checked by a professional at least once a year. Be sure not to run the car or any other gas engine inside a closed garage. Install an exhaust fan on your gas stove and vent it outside. Before you use your fireplace, make sure the flue is open. If you're putting in a wood stove, check that the flue fits properly and the door closes tightly.
The most important step you can take is to place carbon monoxide detectors like those from Honeywell NJ inside your home. The carbon monoxide detectors should be installed near sleeping areas and by gas appliances, and there should be one on each level of the home. They should be wired, so they all go off at the same time. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and be sure to replace the batteries and clean the detectors when necessary. It's also a good idea to have smoke alarms and learn to tell the difference between the sound of the smoke alarm and the carbon monoxide detector.
A.C. Daughtry, a full-service New Jersey security company, can provide reliable carbon monoxide protection for you and your family. An authorized Honeywell NJ dealer, A.C. Daughtry can install your detectors, monitor them around the clock and immediately notify you of any carbon monoxide danger. If you're careful with fuel-burning mechanisms and have dependable carbon monoxide detectors, you can help protect your family from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is formed from the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, such as natural gas, kerosene, heating oil, gasoline or wood. It often results from burning in enclosed spaces, where there's not enough oxygen to produce harmless carbon dioxide instead. Unvented gas or kerosene space heaters can be sources of carbon monoxide, as well as generators or cars that are run in closed garages. Gas stoves, water heaters, and furnaces can also be sources if their parts are leaking or not connected properly. A fireplace or wood stove can present a carbon monoxide hazard if the flue is partly or wholly blocked.
Carbon monoxide is dangerous because it prevents the bloodstream from carrying oxygen throughout the body. It combines with hemoglobin in the blood and takes up the space that oxygen should have. A carbon monoxide concentration of 667 parts per million may reduce the body's oxygen by 50 percent, which can result in coma or death. The concentration around a properly working gas stove should be no more than 15 parts per million. Carbon monoxide can also cause heart and central nervous system damage and can severely affect a developing fetus.
The early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may be difficult to recognize because they're often much like the flu. They include headache, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting. Families may not realize the problem is carbon monoxide and think it's "something going around." Later signs may be vision problems, confusion, fainting, seizures and coma, which can soon lead to death.
There are some steps you can take to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Have your central heating cleaned and checked by a professional at least once a year. Be sure not to run the car or any other gas engine inside a closed garage. Install an exhaust fan on your gas stove and vent it outside. Before you use your fireplace, make sure the flue is open. If you're putting in a wood stove, check that the flue fits properly and the door closes tightly.
The most important step you can take is to place carbon monoxide detectors like those from Honeywell NJ inside your home. The carbon monoxide detectors should be installed near sleeping areas and by gas appliances, and there should be one on each level of the home. They should be wired, so they all go off at the same time. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and be sure to replace the batteries and clean the detectors when necessary. It's also a good idea to have smoke alarms and learn to tell the difference between the sound of the smoke alarm and the carbon monoxide detector.
A.C. Daughtry, a full-service New Jersey security company, can provide reliable carbon monoxide protection for you and your family. An authorized Honeywell NJ dealer, A.C. Daughtry can install your detectors, monitor them around the clock and immediately notify you of any carbon monoxide danger. If you're careful with fuel-burning mechanisms and have dependable carbon monoxide detectors, you can help protect your family from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Back-to-School Safety Advice from New Jersey Security Experts—A.C. Daughtry Inc.
A full-service security monitoring company in Montville, NJ, A.C. Daughtry is committed to helping you and your family be as safe as possible once this new school year starts. Our New Jersey security team has compiled a list of concerns that parents and children should be made aware of when school starts.
Teach your children all of the pertinent information an authority figure will need to contact you or a family member in the case of an emergency. Help your child memorize your phone numbers, your address and your real name. Your children should also know alternative phone numbers to call if you cannot be reached, and it is imperative that children know their birthday and the city and state that they are from. All of this information will help you get back in touch with your child as soon as possible if something does happen.
Our Honeywell NJ experts believe it’s important to make sure your children know exactly who will be picking them up from school and how they will get home. This information must be reviewed daily, and all changes regarding your child's activities to and from school should be reviewed with the school. If your child is coming home to an empty house, you should make certain that your child calls, texts, or emails you as soon as he or she gets home.
Our New Jersey security team also believes you should teach children the proper way to cross streets, even with crossing guards present. You should go over all of the proper ways to cross, which side of the street to walk on and what to do if there is an emergency while walking home. Bus riders must also be taught the proper way to cross the street safely.
The safety of our community greatly depends upon the understanding adults and children have for the law. It is important to teach your children about the dangers of strangers, especially younger children. Teach them who it is safe to talk to and who they should avoid. Children must learn the difference between talking to the right strangers like police officers and the wrong strangers that could be dangerous.
You should also teach your child what to do when he or she gets home from school. If you have children that will be alone for any time at all, teach them to get into the home and lock the door immediately. Next, they should contact you to let you know they are home. Once inside, children should keep a low profile and avoid answering the phone or door.
A.C. Daughtry, a provider of Honeywell in NJ is here to help when you’re ready to install a state-of-the-art security system in your home. Remember that the neighborhoods will be flooded with more people in just a few weeks, and this creates a more threatening environment for schools, children and neighborhoods. This added security helps provide peace of mind when your child is home alone after school.
Teach your children all of the pertinent information an authority figure will need to contact you or a family member in the case of an emergency. Help your child memorize your phone numbers, your address and your real name. Your children should also know alternative phone numbers to call if you cannot be reached, and it is imperative that children know their birthday and the city and state that they are from. All of this information will help you get back in touch with your child as soon as possible if something does happen.
Our Honeywell NJ experts believe it’s important to make sure your children know exactly who will be picking them up from school and how they will get home. This information must be reviewed daily, and all changes regarding your child's activities to and from school should be reviewed with the school. If your child is coming home to an empty house, you should make certain that your child calls, texts, or emails you as soon as he or she gets home.
Our New Jersey security team also believes you should teach children the proper way to cross streets, even with crossing guards present. You should go over all of the proper ways to cross, which side of the street to walk on and what to do if there is an emergency while walking home. Bus riders must also be taught the proper way to cross the street safely.
The safety of our community greatly depends upon the understanding adults and children have for the law. It is important to teach your children about the dangers of strangers, especially younger children. Teach them who it is safe to talk to and who they should avoid. Children must learn the difference between talking to the right strangers like police officers and the wrong strangers that could be dangerous.
You should also teach your child what to do when he or she gets home from school. If you have children that will be alone for any time at all, teach them to get into the home and lock the door immediately. Next, they should contact you to let you know they are home. Once inside, children should keep a low profile and avoid answering the phone or door.
A.C. Daughtry, a provider of Honeywell in NJ is here to help when you’re ready to install a state-of-the-art security system in your home. Remember that the neighborhoods will be flooded with more people in just a few weeks, and this creates a more threatening environment for schools, children and neighborhoods. This added security helps provide peace of mind when your child is home alone after school.
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