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Spring Tips

• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors- The start of daylight savings time is a great reminder to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Test the alarms to make sure they're working or install a fresh battery. If the smoke detector is older than 10 years, it should be replaced. Each floor of the house should have a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide detectors often have an expiration date as well, so check to make sure your alarms haven’t expired. If they have expired, replace them immediately.
• Don’t forget to lock doors and windows - When the temps rise, it's tempting to leave doors and windows open to let the fresh air in after a long winter. Just be sure to lock storm doors and close everything when you’re away, or at night.
• Maintain a well-lit property- A dark, unlit home is a welcome invitation for burglars. By the nature of a burglary, light is counterintuitive. Burglars do not work in well-lit areas because of the chance of getting caught is much higher. Making sure that your outdoor lighting is always functioning well is a key aspect of maintaining a safe property.
• Make house numbers visible- In an emergency, responders will need to find your house easily. If they can't see the numbers on your house, it will delay their response time when every second counts. Make sure the numbers on your home are clearly visible from the street.
• Plan carefully before vacation- Going away for Spring break or other holidays? Keep an extra car parked prominently in the driveway (or ask a neighbor to park their car there) to create the appearance that you're home. Use lighting timers to schedule your lights to go on each night while you're away.

Thank you!

We are so happy to receive the 2014 Super Service Award from Angie’s List once again. It’s a big honor as no more than 5% of companies are given this award, that recognizes businesses that have achieved and maintained a superior service rating over the past year. This award means we are reaching our goals, and we intend to reach them every and every year. A very special thank you, to you, our customers for providing the positive reviews that made this award possible.

Tips for Maintaining your Alarm System in the New Year

With the New Year upon us, making a plan to test your alarm for proper operation periodically ensures complete protection when it is needed most.

• Make sure you test your alarm system periodically. Monthly testing is preferred, but at the very least test quarterly.
• Call your alarm company BEFORE you test your alarm system in order to put it in test mode. Failing to do so may result in costly false alarm fines from your town or local law enforcement.
• Testing your system ensures the system is in working order. Be sure to include doors, windows and motion sensors in the testing process.

• Batteries and the alarm system itself need to be maintained, updated and replaced at regular intervals.
• Regardless of whether your alarm system is wireless or wired, both types of systems have batteries that can fail and need to be replaced.
• Yearly maintenance ensures that your system is up to date and in good working order. Contact us at 301-570-0700 for more information on annual service agreements or schedule a thorough check of your system.

• Burglar alarms deter criminals from entering your home, but they only work if you use them.
• User error is the #1 cause of false alarms. Use your alarm system on a daily and nightly basis. The more familiar you are with your system, the less likely you are to cause a false alarm.
• Get to know your alarm system and what it can do for you.

Happy Holidays!

At the holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. It is in this spirit that we say... Thank you and best wishes for the holidays and happy New Year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you and yours have a beautiful Thanksgiving!     

Lower Your Home’s Curb Appeal

When a burglar looks at your home from the street, do they see an easy target or do they see a clean alarm sign, window decals in good shape, strong locks? Homes with alarm systems are about three times less likely to be burglarized than homes that do not have a security system. If you have an expensive flat-panel TV, a guitar collection or other valuables, you may want to close the blinds in these rooms. There are numerous ways to make your home look “occupied” that are easy to implement. For example, leaving your lights on in one or more rooms can give the implication that the home is occupied. With our interactive services powered by Alarm.com, lowering your curb appeal has never been easier!

Stop Burglaries, Thefts, and Problems Before They Happen

Working in the security industry, we often see families and businesses after there has been a problem. The price of the items stolen is just the beginning. Oftentimes the bigger cost is the loss of intellectual property, such as the information on a laptop, checks, credit cards, family heirlooms, and business information. Sadly, many of the things that get stolen can never be replaced. Equally damaging is the mental or emotional costs of having your home invaded. Protecting your home or business is not that hard. When you know your home is well-protected, you can sleep better and worry less. If there is a windy night and a tree branch makes a noise, you won’t be wondering if it is a burglar. Most important, with the peace of mind you will have, you can focus on the nicer things in life.