“Don’t burn down the house honey!” – 4th of July Fire and Safety Tips

Special thanks to our technichian, Steve Weiss for the information in this blog!

If on the fourth of July you have a significant other who:

• Insists that his fireworks display is the best in town
• Causes you to double check and restock your medical kit
• Buys fireworks from “a friend” because they are bigger and better than “the other ones”
• Causes you to get the direct phone number to the local fire department and save it into every phone in the house
• Comes home grunting like Tim Allen and bragging about his secret Atomic Glow, Gimmy Shimmy, Nukes of Hazard fireworks

…This blog may be for you.

It’s that time of year for the sparks to fly!  While there are many professional fireworks displays, some “do-it-yourselfers” feel the need to amaze the family. If this has been you in the past, here are some things you may want to think about.

Dangerous Days

Unfortunately, thousands of 4th of July celebrations end in hospital visits. A special study conducted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that 65% of all fireworks injuries were sustained during the 30 days surrounding Independence Day. May of these injuries were to children and teens. Fireworks injuries were highest in children ages 5 – 19 years old an adults ages 25 – 44.

Consumer Grade doesn’t automatically spell safety

Our children’s safety is always our priority. We do everything we can to keep them safe.  At home, we use safety gates, electrical plug covers and teach them not to touch the hot stove. But things happen.  Is your home fire safe? If there is a fire, are your children prepared?

Many times house fires are started by seemingly trivial oversights in home fire safety. Because of these safety issues thousands of deaths and injuries are reported each year in the U.S. They cause billions of dollars in property damage (according to ready.gov.)

Following a few safety tips can ensure your family is safe in a fire situation.

Home Fire Prevention and Safety Essentials

• Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors are essential to fire safety and should be treated as a matter of priority in the household. Units should be installed in every floor and room of your home. They should be tested monthly, and receive an annual battery change.  Having a professionally monitored fire system sends the fire department immediately.  This prevents delays in emergency personnell getting to the home.

• A Fire Escape Plan is the only way to ensure that every member of your household will be able to move quickly and decisively towards an escape route in the event of an emergency. House fires can spread deceptively quickly and can block main exits. A fire escape plan should be a comprehensive diagram of the home that includes all doors and windows. Ideally two exits should be plotted out of every room, and both should be practiced. A location outside of the home and far away enough from the structure to avoid debris should be designated as the reunion point. Click here for more safety tips on planning your fire escape.

• Kitchen Fires are the leading cause of house fires.  Be safe in the kitchen:
  • Stay in the kitchen when frying food or cooking with oil or grease.
  • Never cook when you are tired.
  • To put out a pan fire, slide a lid over the pan.  Turn off the stove and let the pan cool.
  • If you have a fire and it does not go out, get out of the home and call the fire department.
  • Keep things that can burn away from the stove.
  • Keep children at least three feet from the stove.

• Fire Extinguishers are ideal to have in multiple locations within your home. They should be located on every floor of the home and in plain sight. Placing a fire extinguisher in a closet or behind a curtain can make them inaccessible during a fire. Kitchens and garages are priority locations.  The U.S. Fire Administration has labeled them the most frequent origins of household fires.

House fires can grow out of control in under a minute, and consume a home in just several more minutes. The speed and coordination to escape safely from a rapidly growing fire can only come with regular practice of an emergency escape plan and early fire detection. Taking essential steps towards home fire prevention and safety save countless lives on a yearly basis.

REMINDER:

We will be upgrading our phone system on Wednesday, June 17th, from 6 am – 6:30 am CST.  YOU WILL NOT BE WITHOUT SERVICE!

If you need to contact central station during this time, please call the following numbers:

For Maxitrol customers:  812.455.5045

For Sonitrol customers:  812.549.6060

These phone numbers will be available should you need to contact us on June 17th, between the hours of 6 am and 6:30 am.  Your service will NOT be interrupted!

If you have any questions, please contact us at (800) 444-1191.

We appreciate your business!

NOTICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS:

We will be upgrading our phone system on Wednesday, June 17th, from 6 am – 6:30 am CST.  YOU WILL NOT BE WITHOUT SERVICE!

If you need to contact your central station operators during this time, please call the following numbers:

• For Maxitrol customers: 812.455.5045
• For Sonitrol customers: 812.549.6060

Once again, these numbers will be available should you need to contact us on June 17th, between the hours of 6 am and 6:30 am. Your service will NOT be interrupted!

If you have any concerns, feel free to contact us at (800) 444-1191.

We appreciate your business!

This weekend, please take a moment to remember those who paid the ultimate price; that we may fly Old Glory high, in the greatest country in the world:

The United States of America

Today, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our founding owner, Dr. William “Doc” Standring.

It was 1969 when Al Cronk and Robert Baxter reached out to Doc to start a Sonitrol franchise in Evansville. Though a successful dentist, Doc jokingly said that he bought in because he wanted to have something to do after retirement. Today, the business that he started with part-time sales people and part-time installers, has now grown into full time employment for over 30 people. He was a leader and a forward thinker.  Before the internet, blogging, white pages and alike, Doc was mailing letters to his customers. Via a typewriter, he would share his knowledge regarding home safety, business security and how to reduce false alarms. Until the end, Doc was a part of Sonitrol, emailing ideas from home and inquiring on how to reach more people with social media.

He was a leader, mentor, guide, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and ahead of his time.

He will be greatly missed!

Click here for Doc’s full obituary.

Sonitrol of Evansville would like to invite you to sit in the operator’s chair on a verified security alarm.  See what they see.  Hear what they hear.

This new verified security system, uses audio and video to confirm a burglary in progress.  This allows law enforcement to respond with the knowledge that there is an unauthorized individual in the building.  It also reduces false alarms.  How does that affect our law enforcement departments?

Let’s look at the numbers.  According to the Evansville Police Department’s 2013 annual report:

• Alarm calls received by dispatch – 5020
• False alarms – 3274
• Canceled alarms – 1682
• Live alarms – 64

These are the statistics for ONE department.  3274 alarm calls were false!  By having a security system that verifies an actual break in, police can respond with the knowledge that an arrest is possible.  By not responding to false alarms, police can respond to actual crimes.  It saves their departments time and money.  Plus, when law enforcement arrests the individual on the scene and the burglary is solved. Getting the burglar off the street prevents him/her from committing other crimes.   And sometimes, it solves past crimes that he/she may have committed.

If you would like to hear more about verified security, contact us.

And a warning for you bad guys out there: stay out of buildings bearing the emblem of Sonitrol!  We will help police catch you!

For so many of us, parking lots have become a familiar venue. We have become so accustomed to frequenting these places, that we may have, perhaps, lost track of how vulnerable we can be. A parking lot, especially at night, can be a lonely place.

1. If there are options, we should, first and foremost, chose a parking lot with sufficient lighting and security coverage. The presence of cameras in the parking lot is certainly an indication that the security of their patrons is of major concern, and acts as a significant deterrent to crime. Park in a well lit section of the parking lot, in easy view of security cameras and as close to the exit, or the attendant’s kiosk, as possible.
2. When you park, make sure that you have stored any valuables in your trunk and out of view.
3. If the parking lot offers an escort service, feel free to avail yourself. If no escort is available, proceed with caution.
4. Upon leaving your car, walk quickly and confidently toward your destination, allowing no distractions, such as using your cell phone.
5. Be aware of your surroundings, and of any other parties in the parking lot.
6. If you must leave your car key with the attendant, leave only your car key, never a key ring with house or office keys attached. It is very easy to obtain your home address from your vehicle registration, and you don’t want to hand over such easy access to a potential thief.
7. Upon returning to the parking lot to retrieve your vehicle, exercise the same caution you did upon entering. Look around for possible threats. Make note of any individuals who lie within the path between you and your car.
8. Carry your car keys in your hand, ready for use. You don’t want to have to fish around in your purse.  Your keys can also serve as an impropmtu weapon if you need to defend yourself.
9. Choose a path which keeps you within the range of security cameras, and well lit areas.
10. Upon arrival at your vehicle, check both inside and out, and even under, for possible threats.
11. If there is a van or the like parked on your driver’s side, you might feel more secure entering on the passenger side. Better safe then sorry.
12. As soon as you are settled in your vehicle, lock the doors and windows, and leave the parking lot immediately.
13. If you feel you are being followed, drive to the closest police station.

Your safety is our concern.  If there is a safety question that we can answer, feel free to contact us on Facebook!

Business owners walk a fine line when respecting an employee’s right to privacy intersects with the very real need to prevent incidents of workplace violence from occurring.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines workplace violence as a “murder or other violent acts committed by a disturbed or aggrieved employee or ex-employee against co-workers or supervisors”.  Incidents of workplace violence have been well-documented by the media over the course of the last three decades.

Common workplace violence issues

Workplace violence issues can occur when co-workers become upset with each other and the confrontation escalates to physical violence. These types of confrontations are usually sparked by bad performance reviews or personality clashes between individuals.  One of the earliest examples of mass workplace violence occurred on Aug. 28, 1986. Patrick H. Sherrill, a part-time letter carrier was facing dismissal due to poor work performance.  He walked into an Edmond, Oklahoma post office and shot 14 people to death before turning his gun on himself.  In March of 1998, four state lottery workers in Connecticut were killed by a co-worker and in December of 2000 seven people were killed by a disgruntled software engineer in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

Workplace violence can also occur when the domestic problems of an employee are brought to the workplace. That’s what happened on Nov. 8, 2001 when Ana Melina Kolic was stabbed 29 separate times by her husband while at work in a Baltimore, Md. hair accessory shop.

The question then becomes what can a business owner do to ensure the safety and security of employees while they are at work. Technology can provide an answer.

Electronic access systems

Sonitrol managed access systems automatically regulate access to buildings and other sensitive areas of your facility.  This will provide a safer work environment for your staff members with an increased level of security for your valuable information and other proprietary data.

The electronic access systems offered by Sonitrol include access cards and fobs. This will save a business from changing the locks every time an employee leaves. The fobs and cards also protect you against internal theft by limiting employee access to certain areas within your facility.

IP Cameras

While cameras are notorious for “catching” workplace violence, they also are a preventative measure.  Disgruntled employees may be less likely to come to the business to start trouble if they know they will be caught on camera.  However, if the worst case scenario does play out, having the right camera system in place is a necessity.  Clear footage and proper placement are necessary to not only catch the incident, but perhaps catch it early to help lockdown a facility with an access system.  Having a skilled professional review the area for the right camera can also save a business owner money;

• One 360 degree camera instead of two
• A heavy-duty camera in a harsh environment that will not have to be replaced in a short period of time.
• A low light camera instead of an infrared

Verified detection

Disgruntled employees may also feel the business “owes’ them something and try to retrieve it after hours.  Employees can be savvy on the systems layout and if there is a security system.  If there is only door and window contacts and motion detectors, an employee may know the placement of these devices and break in through an entry point like a roof or a wall.  Sonitrol’s verified alarm systems are built so that they can catch someone trying to break in, in an unconventional manner.  Because it is a verified burglary, police will respond up to 38 minutes faster than a conventional motion-based system.

More importantly, many security systems can be equipped with a panic button that will instantly and quietly dispatch police when reaching to call 911 is not an option.  Many panic buttons only send the alarm.  But when the panic button is pressed on a Sonitrol verified system the company’s monitoring professionals can listen in and provide necessary details to responding law enforcement. This can help law enforcement to formulate a plan of action to protect them and better assist those inside the building.

For more information on helping you help those working for you, contact us.

Commanding officers from Los Angeles, Kern Co. California, Akron Oh. and Highland Park, TX., share their views on verified security: