Every year, thousands of homes suffer loss of life and property because families are not prepared for emergency situations. The idiom “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is especially valid for home security. Everyone is clever in retrospect, but you cannot bring back your loved ones or stolen possessions by looking back and thinking how you could have prevented the disaster.

When it comes to disaster management, there are many measures you can take to protect against avoidable circumstances and tighten the security of your property, commercial and residential alike.

To begin with, your emergency plan should include a few crucial aspects. First, the whole family should decide on a post-disaster meeting place, for example the nearest fire exit or in front of the house in case of fire.

Make sure each family member knows his role in an emergency situation. All children must be familiar with types of hazards that might happen. Make your kids feel empowered and prepared, rather than scared, when discussing this matter with them.

Every family member should be thoroughly explained how to shut off electricity, gas and water in the house. Failure to do so during hazardous situations, fire for example, can pose a great danger.

Always keep your emergency preparedness kit as well as first aid kit on hand. They can sometimes save lives while waiting for the medical team to arrive. An emergency kit should also contain batteries, radio and a flashlight.

Creating an emergency plan will prepare you for the potential hazards that an emergency situation can bring as well as help you save life of a family member. Your safety must come before your property. So, go over the emergency plan multiple times and cover all the exits and paths.

In case you are a business owner, all employees must know how to leave the premises in case of fire or other dangerous situations.

If you live in a zone with precarious climate with your house or business place susceptible to weather related disasters, you must practice emergency drills more often, especially if there are any children on the premises.

Human life is not replaceable like material possessions you have in your home, so you need to take as many precautionary measures as possible to lead a better and safer life and provide security for your family members.

Lets examine the benefits and main reasons of using surveillance cameras in your home.

A surveillance camera is a huge visible deterrent to potential thieves. Even if your camera is not functional for whatever reason, a burglar will still move on the next unprotected house due to the risk of being recorded.

Having a fake surveillance camera is a very cheap way of securing your property and many homeowners opt for this option instead. Though your camera will not be functional, having a fake camera is better than going without anything. There is no way for a burglar to know whether the camera is actually recording anything or not and in most cases he will just move on to his next target.

Another benefit of surveillance cameras is the peace of mind you will get. Even if someone manages to break into your house you will have the burglar on tape, which will significantly help the police forces in catching him.

Monitored systems provide a more serious and instant protection, even if you cannot get to the phone yourself. Remote monitoring is labor intensive which makes monitored systems more expensive. However, you will have a peace of mind knowing that your house is well taken care of even if you are away.

In many cases, adding a surveillance camera, or any other type of home security system, can considerably cut down on your home insurance premiums, especially if you avail of services offered by reputable security companies.

But, beyond anything else, surveillance cameras are home security tools, not insurance-cutting tools. So, make sure you put priorities in place and get a camera that will cater to your security needs best.

For example, you may need a camera only to monitor how the gardener you just hired performs his duties.

In other words, invest in a surveillance camera that will satisfy your specific needs. The right camera in the right place at the right time will provide you with an increased level of security, and this feeling will prove to be invaluable to you and your family down the road, especially when you are away on a family vacation.

Prior to installing any barriers, make sure you check if you need any planning permission and do your best not to cause any harm to anyone on your premises, regardless of whether they are legitimate visitors or not.

Brick or concrete walls are the most common type of house barriers. Though they are solid, they can provide intruders with a good hiding place once they are in. They also give them good footholds for easy climbing over.

Wooden fences are cheaper, but they require more maintenance than concrete walls. They can also be climbed over easily. Even an amateur burglar can manage to kick or cut a hole in the strongest wooden fence. Wire fences are more expensive and secure, especially if equipped with barb wire. However, any burglar with a pair of wire cutters will manage to get in.

Spiked metal railings are the most expensive of all fencing. It takes a lot of time and some heavy machinery to cut through the railings. Alarms and sensors can also be added for added protection.

Hedges can prevent only amateur and casual intruders. Though they can produce impenetrable barrier (especially if you opt for prickly plants), they can take years to reach this maturity. Furthermore, the maintenance cost is high while the protection level is relatively low. Any criminal equipped with pruning shears can cut a hole pretty quickly.

All barriers must be fitted with at least one gate, making them as secure as the gate itself. It stands to reason that the gate should be more secure than the barrier as well as simple and convenient for people with authorization to unlock them.

Your home security requirements will determine the final price of a burglar alarm. A typical burglar alarm system can cost anywhere between a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on whether you will be needing a basic alarm system without all the bells and whistles, or a more sophisticated system with many extra features, such as motion detectors, video surveillance, carbon monoxide sensors or even remote controls that you can operate using a smart phone.

When looking into buying a burglar alarm system as well as any alarm monitoring service that might come with it, don’t fall for hypes put forth by sales agents. They are crafted to make you spend more money on extra features that you don’t need.

Instead, consult your friends or do a thorough research on the Internet about companies in your local area that provide quality service. If a company has negative reviews or is listed with strikes on the Better Business Bureau’s website, you may want to go with a competitor. Make sure you choose a burglar alarm that caters to your specific needs.

For example, if you are a traveler, a live feed option to your smart phone is a very useful feature you should consider investing in. That way, you will get instant notifications when your burglar alarm detects an intruder in your house. Otherwise, you may be returning home to an empty house.

On the other hand, price should not be your primary consideration when it comes to protecting your family and your property. Investing extra few hundred dollars on a quality burglar alarm system will save you thousands of dollars down the road. Opt for reputable companies, even if this means paying extra money. Make a list of several companies that offer all the features you want and then narrow down your list by verifying its clean history and reputation. Only after you have chosen your candidate should you look at the price.

Extra features such as smoke, fire or flood detection as well as alarm monitoring are not a necessity for most homeowners. However, if you have an old or disabled person in the house, such services and features are worth the cost because they will give you a peace of mind. With the baby boomers generation getting older, these services have become invaluable. They allow people to call for help with the push of a button.

Despite the scary statistics we hear on news channels every day, most households still don’t have a burglar alarm installed. Here are the most important reasons why having a burglar alarm installed in your house is a good idea.

Surveillance and monitoring

The only way to guarantee protection of your family and property is to have a watchful eye constantly monitoring and recording what is going on inside or outside your house. Regardless of whether you are away on a holiday or just sleeping, constant surveillance will give you a peace of mind you deserve.

Footage playback

Most burglar alarms come with features for viewing the recording at a later time. There are also many alarm monitoring services that will keep backups of footages for a small monthly fee. In case you discover a theft of any of your valuables long after the burglary took place, you can easily find the culprit using these recordings.

Cut Insurance Costs

Many families wonder why home protection insurance policies are so expensive. Installing a burglar alarm system will considerably lower insurance fees because this will give the insurance company comfort knowing your house is less likely to be broken into. Your home security can end up being very affordable by reducing your insurance costs.

How to choose a burglar alarm

Securing your property requires a reliable burglar alarm. This is an indisputable fact. However, choosing a burglar alarm can turn out to be a tough job, knowing there are so many types to choose from. By understanding your home security requirements, you will be able to narrow down your options and choose a proper burglar alarm that will cater to your needs.

You will first need to decide whether to opt for a wired or wireless alarm system. Wireless burglar alarm operates using radio frequency and can be very simple to install.

Private home security and surveillance companies have extensive experience with burglar alarms so you can seek their expert opinion when it comes to choosing the right burglar alarm for your needs. Though they charge a small fee for their services, their understanding of the best systems for burglary prevention is invaluable.

CCTV alarm systems

Burglar alarm systems based on Close Circuit Television feature numerous cameras inside and outside the house, which detect motion warning you if an intruder tries to break into your house. Such burglar alarm can also be connected to alarm monitoring companies or police department and transmit alerts in case of emergencies. It can also transmit a live video feed 24/7 to your mobile phone or laptop.

Though crime rates are increasing, you can easily protect yourself from becoming a victim by being sensible of your home security and by taking basic security steps to protect your property, such as installing a burglar alarm.