Holiday Safety & Security Technology

Holiday Safety & Security Technology

From this November holiday season has approaches, priority one security has a few suggestions for your wish list! We offer a wide range of technology solutions that not only make your home safer, but provide other enhancements as well.

For Your Home:

·        Panic & Nurse Call Systems and Medical Alert Systems: Alert the authorities or EMS in case of emergency through your keypad or specially-programmed key chains.

·        Pet-friendly motion detectors: Have furry friends? Priority One’s motion detectors are pet-friendly so you can set your alarm without worry when leaving pets at home.

·        Not-so-safe smartphones: Small children aren’t the only users who go on-line from new unsecured devices. From DROIDs to iPhones, many adults and teens will receive consumer smartphones they’ve been pining for this holiday season. And most will immediately start configuring them with usernames and passwords for Gmail, Yahoo!, iTunes, Twitter, Facebook, and perhaps a corporate Exchange server. Unfortunately, a far smaller number will protect those phones with strong authentication—much less data encryption—creating an easy avenue for personal and business identity theft. Always enable built-in smartphone security measures and fill any gaps by downloading third-party security apps.

·        Phone App Configuration: Some packages include app configuration for up to two devices. Our security app allows you to remotely arm and disarm your system and HVAC units, and it will send you emails and text in the event of an emergency in your home or if there’s something going on in your neighborhood, like a power outage.

·        Hazardous hotspots: Whenever you tap Wi-Fi at a coffee shop, train station, or ski lodge, beware of fake Internet hotspots. Surveys show that viral SSIDs like “FreePublicWifi” are advertised by 5 to 10 percent of Wi-Fi clients used in highly-traveled public places. Most are fellow travelers that naively tried to connect to similarly-named fake hotspots in the past. But a few might be criminals looking to snarf logins and passwords. So avoid enticingly-named Wi-Fi peers or networks that are too good to be true, and always protect hotspot traffic using VPN tunnels or SSL/TLS sessions.

·        Latchkey Technology through Total Connect System: Keep your children safe and provide yourself peace of mind with the Total Connect System. Features of latch key technology include:

o   Notification when your child arrives home or if your child is not home by a certain time,

o   Camera compatibility so that you can access clips of who walks through the door with your child,

o   And ability to create limited-access areas (think, gun safes and liquor cabinets) while you are not home.

·        Whole house distributed audio capability: Priority One can install audio throughout your home, creating a zone for each room. You can then select your source of music from an in-wall keypad, iPad or other smart device.

·        Home Theater Systems: Install automated lights, curtains, motorized screens, HD projectors and more in addition to the a/v solutions we provide.

 

For Your Business:

·        Distributed Audio + Video Display Systems: Similar to our residential offerings, Priority One has the expertise to install multimedia technology in your workplace. Available features for your office include: A/V enabled conference rooms, high performance theater systems, and outdoor/all-weather video and speaker systems.

·        Access Control: Managed through an online platform, an access control system can ensure employee safety. Priority One can install these systems for a one-site business or multi-site corporations. With this technology, you can cut back on re-keying needs, manage employee access and decrease walk-in threats.

Basic Fire Rules

·        Fires peak, particularly in kitchens, during the holidays, so remain alert when preparing meals and keep potholders and food wrappers at least three feet away from heat sources.

·        Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, ensuring that they work at optimal level year-round. Replace batteries, as needed.

·        Know where your exits are located and hold regular fire drills that include practicing at least two evacuation routes from every area or building to your safe refuge area.

·        Notify the property manager about exit lights that are broken or vandalized.

·        Never prop open self-closing doors, as they are designed to keep flames and smoke from spreading.

·        Keep exits and stairways free from obstructions at all times. Don’t store things on or under stairways, or on landings.

We hate to be a Scrooge, but cybercrime doesn't take the holidays off. Everyone should keep online safety in mind as 2020 draws to a close. We hope these tips will help you all enjoy a safer holiday and a happier New Year.

Holidays Safety tips

Holidays Safety tips

Respect electricity at all times. Fire can be a good thing when treated with respect, but can be a danger when paired with the many distractions during the holiday season. So in the quest to create a good old-fashioned family celebration, follow these important safety tips:-

INDOORS

·         Is your tree live? If so, make sure it is fresh and green with needles that are hard to pull from the branches.

·         Place the tree in a stand with water, well away from heaters or the fireplace, and check the water daily.

·         Before putting lights on the tree or using them in other home decorations, examine them carefully. Do they have frayed wiring or loose sockets? Throw them out! Make sure any you keep or replace have been tested for safety by an independent testing laboratory.

·         Make sure all light sockets have bulbs in them. Children are fascinated by lights and could put their fingers in empty sockets.

·         Do not let bulbs touch tree branches. Never burn candles on or near the tree and never use flammable decorations.

·         Never use lights on a metallic tree. If the lights become faulty, the entire tree could be electrified.

·         Be careful not to overload extension cords, outlets or even whole circuits in the house.

·         For optimum safety as well as energy efficiency, use smaller, cool-burning LED lights.

·         Place wires where they cannot trip anyone. Do not run them under rugs.

·         Turn off decorative lighting when you leave the room.

OUTDOORS

·         Make sure the lights used are specifically designated for outdoor use and the cords are not worn or frayed.

·         Use a non-conducting fiberglass or wooden ladder when working with strings of lights, and stay clear of all overhead wires.

·         Turn the electricity off before replacing bulbs.

·         Never let light bulbs touch flammable materials such as plastic or dry grass and leaves.

·         For outside use, work only with three-wire grounded extension cords.

·         Use rubber gaskets in light sockets or hang sockets downward to keep water out.

·         Keep connections and lights off the ground by hanging them over wooden stakes.

Follow all safety guidelines to ensure that you and your family make happy memories and get to enjoy this time with those you care about most.

WINTER HOLIDAY FIRES

Christmas trees

·         Between 2012-2016, U.S. fire departments responded to an average 170 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. These fires caused an average of 4 deaths, 15 injuries, and $12 million in direct property damage annually.

·         On average, one of every 45 reported home fires that began with a Christmas tree resulted in a death, compared to an average of one death per 139 total reported home fires.

·         Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 43% of home Christmas tree fires.

·         In one-quarter (27%) of the Christmas tree fires and in 80% of the deaths, some type of heat source, such as a candle or equipment, was too close to the tree.

·         More than one-fifth (22%) of Christmas tree fires were intentional. 

·         Forty-two percent of reported home Christmas tree fires occurred in December and 33% were reported in January. 

·         Two of every five (40%) home Christmas tree fires started in the living room, family room, or den.

Source: NFPA's "Home Structure Fires Involving Christmas Trees" report

Holiday decorations

·         U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 800 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees, in 2012-2016. These fires caused an annual average of two civilian fire deaths, 34 civilian fire injuries and $11 million in direct property damage.

·         Ten percent of decoration fires were intentional.

·         The decoration was too close to a heat source such as a candle or equipment in two of every five (42%) fires.

·         More than one-fifth (21%) of the decoration fires started in the kitchen. Fifteen percent started in the living room, family room or den.

·         One-fifth (19%) of the home decoration fires occurred in December. 

 

Candles

·         On average, 23 home candle fires were reported each day between 2012-2016.

·         More than half (56%) of the December home decoration fires were started by candles, compared to one-third (31%) in January to November.

·         The top three days for home candle fires were Christmas, New Year’s Day, and New Year's Eve.

 

Holiday cooking

·         Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.

·         Cooking equipment was involved in 20% of home decoration fires. This can happen when a decoration is left on or too close to a stove or other cooking equipment.

 

Fireworks

·         Ten percent of fireworks fires occur during the period from December 30 through January 3, with the peak on New Year's Day.

Source: NFPA's "Fireworks" report.

Heating, holiday decorations, winter storms and candles all contribute to an increased risk of fire during the winter months.