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In a recent article in the North County Times (Link), an FBI report showed a decrease in nationwide crime comparing the first half of 2007 to the first half of 2008. San Diego counties two largest cities, Escondido and Oceanside, reported even bigger decreases than the national average.
“Burglary is one of the crimes that’s driven by economics,” Escondido Lt. Craig Carter said, and burglary has risen 11% over 2008 in Escondido.
As the economy stands still, we expect burglary to grow throughout 2009. This makes it especially important to start thinking about your security. Across San Diego County, we install BURGLAR ALARMS, CCTV SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEMS, FIRE ALARMS, DOOR ACCESS AND INTERCOM SYSTEMS. We operate out of Escondido, and offer the best service you can find. For a free on-site evaluation or quote, please call (800) 577-2527 or fill out our online form.
Obsolete Security Control Panel
If your Security System is over 5 years old, it may be obsolete. Several panel manufactures have gone out of business throughout the years, leaving no options for replacement parts.
The Good News
For around $1000 (depending on the system size), you can replace your control panel and keypads with an updated control panel, and have a state-of-the-art security system overnight. Don’t let the price tag scare you, because you will gain so much from a new control panel. improvements in technology will lower false alarms, increase security, improve your convenience, and change the way you use the system. The benefit of upgrading your panel is that we can hook-up all of your old equipment to a new panel. This, obviously, saves money on new equipment, but also saves time on the installation so you won’t have to pay very much in labor costs.
The Bad News
You will have to replace the Control Panel on your Security System eventually. Most of the time we upgrade a control panel, our customers are blown away at how powerful the new features are. It’s like they have an entirely new system.
Its never easy to predict how a new president will effect your industry. After all of the promises made in the campaign season, citizens historically feel good about the long-term prospects of their industry’s prosperity. Because this effects their job, and ultimately their financial security, most people are optimistic after an Inauguration.
This year, however, things are different. Unfortunately President Obama has inherited an economy that is fragile. Along with this economy, he has inherited millions of worried citizens he has sworn to protect.
The security industry usually prospers during difficult economic times, because industry invests in their protection from an insurgence in crime. Protecting your assets suddenly becomes very important when you realize that there are many unemployed people out there.
Besides the economic impact on our industry, Obama seems to be for Government infrastructure spending. This is good for the Security Industry because security is considered a vital infrastructure item by the DHS. We won’t see what the funding appropriations will look like for months, but we can assume that our President will push for this.
For Progressive Technology, we can expect small business preferential treatment, as this was a campaign promise. We can only hope that this is atop Obama’s list, and that an increase in small business set-aside projects and sub-contracts becomes a priority.
We are currently taking resumes for Employment. If you are interested, please go to the following website to get an idea of our requirements.
Please send your resume to shale@protec-alarm.com
1) Your home or business will never be Burglarized
As the economy spirals downward, crime is on the rise. The crime rate has been dropping for about a decade, but that will soon end. All over the country, cities are slimming their budgets. Wasteful spending will surely go first (hopefully), but vital Municipal services like Police and Fire will be stretched very thin, unfortunately. And as unemployment rises, some will turn towards burglary to make ends meet. I’m not trying to make a doomsday speech, just trying to make a point about the importance of Electronic Security in the coming months.
2) Your home or business will never be Vandalized
Whether we’re talking about graffiti or a broken window, it’s difficult to understand the reasoning behind vandalism. Why would someone go out of their way to cause destruction to someone else’s property? Even when punishment for vandalism is severe, people still do it. Security Systems help prevent vandalism, because this crazy behavior is less likely to occur with an increased likelihood of capture. The only thing better than catching a thief is catching a vandal, because then you can ask them “What is wrong with you?”
3) Any Security System over $99 is too expensive
If you are renting a bedroom in a condo, and you don’t want your things getting rummaged, then $99 can buy you some good protection. However, if you occupy more than 100 square feet, then you will have to spend more, period. A $99 alarm system is only a “foot in the door” technique, because once the salesman is in your home or business, they will suggest that you secure the entire building for $4,000 or more. So long-story-short, all companies charge more than $99 for a Burglar Alarm, and the ones that advertise as a great bargain are famous for having the worst service in the industry.
4) The Nationwide Security Companies have great Service
The large Security Companies have hundreds of thousands of accounts, their installations are quick and inexpensive. This is because they use inexpensive wireless equipment. The trouble is that often times the install is too rushed and mistakes are often made. Also, the equipment has a very high failure rate. This sometimes leads to a malfunction which allows intruders to break-in undetected, but usually it just leads to many head-aches for their customers.
But, if the system has problems, surely they will swiftly address any issues, right? Unfortunately, this is usually not the case. Many Nationwide Security Companies take weeks or months to service a system. This is why it is very important to research the companies service reputation before signing a long-term contract.
Progressive Technology Security Systems has offered the best service in the industry for over 20 years. We will usually have an expert technician at your doorstep either same-day or next-day. Call us at (800) 577-2527 to learn how we offer the best service in the Security Alarm industry.
When the economy starts to turn downward, most think about how to lower their expenses. But, there are a select group of forward thinkers that go one step further, and solicit the opportunity to secure what they do have. These are the people that invest in security as a hedge against the increased crime that results from a bad economy.
Crime Rates in California are already among the worst, imagine how theft will increase now. California generally has 9.7 times as many cases of Property Crime as the National Average. About 1.2 out of every 10 cases of theft occur in California, the most in the USA. (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2006).
So, what can you do to protect your assets? First, you can install an alarm system at your location, or if you already have an alarm system, you can look into updating the technology. Without a Security System, you will be susceptible to break-in, and there will be nothing to hasten the burglar in collecting your possessions. New technology is now available, systems can be operated online, cellular backups will send burglary signals if the phone line has been cut, and you can also add-on Door Access components to your security panel. These are all very valuable ways to increase your protection.
Security Cameras are also a great way to increase your Security, and lower the risk of break-in. The economy may send more criminals into desperation, but criminals still feel the same prison. A CCTV System will record an intruder in action, and often times the footage helps a detective in an investigation.
The NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm Code is a large book which specifies the rules to follow when installing and Monitoring a Fire System. Some counties require that it is followed, and some (smart) commercial applications require it as well. But most end-users don’t know what it is at all. This blog entry is just going to cover some of the basics.
Equipment
Fire Equipment must be Listed (UL in California) for the purpose for which it is used. So all equipment must meet the specifics outlined by Underwriters Laboratory (UL). It’s pretty hard to find fire equipment which is not UL, but the main purpose of this ordinance is to stop a company from using security-specific equipment on a fire system installation.
Installation Requirements
Installer Qualification is outlined in NFPA 72. It is generally accepted that a C-10 Electrical license is a requirement in California. Also, there are three ways an installer can be considered as a qualified fire system installer.
(1) Factory Trained and Certified for fire alarm design by a specific brand of system.
(2) Certified by a Nationally recognized fire alarm certification organization.
(3) Registered, licensed, or certified by a state or local authority.
Central Station Requirements
Central Station Services for a Fire System, like the equipment, must be UL Listed (or can be listed by another organization). There are also four types of Central Stations that will meet code.
(1) Provide all elements of central station services with its own facilities and personnel.
(2) Subcontracting of Installation, but all monitoring, retransmission, and associated record keeping and reporting must be in-house.
(3) Installation and Monitoring Services are all in-house.
(4) Monitoring is out-of-house, but installation and service is provided.
Progressive Technology Security Systems is in the fourth category. We specialize in installation, Service and testing of fire systems and have over 20 years of experience.
Please click here for more information on the National Fire Code.
Pelco is a world leader in the design, development, and manufacture of video security systems and supporting equipment ideal for any industry. Pelco Cameras can be found anywhere from Government Buildings to Stadiums to Universities to McDonald’s. Founded in 1957 in Southern California, Pelco has grown to 112,000 employees worldwide, and has a very strong presence in the Surveillance Equipment market.
Progressive Technology has been installing Pelco Equipment for 20 years. We know that a Camera or DVR from Pelco will last, and that Pelco will replace any faulty product faster than any of their competitors, usually next day.
Burglary is a serious threat for any business, but vandalism can be just as costly. Graffiti & Broken Windows can cost just as much as a petty “Smash & Grab” burglar. But, there are preventative options available, mainly in the form of Camera Security Systems; also known as a Surveillance System, CCTV or DVR System.
The logic behind a Camera System is that when a burglar or vandal sees that their actions will be recorded, then they are less likely to target your office. If they do decide to burglarize or vandalize your business regardless, then you at least have a recording of them to hand over to a detective. This greatly increases the chance of catching the thief and recovering your property.
If you are interested in Camera Security, or have any questions, Please call us at (800) 577-2527 or you can also visit our website.
