Not surprisingly, this tells us that Americans love to travel. What the numbers do not tell us is something else we already know: Summer is the time to travel. If you are planning a summer vacation away from home this year, we hope you will enjoy yourself and feel the peace of mind that comes from a home that is monitored while you’re away.

We encourage summer vacationers to monitor their homes in three ways: electronically, individually and community-wide.

Electronic Monitoring
We are in the home security business because we believe in the power of monitored home security as a crime-fighting tool. Monitored home security acts as a deterrent, significantly reducing your risks of being a crime victim while you are away. The strength of our service is the 24-hour remote monitoring that ensures we are keeping an eye on your property.

Today’s technology makes monitored home security even more powerful through the use of home automation and remote security system administration. We can install a system that lets you control your security from anywhere, including monitoring video cameras remotely. Home automation lets you control lighting, appliances and door locks remotely as well. Monitored home security and home automation combine to make your home a much safer place.

Individual Monitoring
As good as a home security system is, it’s not 100 percent foolproof. It’s always a good idea to enlist the help of a friend or relative who can regularly stop by and check your home while you are away. Stopping by every day is the most optimal scenario; at least every other day should be the minimum.

Individual monitoring can include additional measures such as moving cars around, opening and closing blinds, putting trash to the curb, and doing other things that give the appearance that someone is home. In the absence of a friend or relative to individually monitor your home, be sure to put a hold on your mail and your newspaper. There is no need to broadcast to criminals that you are away by allowing mail and newspapers to stack up.

Some folks prefer to have a friend or family member come stay in their homes while they are away. This is even better. The safest home is an occupied home.

Community-Wide Monitoring
We are big proponents of community-wide monitoring in local neighborhoods. When neighbors band together with a commitment to watch one another’s properties, things are made safer by sheer numbers. We would encourage you to get together with your neighbors to discuss organizing – either loosely or in affiliation with a Neighborhood Watch program.

When your neighborhood is organized, your neighbors will keep an eye on your property while you are away on vacation. You’ll do the same for them when they go away. Together, the entire neighborhood keeps an eye open for any suspicious behavior that could indicate criminals are sniffing around. If those criminals know neighbors are watching, they are more likely to move on.

Monitoring your home while you are on vacation is all about making sure as many people as possible are watching your house. Electronic monitoring allows a company such as Monitronics to use the latest technology to do just that. Combining our services with friends, family, and your neighbors makes your home safe so you can enjoy your vacation.

Sources: 
https://www.ustravel.org/sites/default/files/page/2013/08/US_Travel_AnswerSheet.pdf

Do you remember these old-school Dad quotes? And cringing as Dad reeled them off? 

But… now that some of us are dads ourselves, we totally get it. 

Just like Dad, we want to protect our families, homes and resources. Unlocked doors can let intruders in. Open windows make managing our homes more expensive with higher AC bills. That money doesn’t grow on trees, you know. 

At least we can have it easier today, thanks to Smart Home Security technology. Here are some ways that Alarm.com helps you, the modern Dad, worry less. 

I don’t think I secured the house properly… 
Nothing nags a dad like the thought of a door left unlocked at night, or the garage door being left open when you all go out to eat. A Smart Home eliminates this worry in two ways. 

First, it’s easy to check the status of your smart locks and garage door through your smartphone app, no matter where you are. If you left something open, you can lock it remotely. 

Second, your Smart Home can remind you when you forget. Our Geo-Services feature will let you know when you leave home without securing it properly. Leave your garage door open and you’ll get a smartphone alert with a ‘close’ button on it. One tap, and you’re worry-free. 

We’re cooling the whole neighborhood… 
You can’t stop your kids leaving the door open with the AC running… but you can stop the energy wastage. 

Our new Smart Thermostat guards your energy bills with an auto shut-off feature that automatically sets the temperature back when a door or window is left open for a certain time. It even sends you a smartphone alert so you know to close the door. When you do, the AC starts again. 

We’ll have to change the locks now… 
Lost door keys are a headache and a security risk. And if you have teens, you know it happens. 

You’ll never replace a lock again with an Alarm.com-powered smart lock on your front door. You can create your own 4-digit code and then change it as often as you like. You can even create individual codes for everyone in the house, with automatic smartphone alerts that tell you when your kids arrive home. 

Burglars will see that no one’s home… 
It’s a worry leaving your home unoccupied, especially on vacations and weekend trips. 

Our smart lighting schedules make your house look realistically occupied when you’re done. You can set your lights to come on at a certain time every day, or at a slightly randomized time for extra realism. You can even have them come on automatically at sunset. 

If a break-in does happen while you’re gone, help will be on the way, thanks to our 24-7 professional monitoring. Trained security professionals assess the situation in an alarm event, and can dispatch emergency responders to the scene. 

I don’t have time to install all of this… 

Take it easy, Dad – our Smart Home technology comes professionally installed and configured by our expert service providers so you can upgrade to a Smart Home in very little time. You can choose a pre-configured DIY system or have a technician take care of it all. And, if something ever goes wrong, you won’t waste a weekend troubleshooting: our service providers will help take care of it. 

To find out more (and relax more), visit www.onestop.biz or call 717-248-4996. And have a great Father’s Day!

Whether you forgot to turn off the alarm when you let the dog out, or your toddler hit the panic button on your key fob, false alarms can pull resources such as police and firefighters away from actual emergencies. Learning how to prevent them from happening means making sure everyone in your household has proper training on how to use your home security system.

• Know how to use the keypad. False alarms are not uncommon, and there’s no need to panic, as long as you know how to enter your code into the keypad. Make sure everyone in your home knows how to arm and disarm the system using the keypad code.
• Establish routines and practices that work for your household and are easy to follow. For example, all doors and windows should be locked and secured when the system is activated. If you have pets, talk to your home security company about installing pet-sensitive motion detectors.
• Understand the sensitivity of your home security system. Keep objects from hanging near a motion detector, because the slightest movement might be enough to trigger a false alarm. Even blowing dust from a home remodeling project can sometimes cause a false alarm if it interferes with a smoke detector’s sensing mechanism.
• Use good practices to get the best response from your home security system. Test your system monthly to make sure it’s communicating properly with our Alarm Response Center. Update your emergency contact list, so that you or a friend can be reached to determine whether it’s a false alarm or a true emergency.

At One-Stop Communications, we offer home security systems to fit every family’s needs and budget, and we make it easy to keep your information up to date and prevent false alarms.

In the world of home security, we promote a similar strategy of understanding the common entry points that burglars use and securing them accordingly. Unfortunately, many burglary victims do not know what these entry points are until it is too late.

Keep in mind that there is no way to prevent a truly determined burglar from breaking into your home. There are things you can do that might cause a burglar to change their mind about entering your home, either because it’s too much work or it takes too long.

The most common entry points for burglars are:

• First-floor front door (34%)
• First-floor back door (22%)
• Large first-floor window (23%)
• Garage (9%)

If a burglar is unable to gain quick entry through one of these four entry points, they may resort to a basement window or a second-floor window accessible by way of a tree or nearby structure. The average homeowner can significantly reduce the risk of burglary by concentrating on securing all first-floor windows and doors.

Securing Entry PointsIt may seem odd that burglars would try to enter your front door in plain view of anyone on the street. But this tells you exactly why it’s important to protect yourself: The front door is chosen because it is usually the easiest and fastest way in.

Burglars are criminals of opportunity. They want to get in quickly, find a few valuables, and get out without being noticed. An unprotected front door is a perfect entry point for quick entry and exit. By the way, a skilled burglar can be in and out of a home in less than seven minutes.

Your best defense is a double-keyed deadbolt lock. Deadbolt locks are difficult to force open without making a lot of noise. A double-keyed lock is even better because it prevents a burglar from breaking a window and reaching in to unlock it by hand.

As for your windows, do not trust the latches installed at the factory. Instead, buy window locks at your local hardware or security store. These are very affordable and surprisingly effective.

Your back door should also be locked by a double-keyed deadbolt, and your garage should be secured by an electric door opener. With all of these entry points secured, you can move on to installing block windows in the basement if the added peace of mind makes you more comfortable.

Tying It All Together:
Deadbolts, window locks and block windows will slow down a burglar significantly. You can tie it all together – and continue to increase the chances that burglars will not hit your home – by installing a monitored home security system. Monitored home security ensures someone is always keeping an eye on your property. It also acts as an excellent deterrent because burglars know their activities are being monitored.

A basic system from One-Stop Communications covers your first-floor doors and windows using sensors that communicate wirelessly with a central control panel. Even this minimal amount of basic protection is very effective in preventing home burglary. For even greater protection, you can add remote surveillance cameras and motion detectors. It all adds up to effectively keeping burglars away.

Sources:

• A Secure Life – http://www.asecurelife.com/security-infographic/

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Celebrate, Honor and Remember.

Happy Memorial Day!

From protecting your car and guarding your tools, to securing a common but easily overlooked entry point to your home, a Smart Home Security system powered by Alarm.com has you covered. 

Here’s what it will give you:

Smart Access 
70% of Americans use their garage door as the primary entrance to their home. 

That’s a lot of opportunity to leave it open by accident.  A connected garage door powered by Alarm.com helps eliminate this problem. 

Using your location as a trigger, our exclusive Geo-Services feature alerts you if you leave home without securing the garage. You’ll get a pop-up smartphone alert that lets you close the door right away, from wherever you are.  You can also create an alert to tell you if the door is left open for a certain amount of time. 

Most garage doors made after 1998 can be retrofitted to integrate them into a Smart Home system. 

Monitored Security 
From lawnmowers to tools, you probably have thousands of dollars’ worth of contents in your garage. If you’re a car enthusiast or dedicated DIY-er, multiply that figure by ten. A wireless Smart Home Security system protects your property and is easy to extend into an attached garage. 

You’ll always know when the garage door is opened, and our exclusive image sensor will detect movement and send you a picture of what caused it.  If you add a video camera to your system, you can record a clip automatically every time the door opens. You can view your images and clips anytime, anywhere, from your smartphone (or Apple Watch). 

Our systems are also professionally monitored. That means that if there’s a break-in, trained security professionals will respond and dispatch emergency services. 

Smart Fire Safety 
With power tools and gasoline on hand, your garage is one of the most fire-prone places in your home after the kitchen. A connected smoke detector powered by Alarm.com will instantly alert the professionals in the event of a fire.  Your smart home security system will also keep you safe by shutting down your HVAC system to keep smoke from spreading, turning on your smart lights, and alerting you via your smartphone. 

No Weak Spots 
It’s tempting to leave the door that connects your garage to your home unlocked, especially when you know the garage door is closed behind you. However, this door should be secured day and night as a potential entryway to your home. 

A smart lock with a keypad is perfect for this role. A simple four-digit code lets you back into the house, eliminating the need to carry your keys around with you. As a bonus, if you have an older teenager who’s started driving, you can give them their own user code which triggers a smartphone alert, letting you know they’re home safe. 

Want a Smarter Garage? 
Professionally installed, configured and monitored, a Smart Home Security system is the smartest upgrade you can make to your garage and home this year. 

A Smart Home Security system—a great home feature in its own right—is incredibly useful for helping this part of your project run more smoothly. 

It makes things more convenient for you and your contractor, helps you stay aware of what’s happening on the project, and maintains the security of your property, even while there’s a lot of activity in your home. Here’s how. 

Smart Access – Convenience and Security 
Your contractor needs easy access to your home, whether you’re there or not. 

A “smart access” solution combines smart locks, user codes and real-time alerts on your smartphone so you can let a contractor in, no matter where you are. 

You get the convenience of letting the contractor come and go, with the security of controlling access and knowing when they’re there or not. No more waiting by the door to let the contractor in when you have a busy day ahead of you, and no more leaving keys under the mat. 

You can use your smartphone app to let a contractor in remotely, or you can give them a unique user code that lets them open your smart lock and disarm your security panel when they arrive. You can set up user codes to only work when you expect the contractor, so you get convenience without sacrificing security. 

Alerts Let You Know Everything’s On Schedule 
User codes help you keep track of when contractors arrive and leave, providing a useful ‘log’ of time spent in your home. It’s easy to set up a smartphone alert that lets you know instantly when your contractor uses their door code. 

You can also set up visual alerts with an image sensor, giving you a visual update of who’s on the job and when. If your Smart Home includes video monitoring, you can even view a live feed of your project as it takes shape. 

If you’re planning a major renovation that will have you living elsewhere for a while, you can also save on your broadband costs.  Alarm.com-powered systems use a cellular connection, so you can cancel broadband and still manage access to your home and use our image sensor. 

Smart Home Security Provides Peace of Mind 
A Smart Home gives you the ability to lock your front door (and garage door) and arm your security system remotely when a contractor leaves, restoring your house to its secure state instantly. And, when the job is complete, you can simply delete your contractor’s user code from your system, with no keys to hand back. 

Happy remodeling! 

From fire alarms to teen parties, an Alarm.com-powered Smart Home keeps you aware of everything that matters, no matter where you are, through real-time text and video alerts. 

In extreme cases, like a fire, tornado or potential break-in, knowing what’s going on can literally save your life. The rest of the time, you’ll enjoy enhanced peace of mind, comfort, protection, and the ability to address problems before they get worse. It can really change your life for the better. 

Smart Home awareness is simple to manage. You opt into the type of alerts that are meaningful to you, and your alarm system filters out the events that don’t matter to you. Thanks to the wealth of data that your smart home security system has from its sensors and devices, it knows the difference. 

So, what’s good to know? 

Know when something’s wrong 
In an alarm event at your property, you’ll be the first to know, even if you’re not there, via a smartphone alert. Your 24/7 professional monitoring service will also be alerted immediately; they’ll assess the situation and dispatch emergency personnel to your home if necessary. 

Even if your security panel or phone line is damaged, Alarm.com will still alert everyone who needs to know thanks to our Crash and Smash protection and secure cellular connection. 

Know when something’s right 
Awareness also gives you confirmation that things are going right. For example, you can set up an alert that lets you know your children are home from school every day, based on them entering their user code into your alarm panel. It’s not just for kids – you can use these alerts to keep track of contractors, dog walkers and even out-of-town guests. 

Know when there’s danger 
When integrated into an Alarm.com Smart Home, your smoke and C02 sensors will instantly alert you and the professionals if your property is in danger. This gives you valuable time to get home and tackle the problem if it’s safe to do so. One Alarm.com user was able to save his dogs from a house fire after receiving an alert. Another user was able to get his family to safety with minutes to spare before a tornado struck his house, thanks to an Alarm.com severe weather alert. 

If you’re out of town regularly, you can even set up an alert for a trusted neighbor – a great option for peace of mind when travelling. 

Know when you forgot 
It’s easy to forget to arm your security system when you’re on your way to work in the morning. Alarm.com’s Geo-Services feature will alert you if you forgot. You won’t need to return home either: simply use your smartphone app to arm your Smart Home security system remotely. 

Know when you need to act 
Emergencies aside, many minor home events can cause problems if you’re unaware of them. Toddlers open freezers… and leave them open. Teens let other teens into the house when you’re out. Guests change the temperature on your thermostat without telling you. All of these problems can be detected with different Smart Home sensors, generating alerts that let you know there’s a problem. 

And know when you don’t 
How can you tell if an intruder or a squirrel set off your porch’s motion detector? It’s easy when you use an image sensor. This small device combines motion detection with the ability to send you a snapshot of whatever caused the motion, giving you instant insight on what’s going on. If you have a video solution on your porch, meanwhile, you can create smart rules that filter your video alerts according to specific event triggers. For example, you can rule out video alerts from your hallway camera if the alarm system is disarmed.