Social Media in Blizzard 2010

DC's blizzard of 2010 has highlighted the main-streaming of social media as an emergency communication tool. In our house in AU Park the battery operated emergiency radio was no where in sight despite the 30 hour power outage. Replacing it were two iPhones and twitter feeds. While twitter has generally been a vehicle for the masses, we followed a number of government and infrasturecture authroities who kept us informed on a minute by minute basis.

Not only were the feeds informative but also two-way. While I got solid busy signals trying to notify PEPCO of a downed line behind our house a twitter message to DDOT was met with a quick response:

The dialog with DDOTDC was extensive with residents tweeting information on problem areas, pictures of unplowed streets, and DDOTDC acknowledging resident concern passing information to and from the DDOT snow response command center. Other District agencies provided excellent information on bus routes, school closing, and more.

The tweeting was also valuable on a smaller scale. Broad Branch Market twittered hourly updated on the status of the store and availability of high-demand blizzard items (e.g., milk and toilet paper). zBurger announced their $1 "snowburger" to the local inhabitants and got a tremendous response.

While the ability of officials to be so responsive on a one-to-one basis may be diluted as adoption and volume of messages increases there is no doubt that social media will serve an increasingly critical role in emergency and community communications.

We have created a list of twitteres we found particularly useful durring the snow emergiency. Check with stores you frequent in your neighborhood to see if they use social media. While you are at it be sure to follow Urban Alarm on twitter as well.

The New Wave of Kick-in Burglaries: How to Protect Yourself

1) Consider eliminating your alarm delay time (normally used to give you time to get to the keypad and disarm the alarm system) by using a key chain remote to disarm the system before you enter the home. By taking this precaution, your alarm siren will sound immediately and your alarm signal will be sent 30-45 seconds earlier, which is a substantial amount of time during an intrusion.

2) Switch to IP and/or SNAP Radio Monitoring. By utilizing Urban Alarm's IP or SNAP mesh radio network you will regain control of your land line during an alarm and your alarm signal will be received by the monitoring center in 1-2 seconds, instead of after the customary 15-45 seconds.

3) Install panic buttons in your upstairs bedroom and/or bathrooms. Aside from being able to send an alarm signal quickly the monitoring center will treat these signals as a higher priority dispatching the police immediately and bypassing the alarm verification call to the house.

4) Consider installing a video intercom system. This will take a picture of anyone who rings your doorbell and let you see and communicate with visitors without opening your door. Had the first vandalized house been outfitted with a video intercom system and the owners given the captured image to the police, the next two intrusions may have been prevented.

Though you cannot control an intruder's behavior, you can control how you react to it. For more information, give us a call.

Developing a Residential Security Strategy

Developing a Security Strategy

Radio Monitoring with SNAP Technology

These days, many people have chosen to forego telephone land lines in their homes in favor of the simpler, cheaper cellular option. With this trend comes a shift in how we monitor security systems on those properties from the traditional land line to cell phones and radio networks. Although Urban Alarm can monitor your alarm system using cell phone technology, it often requires that you replace your alarm panel.

Another option unique to Urban Alarm is SNAP(TM) radio monitoring. Urban Alarm offers the only FCC licensed radio monitoring network covering the NW DC area that will work with your existing alarm system to provide you with even better security than telephone-monitored systems.

With telephone-monitored systems, it can often take 30-50 seconds to send an alarm signal, but with Urban Alarm's SNAP radio monitoring system the signal is sent instantaneously. Also, with traditional telephone-monitored systems, when your alarm goes off the alarm panel seizes the line, which can interrupt your ability to make an outgoing call (e.g., 911). With SNAP radio monitoring you have complete use of your phone line at all times.

So how does it work? You do not need to replace your existing alarm system to take advantage of Urban Alarm's SNAP technology. Our technicians will simply install a SNAP transmitter at your home or business and you will be instantly connected to our mesh radio network. With SNAP radio monitoring, your alarm system will always be 'online' and ready to send a signal to our Central Monitoring Station. Whereas phone lines can be cut, seized or interrupted, your SNAP transmitter sends a repeater signal through its mesh network so that each alarm signal takes multiple pathways to the Central Monitoring Station, ensuring that your signal is transmitted effectively and as quickly as possible.

Manage Your Security Alarm System and Video on Your PDA

Urban Alarm has been installing Alarm.com managed security alarm systems for about five years. The service has evolved over the years regularly adding innovative  approaches to security alarm system management. Their most recent innovation are the iPhone and Blackberry Alarm.com applications. Alarm.com already offers a robust web dashboard to manage all aspects of your alarm system via a web browser. The new applications allow you to manage your systems anywhere from an iPhone or Blackberry PDA.

• Arm and disarm remotely
• View sensor status and recent activity
• Watch live streaming video from their security cameras
• View video clips recorded by their cameras
• Access a complete, search-able system event history

Security Camera Color Wraps

Security video cameras in retail or commercial businesses can be a fundamental part of security. Sometimes making security cameras being visible to workers and guests is a desirable deterrent but other times it mares the aesthetics of a carefully designed space. On a number of projects we have color matched the cameras to be the same color as the wall. This has a nice effect of blending the security cameras into the space minimizing their aesthetic impact.

Security is often a balance of invasiveness and effectiveness. Physical barriers, fire detection, intrusion detection, and surveillance cameras are always going to walk this line. Color marched security cameras are just one cost effective way to get at this issue. Cameras may be matched to any color, pattern, or image.

The photos show an example of the security camera without color matching (left) and with matching (right).

  

Don't Answer Your Door for Strangers -- Maybe The Worst Thing to Do

Recent Robberies in NW DC

Universal Gear was robbed on Thursday the 14th in the middle of the day. This was a brazen robbery by 9 people and was captured by security cameras (not Urban Alarm's). The video has been posted on YouTube with a award for information leading to the arrest and conviction.

Shoplifting is always a problem but this was an in-your-face robbery that takes it to a new level. It highlights the importance of staying aware of your environment at all times.

I was struck by recent surveillance video of a NW DC robbery showing shoppers browsing less then eight feet from an armed robbery in progress. The shoppers were unaware of anything out of the ordinary.

Staying aware of anything unusual or suspicious is always important to your safety. If you observe something suspicious leave the store immediately (if practical) and call 911.

If you are a shop owner or manager, you must make sure you have video and surveillance warning signs. Silent panic buttons should be located behind the counter, in the manager's office, and any other back of store area (e.g., stock room, walk-in cooler). Panic buttons can also be located close to the floor where accessible in the event you are forced to the floor. Wireless panic buttons should also be on the keychains of managers or other employees.

New IP cameras can show much greater detail then traditional analog cameras. Strategically locating cameras can provide the most clear pictures of burglars. We have started placing high resolution cameras above the doors showing a clear picture of people as they exit. This can be a better quality image then people coming into the store since exterior backlighting reduce the visibility of peoples faces.

At the end of the day, surveillance cameras serve as a deterrent. Ones that show greater detail of perpetrators' faces can lead to the arrest and conviction of thieves and give shoppers, storekeepers, and their neighborhoods greater peace of mind.

Urban Alarm Accolades: Excellence in Design

Urban Alarm won the logo design category for the Security Sales and Integration's 2009 SAMMY Awards. The SAMMY Awards recognize superior design and implementation in sales and marketing for the security industry. Miles Fawcett, Urban Alarm's President, received the award at the March 31st 2009 Las Vegas ceremony with Urban Alarm beating out Protection One and Stanley Convergent Security Solutions.

Washington Parks and People's Riverside Center

This month, as part of Urban Alarm's community outreach program, we installed a new security system at the Washington Parks and People's Riverside Center.

The Riverside center has been opened since the Spring of 2004 and has become a hub of activity. Located across the street from the Watts Branch Park in Northeast DC The Center serves a diverse community with a weekly farm stand, neighborhood cafe, arts center, and community meeting place.

Urban Alarm's donation of the system and it's monitoring will help to secure the significant investment Washington Parks and People has made into this program.

Every quarter we look for community organizations that would significantly benefit from our products and services. Washington Parks and People stands out because of their passionate investments in DC's parks and communities.

Archive

• The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad (BCCRS)
• Gun vs. Alarm for Home Security
• Securing your Freedom of Speech (or, at least, your yard signs)
• Remote Video Monitoring for Smaller Properties
• 5 Ways to Get the Most from Your Alarm System
• How Not to Install an Alarm System
• Security Video on your iPhone or PDA
• Washington Post Reports a Significant Increase in DC Burglaries
• Reading Crime Statistics on the Internet
• Importance of Testing your Alarm System
• Going Green with your Alarm System

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