How to make your life easier with home automation

It wasn't that long ago that managing your home from the palm of your hand seemed futuristic and absolutely impossible. In this day and age controlling your home via home automation is becoming very popular and you will be able to avoid mistakes like these:

  o   Your son has lost the house keys, again!
You’re at work and you get a phone call from your son saying he’s lost the house keys again, sound familiar? Instead of heading all the way home to unlock the door you can do it from your smartphone or other internet connected device. Even better you will never have to hide your spare key under the doormat or in the pot plant again!

  o   That leak in the basement has returned
The plumber told you the leak was fixed, but you've just returned home and the basement is completely flooded. If you had a water detection sensor and home automation, you would have been sent a message alert the exact moment water was detected.

  o   You’re worried you forgot to lock the front door
You got the kids dressed in a hurry and then darted off to work in a hurry, but as soon as you sit down at your desk you get an uneasy feeling that you've forgotten to lock the front door. Rather than stressing all day about a break-in, you can check the doors status from your smart phone and even lock it remotely.

  o   You get the feeling your kids aren't staying on task
Your kids promised they would start their home work as soon as they got home from school, but you’re not convinced. If you had a home security camera and home automation you could see exactly what’s going on in your home in real time.

  o   Your lights have been left on
You’re driving down your street and you see your daughter left the bathroom light on, that gets you wondering – has she forgotten to turn off her flat iron too? Instead of driving all the way back or worrying all day about wasting electricity or a fire breaking out, just pick up your smartphone and turn the lights and appliances off.

If you invest in a home automation system, it can not only boost your home’s security and save time and money, but it can also help you avoid some of life’s little misadventures.

SIS - Security & Investigation Services pride themselves on providing you and your family with affordable, professional security services for your home or business.

Written By: Christine Romans

Summer home security tips

Summer is here and when we think of summer we think of pool parties, suntan lotion and enjoying a beach vacation, but there is one downside it is also the season for burglars. When you’re busy enjoying the warm, fresh air you can become lazy and people tend to leave doors, windows and blinds wide open. Plus summer is the season when you and your family would like to get away; here are a few things you need to know.

Why does crime increase during the summer?

Research shows that the average burglar is male and under the age of 25 and the peak age for property crime arrest is just 16, but why is this relevant? Because most 16-year-olds are out of school during summer and summer is the most popular season for family holidays and burglars love to target empty homes. The crime increase isn't about the weather conditions; it’s about opportunity and circumstance!

Installing professional home security

If you don’t have a security system your home is three times more likely to be burglarized than a secure home, so make sure you invest in a quality home security system. For instance, Contact SIS – Security &Investigation Services for a professional, high-quality home security service! If you are planning to travel during the summer, consider purchasing security cameras or motion activation technology.

Double up on security

A home security system makes an excellent deterrent, but it isn't the only one, if you want to maximize your security for the summer you might want to invest in some of these things:
- If you don’t have a dog, you might want to buy a dog bark alarm that will ward off potential intruders with realistic barking sounds.
- Install a dummy camera if you can’t afford a real surveillance system. Burglars can’t tell the difference and the sight of a camera will scare them away instantly.
- Finally, get some yard signs and decals and place them around your home.

Start a neighbourhood watch program

Now that the summer sizzle is in the air, this is the perfect time to start up a neighbourhood watch program. If you’re not sure how to get it started, check out my helpful Easy ways to make a safer community post. When you get the entire community involved, you can sleep easier at night and enjoy full-on security at all times.

Businesses: take note

If you run business it is absolutely essential that you have a quality security system in place. Did you know that commercial theft, like home invasion increases during summer and it is especially bad in the month of December. If you step up your security plan today you’ll be more ready for summer and the holidays.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to make sure your home or business is perfectly secure for summer, get a head start on your summer safety strategy! When you take control of your security tan today you can spend your summer focusing on more important things, like your tan.

Written By: Christine Romans

Easy ways to make a safer community

I know that being best buddies with your neighbour isn’t the most enjoyable thing to do, they could become really nosy and end up annoying you, but one of the easiest ways to cut down on crime rates and reduce your chances of burglary in your home is to be an active member in the community! Talking to your neighbours, starting a neighbourhood watch and interacting in your community are free and simple to do (depending on how friendly your neighbours are).

Get to know your neighbours
The best watchdogs you could ever have for your home are your neighbours! Mrs. Curious who always walks her dog in front of your house and Mr. Nosey who likes peeking through his blinds constantly are actually your best bets for someone who will carefully monitor your home. When new neighbours move in the number one rule is to try to be extra friendly, make sure to introduce yourself and they’ll become familiar with you. Getting to know your neighbour – no matter how painful it is – means getting comfortable with their habits and you’ll be more likely to notice when something is out of the ordinary.

When you go out of town always let your closest and most trusted neighbour know, fill them in on what to expect whether it’s the timers for the lights or the pet sitter coming over to feed Fluffy. If anything goes wrong they can spot it right away and contact you right away, make sure to return the favour when they’re out of town.

Start a neighbourhood watch program
If you start a neighbourhood watch program you can easily cut back on crime, begin by investigating crime rates and reports in your neighbourhood. The next step is to form a small committee to address the needs in your area and then notify your local police department that you want to start your group.

As a neighbourhood watch, it’s important that you hold meetings and come together to see what you can do to increase safety in your community and don’t forget to include every member of your neighbourhood for the best results, whether they are, old, young, married or single.

Create change through your local government
Although the government is not exactly the best example of things getting done quickly, your local city council members are the best people to talk to. If you’re ever concerned about your street being too dark or having too many potholes, you need to let them know because you know your community best. It takes the work of concerned citizens to truly enact change in the local government and it definitely takes a huge amount of patience.

I takes an entire community to make things safer, so take advantage of your nosy neighbour! The change might not be immediate, but the results you see on the long run will definitely be worth it.

For a reliable, high standard and professional security service, contact SIS - Security & Investigation Services, they offer anything from guarding to farm protection. 

The security guide for apartment renters

As an apartment renter your security concerns are different, you live very close to other people and there is probably a lot of foot traffic in and out of your complex, these could mean your apartment could have a higher risk of being burgled.

Before you decide on your new home, it is important to think about security, consider these tips and suggestions for keeping your apartment safe after you've signed the lease.

- Research Local Crime -

Before you decide you've found your dream home always check the local crime rate in the area, make sure you know about any burglaries or other criminal activities before you commit to a lease. Talk to the previous tenant, landlord or neighbours to get an honest picture.

- Test Lighting -

Burglars prefer to sneak around in the dark, so when choosing an apartment check the entrances, hallways, parking areas, laundry room etc. to make sure there is enough lighting at night, the more light the safer you’ll be.

- Observe General Upkeep - 

Take a general look at the place, are there any broken windows, cracked walls or is the garden overgrown? Chances are if the landlord isn’t bothered about basic maintenance, they won’t be bothered about security.

- Check Apartment Entrances - 

Many times in an apartment complex the door or gate will require a code, key or buzz-in to get inside, when choosing a place always consider these things first, this way you can control who comes to your door reducing break-ins and criminal activities.

- Get New Door Locks -

Replacing your door locks can prevent unwanted persons from being able to access your place, many landlords say they’ve replaced the locks, but they don’t and the previous tenant’s keys are not always returned. Don’t take the risk of previous tenants coming back to your apartment with an old key.

 - Examine Window Locks - 

When viewing an apartment, always examine the window locks, especially if the apartment is on the ground level. Check and make sure the window locks are working properly and cannot be manipulated from the outside.

When you’re renting an apartment you need to take your safety and security into your own hands, work with your landlord to make sure your residence is secure, don’t let them dictate the safety of your apartment.

For professional security services, contact SIS – Security Investigation Services, they specialize in all facets of investigation and offer quality property security solutions to residential and corporate markets.

Written By: Christine Romans