Home Safe Home

Having a home security system does a lot more than protect you and your family from would be criminals; it also can alarm you as well as emergency services when it detects smoke or carbon monoxide. It can protect your family from people trying to break in but it can also alert you if somebody is trying to get out.

This was just what happened in my home when my little boy was just two years old. I had gotten in the habit of turning on the alarm during the day when I was home alone with my children. On this particular day I was busy doing housework while my son was taking a nap. Suddenly I heard the alarm go off and when I went to check I noticed my son going out the door. Had I not had a home security system I might not have known he was outside for quite a while. I hate to think about what could have happened had the alarm not sounded.

The system we have in our home has a 24/7 alarm system monitoring team that is very quick to respond should our alarm be triggered. It is the perfect solution for elderly people who live alone as some of the systems also come with an emergency response button that can be carried on your person in case of a fall inside your home.

The Honeywell security system we had installed in our home detects break-ins, smoke, carbon monoxide, and has the panic button for emergencies. When we go to bed at night I feel very secure knowing my home and family is being watched over by trusting individuals who really seem to care about the job they do. I wouldn’t ever own a home without have a security system that is active and monitored at all times.

So, you're convinced about the benefits of having a safe as part of your home security catalogue, in addition to sensible home design, alarm monitoring etc. How do you choose the safe that is right for you? We've got six top tips to help you protect your valuables properly.

1. Decide in advance what you will be storing in the safe. If you'll mostly be keeping documents in the safe, you'll need a different fire rating than if you were storing disks with information on them, jewelry, furs, etc.
2. Look for products that are UL listed, not just 'tested to UL standards'. Note that the second sentence doesn’t actually say that the product passed the test … if it had, it would be on the UL list. UL stands for Underwriter's Laboratories.
3. Check that your floor will support the weight of the safe. If you have wooden floors, are planning to put the safe on the second story of your home, or even install it in a wall, it will need to be light enough not to crash through or cause any damage.
4. Do you really, really need a 3-hour fire safe? In most cases, the 1-hour safe is more than adequate. A house fire usually burns at around 800 F for about 20 minutes. The lowest rating of fireproof safes protects documents for an hour at 1,700 F. Unless you know something about your house that we don't … there's often no need to spend the money.
5. Do you need accessories? If you have a lot of things in the safe you want to keep organized, you'll need to price shelves or drawers for the inside of your safe separately.
6. Will a standard combination lock do? Unless you have items that would be valuable to international espionage teams in your safe, the ordinary house burglar will not be able to get past a simple safe combination lock. There are no easy tricks for cracking the code, as television makes you think. And if you have an alarm monitoring system in place as well as your safe, having biometric locks on a safe is usually overkill.

The 6 Worst Dog Breeds for Home Security

Guard dogs are an excellent addition to your home security system. While they can only go so far (they aren’t machines, after all, and you should never train them to attack as this can backfire on you), they are a valuable part of a Houston home security system. We all have a rough idea of what a good guard dog should look like - fairly big, strong jaw, etc. Rottweilers and pitbulls are generally thought of as good guard dogs. However, some of the breeds on the 'worst' list might surprise you! If you've been thinking about getting a guard dog for home security purposes, read this first.

Worst Breed #1: Bloodhound

Bloodhounds might be hunters, but they are extremely affectionate towards humans and notoriously unresponsive when someone comes into the house. They are very shy dogs -- not the type that will want to stand up to an intruder.

Worst Breed #2: Newfoundland

These dogs are almost as unresponsive as bloodhounds to intruders -- they often don't even bother barking. They are intelligent and readily trained, but just don't have a protective instinct.

Worst Breed #3: Saint Bernard

They're lovers, not fighters, these dogs. Unless your burglar has a drool-phobia, a Saint Bernard is not a crucial part of a home security system.

Worst Breed #4: Bulldog

Despite looking a little like they have been in plenty of pub fights in their life, bulldogs are not the ideal security breed. They are more lapdogs, and their floppy ears may inhibit their hearing.

Worst Breed #5: English Sheepdog

English sheepdogs may try to herd people, but they generally do not try to attack or scare them away. Again, the heavy fur may inhibit their hearing, making them less useful as home security.

Worst Breed #6: Basset Hound

Basset hounds are a small dog -- which doesn’t immediately preclude them from being good guard dogs -- but in this case, they really are terrible! They are gentle and non-confrontational, so while they are good hunters, they certainly are not home protectors. A monitored alarm system would stand you in much better stead.

Home Security Reality Check -- December Property Crime Rundown in Texas

When you live in your house for a few years, and don't hear so much as the rustle of a leaf after you go to bed, it can be a little too easy to get complacent about home security. There are many safe neighborhoods in Texas -- but there are also bad things happening to good people all the time! Today we take a quick look at a segment of what's been happening on the crime front in Houston, and why Houston home security companies are urging people to be more cautious than ever.

Man suspected of sexually assaulting and robbing two women inside their homes

These two Houston cases have brought home the awful fact that sometimes a burglary doesn't just mean insurance paperwork to fill out and a fee … sometimes it means very real danger to your person. Two similar attacks have occurred in southwest Houston in November and December.

Several businesses hit by burglar

In the Rivers-Oaks area, police detained a suspect that had broken into around 6 businesses, it was believed. The businesses included a shoe repair shop, restaurants and a car service company. The alleged offender was found walking with a laptop it was believed was taken from one of the businesses the same morning -- police were alerted to the crime spree by security system alarms going off in the area.

Children's Toys Stolen

The Children's Center in Galveston was burgled early in December. Thieves took six sacks of toys from the premises which was not fitted with a burglar alarm. The toys were destined for 35 foster children, and it is thought to be someone who wanted the toys for their own children that stole them. Police replaced the toys.

Multiple house and apartment burglaries

Spotcrime.com lists an enormous number of break-ins and burglaries to houses and apartments in Houston over the December period, well into the hundreds. Security systems could have prevented many of these crimes, helping either catch serial offenders, or simply deterring burglars from going any further.

What Macaulay Culkin Taught Us About Security Systems

It may not be the most realistic film available today (but then again, what Hollywood movie has more than a passing resemblance to reality?) … but Home Alone certainly taught us that having burglars in your house can be hilarious. We aren’t advocating the actual use of any of these home security techniques … hopefully your common sense will prevent you entertaining the idea! It does provide a very entertaining, child's-eye view of home security, however.

1. Tar on the stairs, ornaments on the floor

After pouring adhesive tar all over the stairs, Kevin in "Home Alone" places broken Christmas ornaments all over the floor -- yeowch! Unless you wear a tinfoil hat, this method probably doesn’t appeal to you … but maybe you should keep a bucket of tar by the stairs just in case!

2. Heated door knobs

In the film, Macaulay Culkin heats the doorknobs from the inside, so that the Wet Bandits can't open them from the outside. This burns the emblem from the door knob into Daniel Stern's hand, provoking some hilarious screams that would probably be less funny if they were your own!

3. Paint cans on ropes

From the top of the stairs, in a gag with a very Nintendo sort of feel, Kevin drops paint cans which swing into the perfectly aligned faces of the Wet Bandits. Unfortunately this home security tactic, less messy or potentially dangerous to yourself than the others above, is also least likely to work! You'd anticipate the cans missing at least 90% of the time.

4. Irons on ropes

Again, this only worked in the movie because good old Daniel Stern stood still and looked up. The iron imprint was very, very funny … pity it would be a fire hazard in real life!

Obviously, home security is much funnier in the movies than in real life. You are probably as likely to hurt a member of your household as any unwelcome intruder with these tricks … monitored alarm systems I think will remain the gold standard, even for the comedy lovers. They'll have to get their kicks watching Robin Williams for a while yet!

Violent Crime Rundown by State: Texas

Robbery is one of the most common crimes in America -- a burglary (house robbery) occurs every 14 seconds or so in this country, according to Bureau of Crime statistics. Today we are looking at living in Texas, and how the state compares with violent crime statistics across the nation. We'll look at what a Houston burglar alarm or Houston security system may have saved many residents form this past year. All stats are for the 2008 period.

Overall Safety

Texas's overall violent crime rate is a slightly lower than the national average -- .374 compared to 0.378. We're right about average for the country -- home security systems are just as necessary here as anywhere else.

Robberies

Texas again lands up just shy of the national average for robberies, the figures for which include burglaries. There were 0.140 cases of robbery per capita in Texas in 2008, compared to the national average of 0.149.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault can also be a home security issue, and Texans are more vulnerable (marginally) than people in other states. The aggravated assault rate was 0.211 cases per capita, compared to 0.207 cases per capita nationwide.

Murders and Forcible Rape

These are often thought of as an outside-home security issue; however intruders have often been known to forcibly enter people's homes for these crimes. The Texas murder rate is 0.005, same as the national average, and the forcible rapes per capita are 0.019 compared to the national average of 0.017.

Best Dog Breeds for Guarding Your Home

As wonderful as monitored alarm systems are, they certainly don’t jump up and kiss you when you get home, put on a cute face, or keep you company while you're walking. That's where watchdogs serve a dual purpose -- they both alert you to the fact that someone is on your property (especially at times when you might not have the alarm system on, but are at home), and are your friends! Today we're looking at breeds that make good watchdogs for your home security -- both the standard choices and some that you mightn't expect.

1. Rottweilers

Rottweilers have a strong sense of their own territory, excellent hearing, and are protective of their family. They do need to be trained from an early age though, and will definitely need some socialization with other humans, otherwise you may find that your guests become hostage to your home security system's protectiveness.

2. Bull mastiffs

They are large and intimidating, don’t get on well with strangers, and are very loyal to their family and courageous in their defense. They try to knock intruders over and pin them to the ground -- perhaps a less dangerous type of watchdog than the Rottweiler, which bites first and asks questions later.

3. Chihuahua

It has often been observed that these dogs do not know their own size. They have a piercing bark and a keen sense for noises and strange people, which makes them excellent watchdogs. They are obviously not dangerous to guests and even children are safe around them.

4. Giant schnauzers

For those who love individual-looking dogs, the giant schnauzer is an excellent home security addition. They are very wilful and independent, so need firm and early training (try to buy them at around 5-6 weeks of age), and are very strong.

5. Yorkshire terrier

These relatively small dogs make excellent guard dogs for the same reasons that Chihuahuas do. They are loyal and love their families, and have a keen sense of hearing and an understanding of when strangers are around.

6. Standard poodles

They are highly intelligent -- actually the second most intelligent breed of dog in the world. Poodles can be easily trained to obey your commands about people -- so they will come to recognize approved guests, and will back down with the right words spoken by the right person. This makes them less dangerous than guard dogs like Rottweilers and German Shepherds. Just because they're curly doesn't mean they aren't good home security!