Wouldn’t it be nice to know in the event an intruder gains access to your home or business that your monitoring signal is going to connect on the very first attempt to your monitoring station and not sit banked up, and that the activation is going to be dealt with immediately within a guaranteed timeframe, not just when the operator gets around to it?

What about should you activate a duress alarm late at night because you hear noises from down stairs and think somebody is in the house? Can you risk not being guaranteed immediate attention?

Or should you be away from home and a smoke detector activates, imagine the difference minutes can make?

A medical emergency arises and you need immediate assistance? These things may not ever happen, however security is like insurance, when you need it, you need the protection and peace of mind that comes from a reliable certified security partner.

It is alarming the number of Canberra homes currently being monitored by ungraded monitoring stations.

Our advice is only use monitoring services from a certified grade A1 monitoring station. Centurion Home & Business Security only provide Grade A1 Monitoring services to their clients.

Now that’s peace of mind

It should be noted that the claim of “Locally Based Monitoring Station” ensures faster response times, sounds great in theory. However, the alarm system still has to dial the control room and the operator still has to make the necessary phone calls, being locally based does not change that.

Grade A1 on the other hand means that you are more likely to receive faster response to your activation simply because there is state of the art monitoring equipment being used, no chance of communication failure, sufficient staffing, and proper training, not forgetting to mention the fact that regular compliance audits are undertaken.

The security market is fraught with companies offering heavily discounted monitoring fees, even free service periods on long term contracts for ungraded monitoring services, meaning the use of monitoring stations that have not been assessed and graded, generally because they don’t comply with the rigorous standards imposed.

Our advice is only use monitoring services from a certified grade A1 monitoring station. Centurion Home & Business Security only provide Grade A1 Monitoring services to their clients.

Now that’s peace of mind.

Treat inside garage doors the same as an outside door: multiple locks and bracing. Even though it is inside your home, it must be able to withstand a full out assault. Often, the doors that access the house from the garage are hollow-core and have cheap locks (if they are locked at all) which is why break ins through garages are so common.

Reason: For criminals on foot, the side door of a garage is a prime target, as it is often easier and offering better ease of access/escape than a back door. This is why you must treat the door into your home from the garage like an outside door.

If the inner door is locked it is usually hollow core and with minimal locks. Realize that with the garage door closed the criminals can unleash a sustained full out assault against that inside door. Usually the door will give way. By bracing it and replacing hollow core doors with solid core ones, you significantly lessen the chances of that happening.

It should also be noted that many home invasion robberies come through open garage doors and these inner doors. More so than the front door.

Seek alternatives to normal deadbolts in doors that have windows (or windowed frames)
Talk with your local locksmith about what is available.

Reason: Most burglaries occur during the day when you are away at work. Unfortunately, many back doors are decorative and windowed. It is easy for a burglar to punch out a small window, reach in and unlock the door. Since they are off the street and out of view this is why most break-ins occur through the back and side doors.

A single-key deadbolt has a key on one side and a handle on the other. After punching out a window a burglar can reach in and, with ease, open the deadbolt then the doorknob - elapsed time five seconds. Placing a secondary lock (i.e., a floor lock) outside of the reach of the windows is recommended. If that is too much, a double-key deadbolt is recommended for non-primary access doors. This secures the door while you are not at home. If fire safety concerns you (and it should) at night put your keys in the deadbolt. This not only allows you immediate exit should a fire occur, but you will also always know where your keys are.

A monitored home alarm system is also a great idea.

Renting, owning a home security system is still possible thanks to wireless technology. Recent advancements in wireless security technology make it is possible to install an effective back to base home security system without damaging your rented premises, allowing you to simply remove and reinstall into your new residence when the time arrives.

Contact our friendly team 1300 138 769 to discuss our flexible monitoring terms and rental friendly home security systems.

Office theft can add up to thousands of dollars in lost profits. Secure your office with these extra office security tips:

* Always lock your office door, even if you step out for just a minute.

* Advise all employees to store purses and other valuables in locked drawers when they are away from their desks. Laptops are especially vulnerable to theft.

* Ask for proper identification from all service personnel who arrive at your office. Verify their purpose by checking service orders.

* Have deliveries moved to secured areas immediately upon receipt. Leaving them unattended is inviting to thieves of opportunity.

* Instruct all your employees to greet strangers with a polite “May I help you?” Acknowledging the presence of visitors may scare away potential thieves, yet also provides assistance and welcome to legitimate guests.

* Maintain detailed register of all office supplies, including inventory records of all office equipment serial numbers, and values and dates of purchases.

* Install security cameras throughout your office. Studies show not only a decrease in theft, but an increase in employee performance.

Install secure access control to all areas of your office. Keys and key cards can be transferred from person to person, even stolen, but biometric readers allow only explicitly authorised personnel access to secured areas.

It’s not surprising, security is becoming an increasingly important consideration in all aspects of our lives.

Unfortunately, now more than ever, there are increased threats to both people and their property. While this is not something we should become afraid of, it is an issue that we all need to be mindful of.

Business owners, including shops and retail outlets are increasingly becoming major targets and business-owners need to protect themselves accordingly.

Threats to business security can come in all forms and may include anything from fraud, burglary and robbery, to fire, vandalism and terrorist threats.

While a comprehensive Insurance policies will assist should the worst happen, proactive strategies should be put in place to minimise threats to security occurring.

Once implemented, these procedures should be reviewed regularly, at least annually, to ensure they continue to reflect the changing nature of your business as well as the environment in which you operate.

So, take a look around your business. How secure is it? Is the personal security of you, your staff and customers as protected as it can be? How vulnerable are property and stock?

Once you have assessed potential security issues, take action! Failure to put appropriate security measures in place not only leaves you exposed, it also impacts on your business insurance.

Your insurance company will require you to comply with their minimum security precautions for the type of business you run, such as the installation of a certain type of alarm or specific locks on external doors. Lack of compliance with the specified precautions may invalidate your policy and leave you dangerously exposed should an incident occur.

However, most business-owners want to go beyond just doing the bare minimum, understanding the importance of safeguarding the personal welfare of themselves, their staff and customers as well as the ability for their business to operate.

And just as selecting the right business insurance doesn’t work on a “one size fits all” approach, neither does your security planning.

A travel agency with no stock, only office equipment will have very different insurance needs to a jeweller who may have hundreds of thousands of pounds of stock on-hand.

Security planning does not necessarily have to involve sophisticated or expensive measures. A simple evaluation of potential risks and practical, cost-effective strategies could prevent considerable loss.

The following 10-point checklist provides a starting point for considering the security of your business premises:

1. Security lighting. Is security lighting installed throughout and around the premises? Are all lights operating? Is some lighting left on inside the business at night? Are entry and exits well lit?

2. Building design. Is the building solidly constructed so unauthorised access is restricted? Is there adequate protection against entry through the roof? Is the building secured to reduce the risk of vehicle ram raid?

3. Doors and window. Are the external doors and windows solidly constructed? Are they fitted with deadlocks? Are doors and windows locked at all times? Are skylights secured?

4. Property identification. Has the make, model and serial numbers of items such as computers, printers and photocopiers been recorded? Is your property photographed for identification?

5. Telephone. Are telephones pre-programmed with emergency contact numbers? Are telephone lines installed in such a way so they cannot be tampered with (particularly important if your alarm system is connected to your telephone line)?

6. Safes. Has a safe been installed? Is it appropriately positioned? Does it have a drop-chute facility? Is it kept locked?

7. Cash handling. Are there established cash handling procedures? Do you have irregular banking procedures? Is money counted out of public view? Do you use a company to transport cash?

8. Key and valuables control. Is there a key register? Are all keys secured? Do staff have somewhere to store their personal items securely? Is there restricted access to this area?

9. Alarm systems / surveillance equipment. Is an intruder alarm system installed? Is it monitored? Is surveillance equipment installed? Is footage recorded with the tapes kept for a minimum of seven days? Is there a fire alarm?

10. General. Are sensitive documents appropriately destroyed? Are computer passwords changed regularly? Do you have an emergency evacuation plan? Do staff know the plan?

In addition to the above checklist, the implementation of a security plan is an ideal time to review your business insurance. Consider:

• What does your existing Insurance policy cover?

• Have you met all the minimum requirements stipulated in your policy?

• Have you updated your business insurance policy to reflect any new purchases or changes to your business?

• Do you need to upgrade your insurance to include add-ons such as stock protection, contents insurance or theft by employees?

Practical security planning, coupled with comprehensive and appropriate business insurance coverage, will ensure the safety of personnel and property in somewhat uncertain times.