Why Cellular Security Systems Are the Future

More and more people are cutting the cord … the telephone cord that is.

Landline phones have been steadily declining. Today, 16 percent of all Americans receive all of their calls on wireless devices. In the past 13 years landline adoption has decreased by 26 percent.

So what does this for your home or business security system?

You would think that this would cause significant issues for security system companies, considering many use telephone lines.

This is not the case. Security companies like Hue & Cry Security Systems have stayed ahead of the trend and have begun offering security systems that rely on cellular technologies. Just like your cell phones, these security systems communicate with cell towers.

This means you’ll never have to worry about a burglar cutting your phone line again. There are other additional benefits such as:

• No Drilling
• Easy to Move Motion Sensors
• Remote Control Use

When considering a home or business security system, you’ll really want to take a close look at wireless systems. In many cases you’ll save time and money on installation charges.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we help homeowners and business owners in Northern California and Southern Oregon find the right custom security system that meets their needs.

To learn more about our wireless security systems, contact us at 1-800-762-3196 or visit www.HueAndCry.com.

Security and Fire Alarm System Maintenance Advice

Properly functioning security and fire alarm systems are critical for homeowners and business owners. Unfortunately, these systems are sometimes neglected, which can cause serious problems.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, security systems can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years. However, quality systems that are well maintained can last much longer.

To extend the life of your security and fire alarm system, we recommend the following advice.

Security System & Fire Alarm Inspection 

It’s important to regularly inspect your security and fire alarm system. Doing so will help to identify any problematic issues. When performing personal inspections, be sure to check:

• Cameras – Are the cameras operational and free of dust?
• Sensors – Are the motion, fire and smoke sensors clean?
• Batteries – Are the batteries still working?

Check at least every six months, although you’ll probably want to do it every three just to be safe. Remove any dust from the sensors and make sure the batteries are not corroded.

Testing the System

To prevent false alarms and to keep your security or fire system in good working order, it is very important to test the system. Newer systems do not have to be tested as often as older systems. When your system reaches over the 7 to 10 year mark, you’ll want to test it more often.

Having a professional security company test your home or business security system once a year can help identify any potential problems.

Hiring a company like Hue & Cry Security Systems can help ensure your fire or security system is in excellent working order.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we’ve been helping homeowners and businesses in Northern California and Southern Oregon for more than 30 years. To find out how we can help you, call us at 1-800-762-3196 or visit www.HueAndCry.com.

The Best Places to Hide Valuables from Burglars

The average burglar takes less than 10 minutes to steal items from your home. That’s not a lot of time.

To make it difficult on them, you want to hide your valuables. Just because you lock them in a safe doesn’t mean they can’t take the safe with them.

That’s why it’s important to hide valuables. To give you some ideas, here are some places to hide valuables.

1. Inside Walls – You’ve probably seen this in movies. There’s a reason … it actually works. Creating a small hidden compartment inside a wall can really help you hide valuables.
2. Under the Floor – Creating a hiding place beneath the floorboards is a great way to hide money and other valuables. Be sure to choose a discrete area in your home. Don’t make the compartment too noticeable.
3. Inside Ordinary Objects – Consider hiding money or valuables inside a toy or a food box. Burglars are usually in a hurry and won’t check those types of things.
4. Beneath Staircases – The area beneath a staircase could make an excellent hiding place for valuables.
5. Somewhere Dirty – Burglars won’t expect you to be holding valuables near a trash bin or in the bathroom.
6. Air Vents – Consider creating a decoy air vent that is actually a compartment. It’s a great way to store items without anyone knowing it’s there.
7. In Your Kid’s Room – It’s probably one of the last places burglars will check. Create a secrete compartment somewhere in their room. Tell your children it’s off limits.

As an added security measure, consider a home security system. This will help prevent burglars from even setting foot in your home.

If you live in Northern California or Southern Oregon, consider contacting Hue & Cry Security Systems. We can help you build a custom security system that will make your home the safest one on the block.

To find out more, call us at 1-800-762-3196 or visit www.HueAndCry.com.

An Important Look Into Fire Department Response Times

When battling fires every second counts. On average it only takes 10 minutes for a fire to spread in a building without sprinklers.

That’s why fire department response times are very important.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are more than 350,000 residential building fires every year. These blazes annually cause more than:

• 2,000 deaths
• 12,000 injuries
• $6 billion in property damage

A quick response by your local fire department can make the difference between losing and saving your home.

So how much time should it take for a fire department to respond?

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that telephone dispatchers should take no more than 60 seconds to alert the fire department. The fire department should take no more than 5 minutes to arrive when alerted of the blaze.

Taking more than 5 minutes can be catastrophic.

In 2009, it took a Boston area fire department 11 minutes to respond to a residential fire. By the time the fire fighters arrived, the house was destroyed. In cases like these, budget cuts and layoffs are often the culprits for slow response times.

Are fire departments meeting response time standards?

When it comes to meeting the 5-minute standard, that’s a difficult question to answer. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, U.S. city fire departments measure their response times differently.

Some fire departments count the dispatch call times within their overall response time. Others do not.

The Wall Street Journal article noted that the Los Angles Fire Department counted the dispatch call within their response time for many years. Then, they decided to remove it to decrease their response time.

For homeowners, it’s important to consider fire department response times when developing a fire emergency plan. Check with your local fire department to see how long it takes them to respond to fires. See if they include dispatch calls within the response time.

When thinking about fire safety, you will want to consider a fire alarm system from Hue & Cry Security Systems. Fire alarms help save homes. Your standard smoke detector can’t alert emergency responders.

A fire alarm can be the difference that allows fire fighters to arrive at your home in less than 5 minutes. To find out more, contact us today at 1-800-762-3196.

We’d love to hear from you! What do you think of your local fire department? Leave your comments below.

Alarm System Testing: Twice a Year for Best Performance

Do you know the answer to this question … How often should I test my home security system?

When it comes to your home security system, you should test it at least twice a year to ensure its best performance.

When it comes to testing your home security system, you’ll want to follow the steps below.

1. Contact your monitoring center to ask them to turn your system on testing mode.
2. Arm you system and leave your home. Be sure to wait for the system to become active.
3. Try opening and closing doors and windows around your home. Check to see if the system will activate. You’ll also want to check any motion sensors that you have installed around your home.
4. Disarm the system just like you normally do.
5. Contact your monitoring center to check to see if they received the alarm signals.

Besides testing your alarms, you’ll want to get them regularly serviced. Having your security alarm regularly serviced by a professional will keep it working and prevent false alarms.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we can help you monitor and test your home security system. To find out how we can help you, call us today at 800-762-3196 or visit www.HueAndCry.com.

A Beginner’s Guide to Remote Viewing Video

Did you know that you can watch security camera footage from your laptop or smartphone?

You can expand your home or business security with remove viewing video. This service allows you to remotely view security surveillance cameras.

Typically you can watch security camera footage in real time via a computer or a smartphone. Remote video viewing can help enhance your security. There are several remote viewing video options.

Here are the most popular.

• Video Only Viewing – With this option, you can only watch video in real time. This option does not include any recording features. It uses the internet to connect you into the security camera feed.

• Camera Recording and Live Viewing – Here you can watch video in real time and also record video on the security camera’s memory card. With this option, you are typically limited in the amount of video that you can record.

• View and Record on a Server – With this version, the video is typically recorded on a hard drive located on site or offsite. You can store more recorded video with this option. You also can remotely watch live video.

• View and Record in the Cloud – With this option, you can watch live and record video on remote servers operated by an outside company. With this option, you don’t have to worry about server maintenance and upkeep. You’ll want to make sure that you have a company that has reliable servers and great customer service.

With any of these options, it’s very important to talk with a security professional.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we can help you select the best remove video viewing options. We help homeowners and business owners with all of their security needs. To find out how we can help you, call us today at 800-762-3196 or visit www.HueAndCry.com.

How to Select the Right Home Security Cameras

Security camera surveillance is becoming a popular option for homes. If a burglary occurs, security cameras make it easier to identify and catch the criminal. They’re also a great crime deterrent.

As an added benefit, security cameras allow you to remotely monitor your home when you’re at work or on vacation.

When it comes to selecting the right cameras to add to your home security system, you’ll want to ask yourself these questions.

What is my budget for home security?

This is a very important question to ask. Determining your budget will help you sort out the available home security camera options. Talking with a home security professional can help you find the best available solution for your budget.

Do I want wired or wireless camera systems?

You generally have the option of wired or wireless camera systems. Wireless cameras are easy to install and use radio signals to operate. Wired cameras require a little drilling. However, they are less prone to false alarms than wireless cameras.

Do I want to do it myself or hire a professional?

You have the option of purchasing wireless cameras and installing them yourself or having a home security professional installing them. It’s better to be safe than sorry and go with the professional. You’ll have a more integrated and effective system.

What type of features do I want?

Besides wired vs. wireless, you’ll want to determine which of the following features you want:

• Indoor or Outdoor Cameras (these are weather proof)
• Color vs. Black and White Cameras
• Zoom Features
• Digital vs. Analog Video
• Video Quality
• Remote Monitoring Capabilities

These are just a few of the things you’ll want to consider when purchasing security cameras for your home. At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we have secured thousands of homes in Northern California and Oregon. To find out how we can help you, call us today at 800-762-3196.

Tips for Teens about Social Network Safety

More than 70 percent of American teens use social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

Do you know if your teen is safe on these sites?

Social networking allows teens to share personal information like never before. To protect your teen from identity theft, cyberbullying and online predators, follow the tips below.

• Have Them Check Their Privacy Settings – Make sure your teen’s privacy settings are configured so only their friends can see the information that they share.

• Don’t Let Your Teen Share Passwords with Others – It’s vital to teach your teen the importance of passwords. Advise them not to share their social network passwords with friends.

• Talk with Them about What’s Appropriate – It’s important to teach your teen how to properly act online. Explain to them how provocative posts could hurt their reputation and how it can affect them at school and work.

• Have the Stranger Danger Conversation – You probably had the “stranger danger” conversation with your teen when they were younger. Thanks to social media, you’re going to need to have it with them again. Your teens should never accept friend requests or messages from strangers.

• Show Them Reporting Features – If your teen is being the victim of cyberbullying, show them how to block the user. If the bullying continues, report the user.

• Teach Them What to Share – Explain to your teen that sharing too much personal information could lead to identity theft and other problems. Watch what your teen shares on their profile.

• Don’t Let Them Post Their Location – Some of the social media sites allow you to post real-time location information. Tell them to avoid using this feature. It could open them up to all sorts of problems including online predators.

It’s important to have serious conversations with your teen about social networking. Talk with them about what they can and cannot share on social networks.

For even more tips, read other postings on the Hue & Cry Security Systems Blog

How to Tell if Your Identity Has Been Stolen

There are approximately 15 million cases of identity theft in the United States every year. According to IdentityTheft.info, annual financial losses total north of $50 billion.

In many cases, the victims don’t know their identity as been stolen until it’s too late. Don’t let this be you.

The Federal Trade Commission website has some great resources that show signs of identity theft. Here are a few of the most important warning signs.

1. Discovering bank and credit card accounts that you did not open.
2. Unusual information on your credit reports such as strange addresses and employment information.
3. Getting credit cards that you did not sign up for.
4. Unexpectedly denied after signing up for a credit card or being offered high interest rates for no apparent reason.
5. Being contacted by debt collectors or businesses about items that you didn’t purchase.
6. Failing to get important bills in the mail. Bills never arrive on time.
7. You can’t find your credit card.
8. Your bank account suddenly has no money in it.
9. You receive strange bills in the mail.

Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. That’s why it’s very important to carefully check your bills each month. Also be sure to shred any documents that contain sensitive information. A home security system can protect this information from burglaries.

If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft, place a fraud alert on your credit reports.

For more important security tips, read other postings on the Hue & Cry Security Systems Blog.

Things You Shouldn’t Post on Facebook

Facebook is a great way to stay connected with family and friends.

However, what you post on Facebook could open you up to the risk of identity theft, burglary and other serious crimes.

To better protect yourself, here are a few things that you shouldn’t post on Facebook.

• Birthday and Place of Birth – Avoid sharing your complete birthday and place of birth on Facebook. It can make it a lot easier for identity thieves to figure out your Social Security number. 

• Travel Plans – Don’t advertise your upcoming vacation to Hawaii on Facebook. It’s like posting a sign in your front yard that says, “I’m out of town … Please steal from me.” Wait until you get back from the vacation to share the news.

• Complaining – It’s not a good idea to complain about your job or your neighbor on Facebook. You never know who is going to see it. There have been numerous instances where people have lost their jobs because of Facebook posts.

• Address – Do you really want to leave your home address up there for everyone to see? You’re at greater risk for burglaries and identity theft if you list your home address.

• Phone Number – Keep your phone number off of Facebook. You never know who may end up with it.

• Password Information – Avoid sharing information such as your dog’s name, your mom’s maiden name, etc. These are often associated with bank passwords. You don’t want to give anyone clues. 

Always be sure to check your Privacy Settings on Facebook. The Facebook Help Center has some great information on Privacy Settings.