For the past eight years, we as a nation have been told to “be afraid.” Now, while Americans have started to reject this message and have begun to re-claim their national heritage as living in the “Home of the Free and Land of the Brave,” the fact remains that domestic crime is going to remain with us for a long time. Therefore, it behooves us to take certain precautions in order to protect our personal property as well as the physical safety of our families and ourselves.

A home security system not only provides this protection, it can be a money-saver as well, as many home insurers offer a discount for homeowners who install such a system. However, not all home security systems are created equal.

It is not the purpose here to promote one brand of home security system over another. However, there are certain features that you must have in order for such a system to do an adequate job protecting you and your family.

1. A Master Control Panel: This is the heart of your system, and should be easily accessible and user friendly. If it can be armed and disarmed remotely, so much the better.

2. Home Alarm Monitoring: Your home security system does not work alone; typically, a signal is sent to dispatchers whose job it is to monitor the system. Make sure this service is a good one. It’s also a good idea to have buttons, which can be pressed to notify police and fire fighters directly.

3. Window, Door Sensors & Motion Detectors: The best home security systems are proactive; motion detectors should activate lights when a person is moving in the vicinity (this by itself is often enough to discourage would-be burglars).

4. Extra keypad: You need to be able to access and program your system from all locations.  A portable long-range keypad, which you can carry with you, is also a good idea.

5. Wireless Capability: This is a tremendous convenience, and allows you to operate the system from your car.

6. Heat Sensors: The first sign of a fire is not smoke, but heat, which collects near the ceilings. A good heat detector will notify you of a fire well in advance - often in time to prevent irreparable damage.

7. Back-up Power: In case of a windstorm or natural catastrophe that results in a power outage, it is vital that your system stay on. Redundant systems will defeat burglars who attempt to cut electrical connections. A system that uses rechargeable batteries is best.

8. Yard and Window Signs: A warning that your home and property are protected is often a great deterrent to burglars all by itself.

9. Wireless Remote Controls: A small remote that you can carry on your key ring is the best, and should include some kind of “panic” button for informing the police or fire department immediately.

10. 2-Way Voice: A synthesized voice can literally “talk” you through your system’s features.

Although disasters such as home fire and earthquake get far more media attention, the fact is that flooding is far more common and does substantially more damage - with effects that can last for months, if not years. A home security system with a flood sensor can’t stop a flood, but it can alert you when water enters you home. This can help you limit the damage to your home. The sooner you can move valuables to higher ground, and start pumping the water out the less damage you will receive.

People living in low-lying areas such as the Gulf Coast or along the Mississippi River bottoms have discovered this the hard way. However, such flooding is not confined to areas around rivers, lakes and seacoast. Virtually anyone in North America can be a flood victim - and it doesn’t take a great deal of water to cause a substantial amount of damage. According to National Flood Insurance Program, no more than 1 inch of water is all it takes to cause major property damage.  Flood waters only two feet deep can carry off an automobile.

Tragically, a great deal of flood danger is caused by irresponsible development by greedy corporations that want to throw up housing developments in the most unlikely places, simply to turn fast profits. Compounding the tragedy is the fact that these homes are usually cheaply built and easily damaged - and then, homeowners find they are not even covered when they attempt to file a claim.

When it comes to flood danger, forewarned is forearmed.  Just as your home has fire and intruder alert systems installed, so too should it have a flood alert system. Several reputable companies offer flood warning stations and systems for residential use that monitor factors such as precipitation, water levels for your area,  wind speed and direction, relative humidity, temperature and even moisture levels in the soil - all of which can significantly affect the amount of damage your home is liable to suffer.

Most of these systems can be customized for different geographical regions, networked to National Weather Service bureaus such as NOAA over the World Wide Web, and use the latest communication technologies to keep you and your family informed about flood dangers, allowing you to take preventive steps - or if necessary, evacuate ahead of the rush.

When looking into a home security system with flood sensors, be certain that such a system can be combined with resources from local and federal government agencies, allowing you to access up-tyo-the-minute data via satellite and other sources.

Investment in a home security system with flood sensors for your home is as important as having smoke and fire alarms and intruder protection, regardless of where you live in the U.S.

Motion detectors are an important part of any well-designed business or home security system. The best home security systems use a variety of techniques and technologies to detect an unwanted intruder, and motion detection is an additional layer of security that greatly enhances the efficacy of any home security system, without greatly increasing its price.

Although the technology is constantly advancing, and there are any number of niche solutions that rely on a variety of underlying theoretical models, motion detectors can be broadly grouped into three different classifications:

Passive Infrared motion detectors work by detecting the heat of a human body. This a highly effective detection system but it can generate false positives, whether from a pet, sunshine streaming in on a particularly hot day, a space heater activating when its thermostat drops below a certain point, and so on. However, passive infrared systems can be tuned to avoid false positives by requiring a certain magnitude of heat change before the alarm is triggered. For example, a sensor can be tuned to not go off when a pet enters the room, by excluding heat signatures below a certain size.

Ultrasonic motion detectors work by bouncing ultrasonic waves around a room or space, and detecting changes in the contents of the space by changes in the reflected waves that return to the sensor. This type of sensor is difficult to defeat, but is also difficult to program to ignore pet entry into a home area, making it better suited for areas where there is no legitimate traffic which the system must ignore.

Microwave motion detectors bounce microwaves around the area, much like the radar guns used by the traffic police. Like ultrasonic systems, they are effective and hard to defeat, but also hard to customize.

Image recognition motion detectors work by assigning a computer to continually process the input from a digital video camera. The computer algorithm constantly scans the pixels of the transmitted image, and triggers an alert when enough pixels change in value, indicating an intruder or major change to the monitored space. This is a high-end solution.

Laser motion detectors send a laser beam (or a photoelectric light beam) across an area and detect interruptions to the beam from a sensor located across the space from the beam source. These forms of detectors are somewhat out of date, because they are relatively easy to evade if an intruder knows of their presence.

A motion detector can be wired into the business or home security system and programmed to perform a wide range of tasks in response to an intrusion. The system can call a designated phone number with an alert message, send a signal to a monitoring office (which can then dispatch an investigative team), turn on a light, sound an audible or silent alarm in your home security system.

Most reputable Home Security Companies offer Home Alarm System monitoring packages that include Carbon Monoxide Sensors.  If you are looking for a CO Monitoring System that will protect your family and pets while you are away consider a monitored solution. The benefits of a remotely Monitored Home Alarm with CO Sensor is that if a centrally monitored facility such as those monitored by ADT Security will alert you and medical first responders in the event of a situation. If you return to you home to the sound of an Home Alarm System Alert and unconscious pets or loved ones it is too late.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an odorless and invisible gas that consists of one carbon atom bonded with one oxygen atom. Carbon monoxide is usually produced from the combustion of fuels that contain carbon, such as gasoline. Combustion often produces carbon dioxide, the well-known greenhouse gas, but in conditions where oxygen is of only limited availability, carbon monoxide forms instead. Carbon monoxide is toxic and can cause death in humans and pets if inhaled in high enough concentrations for prolonged periods.

The symptoms of mild Carbon Monoxide poisoning are headaches, dizziness and flu-like symptoms. Higher exposure can cause heart attack, degeneration of the central nervous system, and death. Carbon Monoxide can cause death in unborn children if their mother is exposed to the gas. There are treatments for exposure to carbon monoxide but prevention is by far the best approach to prevent Carbon Monoxide exposure.

The most common sources of Carbon Monoxide exposure are house fires, malfunctioning heaters or stoves, car exhaust, and propane or gas-fueled equipment like grills, stoves, generators, etc. Carbon Monoxide poisoning is the most common type of fatal poisoning in the United States, with more than 40,000 people per year seeking treatment in the US. About 500 people die each year from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the United States, not including about 2,000 people each year who use Carbon Monoxide as a suicide method.

Prevention of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and exposure is a matter of responsible and informed use of fuel-burning equipment in the home and workplace. Learning how to safely operate grills, industrial equipment, stoves, etc. is a key element in any carbon monoxide strategy. It is of particular importance to ensure that fuel-burning equipment and heaters are functioning properly, and not to use the equipment if there are problems such as leaks. The first line of defense in a residential environment is a Carbon Monoxide Detector, installed near heaters or other gas-burning equipment. These devices sound a loud alarm if excessive levels of carbon monoxide are detected, giving residents of the home a warning that they should evacuate the area immediately.

Fortunately, Carbon Monoxide Detectors are widely available and quite inexpensive. Stand-alone models can be purchased for as little as $20, and can either use AC power or batteries. It is important to install and regularly test Carbon Monoxide Detectors, particularly in confined spaces or in areas that contain stoves, grills, or other common sources of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. It is especially important to remember that Carbon Monoxide has no taste or odor, and cannot be detected by unaided human senses - “I don’t smell anything” is not a reason to disregard a Carbon Monoxide Detector going off!

Once you’ve got a Home Security System installed, it is likely that you want someone to monitor the home alarm for you remotely. Remote home alarm monitoring is a process that can get complicated in the details, but the basic idea is straightforward: a Home Security Company monitors the signals sent out by your Home Alarm System, and either calls emergency services or sends out their own private security team if the alarm is triggered. Home Security Companies can also provide a wide range of additional Home Alarm Monitoring services on top of this basic service. Home Security Companies that sell home alarm systems and also provide a home alarm monitoring service and can offer a discount on the combined service.

Choosing a Home Security Company to monitor your home alarm system is a balance of costs and benefits. There are deals to be found, but for the most part, the more you pay, the more service there is. There are Home Security Companies that have rates as low as $9 a month, for an extremely basic level of service (basically, they will call 911 for you if the alarm is triggered). Companies with packages in the $20 to $40 a month range tend to provide additional services, like professional installers who come out and get your system in sync with their residential alarm monitoring service, offer multiple alert levels for your home alarm system. For example, your service can be set up so that a window sensor being burglarized only triggers an alert e-mail that is sent to your personal address. No emergency services are alerted and no help will be coming.

Having your home alarm system monitored is definitely a good investment. Most home insurance policies offer discounts for as much as 20% if you have a quality home security system with professional installation and home alarm monitoring. Be sure to inquire with your home insurance agent before selecting a provider, to make sure that the home security system and home alarm monitoring service you are buying are going to work for your insurance company. Reputable Home Security Companies will be glad to help you with that process.

In addition to the financial benefit, a home alarm monitoring service represents a definite upgrade in the security level of your home. A home alarm system by itself is helpful but it still leaves you up against burglars or who-knows-what once the alarm has gone off. The peace of mind in knowing that an effective and rapid response is just a signal away is very reassuring and very comforting for you and your family. The cost is moderate and the security benefit very high; it is definitely a worthwhile idea.

One of the most common errors in configuring a Home Security System is neglecting to integrate a driveway alarm and garage alarm, which monitors access to the driveway, the carport, and/or the garage. Many a criminal has won access to a home by “thinking like a car” - and exploiting this common security loophole.

Start with the garage door opener. Particularly if you have a keypad permitting manual access, be sure to change the factory code so that a well-informed burglar can’t simply enter one of the common presets and walk in uninvited. Keypads should be mounted under a motion-sensitive light, both to increase your security while you enter the code, and to spotlight any thief who tries to guess your combination. No thief likes to stand in a pool of light while suspiciously trying out code after code! Don’t forget that your garage door openers are just like keys to your house - don’t leave them in unsecured vehicles or hide them around your property! Clever burglars know all the hiding places - keep them secure, the same as with your house keys.

The garage door itself is often a serious weak point. Doors are made of lightweight materials, to make them easier to open and close (particularly by hand), but this also makes them vulnerable to a physical assault. Steel or plywood bracing on the inside of the door can provide a measure of additional defense against a straightforward breakthrough attempt. Wooden garage doors are very easy to break through, and you should consider a metal door replacement. Many garage doors are also relatively easy to force open, especially if they have a gap at the bottom where a crowbar can find purchase. Mortise locks and cane bolts can help slow down that type of breakin. One easy and inexpensive step to completely forestall such a breakin: drill a hole through the inside and outside tracks of the door on the inside of the garage, and padlock the door shut from the inside when you are home.

The carport is a generally open area, and as such is difficult to secure against intrusion. Instead, install a Home Security System with motion detectors and floodlights to ensure that any unwelcome visitor is at least made visible to neighbors and passing cars. Make carports less attractive to thieves by storing valuables like lawnmowers or tools in secure chests, sheds or other storage units, rather than leaving them loose in the carport.

Driveway security is relatively straightforward; barring a gate, there isn’t much you can do to keep people off your drive, but you can be made aware of anyone who does enter. Home Security Systems equipped with Motion sensors, weight plates, and other passive devices are excellent ways of triggering your home security system and alerting you that there are unwanted guests.

You might be thinking of adding a home security system to increase the safety of your family, to discourage burglary, or just to have a better sense of control over the perimeter of your home or land - but there’s one additional reason for a home security system that you might have forgotten about. Most homeowner’s insurance policies become less expensive when the right type of home security system is installed. ADT offers home owners insurance certificate which save you up to 20% off your home owners insurance. Given the cost of home owners insurance today, and the fact that ADT’s Alarm Monitoring service is only about 1$ a day, the ADT Home Alarm Monitoring service can pay for itself.

The reason for that is fairly obvious; home security systems deter theft and reduce loss, and that means that the insurance company is less likely to have to make an expensive payout. In addition, homeowners who install home security systems tend to be the type of homeowners who go the extra mile in caring for and safeguarding their property, again translating into lower payouts for the insurance company. Insurance is a cost-driven business; when you lower the insurance company’s cost of doing business with you, it tends to lower your cost of doing business with them.

The exact amount of the discount you can expect varies depending on the insurance company. If your company doesn’t offer a discount at all, switch to one that does - there’s really no excuse for them not to. At minimum, most companies will offer a five percent discount on your premiums if you install deadbolt locks on all outside doors. You can get another five percent for installing a simple burglar alarm system. The total discount can go to 20% for installing a full-fledged home security system that is capable of calling police, fire, or security personnel automatically. Other discounts are available for adding things like carbon monoxide sensors, flood detection sensors, etc.

In addition to savings on your homeowner’s insurance premiums, picking the right homeowner’s insurance company can get you discounts on your home security costs! Many insurance companies these days are partnering with home security companies to encourage their customers to buy home security systems. For example, national insurance carrier USAA offers a 10% discount on ADT home security system installations for their customers with homeowner’s insurance policies. So not only can you save on the cost of your homeowner’s insurance, you can also save on the cost of the security system that gets you the discount in the first place. It’s almost like getting paid to cash your paycheck - it’s definitely a win-win for the homeowner. Ask your insurance carrier about the existence of incentive programs before you commit to a particular home security solution, and definitely inquire about their specific requirements for the home security system discount - you don’t want to install a system that comes up short of getting you the discount.

When purchasing a home security system, one of the critical decisions that must be made is whether to install the system or yourself, or rely on a professional installer. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages; the decision you reach should be based on your own situation, including your budget, confidence in your technical abilities, and security needs.

For most homeowners, a home security system is something that will be created on a fixed budget. While some installers will periodically run “deals” where installations are less expensive than normal, you can usually count on spending anywhere from two hundred to two thousand dollars having a professional do your security system installation. (You can also usually count on having that installation “deal” be limited in scope and done in a hurried fashion.) If your project budget is $1000, then the fees for installation may mean losing the digital video recorder or not wiring all the windows. That might not be a trade-off you’re willing to accept.

On the other side of the coin, while installing a home security system is much simpler today than it was just a few years ago, thanks to the proliferation of high-quality wireless security system components, it is still a fairly substantial project to install a complete system. If you will be paying the installer $250 to do three hours of work, or doing it yourself and taking ten hours to do it, then you have to examine the value of your time and labor and decide which option makes more sense.

Homeowners’ competence with technical tasks like stripping wires and running lines varies by individual, of course. If you are the king of do it yourselfers and regularly rewire your own electrical systems and do your own plumbing, then putting together a security system is going to be a walk in the park. On the other hand, if you are at the level where you can plug in your own toaster, usually, then it might be somewhat intimidating to tackle a home security system installation.

One advantage to a professional installation is that if something goes wrong, there’s someone to call. Professional installers will generally do a good job on an installation, but every system is different and poses its own challenges, and if something is mis-configured or done incorrectly, with a professional installer you have recourse and options. If you did it yourself, it will be you out on the lawn at 3 AM trying to figure out why the alarm keeps sounding. Conversely, if you install it yourself, then when something goes wrong it’s likely you know where and what the problem could be – something that might be a complete mystery if a professional did your home security system installation for you.

A home security system installation is not a trivial job, but it can be handled by someone with the appropriate DIY attitude and abilities. It’s also something that is very important for your family’s safety, and so you will need to decide whether or not you need to bring professionals into the picture. Whatever your decision may be when it comes to installing your security system, you’re always making the right choice by having a security system in your home and protecting your family. Happy installing!

Electronic home security systems have been around since the 20^th century, offering peace of mind and home security for millions of families. In recent years, however, it has become possible to build a system using wireless technologies, deploying sensors and cameras that communicate with the system’s base unit using radio waves or infrared light. In the early days of wireless security systems, homeowners had legitimate concerns about reliability and longevity. Nobody wants to have to change batteries every three months, to suffer a break-in because a sensor went dead, or worst of all, to have cameras or sensors just completely fail because of interference from some outside radio source.

Fortunately, all of these concerns have been resolved thanks to technological progress by wireless security designers. New lithium batteries provide maintenance cycles measured in years rather than months - you won’t need to change that sensor battery for at least seven to ten years. Improved manufacturing techniques mean that wireless reliability is at least as good as wired systems can provide, although it remains important to test any security system periodically. Finally, more sophisticated tuners and better frequency usage means that wireless sensors are virtually impervious to interference from other devices - your wireless security system will perform every bit as well as a wired security system.

Wireless security systems today offer three substantial advantages over a comparable wired security system.

Wireless Security Advantage #1: Ease of Installation

Whether installed by a professional or a do-it-yourselfer, a wireless security system is extremely easy to install. No wires means no digging, no drilling holes through walls, no taking up floors or having to remount windows. That means a cheaper installation cost even when using professionals.

Wireless Security Advantage #2: Ease of Modification

Adding a bedroom? Knocking out a new window? Decided that the back gate needs to have an additional motion detection sensor? Not a problem - with a wireless security system, making a modification to the system is as simple as adding the new wireless sensor or wireless camera and punching in a few codes at the base unit.

Wireless Security Advantage #3: Accessible for Do-It-Yourselfers

While the truly hardy DIYer can install a wired security system, the level of skill involved can be somewhat intimidating. A wired security system installation or modification may involve removing flooring, putting holes in wall, trenching outside the home - a variety of fairly involved tasks. By comparison, putting in a wireless security system usually requires exactly two tools - a wire stripper and a screwdriver.

With the warm weather upon us, and summer only a month away, families with pools are likely dusting off the residual winter debris and preparing for endless outdoor pleasure. While cleanliness is a necessary step to happy summer swimming, an equally if not more important consideration is to review a few pool safety tips. This measure is vital to ensuring protection and delight for loved ones and friends alike.

In-ground swimming pools are fun! Years ago, only the well-to-do reveled in such luxury. Illustrations of ancient Roman rulers leisurely snacking on succulent grapes while basking in liquid bliss swirl in magazines images. Today, however, one need be neither a ruler nor wealthy to partake in this form of outdoor recreation. Yet, every pool owner should properly prepare for the season.

A significant factor in pool safety is a pool barrier: if you do not have one, get one; if you have one, make sure it is functioning properly. Small children can slip under, over, or through, some types of barriers, so it is important to make certain a correct barrier is installed. The list below outlines a few barrier choices.

Solid Barrier: This type of barrier has no openings except at the masonry joints. A brick fence is an example of a solid barrier.

Barrier Fence: A Barrier Fence resembles a white picket fence. The horizontal boards should not exceed 1 ¾ inches. If there are ornamental cut-outs, they should not exceed 1 ¾ inches, either.

Chain Link Fence: A Chain Link Fence appears to be metal cross-work. The opening slats should not be more than 1 ¼” opening.

Latticework Fence: This type of fence looks like crossed wood and should not exceed 1 ¾ inches in the openings.

NOTE: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has specific information on barrier guidelines; this report is available online.

Other pool safety considerations could actually be inside the home. If your house has a sliding door that leads to the pool, it is actually part of the barrier. The door should be equipped with a loud-sounding alarm. If the door opens unexpectedly, adults in the home will be alerted. Alarms can ward off disaster!

Once enjoying your pool, common sense should rule. It is extremely important that at least one adult remain watchful while young children are in or near the water. Guardians could become distracted while chatting on the phone or reveling in the sun, but distractions might result in tragedy. To prevent this from happening, remain alert.

Summer is a time of fun, relaxation, and enjoyment! Adhering to simple rules will reap big rewards in your summer pleasure.