Protect your business day or night!

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Often times, when people think of business security systems, they only consider how an alarm will protect their location after hours. But let’s look at how a verified alarm system, specifically, Sonitrol’s TotalGuard™ alarm, can offer your company, or even your school, protection during your daytime business hours.

You may be wondering…What is TotalGuard™? This is an ALL-IN-ONE intrusion detection solution that includes impact-activated audio, glass break analytics, motion detection and video verification. The TotalGuard™ system has wireless connectivity and complete volumetric intrusion detection. Once armed, which can be done via your Sonitrol Mobile app, the alarm works around the clock to protect your business.

So how can it help you during daytime business hours when it isn’t even armed? When a TotalGuard™ alarm is paired with our unique panic button, our Central Station operators will have instant access to live video and audio feed the moment you press your panic button. A variety of business settings might have need for this sort of set-up, such as gas stations, banks, fast food restaurants, and convenience stores. Here are a few scenarios where this could benefit your company during regular business hours:

  • Unruly individuals. From customers losing tempers to belligerent individuals acting aggressively to your cashier or staff at a gas station or small business shop, in the security business, we’ve seen it all. Sometimes, employees find themselves in a situation that has intensified in an instant, and for the safety of customers and themselves, they need the police there right away. Once they press the panic button, our Central Station operators will see live video and hear live audio feed from the TotalGuard™ system, while simultaneously dispatching police. Our team will give the police details as to what is happening in your business.
  • Active threats. Gas stations, fast food restaurants, convenience stores, jewelry stores, pawn shops, and banks jump to mind as potential targets for hold-ups or active threats. While we hope it never happens, being prepared with a TotalGuard™ alarm and panic button could save lives by providing responding law enforcement with critical information. In the terrible event of a hold-up, a bank teller, for example, can press the panic button and instantly activate our TotalGuard™ camera to allow our operators to relay real time information with live video and audio feed to police as they race to the scene.
  • School threats. By adding a TotalGuard™ camera and panic button to your school office, your front desk staff can alert us the moment something goes wrong, with the press of a button. The instant your school panic button is pressed our Central Station operators will notify police while seeing, recording, and sharing real-time details with law enforcement. This extra level of security can help police secure your campus and protect your students and staff during any school threat.

TotalGuard™ is an affordable camera alarm solution, turned on and off from your Sonitrol Mobile app. Not only will TotalGuard™ provide all-inclusive verified protection for your business after hours, paired with our panic button, it gives you dependable emergency assistance for your employees, customers, students, and company when you’re open for business. For a free consultation with our security professionals and to hear about our zero-down TotalGuard™ installation special, contact us at (800) 444-1191.

 

TG STRIP MALL

Preventing break-ins on summer break…

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The countdown is here, and sure enough, in just a few short weeks, students, and teachers alike, will be bursting through school doors across the country, proclaiming three months of freedom. And while the students are away, will the burglars play? Here are a few quick tips to secure your school and prevent a break-in:

  • Use outdoor lights. Make sure your school’s outdoor walkways, entrances, and exits are clearly lit. Motion detector lights are excellent deterrents for potential vandals.
  • Store valuable equipment, such as computers, tablets, and science lab items in interior rooms and away from windows, out of sight from prying eyes.
  • Consider a verified security company versus a traditional alarm company. Unique factors set Sonitrol apart from traditional alarms and help us protect your students, teachers, and campus. As a provider of school security to more than 12,000 schools across North America for over fifty years, the Sonitrol Safe Schools program takes campus security to another level. Here’s how:
  1. We provide state-of-the-art audio detection. With strategically placed audio sensors throughout your facility, you don’t have to worry about your school being unprotected while the students are away. The instant a vandal breaks a window, opens a door, or breaks into your facility through rooftop access or any means, our audio sensors are activated. This means operators in central station immediately begin listening to real-time events and can determine whether it is a false alarm or if a break-in is occurring. They relay this information to law enforcement. Traditional alarms can’t verify what is happening when the motion detectors they depend on are tripped, which causes a high rate of false alarms. Unlike Sonitrol, they can’t be sure an actual break-in is occurring. Also, a unique feature of the Sonitrol alarm is that the criminals won’t even know police are on their way because this is a silent alarm.
  2. We offer managed access control. Using programmed keyless entry, you can decide which employees have permission to enter your facility and through which doors. From day care facilities to college campuses, depending on the number of your staff, this is a huge convenience, during the school year and on summer break. Traditional alarm companies may offer access control, but Sonitrol also offers door prop notification. This means that if a student or staff member intentionally leaves a door propped open, for example, to allow someone to access the school after hours, our operators will receive a notification and contact you about the door. This feature can be programmed according to your specifications. You may, for instance, want door prop notification to alert us after only thirty seconds of a door being open. It’s up to you.
  3. We offer emergency panic buttons. It’s an unfortunate reality, but schools are more vulnerable to violence and crime than ever before. When the students and teachers return after break, Sonitrol can provide unmatched security for any on-campus emergency. Our panic buttons can be placed in common areas around the school, such as the front office, and can even be carried on key chains by administrators. With the press of a button, not only will police be dispatched, the audio sensors will activate to allow operators to listen in during an emergency. This enables them to provide critical details to responding law enforcement. As an extra feature, if you choose to add video surveillance as well, after a panic button has been pressed, operators can watch live feed of your campus. This allows them to provide law enforcement even more information as to what is happening on your campus. Before the police arrive, they can know who is in the building and where any potential perpetrators may be. While traditional alarm companies might offer you a panic button, they can’t verify what is happening on your campus as Sonitrol can with our technology.

Sonitrol can provide unrivaled security for your school. We even offer fire detection monitoring. This summer break let us handle your school campus security needs. For a free quote, call us today at 1-800-444-1191 to have one of our security professionals assess your school’s security risks and recommend a tailored solution to protect your school, students, and teachers.

safe schools

 

 

Apprehension – Two arrested by EPD using Sonitrol’s school security

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school security

APPREHENSION

On Saturday, December 5th, at 6:12pm operator Kelli, dispatched the Evansville Police Department to an alarm at North High School.  Upon arriving, the police found two teenagers had jumped the fence and entered the school.  They were attempting to take a backpack “full of items”.  They were released into the custody of their parents.

As the holiday break approaches, school administrators who have chosen Sonitrol for their school security, can feel confident that their property is safe from the Scrooges in the world.  Sonitrol’s patented audio technology along with the option of adding monitored cameras into a security system, not only provides 100% coverage, but can help police BEFORE a would-be burglar enters the building.

An arrest = no loss of property!  For inside and OUTSIDE assessments, contact us today!

Apprehension – Four arrested in Owensboro on Sonitrol alarm

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business security

APPREHENSION

Over the weekend, operator Terry, received an audio alarm at Daviess County Middle School in Owensboro KY.  The audio was coming from the nurses office.  Terry dispatched the Owensboro Police Department and notified them that there were several male voices coming from inside the building.    Terry continued to monitor and update dispatch.  Police officers and the K9 unit can be heard on the audio arriving at the scene.  Thanks to the excellent response time of the Owensboro Police Department, four juveniles were arrested.

In this instance, not only were officers notified that there was a burglary in progress, but they were also informed that there were multiple individuals and where they were located.  With this state-of-the-art technology, officers can be better prepared for what they will encounter when they arrive on scene.  If you want to help your business and our law enforcement, contact Sonitrol.

School security systems – Do they violate students rights?

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Last week, one of the local Evansville radio stations, Hot 96 Morning Show, encouraged listeners to call the station and weigh in on how to keep our schools safe. There was an active member of the military that said schools should allow veterans to stand guard at the doors.  Another caller recommended arming teachers. One parent commented that it was just too easy to walk into her child’s school. With all the security measures that are being set in place, do school security systems violate students rights?

No matter where you stand on the remedies of securing our schools, we can all agree on these two points:

  1. Every young person attending school should have a safe environment to learn
  2. Staff and faculty should be free to teach and work without the worry of violence

This year, Governor Quinn of Illinois awarded $25 million to Illinois schools to increase school security systems. Governor Pence of Indiana awarded $9 million to Indiana schools for security.  This money has been granted to provide equipment from solid doors to IP cameras. There are many misconceptions about cameras, security systems and other security solutions.  Having a community “pow-wow” can relieve some of those worries.  Here are some talking points:

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 IP Cameras

Possibly the biggest complaint regarding school security systems are that cameras violate students rights. Students can feel like they are being watched with someone waiting for them to make a mistake. However educating parents, teachers, staff and even students about the cameras can quell the mixed emotions.

  1. Cameras are a deterrent – It’s a common fact, that if someone thinks they are being watched, they are less likely to commit an act that will result in a disciplinary action. Remind everyone that these aren’t secret cameras.  They will be placed around the school in key areas to prevent mischief.
  2. Confirmation of good conduct – While it is true that bad conduct will be caught on tape, it can also show of good behavior. The only thing worse than being wrongfully accused of a crime is being punished for that crime! A camera can confirm who was involved in an incident and the extent to which they were involved.
  3. Property safety –  When school property is burglarized or vandalized, repairs waste valuable time and district funds that could be working for students. Some school property is the result of countless hours of volunteering by staff, parents and students. When this property is destroyed it’s disheartening for those who have worked so hard to help support their school. And when it’s personal property, whether it’s a staff members wallet or a student’s phone, the hurt is multiplied by 100 times! Cameras are there to catch someone doing wrong. Hopefully, by identifying the wrong doer, any stolen property can be returned. There is no stopping every vandal. But making an example out of one, will be a deterrent for others.

access_icon Access Systems

Access doors can be added to school security systems to minimize unwanted visitors while school is in session. These systems, by law, DO NOT LOCK STUDENTS INSIDE THE SCHOOL. All doors must be unlocked from the inside should a fire or other emergency occur. Access systems will lock down the outer perimeter of the school. All visitors must enter through the front door. With the school locked down to outside foot traffic, school personnel can carefully monitor who enters the school. Most schools require parents to send in a form at the beginning of the year with the names of who can pick up their children. Having visitors show photo identification and sign a visitor log, confirms to parents that ONLY people they authorize can sign their children out of school.

intrusion_icon School Security Systems with Verified Audio

“But they can hear inside the school!” Many districts are adding verified audio to their school security systems because of the ability to provide schools with 100% coverage. Audio systems also help law enforcement by reducing false alarms caused by animals and inanimate objects. However, some may see this as “listening in”. To prevent this misconception, here are a few points you may want highlight:

  1. Audio Systems must be activated to hear inside the school. The system must be armed and “tripped” for the audio to turn on. So someone has to make a noise like break a window, or come through a door, while the system is armed for operators to hear inside the building. The audio will also be activated by a panic button. Every panic alarmed is treated like the user is in immediate trouble! When a panic button is pushed, police are dispatched without delay.
  2. Operators cannot turn on the audio sensors or listen inside without an activation. Verified audio systems must be activated for operators to hear inside the building.

If you know a school that is looking into options on how to further secure staff and students, please contact us to set up a free demonstration.

Apprehension – Preventative school security measures pay off!

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Foresight in school security measures help save local school from $ loss

 

Last night at 11:50 PM, our local Sonitrol operator received an alarm in the school auditorium. Evansville police officers were dispatched. As per a special agreement with the local school, the on call Sonitrol technician was also dispatched to meet police at the scene. The technician was the first to arrive and observed two girls exiting the building. Police arrived and apprehended the two teens. The technician was able to identify the girls from the camera footage in the building. By using foresight and making school security measures a priority, the estimated loss to the school was $0!