by Tommy Smith | Mar 25, 2021 | HOME SECURITY TIPS
Now that you have secured your residence with a state-of-the-art KMT home security system. You saw the stats on how a security system can both deter and detect intruders, protect from fire, and alert homeowners to everything from leaking pipes to broken furnaces. You have researched security providers and found that KMT Systems is local, family-owned and operated, and highly experienced. You have seen that our mission is to carry on the tradition of integrity and quality service that was started in 2005 when KMT Systems was founded. You have come to rely on the convenience of your smart home security solution utilizing devices from industry-leading manufacturers.
What Now?
One of the many benefits of a home security system is that it’s largely independent and self-sustained. Once it’s programmed, it’s mostly a matter of setting the system when you’re not home or ready for bed. However, like any electrical appliance in your home, there are a handful of routine tasks you can perform to help extend the life and efficiency of your alarm system. By performing these tasks regularly, you can help to ensure your system protects and provides as well as it did on day 1.
Perform Regular Communication Test
Communication with a local monitoring center is the central role of a professional home security system. If the KMT Security Monitoring Center is not receiving your signals in an emergency, our operators will be unable to dispatch police, fire, or medical personnel to your location.
KMT Systems monitored customers have their systems programmed to send test signals to our Monitoring Center regularly. If we do not receive a signal at the appropriate time, our operators will call and let you know that there may be something going on with your system so we can find a way to fix it promptly. If you’re heading out of town for an extended period of time or just want to check the general health of your system, it doesn’t hurt to send a test signal yourself. Our team of operators in the Monitoring Center can work with you to put your system in a test mode, which allows you to send signals to them without alerting emergency services. By doing this, our operators can tell you if we’re receiving alarm signals from your system and you can see for yourself how quickly we receive them.
Your field devices – door contacts, motion sensors, and more communicate with the alarm panel as well and also need to be tested. If a glass break senses a shattered window, it sends a signal to the alarm panel, which sends a signal to our Monitoring Center. Therefore, it can also be beneficial to test the individual devices on your system as well. When calling our Monitoring Center and putting your account in test mode, you can go around your house and set off every device individually and check to make sure our operators receive the signal. Doing so ensures your system will function properly in the event of a real emergency and can help to prove your system is still functioning as it should.
Change Out Your Batteries
Newer home security systems often use wireless field devices for less invasive installations and more adaptable mounting options. Like all wireless devices, wireless security sensors run on batteries that need to be changed out every so often. While manufacturers estimate batteries to last three to five years in such devices, some devices that draw a lot of power or are sensing continuously may drain faster. Your KMT Security alarm panel will alert you when a battery in a device is nearing the end of its life cycle and, eventually, when the device has stopped communicating because the battery is dead.
Taking care of the battery issue ahead of time can save you from heartache in the future. What if you’re on vacation and you receive a call from the KMT Monitoring Center informing you that your front door contact is no longer communicating! While you may be able to get away with replacing batteries every few years, switching the batteries out regularly every year, low battery or no can help to prevent device communication loss from occurring down the line.
Sidenote: Changing out devices sends a signal to our Monitoring Center indicating that someone is tampering with your system. Be sure to call our operators before changing batteries out so they can put the system in test mode so we know to temporarily ignore these signals.
Checking For Wear and Tear
When you have changed out the batteries in your devices, it doesn’t hurt to inspect the state of the sensors themselves. Are they still mounted correctly? Are they dirty or dusty? Are they damaged in any way? If a device is looking worn for its wear, it might be time to have an KMT Systems technician out to repair or replace it. Your home’s security solution operates under the assumption that every device will function properly to provide proper coverage, and if even one device isn’t sensing properly or was damaged by environmental factors, it’s essential that the problem is addressed promptly.
Keep it Professional
Performing routine maintenance can go a long way in getting the most out of your security system. At the end of the day, the best way to maximize your system’s longevity is by entrusting routine maintenance to those you bestowed to install it. KMT Systems fields an entire team of preventative maintenance technicians whose job it is to inspect, test, and maintain both residential and commercial KMT security systems. Signing up for preventative maintenance ensures a visit from one of our technicians to check general communication, change out batteries as needed, and inspect your devices to determine if there are any repairs needed.
By investing in a KMT Security System, you’ve created an environment of safety and convenience for you and your family. Secure your investment with a maintenance plan by KMT Systems and years of security expertise help protect your household long into the future.
by Tommy Smith | Jan 21, 2021 | HOME SECURITY TIPS
One of the last things that anyone wants to go through is to return home and realize they have fallen victim to a burglary. It is devastating. It can be even worse if the act happens when you are home. If you were the victim of a burglary, would you know how to respond? How you react upon the initial discovery and following weeks can make a huge difference.
Stay Calm
As soon as you realize what has happened, you will likely experience a strong mixture of negative emotions such as fear, anger, and anxiety, and a hard spike of adrenaline. Your body WILL react to this acute degree of stress. As a response, your heart rate and blood pressure will elevate, and you will likely begin rapidly breathing. In short, you will begin to panic, and panic isn’t helpful in a moment like this. If possible, find a quiet, safe place to sit outside of your home. Relax your body and take a series of deep, slow breaths. Do not re-enter your home unless you are certain the burglar has already left.
Call The Police
Now that you have calmed down, you need to notify the authorities. The sooner you let the police know what happened, the sooner they will be on their way, and the better your chances will be to regain your stolen items. As time lapses, the burglar/s will be harder to catch, so getting the authorities on their trail immediately is essential. Follow any instructions you are given by the dispatcher or officer they connect you with.
Take Good Notes
If you were at home when the burglary occurred, or arrived while the burglars were still there, write down what you saw. Any descriptions can help. How tall they were, what their hair looked like, gender, age, race, and what they were wearing are all important physical descriptors. If you didn’t catch anyone in the act but maybe noticed some suspicious individuals around your neighborhood recently, that information can assist as well.
Do your best not to touch anything in your home. Officers will want to see the crime scene as undisturbed as possible. Altering anything may impede their investigation.
You should begin giving your home a thorough examination for any damages and stolen items. Take notes and pictures. Were any windows broken, or doors kicked in? Write it down and take a picture. What is missing? Write down a physical description of the missing item/s, what room the item was located in, and where in the room it was. If you have pictures of the missing objects, serial numbers for missing electronics, or any security camera footage of the burglars, provide it to the officers.
File An Insurance Claim
With a police report in hand, notify your insurance company. You will need to provide them with the report number, and several other pieces of information that are documented on the police report. Gather any receipts that are pertinent and have those handy, too. Your insurance company may send an adjuster to your home to assess the situation personally. If that happens, have copies of all of your paperwork ready. The insurance adjuster will probably take your evidence with him or her, but you should have a set of the information with you for your own records, too.
Reclaim Your Sense Of Security
One thing you are guaranteed to lose in any home invasion is your sense of security and safety in your home. It may be the most precious thing you lose. The good news is that you can get it back. If you haven’t invested in a home security system yet, now is the best time to do it. Burglars often target the same home more than once if they managed to get away cleanly the first time. A security system is the best tool for preventing, detecting, and catching a home invader. Security can make your home feel safe and secure again as well as prevent a repeat burglary. If you know how the intruder entered your home, take steps to reinforce security in that location. A stronger door, lock, or window can encourage a criminal to find a different target.
It’s always best to be proactive with the security of your home. Too many families wait until after they are the victim of a home invasion before taking the right steps to guard their home from intruders. Contact KMT Systems today and schedule a free home security consultation, and get the protection your home deserves!
by Tommy Smith | Oct 29, 2020 | HOME SECURITY TIPS
Family to visit, cards to send, gifts to buy, parties to attend – there is a lot going on this time of year. Most of us are juggling quite the to do list and it’s easy to get carried away and forget about the more mundane tasks. So here are a few security tips to keep your holidays merry and bright!
1. Don’t Let Packages Pile up on Your Porch.
If you have a porch full of packages that are left unattended it makes an easy target for porch pirates. Instead have your packages sent somewhere they can be received in person or even ask for them to be held at the post office for you.
2. Boxes Can be Billboards for Burglars.
You just got that new big screen TV hooked up and ready to go, so you drag that box outside to the curb for garbage pickup later that week. All these boxes piled up right outside your home can be a billboard for burglars. Don’t advertise all these new items, wait until the day of trash pick up to put the boxes.
3. Double Check Those Locks.
Burglars love it when we make things easy on them and leaving the door or window unlocked is an invitation to them. Even if you’re just going to be out for a few minutes make sure everything is locked up tight.
4. Keep Travel Plans Offline.
This is a big one, in the age of social media there’s nothing we all love more than sharing what’s going on in our life. It might seem harmless to post about a vacation you’re getting ready to go on and you might think you’re being careful, but you never know who is watching. By posting when you’re going away that gives burglars a time frame that they know no one will be home. Avoid this by waiting until you get back to post about your trip and share your photos.
5. Use Your Security System!
This may seem like a no brainer, but everyone gets comfortable and can let their guard down. You might think you live in a safe neighborhood and that your doors are locked so you can just leave the security system off so when you come home with an armful of gifts you don’t have to struggle. But your security system is the most proactive way to avoid being burglarized. And if you don’t have a security system now is the perfect time to get one, give yourself the gift of peace of mind. We custom design every system and work with you to get you exactly what you need and nothing that you don’t. Contact KMT Systems today to get a FREE quote!
by Tommy Smith | Oct 18, 2020 | HOME SECURITY TIPS
Make the most out of your time while at home! Here are some simple things you can be doing to make your home safer and family protected. Don’t wait for a burglary to happen before taking these steps. Always prepare for the unexpected.
Five Quick Steps to Reduce the Chance of Night-time Burglary
- Keep your home well-lit externally and internally.
- Get notified of motion on your front porch with a smart doorbell.
- Install a professionally monitored security system.
- Make sure your home’s landscape is well-kept.
- Ensure all your doors and windows are securely locked.
Become an expert on your home’s security as we explain each step on defending your home.
The dark doesn’t have to be scary when you know your home is professionally protected. Call our team today at (770) 284-3144, or schedule a conversation about your home’s security now!
1. Well-Lit Homes Are Not Ideal for Burglars
Installing motion lights can be a simple part-time solution when preventing night-time break-ins. A home without proper lighting can become a target for burglars to hide and sneak throughout neighborhoods.
- Motion lights not only alert you, as a homeowner, that something is moving outside but they may also expose criminals and encourage them to flee.
- For convenience and safety, have your lights connected to your security system! With today’s technology, you can control your entire home on your phone! Set schedules for your lights to turn on and off while you maximize energy savings with KMT Systems.
- The “part-time” solution means that this tip should not be the only step you take toward a safer home. Instead, adding motion sensor lights should be an additional piece of security and safety.
2. Smart Doorbells
A video doorbell camera is a step beyond a traditional lock and doorbell as it allows you to see who is at your door before opening.
- Never have to open your door to a stranger–night or day! A smart doorbell allows you to interact with the person at your door without ever unlocking your door.
- Pretend you are home when you are not. On vacation or at work? You will still get notifications when someone arrives at your door and rings the doorbell. With the two-way communication, you can interact with the person at your doorstep without being home!
- Motion sensors just got better! If someone is on your porch and doesn’t ring your doorbell, you can still check in! Did your package come in? Simply get notified when movement is detected near your front door!
3. Professionally Monitored vs. Unmonitored Security Systems
Firstly, un-monitored systems will not provide the same level of protection for your home. Even when your system links with your smartphone, there can be times when you may not be in a position to do anything as an alarm goes off.
With a professionally monitored system, your home is protected 24/7 with no days off! Leaving the monitoring to professionals may give you the additional peace of mind that you need. The main benefit is when the system detects a break-in, fire, or other emergency, it notifies the professional operators and emergency respondents immediately.
4. How Landscaping Can Reinforce Security
By simply minimizing hiding spots for burglars, you are already one step closer to maximizing your security.
A home’s landscape is usually the first line of defense when coming to security. Ask yourself these questions when thinking about your landscape security defense lineup…
- Can someone walk up to your door without making a peep? Try eliminating ways to silently walk near your house. Instead of using mulch, use gravel so intruders cannot walk up to your home without a sound.
- Are your windows easily accessible? Edges of leaves that have thorns and spines can help protect windows. With a KMT Security System, each window can have a sensor to alert you when any has been opened.
- Where could someone hide outside? Cleaner, more open areas give burglars fewer places to hide. Try eliminating areas that are potential hiding spots around your home.
5. Keep Your Doors and Windows Locked
Always lock your doors while you are home or away!
Forgetting to lock doors is an easy mistake. Would it help if you were notified as you left your home to lock your doors and arm your security system? KMT Systems has remote technology that can alert you when you make an easy mistake! Make sure your doors are locked, lights are scheduled to turn on, garage door closed and the system is armed– all from your smartphone!
by Tommy Smith | Aug 29, 2020 | HOME SECURITY TIPS
When most people think of a home burglary, they generally imagine that the crime happens in the middle of night. In this scenario, they often visualize a stealthy criminal or team of criminals sneaking into a home and quietly placing items into large duffel bags before making their exit.
They do this without waking the family or alerting the neighbors to what they are doing, and they escape before the break of dawn.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Burglaries Don’t Happen Like They Do in Movies
Midnight break-ins are commonplace on tv and movies, real-life burglars behave quite differently. In reality most burglaries happen between 10am and 3pm because robbers want to gain entry to the home while no one is in the home. Entering an empty home means they can get away with making louder noises and have a lower chance of being caught.
With the kids at school and the parents at work, late morning and early afternoon is the perfect time for somebody to try to rummage through a home and take any valuables they can find.
Criminals always go for the most expensive, small items that are easily accessible on tables or countertops or in drawers. Laptops, tablets, jewelry, firearms, and cash are the prime targets of a home robbery, along with anything else which has high resale value.
Know Your Neighbors
Knowing when a robbery is most likely to happen makes it easier to plan ways to prevent a robbery. Having a neighborhood watch designed to keep tabs on houses is a good way to ensure that everyone is invested in protecting the community from crime.
Having engaged neighbors in general is important to securing the area. If your next-door neighbor knows you’re not expecting anyone to come by your house to do work on anything, they’ll be able to prevent a fake moving company or plumber from slipping into your home and making off with your valuables.
What Time of the Year Are Burglaries Most Likely to Happen?
Take steps to prevent break ins especially during the summer months, as this is when break-ins reach their annual peak. Families leave town for vacations, their homes become easy targets. A criminal knowing they have all day or night to rob a home is a criminal that’s confident they can take whatever they want without fear of being caught.
Summer is the season with the highest crime rate, so if you’re worried about something happening to your home while you’re away, there are plenty of different ways to secure it.
Installing a Video Doorbell
Installing a video camera doorbell is one of the newest ways to protect your home from thieves. These systems usually will allow you to lock your home up remotely and also include an app that lets you watch the camera on your phone or tablet while you’re away from your house.
If you are worried about a thief trying to take that package you’ve been waiting for, you can turn the phone on around the time the package is supposed to be delivered and keep track of the package until you’re home. If anything happens, you can alert the police quickly before the thief has much time to make their getaway.
These systems can also allow you to check the door when somebody unexpected arrives at your home and you can see if it’s just a friend coming by for a surprise visit or a stranger who you want nothing to do with. If they get pushy about things, you can call the cops on them without having to engage with them face to face.
Benefits of a Home Security System
If you’re looking into getting a home security system, you should do some research into exactly what kind of system you want and what will work for your family. If you have young children, consider how they may interact with the system. For instance, young children may not understand the system and may be unable to enter in the security codes should they accidentally arm the alarm.
The best security system accommodates the needs of your family and protects them without creating additional issues that could lead to false alarms or require frequent battery changes. Talk to the different security companies to see exactly what sorts of systems they can offer you and what are the price ranges for those systems.
Also ask if the security company has an app for the smartphone that you can use to arm and disarm the system should a family member set it off and call you in a panic.
This will allow you to fix things before the police need to be alerted to the situation, saving you from costly fines for false alarms.
Home Security on a Budget
If these options are too expensive for you, a simple lockbox or small hidden safe might be more than enough to keep a criminal from stealing the things you’re trying to protect. Making sure your windows are always secured and that you have working deadbolt locks on your doors may be more than enough to protect your home.
The average age of a criminal who commits a home burglary is 25, and usually they don’t plan out what they are doing. Therefore, offering up a solid bit of resistance may be enough to encourage them to give up and leave.
To learn more about security systems for your home or business, talk to an KMT Systems Customer Representative at (770) 284-3144
by Tommy Smith | Aug 27, 2020 | HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS, HOME SECURITY TIPS
Home security systems are a proven deterrent against burglary and have helped save countless lives from fire and other emergencies when professionally monitored. Millions of people have experienced the benefits of having a professionally-installed home security system, but there are many more who still view security systems as expensive, unnecessary, or inadequate. With KMT Systems being Atlanta’s foremost security provider, we’ve taken the time to dispel several of the most common misconceptions about home security systems to show you how they can help to secure both your home and your family.
I don’t have anything worth protecting.
Many homeowners don’t believe they’ve accumulated enough “stuff” to warrant investing in a security system, but burglars aren’t always after the plasma screens and family jewels. Guns and prescription pills are some of the highest-targeted goods because they are easy to move on the street at a high value. Even then, most people own electronics of some sort – televisions, computers, phones—or personal documents that are also targeted by thieves. The average cost of a burglary is $2,251 per incident, but the psychological cost or long-term damage can be much higher.
Additionally, the most valuable thing you stand to lose is your life. Protecting yourself and your family from home invasion, fire, carbon monoxide poisoning, and the like is well worth the investment in a 24/7-monitored home security system.
Home security systems are too expensive.
If this were the 1960s, you might have a point. Technology has advanced so much in the last few decades that a reliable, high-quality, professionally-installed home security system can be purchased for only a few hundred dollars. Professional monitoring of said system can be purchased for the price of a night of take-out for the family per month. Again, it’s a worthwhile investment when considering what a burglary or home fire would cost you.
I already have a security system—my dog.
Dogs can certainly act as a deterrent to home invaders, but a barking dog isn’t going to do much to stop a burglar whose mind is made up. Most home burglaries occur during the day, so a barking dog is likely to be ignored by neighbors who hear the same dog barking at the mailman or passersby daily. In the event of a home invasion, most dogs nowadays are family dogs who are socialized not to jump on people entering the house. They are easily swayed by treats or some small amount of attention. If a dog does act aggressively toward a burglar, the sad truth is the dog is likely to be harmed or worse in the process of the burglary. What’s more, no matter what Lassie may have led you to believe, the odds are your Pomeranian will not be able to rescue you if your home goes up in flames. Especially if you consider your dog a part of your family, your pup deserves the same protection afforded to the rest of your household.
Your pet is a valued member of your family, but perhaps not the best source of security.
I have pets, so a security system won’t work for me.
If you own Marmaduke or a small elephant, a security system might not be for you. For the rest of us, there are pet-friendly motion sensors whose sensitivity can be adjusted to ignore the movement of small- to medium-sized pets whose sensitivity can be adjusted. It’s just one benefit of professional installation—a custom-engineered solution to fit your (and your pet’s!) needs.
I can just put a security system up myself.
One piece of advice: don’t. Firstly, the “latest and greatest” do-it-yourself (DIY) devices aren’t made to the same standards as those made by professional security vendors. When you hear about home security devices being hacked, it is almost always a DIY device. Even if DIY devices were of higher quality, designing a security system for any building requires thorough training and an understanding of the capacities and limitations of every single device going into the house. Even basic considerations such as device placement can affect the overall functionality of a home security system. Professional security providers have a wealth of experience and training in system engineering and installment that most well-intentioned DIYers have never received. In short, something as vital as securing your property and family is better left to the professionals.
Modern “smart home” security systems are easily hackable.
There’s been a lot of noise in the media about the deficiencies of homes that utilize the internet to connect their devices. Namely, how someone with malicious intent can hack into various devices and control their security system or even communicate with those inside the house. These concerns are valid, but a quick look at these incidents reveals they occurred on DIY systems. Professional security providers use sophisticated, highly-rated control panels and devices that utilize security protocols such as high-level encryption to protect homes from hacking. Making sure to password-protect your home Wi-Fi, another major risk factor should help to cover the rest of the bases. Something a professional security provider is likely to tell you during installation. If you’re willing to spend money on a DIY system that contains security deficiencies, it’s spending the small amount more to have a professional put in high-quality devices.
Professionally-installed smart home systems are far more secure than the problematic “DIY” solutions flooding the market.
Can’t an experienced burglar just cut my phone line, rendering my system useless?
While an uncommon occurrence, this is technically possible on dated plain-old-telephone-service (POTS) lines and systems that use them. Most telephone service providers are turning away from copper phone lines as it is and turning to voice-over-IP (VOIP) lines that are incompatible with most security systems. Forward-thinking security providers such as KMT Systems have turned away from installing phone line-dependent systems in homes and now almost exclusively install home security systems that utilize cellular and internet communication. With these cellular communication devices, there is no phone line to cut, making home security systems more reliable than ever.
I live in a nice neighborhood. I’ll just lock my doors.
Believe it or not, the more affluent neighborhoods can be targeted the most frequently. It’s a simple calculation of risk/reward on the part of the prospective burglar: what house is more likely to have goods of the most value to me? The very mentality of “my neighborhood is nice enough” actually encourages burglars to target these “nice” neighborhoods with more frequency. If you think your neighborhood will be targeted by burglars, you’re more likely to get a security system, and smart burglars understand that. Also, considering the fact that most home burglaries occur by simply breaking in the front door, a normal door lock isn’t likely to cut it.
The KMT Advantage
As you can see, home security systems are safer, more advanced, and more affordable than ever before. If you’re interested in finding out what a professional-grade security system has to offer you and yours in terms of protection, look no further than KMT Systems. KMT has been securing Georgia homes for 15 years and uses that experience to customize security solutions to fit your individual needs.
To learn more about purchasing a security system for your home, talk to an KMT Systems Customer Representative at (770) 284-3144
