Tips for Your Home and Office

In less than the minute it takes for you to read this first paragraph, a talented thief can break through your window bars or pick the best of door locks to get into your home or office. Without a well thought-out alarm system, you will return home or to your office only to discover that the thief got away with all of your valuables.

With the increase in break-ins to both homes and offices, insurance companies are now requiring the installation of alarm systems before granting insurance coverage. Efrat Networks is a leader in the installation and maintenance of both simple and complex alarm systems. We don’t view the alarm system as a “rubber stamp” for the insurance companies, but rather a way to prevent theft.

Our objective is to keep the thieves away. To do this, we like installing ‘watch-out’ detectors and ‘curtain’ sensors on the perimeter of the home. These are well known to thieves and can be installed in full view or somewhat hidden. Usually, when they see either of these devices, they will opt to avoid any attempts at a break-in.

Along with a thief, the gardener, cats, dogs, birds and other animals, can set off the alarm at the perimeter by entering the line of sight of these sensors. Efrat Networks uses special methods to prevent, or at least minimize, false alarms caused by animals. However, without an infrared camera on the house’s perimeter, you’ll never know for sure if a thief or animal set off the alarm. What is important here is that the thief will not get close enough to the house to start a break-in.

For apartments with little or no perimeters to use as protection, Efrat Networks supplies and installs wired and wireless alarm systems covering all entrances, accessable windows and the inside of the apartment. These systems can be easily activated by a keypad or a 4-button keyfob. In addition, if you leave the house and don’t remember if you set the alarm, you can set it remotely using your cell phone or any land-line phone.

If you are living in a home that is over 10 years old, a wireless alarm system will, most likely, be the best solution. Adding new wires through old tubes can be a costly challenge. On the other hand, new homes or new builds are ideal for wired alarm systems.

In today’s society, when it is no longer possible to rely on a lock and bolt to keep thieves away, Efrat Networks offers excellent and cost effective solutions to give you security and peace of mind.

Getting Practical and Creative

Efrat Networks recently installed an alarm system in an apartment in Jerusalem that was being remodeled. We were late… Not because we were slow in doing the work. Rather, the alarm was installed after all the air conditioning equipment had already been delivered to the apartment.

You don’t need to work hard to guess what happened. The same night after delivery, the air conditioning equipment was cleaned out of the apartment by thieves. The neighbors didn’t hear a thing, and even if they did, they may have thought that it had something to do with the remodeling.

So, our first practical tip: when you buy a home or apartment, or move into a new/used office, don’t move in and don’t even have expensive equipment delivered until the alarm system is in place. This can be done in stages, with no need for aesthetics, to insure that general protection is intact until the ‘face lift’ of the apartment or office has been completed. After completion of the interior design work, Efrat Networks can then come in and properly place all of the alarm equipment.

And now, for the creative… Internet Surveillance

Setting up Internet security cameras for your home or business is less complicated than you might think. The cameras can be connected directly to your computer network connected to the Internet, which you can then control, monitor, and view directly through a computer with Internet access. This gives you a lot of flexibility in how you customize your video surveillance.

Let’s take this one step further. Many homeowners and business owners want to be able to see what’s going on while they are away - e.g., watch the kids in the home/backyard, watch your workers in the office. Using the online interface from any computer in the world (preferably not in Mexico…), you can scope out your home or business in real time.

For example, if you get an SMS that an alarm went off, you can quickly go on line to see whether its a false alarm (as in most cases) or someone unwanted is in your home or office.

One more step further… if you love the view from your home, why not put a pan and tilt IP camera up on your roof. You can see the view on line as if you’re standing on the balcony yourself.  We did this for a client in Yamin Moshe just recently.  And while its not the same as being in Jerusalem, its still pretty cool to watch the Independence Day celebration over the Old City from the States.

IP cameras come in a range of shapes, sizes, functions (e.g., pan/tilt, day/night vision, 2-way audio, etc.)  and prices. They do not replace a solid alarm system, but come as wired or wireless add-ons to your security system.

Please call Efrat Networks today to review which IP cameras best meets your home or business needs.

Make Good Use of Your System

Alarm systems can significantly enhance security if installed and used properly.

If you are renovating or building a new home, we strongly recommend that the alarm system be installed BEFORE any expensive equipment (e.g., LCD TV’s, air conditioning,etc.) is delivered to your home. Shippers bring the units and leave them in their original packaging for later installation. Unfortunately, this is ideal for thieves. One of our clients, involved in an extensive remodeling project, reported to us that the built-in ceiling air conditioning units were uninstalled and stolen by thieves in the middle of the night.

When the house is under construction or renovation, it is very common to give out keys to all the ‘trusted’ subcontractors so you don’t have to be on site every minute of the day. The only challenge here is that it’s easy to make copies of most keys. We therefore recommend that you change your door locks after all the subcontractors have finished their jobs. Change the alarm codes too.

Phony signs, such as: “Warning: These Premises Protected by the Acme Alarm Company”, are usually not effective; a serious burglar need only look in the telephone directory to see whether an alarm company exists. Most companies won’t let non-customers display their
emblem, and the burglars know that, too. There’s no harm in using such signs, but don’t “expect” them to provide any protection. Don’t depend on your neighbors to report that your alarm is sounding.  All of the newest alarm systems will dial your cell phone or call a central station or moked.
In Israel’s urban areas, many private security services will respond to alarm systems that report to central stations.

Speak to your neighbors about your alarm system rather than surprise them in the  middle of the night.  Good neighbors are the best anti-theft systems.   Demonstrate
your alarm system so that your neighbors will know how it sounds when it goes off.

Since alarm systems report to your cell phone or central station through telephone lines, make sure that your telephone lines are not exposed outside to vandals and thieves.  Call us if you need help securing your telephone wiring outside.  Consider using a backup wireless transmitter that will send the alarm signal to your cell  phone or central station in the case that the thief cuts your telephone lines outside.

For the best protection when considering an alarm system is one that uses a combination
of sensors to monitor doors and windows, outside and invisible areas, and potential roof entrances.  These include infrared detectors, magnetic switches, glass break detectors, and outside beams and “curtains”.  We can help you to determine what detectors will cover your home.

If you are considering a burglar alarm system for your home or office, please call us for a free estimate.  If you already have an alarm system, call us for service and upgrades.