Author: GuardMe Security

As the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But unfortunately, it’s not without any worries; that’s why you want to learn the ways your security system can help you beat the security-related concerns, and keep them at arm’s length even after the holidays are over. Here are some examples of seasonal threats you can neutralize with your system. 

Package Thieves

Delivery workers are bonafide holiday angels, putting in extra hours to get everyone’s packages delivered on time. And yet, they aren’t the only ones working hard this time of year. Package thieves are “working,” too, by prowling neighborhoods in search of boxes to snatch right off of an unsuspecting homeowner’s porch.

How can your home security system help? If you have a doorbell camera installed, you’ll get an alert to your smartphone as soon as the package arrives. You can use the two-way voice communicator to tell them the best place to leave the package, and even ask them to leave it inside if you have smart locks installed. Your package is now safe!

Vacation Vulnerability

We’ve all seen the classic holiday film Home Alone, where a family leaves for a Christmastime vacation while forgetting a few very important things. Although most families aren’t quite as forgetful as the one in the movie, some homeowners could still leave without locking up the house. This leaves it susceptible to burglars and other criminals.

If you found yourself in this situation, there are a few ways your system could help: First, having smart locks would enable you to lock the house remotely with your phone. Second, having lights that are integrated with your system can keep the house looking occupied throughout your entire trip. Third, the presence of your cameras will deter many burglars from attempting to break in – but if they do, they’ll be in for a loud alarm and the guarantee that they’re about to get caught.

Winter Weather Threats

Seasonal security concerns aren’t all holiday related. Some concern the weather, like the threat of frozen pipes. When they eventually thaw out and burst, they can flood the home with fast-rising water that pools up inches high. It’s disastrous and costly. And if it happens while you’re on vacation? You’ll be coming home to a nightmare.

Here’s what your system can do. With the temperature sensor connected to the system, you’ll get send an alert to your phone if the temperature drops below a certain threshold. In fact, it can even be configured to trigger your water shutoff valve. This is a practical way to protect your home from winter weather threats.

For more information on beating seasonal dilemmas of home security, New Jersey homeowners can contact GuardMe Security. We will be glad to answer your questions.

Call the GuardMe Security Team Today

For information on upgrading to smart home security, New Jersey homeowners can contact GuardMe to request a no-obligation consultation.

One of the pitfalls of the holiday season is how all of the preparations detract from the actual enjoyment of family and friends. It is very easy to become so busy with all of the small details that the stress of managing them takes the joy right out of the season.

If only making memories was just a bit easier, right? Actually, it can be.

With home automation, you really can be home for the holidays and enjoy every moment of it. Smart technologies are more than just a convenience, they are a way to help manage a multitude of time-sucking, stress inducing details that can take the fun right out of the festivities. Here are some great ways that home automation can keep the season merry.

Light Up Your World

We all know how long it takes to string up holiday lighting everywhere. The problem is that even with all that effort invested, it’s easy to forget to actually turn them on! With home automation technologies, you can schedule your light show and schedule lights out once for the entire season.

Look Like You’re At Home Even If You Aren’t

During the holiday season, your home is more vulnerable than ever to burglary. Rather than stressing over that fact and trying not to be away from home, free up your schedule while always looking as if you never left. With home automation, you can schedule tasks such as having lights and entertainment go off and on in different parts of the house to simulate your presence.

Protect Holiday Deliveries

You’ve probably seen stories on the news about package theft. With more and more people doing online shopping for the holidays, package theft has become a common occurrence. You can avoid the problem and the stress of managing deliveries with the help of home automation technologies. Just use your doorbell camera to trigger an alert to let you know that a package has arrived, then speak to the mail carrier directly and tell them where to place the package. You can even open your garage door remotely and ask the carrier to place the package just inside the door, then close it to keep your valuables safe.

Foil Package Peeking

If you have kids eager to sneak a peek at their gifts, you’ll definitely want to keep them well protected from prying eyes. With motion sensors and home security cameras, problem solved.

Create Holiday Ambiance

Set the scene for holiday merriment by creating the perfect ambiance. Set up a stellar holiday playlist that will add just the right touch to your festivities and make sure guests are perfectly comfortable by setting lighting and temperature controls with a touch of a button.

About GuardMe Security

With some of the pressures off your busy holiday schedule, you have time to sit back and enjoy that peppermint latte. Of course, if home automation is still on your to-do list, maybe it’s time to cross it off and give yourself and your family the gift of both security and convenience this holiday season. If you have any questions about the latest in high quality security and home automation, please give us a call.

It’s a problem that takes place in a matter of seconds but leaves you angry for days. We’re talking about being a victim of package theft – a property crime that happens year-round, but unfortunately reaches its peak during the holiday season.

Front porch package theft affects millions of homeowners annually, and even those who haven’t experienced it are often worried about it this time of year. But before you take time off work to make sure your Cyber Monday packages arrive safely this week, take note of some ways your security system can help you prevent package theft – that is, if you have chosen to take advantage of smart home upgrades.

Giving You Video Awareness

If you have made the wise decision to connect cameras to your security system, you’ll receive a video alert when someone is at your door: whether it’s the delivery driver bringing your package, or a thief attempting to take it away. It’s reasons like this that video alerts are one of the most effective components of smart home security systems.

Giving You Two-Way Communication

And if you have a video doorbell installed, you’ll be able to talk to the person through the speaker. Using your smart locks (you did opt to have smart locks installed, right?), you can unlock the front door from your phone and ask the delivery person to leave the package inside. If it’s the thief, you’ll be able to let them know that you see them and are calling the police. Either way, your package can be protected!

Giving You Evidence of a Crime

If the worst case scenario happens and package thief is successful, you still have some recourse. Because your video alerts are downloadable, they’re easy to email to law enforcement when you file a police report, or post on social media to warn your friends in the area. Don’t want to tell others what happened? Think about it this way: If your neighbor was a victim of package theft, wouldn’t you want him to warn you?

These are some of the ways your security system can help you prevent front porch package theft from happening to you. For more help with home security, New Jersey homeowners can call GuardMe Security.

Call the GuardMe Security Team Today

For information on upgrading to smart home security, New Jersey homeowners can contact GuardMe to request a no-obligation consultation.

Home security cameras are a fantastic choice for homeowners just starting out with home security, but it’s important to understand that not all home security cameras are the same. In fact, many of the cameras you encounter on the retail shelves are not connectable to a home security system.

That’s why it’s so important to purchase your cameras from a home security integrator. An experienced security integrator will be able to connect the cameras to your security system, giving you the following advantages.

Dynamic Notification Features  

Connected home security cameras have unique features that off-the-shelf cameras from retailers simply don’t have. One of the most dynamic features is the ability to alert the homeowner when there’s motion being captured on any of the cameras. Just tap on the alert and view the video clip from your smartphone.

And if an alarm event happens due to a potential break-in that triggers the alarm, this will prompt the cameras to begin recording immediately. You’ll receive an alert and the monitoring center will contact you. Plus, your video alert clips are sharable; you’ll be able to download them and show them to police, or post on social media to warn others.

Scalable Intelligence Features

If your system is programmed to send a video alert every time someone walks in front of the camera, then you may be on notification overload. Often, you may receive an alert simply because family members are going in and out of the house. Eventually, it becomes a nuisance and you could miss a true security emergency because the notification was ignored. 

That’s why the scalable intelligence of connected cameras is so vital. The integration with the system allows homeowners to personally select the events that will trigger a video alert. These alerts can be filtered based on what camera is capturing the motion, and what time of day it’s captured. And if you don’t want any alerts at all for the day – for example, because everyone is at home and the system is unarmed? Simply pull out your smartphone and turn off notifications until you’re ready to receive them again.

Family Management Features

Then, there are those every day events you do want to see on video – the kids coming home from school, for instance. Because your cameras are connected to your system, you can program a once-a-day video alert when the kids use their unique user codes to open the front door. The same goes for when the babysitter arrives or a visitor from out of town is coming. If someone is expected to arrive, program the system to send you a video alert when they use their unique entry code. 

These are some of the most noteworthy ways connected home security cameras differ from those that come off the retail shelf. To find out more about connectable cameras that integrate with your smart home security system, contact GuardMe Security to request a complimentary home security consultation.

Call the GuardMe Security Team Today

For advice on choosing smart home cameras for home security, New Jersey homeowners can contact GuardMe to get started. GuardMe Security offers a no-obligation consultation to assess your vacation home and help decide the best way to protect your investment.

Protecting a commercial property is no small task, but electronic security is here to help you do it with some powerful security services. Here are some of the most critical services for building security. 

Intelligent Camera Systems

Video surveillance is only effective when professionally installed and monitored. There’s no use cutting corners by trying to install cameras yourself; this opens you up to major vulnerabilities, like bad camera angles that fail to capture security events. Furthermore, it leaves you susceptible to malfunctioning integration with the rest of the security system, like the intrusion alarms and access control. With professional installation and monitoring, intelligent camera systems become powerful video surveillance – and criminals will know to stay away from your highly protected property.

Access Control Systems

Not every part of a property is in need of access control, but certain restricted areas can be more effectively protected if electronic access control is in place. Employee check-in areas, security areas, equipment rooms, inventory rooms and back offices are just some examples of areas that should be restricted inside otherwise public buildings. Lock and key protection may be effective at keeping criminals out of those areas, but not nearly as effective as a card swipe station that eliminates the problem of lost keys. The system can be managed remotely, making it easy for managers to add and delete users as people are hired and terminated. When criminals see there’s no getting in, their plans are derailed and your assets are secured.

Remote Video Monitoring

Some areas of a building may not be monitored by security guards at certain times of day. To fill in the holes and prevent any breaches, building management can take advantage of a remote video monitoring service. This remote guard patrol watches the assigned area at assigned times and acts accordingly when security events take place. It may mean alerting the security staff on the ground, sounding the alarm, or calling local authorities to the scene depending on what’s taking place. There is also a voice-down capability that delivers a strong security message to trespassers, with the goal being to keep them away for good.

These are some of the most powerful ways to keep your building crime-proof all year long. For questions on electronic solutions for building security, New Jersey administrators can contact GuardMe Security.

Call the GuardMe Security Team Today

For information on video surveillance, access control or remote video monitoring, New Jersey employers can contact GuardMe Security. We offer a no-obligation consultation to answer your questions on these valuable security services.

Remote video monitoring is a service that many organizations consider, and for good reason. Here are some of the most beneficial things remote video monitoring can do for the security of a large commercial property.

Prevent Property Crime

From schools to hospitals to business complexes, large campuses are often prime targets for criminal activity. That’s why remote video monitoring is ideal for these types of properties; it’s fully integrated crime prevention technology that sends a clear message to thieves, vandals and loiterers: Don’t even try it. Not here.

Supplement Live Security

Live security guards work hard to keep our local institutions safe; however, even the best officers can’t be in two places at once. With remote video monitoring, security guards can stay at their posts with the assurance that remote areas of the property are still being closely observed. When there’s a security event in a monitored area, it triggers an alert; the response can range from a voice-down warning to the location, to an alarm activation or a notification to the live security staff. It’s designed to help a security force cover all its bases.

Lower Security Costs

Furthermore, hiring a fleet of security guards can be a costly endeavor. Many organizations find that remove video monitoring costs a fraction of the amount they would spend on extra security guards. For employers that need to manage the bottom line – and these days, that’s every employer – supplementing existing security with remote video monitoring can make good financial sense. Some choose to use the service afterhours only, while others use it as their weekend security service. Remote video monitoring is scalable according to the security needs of the property it’s protecting.

Remote video monitoring is just one security service, but it’s a powerful one that can fill substantial gaps to keep properties secure from crime. To learn more, contact GuardMe Security. We will be glad to answer your remote video monitoring questions.

Call the GuardMe Security Team Today

For information on remote video monitoring, New Jersey employers can contact GuardMe Security. We offer a no-obligation consultation to answer your questions on this valuable security service.

There are many ways we can help keep everyone safe during Halloween such as driving slowly, wear reflective clothing, and inspecting candy before it is consumed. There are additional ways we can improve safety on this fun night, however, and home automation is the key.

Home Automation may seem like an unlikely tool in Halloween safety, but it makes a lot of sense to include it in your safety plan. Here are some reasons why.

You Can Know Who Gets Home When, Even if You are Not Home

If you have more than one child, they may want to join friends that sends them in another direction. With home automation, you can receive alerts knowing they made it home. You can also remotely lock the door, because the chances are pretty good that they forgot.

Keep Visitors Safer

It is always important to keep visitors as safe as possible. Use your home automation system to keep the accessible areas well-lit so children are not falling over yard features or cracks in the walkway.

View Who is at the Door

Do not become complacent about safety practices because it is Halloween. Use your video feed to see who is at the door before opening it.

Deter Halloween Tricks

Halloween usually brings an increase in pranks. While some are harmless, others can be a huge inconvenience, or be dangerous or destructive. To deter vandalism, use home automation to  keep the property well-lit and to look home even if you are not.

Keep Your Home Private

On any other day we would avoid providing full view of our home from the street, and that shouldn’t change on Halloween. Burglars like to have information about a home before they strike and Halloween provides a clear view of your home. Instead of keeping the door open wide, use home automation technologies to alert you to approaching visitors and meet them outside.

Deter Burglars By Simulating Occupancy

No burglar wants to get caught; that’s why they strike when residents are least likely to be home. Be home even when you aren’t by scheduling things like lighting and media to make it look like you are home. The uncertainty this causes is enough to make most burglars move on to a different target.

About GuardMe Security

GuardMe Security is a premier provider of monitored home and commercial security systems.  If you have any questions about electronic security, please feel to give us a call. It is our honor to serve you.

Thinking about a video doorbell for your home? That makes sense, as it’s been one of the most popular electronic devices for the home over the past decade. Truth be told, it’s three products in one: a doorbell, a video camera, and a two-way communications device. And, here’s a little-known secret about video doorbells: They get even better when installed in smart home security system. Here are some things you can do with them. 

Answer the door from anywhere.

When a visitor rings your video doorbell, it chimes like an ordinary doorbell; however, you also get an alert on the smartphone app you use to control your home security. If you tap on the alert, you’ll be able to see a live video stream of the doorway. The person won’t be able to see you, of course – but you’ll be able to see them, and you can even have a conversation through the tiny speaker and microphone at the doorbell. And you can do this from anywhere: at work, on vacation…and of course, even when you’re seated comfortably inside the home.

When a visitor rings your video doorbell, it chimes like an ordinary doorbell; however, you also get an alert on the smartphone app you use to control your home security.

Keep delivery packages secure.

Ever experienced the worry of having a package sitting unattended on your porch for hours when no one is home? With a video doorbell in your smart home security system, you won’t have to worry anymore.

When the delivery person rings the doorbell, you’ll be able to ask them to leave the package inside. How do you let them in? By unlocking your front door from your phone. This is what integrating the video doorbell with your home security system offers. The delivery will be placed inside, the driver will step back out, and you can tap on the same button on your phone to lock the house up again.

Catch suspicious visitors in the act.

If the video doorbell is integrated with your security system, it instantly becomes a fully functional home security camera. That means it will capture motion-triggered clips, send you a smartphone alert, and store your clips in the cloud so you can go back and watch them later.

A video doorbell device is a small but mighty home security tool. To discuss video doorbells that integrate with other devices for home security, New Jersey homeowners can contact GuardMe Security.

Call the GuardMe Security Team Today

For advice on choosing smart home cameras for home security, New Jersey homeowners can contact GuardMe to get started. GuardMe Security offers a no-obligation consultation to assess your vacation home and help decide the best way to protect your investment.