Regina Police warns of a spree of garage break-ins this spring.

This article gives a few tips on preventing these break-ins.  If you have any questions about securing your home or garage, contact us at 306-757-8910.

Link below:

Regina Police warns of garage break-ins

Why you should do the math before you buy a security system from a door-to-door sales person.

Now that the weather is a little nicer out, you might have sales people coming to your door trying to sell you a security system.  It’s been a common practise for years now for some companies to market their systems going door to door.  While some people may find this to be a nuisance, other people don’t mind.  There are a few things to keep in mind however, when that fresh faced doorknocker shows up on your doorstep with promises of getting you the best and cheapest system on the market.

First, I would like to show you two graphics that tell a different story than the one you’ll hear on your doorstep. 

I recently heard from customers that have bought a system from a company going door to door.  They have signed a 5 year contract for a monthly fee of $52.00 per month.  This contract is binding and needs to be fulfilled, even if you decide you no longer need the monitoring.

By contrast, Swift Security sells the basic kit for $425.00 and the monitoring costs only $9.95 per month.  As you can see from the graph below, at the end of 5 years, you would have paid $1022.00 for your home security through Swift Security.  With the other company it would have ended up costing you $3120.00 by the time your contract was up.  That is more than THREE times as much!

Now if we compare the same basic system we install that has the GSM communicator built in for back-up monitoring in case the phone line is tampered with.  We supply this system for $545.00 and we monitor your alarm for $19.95 per month.  In this comparison, you would have paid $1742.00 over the course of 5 years with Swift Security.  The other company would have charged you $3120.00 over those 5 years.  Still almost TWICE as much!

Besides the obvious savings you would have in choosing a local company for your home security, there are also many other considerations.

1: Swift Security is a local business and we have staff on call 24/7 to assist you on the phone or to come out to your home.  Some companies only have sales people present in Regina during the summer months and no technical staff throughout the year.

2: We value our customers and the experience they have with us from sales to installation to service.  We do not use high pressure sales tactics to lock people into contracts for the sake of a quick dollar.  We are a proud member of the Regina business community and we will do our best to uphold our excellent reputation.

3: We do not require our customers to sign long-term contracts with auto renewal clauses.  We believe we will earn your continued business by treating you with respect and great service.

So while it is great that you realise that having a security system in your home will help you have more peace of mind, we urge you to consider all the options.  If you have just bought this system at the door and you are not sure whether you made the right decision, call us.  You may still have time to cancel the expensive contract you signed.  As long as you are within the cancellation period, you can change your mind.

TOP 5 reasons to install access control in your business

TOP 5 reasons to install access control in your business

More and more companies see the value in having an electronic access control system installed in their business.  We’ve listed 5 reasons to consider installing a system.

1: Reduce costs by eliminating changing locks.
When an employee leaves your organization and fails to return his keys, you may have to get all the locks replaced.
Compare that to having an electronic access control system where a simple click of the mouse will deny that person access to the building. You will also avoid the common problem of lost or stolen keys. Now, that will save you money!

2: Know who comes and goes in your building at all times
Your access control system allows you to easily run a report on individual card holders, access areas or a number of other variables. Some companies use these reports for their

time-and–attendance.

3: Keep certain parts of your building accessible to the public while securing other areas for employees only.
In many buildings there is a mix of daily traffic of public visitors and staff members. Your access control system will allow visitors to enter, but will keep them from going past restricted doors. No need to make your visitors feel unwelcome by overbearing security systems. Simply manage the flow of people in public and restricted areas easily with your access control system.

4: Protect crucial areas
Not everyone in your organization should have access to every area. With an access control system, you can program different levels of restricted access. Simply give your employees access to different areas according to their status and security clearance.
You will also have the ability to manage certain situations better. For example, an event could unfold that calls for a security lockdown or a security lockout. You can prepare for these situations by programming a scenario where only people with the highest level of security clearance can enter or exit the building.

5: Promote employee honesty
Not only does a card access system help you manage the security in your building, it will also serve as a deterrent for employee dishonesty and fraud. It’s hard to determine exactly how much of this behaviour you would prevent, but one thing is for certain, if you take away the opportunity, you’ll avoid some of the problems. And that alone may save your organization a lot of money.


If you would like to get a free consultation at your business to find out what our systems can do for you, give us a call at 306-757-8910.We install the Honeywell access control product line.  For more info on these products, you can visit their website http://www.honeywellaccess.com/ss/index.html

Why every home should have monitored smoke detectors installed.

In most places, it is code to have hardwired smoke detectors installed on every level in your new home.  This measure has saved many lives I’m sure.  There are still many homes out there that have no hardwired smoke detectors installed.  Many home owners rely on the battery operated smoke detectors you can pick up from the corner store.  These detectors work well, as long as you remember to change the batteries.  As an alternative for the battery operated smoke detectors or as an extra measure of safety, you could choose to install monitored smoke detectors.

What do you mean with a monitored smoke detector?

A monitored smoke detector is a smoke detector that is connected to your home security system.  The detector can be either hardwired or wireless.  This depends on what type of home security system you have.  When the detector is triggered, it not only sounds the buzzer in the detector and the siren, it will send a signal to the monitoring station.  The operator will then dispatch the fire department.

 Why should I have the monitored smoke detector installed?

If you have pets and a fire happens, there is a much bigger chance of them surviving the fire.  If a fire happens when you are not home, the fire department will be dispatched, even if no one hears the alarm.  The faster response to the fire will mean less damage to your home and your belongings.  The small investment you make in the monitored smoke detectors might one day save you a lot of money and heart ache.

What if I set off the smoke detector by accident?

Most security systems will have a delay time programmed between when the smoke detector triggers and when the signal is sent.  This way, you’ll have the time to clear the air and enter your code to stop the alarm signal from being transmitted.

So how do I avoid accidently setting off the smoke detector?

We’ve all been to those dinner parties where the host spends half the time cooking the meal and the other half waving towels at the smoke detectors.  Well, aside from the lack of cooking talent, your host probably shouldn’t have the smoke detector inside the kitchen.

THE TOP 7 ways to avoid false alarms with your smoke detectors

1: Location.  Your security installer should help you determine the best location for each smoke detector.  Keep them out of the kitchen where burning food and smoke can trigger them. 

2: Location.  The garage is not a good place for a smoke detector.  A monitored heat or heat-rise detector is a better fit.  They cost about the same to install and they work fine in dusty environments.

3: Location.  Alright, you get it.  The location is important.  One other location that often causes issues is outside the bathroom door in the hallway.  Steam from the shower can trigger the photoelectric smoke detectors.

4: Cover them for renovations.  When you are renovating in the area where the smoke detectors are installed, you will need to cover them with the plastic cover they come with or use painters tape to seal them up.  As long as you keep the detector protected from the dust in the air.

5: Keep the smoke detector clean.  Simply use the vacuum every now and then to clean the detector.  This will keep the detector from becoming too sensitive.

6: Let the monitoring station know if you are planning on changing the batteries in the wireless monitored smoke detectors.  Even though the signal that is sent when taking the detector off its base is a ‘tamper’ and not a fire signal, it is good practise to warn them anyway.

7:  Replace old detectors.  The useful life time of a smoke detector is about 8 years.  When you’ve had the smoke detector for that long it may be time to retire it.

I hope this post helped you realise the importance of monitored smoke detectors and how they can keep you and your family safe.  Feel free to post stories about this topic in the comment section.

Vivotek came out with an amzing new IP camera late last year.  It is so cool, I have to share it with you.  It is the FE8171V or the 3 megapixel 'fisheye' camera.  It captures a 360 degree view of the room when mounted on the ceiling or a 180 degree view when mounted on the wall. 
No more blind spots!

When you look at the image captured by the camera it is a really distorted view.  But, thanks to the software, you can divide the image in seperate viewing windows to see every corner of the room.

Here is a video that shows you how it works:

The camera features ePTZ, which allows you to select the area of interest and zoom in on it.  With the Vivotek app for iPhone and iPad, this becomes so easy, it's fun.

This camera takes the place of maybe 4 cameras to do the same job.  And if you compare this to an actual PTZ camera in the same environment, you actually have eyes everywhere at once, where the PTZ can only see one thing at a time. 

Here is a little tutorial someone made of how to view the camera on an iPad.  (Enjoy the free French lesson whil you're at it)

This camera is a great adittion to the Vivotek product line we offer.  For pricing and options, call us at 306-757-8910 or email us.

Welcome to Regina's Security Blog.  This is the first post of many to come. 
I am really passionate about our products and I like sharing the things I learn with everybody.

There are so many things to write about.  In the security industry, there are new products and new technologies being constatntly introduced.  Not everyone can stay on top of everything that's out there.

Well, we do, and we'll make sure if there is something you need to know about new technologies that you'll have a place to find out about it.
I also encourage anybody that has questions about security systems and the latest technologies, to ask us right here.  We may not have the answer for you right away, but we will find out.

I hope you enjoy our blog and thatnks for reading!
Dieter