Making 2020 Memorable with Home Automation

For many people, 2020 is a year to start enjoying the simple moments more. Of course, they still need to get all the complicated tasks done too. One of the ways we can do that is with technology, and one of the most effective technologies for this purpose is home automation. Here’s a scenario that illustrates this.

After a quiet night in as a family, you want to read the kids a story and tuck them in to bed. But first, it’s time for your nightly checklist:

Secure the home by locking the front and back doors.
Protect your family’s privacy by closing the window shades.
Turn off the lights, upstairs and down.
It gets too hot upstairs; that means turn down the thermostat.
And of course, arm the security system.

By the time you’ve done all those things, the kids have fallen asleep. When that happens once in a while, no big deal – but those nights of no story and no special time together add up. With home automation in your security system, you get that time back.

Setting the Scene on Your Smartphone

The app you use to control the home automation on your system features four Scene buttons. Each Scene is a multi-device command that makes all your smart devices work together. The Scene you can use to take care of your bedtime tasks is called Sleep, while the others – Home, Away and Wake Up – are designed to help you automate other parts of your day. And if you want to change the commands built into those Scenes, you can. Adjust the commands and name the Scenes anything you would like. They can incorporate your home security, locks, smart lights and even smart thermostat.

Taking it to the Next Level

If you use virtual assistant technologies like Alexa or Siri, you can take your home automation to the next level with voice command. Use Alexa to tell your system to wake up in the morning, or tell Siri to unlock the door and turn on the lights as you’re pulling into the driveway. When all those spared minutes add up, there’s a lot more time to spend with the people who matter most.

For questions on adding home automation to your security, contact Post Alarm. We’ll be glad to speak with you.

About Post Alarm Systems

To learn more about Southern California security technology, come see us at Post Alarm Systems. Our highly qualified and experienced home security experts can answer all your questions. Call us today at 1-800-654-7678

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A Smart Solution for Preventing Water Damage

One of the biggest threats to your home is an essential element. We all need it — but when there’s too much of it, the aftermath cam be a catastrophe. Of course, we’re talking about water.

Whether the source of your water damage is burst pipes, leaking appliances or dripping utility fixtures, you and your insurance company are responsible to cover the cost. That damage can be anything from unsanitary mildew or dangerous mold on the walls, to the complete flooding of your carpets or other flooring. Abatement and replacement is expensive, and not just financially. You’ll also lose time, privacy and security while crews are in your home doing the repairs.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s a smart solution to preventing water damage.

Smart Water Valve + Meter

The Smart Water Valve + Meter is a device that easily integrates with your other smart home technology and controlled by the same mobile app you use for your home security system. The device has water sensors that intelligently detect leaks and shut them off automatically. If you choose to integrate this with your system, here’s the protection you can enjoy.

Automatic Flood Shutdown

If a pipe bursts while you’re not at home, the most immediate need is to turn off your water at the source. Normally, you would need to call someone to help you do this or run home to take care of it. But with a Smart Water Valve + Meter, your system can turn off your home’s main water supply off right away. And of course, it will send you an alert just like it would if there was a security event. You’ll save time, money and headache with this simple service.

Whole Home Water Protection

With so many water sources in your home, the risks of leaking and flooding are everywhere. With a Smart Water Valve + Meter, we can offer you whole home water protection so that problems you can’t see are wirelessly detected. You’ll be notified anytime there’s a leak behind a sink, washing machine, water heater, toilet or another appliance. It can also tell you when the shower has been running for an extended period of time. When you aren’t home to intervene, these alerts can help you manage your water bill from anywhere.

Investing in a Smart Water Valve + Meter is a smart solution for preventing water damage in your home. To learn more, call Post Alarm Systems. We’ll be glad to tell you more.

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Protection from Crash and Smash Break-Ins

If a criminal breaks into your home and smashes the security panel to keep it from working, can your system still protect you? If your home security system has crash and smash protection, it can. Let’s look at what a crash and smash break-in is, and how our special crash and smash protection can outmaneuver perpetrators who try to carry them out.

How Crash and Smash Break-Ins Work

When planning a crash and smash attack, a criminal’s objective is to take advantage of the security system’s 30 to 60 second time delay. This delay gives the system time before sounding the alarm or triggering the emergency signal. During this time, the homeowner can disarm the system so the alarm won’t sound and the monitoring center will reach out to see whether help is needed. But in a crash and smash attack, the criminal obliterates the panel and its ability to signal for help. Effectively, it disables the system.

How Crash and Smash Protection Works

When you have crash and smash protection, even a smashed panel will not prevent your system from signaling for help during a break-in. The protection relies on cloud security technology, which ensures that the signal is sent to the monitoring center quickly and effectively. Meanwhile, you’ll receive a text alert about what is taking place and the criminal will be none the wiser. It essentially outsmarts the criminal, which is exactly what you want.

Crash and smash protection is the powerful, tamper-proof technology every home security system needs. To inquire about adding it to your system, contact Post Alarm Systems. We can answer your questions about this great enhancement to your system.

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Automating Your Day with Smart Scenes

Have you ever wished for a button to do all your home automation tasks at the same time? If you have the Scenes feature on your home security app, you do. In fact, Scenes gives you a total of four buttons: Home, Away, Sleep and Wake Up. Each of these buttons is programmed to automate those times of day when you need your system to do multiple things at once. Here’s what each one of them does.

The Wake Up Button

When you get out of bed, tap the Wake Up button to turn on some of your lights, warm up the house by a couple of degrees and disarm the alarm part of the system until everyone else has left for the day. Once you’re ready to leave yourself, use the Away button to set the alarm again.

The Away Button

As you leave for work, tap the Away button to tell your system to set your alarm again for the day. It will also lock your front door (if you have a smart lock), close your garage and adjust your thermostat. After that quick tap, you’re ready to leave with peace of mind while you go about your work.

The Home Button

When you return home in the evening, you want the house to be warm and welcoming. By tapping the Home button, you can tell your system to turn on the interior lights and unlock the front door. Now, entering the house after work is a comforting experience.

The Sleep Button

At bedtime, you’ll want to turn the lights off and lock the doors. That’s the job of your Sleep button. Of course, it also sets the alarm to make sure you sleep soundly without fear of intrusion. And because our systems are energy conscious, this button also turns down the thermostat for the night.

All four scenes are easy to customize and add to. You can add a porch light to your Home scene for a brighter welcome, or set your downstairs lights to turn off automatically when you tap the Sleep button. Need help with your Scenes feature, or looking for more information? Call Post Alarm Systems. We look forward to speaking with you.

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Securing Your Business with Access Control During the Age of COVID-19

The security landscape is changing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the government forces many businesses to shut down, more and more people are left wondering how to secure their companies and watch over their business from afar.

Even businesses still open need to find ways to adapt their security solutions to meet their unique needs. Post Alarm Systems has served businesses in Southern California since 1956, and they are here today to help address these problems with the latest innovative smart access control solutions. Here are some of the things access control can do for you and your business.

Unlock and Lock Your Business No Matter Where You Are

Smart access control lets you unlock for deliveries or employees even when you’re not on the property. Simply check who is at the door using the security app on your phone. Then unlock the door. You can re-lock it when they leave.

Always Know What’s Going on with Access Tracking and Alerts

Access control integrates with your intelligent security system allowing you to set alerts for any access control activity. With customized alerts, you’ll know when the last employee leaves for the day. You can see if anyone is on the premises or trying to gain access if your organization is closed due to COVID-19.

Using your security app, you can view reports and alerts that show you who unlocked a particular door, and you can track user codes easily. The system can also send you video alerts on critical access events like when someone tries to access an area off-limits such as storerooms or data centers.

Manage Your Access Control from Home

You can revoke and give access to your employees without having to go into the office. It’s easy to schedule access to all your properties from the dashboard on the web. Also, you can set up a new lock code or keycard for a new employee or revoke access for an employee leaving the company.

It’s also possible to assign employees varying levels of access with customized days and times for each one. To manage your access control efficiently, create different access profiles for specific employee roles. Then you assign new employees to these profiles depending on their role.

These are just a few ways that access control can help you manage your business from afar. Post Alarm Systems has dedicated solutions that still allow them to provide you with the excellent customer service that they’ve had for decades while following all the guidelines on social distancing. If you have concerns due to COVID-19, we can help you virtually, whether that’s via video or conference calling.

Our company is family-owned, and that’s why our customers are like family to us. We’re here to address any needs or concerns you have. For more information on access control or other security products, contact us today.

About Post Alarm – Your Local Home Security Company in Southern California

To learn more about home security technology, come to see us at Post Alarm Systems this summer. Our highly qualified and experienced home security experts can answer all your questions. Call us today at 1-800-654-7678.

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The Monitored Security System Difference

You’re a smart, skillful homeowner. Maybe you think that’s all you need to take care of an emergency entirely on your own. But the reality is, everyone needs help – especially if the emergency is a break-in or a fire. When one of these events happens, your number one job is to get yourself and your loved ones out of the house safely. Dialing 911 on top of that is simply too much for one person. If you have a monitored home security system, there’s good news: Your system will call for help, so you don’t have to.

Following Your Instincts, Knowing Your Priorities

If you receive a smartphone alert notifying you of a fire in your house, you will instinctively make rescuing those inside your top priority. At the same time, someone needs to call the fire department – and that’s where your monitored security system comes in.

By the time you get everyone in the house to safety, your system has already sent a signal to the monitoring center, where a trained dispatcher has contacted your fire department. They’re already on their way to save your home, and you were able to follow your instincts to help your loved ones.

A New Feature for Smarter Security

Monitored home security doesn’t end there. Now, there’s a new Smart Signal feature that lets you send an emergency signal to the monitoring center yourself from your smartphone. If the emergency is a home invasion and your system is unarmed, you can contact the monitoring center yourself straight from your cell phone so the criminal will be unaware. This is the smarter home security today’s families need.

For questions about these and other features of monitored security systems, contact Post Alarm Systems. We look forward to assisting you.

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Home Alone: Keeping an Eye on the Kids While You’re at Work

The kids are out of school because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but you’re still working an essential job. It looks like summer vacation came early this year, so how do you watch the kids while you’re at work? Smart home security has your back with alerts that help you check on the kids no matter where you are.

Alerts for Open Doors

A smart home security system can keep an eye on your house until you get home from work, and one helpful feature is the open door and window alert. Place contact sensors on doors and windows, and the security system sends you an alert when a door or window is open too long.

This alert allows you to text the kids and tell them to close the door. Or, you can have alerts sent to the whole family so whoever is home can close it when they receive the alert. Not only will your house be secure, but you can save on utility bills as well.

Smart User Code Alerts

The kids may go out with another family member or out to the park with a babysitter while you’re at work. You want to know they made it home safely, right? With a smart home security system, you can give each of the kids a user code that works with smart locks you install on your doors.

The code lets them in the house, and you can set the system to send you an alert whenever one of the children uses their code. You’ll have peace of mind knowing they made it home safely.

Smart Video Clips Let You See That They Made It Home Safely

Install smart security cameras around your house, and you can actually see that the kids made it home and who they’re with. You can set the security system to send you video clips every time a defined action triggers them.

For instance, you can set your video doorbell to take a smart clip whenever one of the kids’ user codes is used to get into the house. Setting a specific trigger lets you receive the alerts you want without getting overwhelmed with video clips that aren’t relevant to the kids’ safety.

You can also see who is with them and if they have unapproved guests. In the age of social distancing, it’s important to keep your home safe, and unapproved guests could unknowingly bring COVID-19 into your house.

If you’re interested in smart home security solutions but worried about COVID-19, we’re with you the whole way at Post Alarm Systems. You can purchase our intelligent home security products, and we will ship them directly to your front door. The equipment is safe and sanitized, so there’s no need to worry about you or your family’s safety.

Our security equipment is easy to set up and install. We’re here to help you every step of the way with video or conference calling in accordance with social distancing guidelines. Post Alarm Systems is family-owned and operated, and our customers are family to us. We will continue to give you great customer service and provided the latest in security technology.

About Post Alarm – Your Local Home Security Company in Southern California

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Ideas for a Summer Home Security Tune-Up

The summer season is a great time to take on those home improvement projects you’ve been putting off since the beginning of the year. But if you’ve been spending more time at home this spring due to current events, you may have finished all the items on your list early. Here’s a new idea: Give your home security an annual tune-up. This is a simple project you can complete in a single weekend, and it’s well worth the time. Here’s what it involves.

Creating a household emergency plan.

If a there was a fire, break-in or major earthquake, would everyone in your family know what to do? By creating a household emergency plan, you can make sure they will. An emergency plan should include the:

Place the family will meet during the emergency.
Indoor and outdoor routes to get there safety.
Role and responsibility for each family member.
Ways to navigate any smoke, fire or hazards while escaping the home.

After creating the emergency plan, do a fewer practice runs to make sure everyone understands. This is an activity where both parents and children can learn together.

Enhancing your yard for home security.

The ideal weather makes right now the perfect time for landscaping. Fortunately, some of those outdoor chores can double as home security tune-up tasks.

Some to-do items include:

Adding a doorbell camera to capture all visitors, welcome and unwelcome.
Making sure your windows are impenetrable from the outside.
Examining your bushes and hedges to be sure intruders can’t hide behind them.

These are things you can do during your regular weekend landscaping routine, and they are every bit as rewarding as yard maintenance.

Assessing your home security technology.

As home security systems age, their technology becomes obsolete. If it’s been more than five years since your system was installed, it’s time to bring it up to date. In 2020, an efficient home security system should include:

24/7 alarm monitoring service from a dedicated, local central station.
Easy integration with other technologies, such as cameras and virtual assistant devices.
On-demand control from your smartphone, made possible by an easy-to-use mobile app.

This assessment should help you determine what needs to be updated or added onto your system. If you have questions about what’s possible, please feel free to give us a call.

These are some fast, effective ways to tune-up your home security this summer. To learn more about any of the technologies here, contact Post Alarm Systems. We will be glad to assist you.

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Safety Technology for Aging Loved Ones

Our parents and grandparents looked after our safety in our early years – and when they reach their golden years, it becomes our time to return the favor. Fortunately, there’s technology that makes it easier for us to continue watching over their safety when life gets busy. It’s the Wellness suite, a system that features products and services available to you right here at Post Alarm Systems.

During this time of widespread health concerns, Wellness can be the solution for adult children and grandchildren who are unable to be in the same home as their aging loved ones. Using Wellness to watch over the safety of Mom, Dad, Grandma or Grandpa can be the next best thing to staying home with them. The technology allows you to:

Check in on them any time of day via the Wellcam
Communicate with them via two-way audio
Receive alerts when there’s unusual activity
See and speak to them easily on the mobile app
Give up to 10 family members access to the account
Connect to bed sensors, chair sensors and medication boxes
View a daily highlight reel of their activity

And like a traditional medical alert system, Wellness includes a callout button for your loved one to reach help when it’s needed. But unlike those traditional systems, Wellness does not require your loved one to wear a pendant. That means more independence they can feel good about.

To discuss Wellness and other home security technology to help you watch over aging loved ones, call Post Alarm Systems today. We look forward to hearing from you.

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3 Ways to Keep Your Neighborhood Safer

For most homeowners, concerns about criminal activity don’t stop at the front door; they extend throughout the entire neighborhood. Maybe that’s why, according to a new home security poll, 55% of us watch each other’s homes when we travel. With that in mind, here are three ways to make your neighborhood a safer place for everyone.

1. Connect with your neighbors.

Getting to know your neighbors is a lost art, but your mutual safety goals can help bring you together. By connecting with those who live around you, you can build trusting relationships and work together to keep everyone safe.

Of course, it can be hard to connect with your neighbors in person. Consider using simple digital tools, like neighborhood Facebook groups and mobile apps. These platforms are great for sharing information and discussing any suspicious neighborhood activity.

2. Use electronic home security.

Electronic home security systems are major obstructions to burglars and thieves. Many of them check front yards for alarm signs and cameras – and if they can tell a system is installed, most will decide it’s not worth the risk. Now, imagine if everyone on your street had a home security system. Chances are, those would-be criminals would avoid your entire block. It’s another way neighbors can work together to keep everyone safe.

3. Add smart security cameras.

Many criminals operate by returning to the same neighborhoods over and over. If you and your neighbors have smart security cameras, you can be the key to capturing these repeat offenders in the act. Smart security cameras send video alerts to your phone; these are clips you can download and share via text, email or social media. Not only can you share them with your neighbors; you can also share them with your local law enforcement.

Following these steps can make a real difference in the place you and your neighbors call home. To learn more about keeping your neighborhood safe with electronic security technology, call Post Alarm Systems. We will be happy to answer your questions.

Making 2020 Memorable with Home Automation

September 17th, 2020

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Setting the Scene on Your Smartphone

Taking it to the Next Level

About Post Alarm Systems

A Smart Solution for Preventing Water Damage

September 17th, 2020

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Smart Water Valve + Meter

Automatic Flood Shutdown

Whole Home Water Protection

About Post Alarm Systems

Protection from Crash and Smash Break-Ins

September 17th, 2020

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How Crash and Smash Break-Ins Work

How Crash and Smash Protection Works

About Post Alarm Systems

Automating Your Day with Smart Scenes

September 17th, 2020

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The Wake Up Button

The Away Button

The Home Button

The Sleep Button

About Post Alarm Systems

Securing Your Business with Access Control During the Age of COVID-19

September 17th, 2020

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Categories

Unlock and Lock Your Business No Matter Where You Are

Always Know What’s Going on with Access Tracking and Alerts

Manage Your Access Control from Home

About Post Alarm – Your Local Home Security Company in Southern California

The Monitored Security System Difference

September 17th, 2020

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Categories

Following Your Instincts, Knowing Your Priorities

A New Feature for Smarter Security

About Post Alarm Systems

Home Alone: Keeping an Eye on the Kids While You’re at Work

September 17th, 2020

Share:

Categories

Alerts for Open Doors

Smart User Code Alerts

Smart Video Clips Let You See That They Made It Home Safely

About Post Alarm – Your Local Home Security Company in Southern California

Ideas for a Summer Home Security Tune-Up

September 17th, 2020

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Categories

Creating a household emergency plan.

Enhancing your yard for home security.

Assessing your home security technology.

About Post Alarm Systems

Safety Technology for Aging Loved Ones

September 17th, 2020

Share:

Categories

About Post Alarm Systems

3 Ways to Keep Your Neighborhood Safer

September 17th, 2020

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Categories

1. Connect with your neighbors.

2. Use electronic home security.

3. Add smart security cameras.

About Post Alarm Systems

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