The “Com-Test” or otherwise known as the communication test is an essential tool for you the customer with regards to your security service. This allows you to test your panels communication with the central station without any siren’s, buzzers or Officer’s coming to your door. You would want to use this tool every time you have work done on your home such as phone line work, electrical work, or even just changing phone companies. You may have noticed that our office will sometimes attempt to contact you regarding a test of your system once a month. By performing this “Com-Test” you will have already tested the system and not need to do any work during such a call. Also this test will clear some of the errors you get when you get trouble beeps. –Dom Shelton
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The Importance of Fire Inspections for your Business
Protecting employees, customers and property from the devastation of a fire is not on the moral obligation of a business owner, but it’s a requirement of the law. Failure to properly inspect your fire systems on a routine basis can lead to failures in the system, resulting in devastating losses for your business and potential fees and legal action from your local government. Its important to hire a professional inspector who not only understands the law, but also how to properly install and maintain the highest quality fire protection equipment in the optimal way for you location.
It’s the Law
In order to ensure that your fire alarm system is working properly it is required to be tested and inspected by a licensed fire alarm inspection company. This is required by law and should be performed at least once a year. Licensed inspectors will perform the required testing and inspection, provide a detailed inspection report, and can perform repairs on any noted deficiencies.
Most jurisdictions require at minimum an annual inspection by a licensed, certified fire inspector. Fire laws vary from state to state. In Arizona businesses are governed by state and local municipal fire codes and require fire inspections at least once per year and always when starting new construction projects or major renovations.
Failure to comply with the state and local codes to inspect your business properly can result in work freezes that can shut down your construction project or freeze your business activates. This along with fines for lack of compliance can cripple your ability to do business.
Legal information pertaining to your business can be obtained by visiting the websites for local, state and county fire marshals office. Projects and businesses operating at the federal level may also be subject to federal fire laws and codes.
Hiring a licensed fire inspection company is the best way to insure you are complying with all the applicable laws and is often required.
It’s the Right thing to Do
Protecting the safety of your employees, your property and assets is always the main objective of a fire inspection. Small problems can quickly lead to giant ones in a fire protection system and a fire is unforgiving event often resulting in great damage if the right systems are not functioning to prevent it and monitor for it. A yearly fire inspection is a great way to identify possible trouble areas.
Often basic code compliance does not mean optimal fire protection. Hiring a licensed fire inspector will also give you insight into how your system is functioning and what areas need work or improvement and can guide you in actions you can take to prevent problems with your systems, such as preventive maintenance for your fire system.
Learn More About Testing & Inspection
Combine Home Automation and Home Security
Technology has advanced greatly in the last few decades. We now have phones that are more powerful and more useful than a desktop computer was only a decade ago, cars that park themselves, and cloud systems to store, and share the moments that make our lives.
Shouldn’t your home security system be more advanced and useful too?
Most security companies offer discount systems based on out of date technology. Often requiring land line telephones, hard wired sensors and cameras that are dependent on outdated technology and simply don’t work as well as they should.
At Titan Alarm we believe in advancing home security to keep pace with new technologies. Our systems combine the most advanced wireless monitoring devices, two way communication, video verification, motion and break detection with the latest software, smartphone access and control application to secure your home in the most advanced and cost effective way possible. But we didn’t stop there. We believe your security system should offer the more useful features for your life. That’s why we have combined home security with home automation to create cost effective ways to automate your life while protecting your home and family.
Home Security
We believe first in foremost in protecting what matters most, you, your home and family. Our systems offer 24/7 Emergency response, to breaking, fires, co2 and more. Titan Alarm’s systems are tamper resistant and based on cellular technology so they don’t rely on being plugged into a phone line to work. Our systems offer real time alerts, even when the system is disarmed and are fully controlled via an elegant and easy to use mobile app.
Energy Management
We have combined our home security panel with energy management technology that interfaces wirelessly with your thermostat to create cost and energy savings in your home and business. Our system will automatically adjust your homes temperature based on your settings. We combine location services of your smart phone to know when you leave which can trigger the alarm to be set and you’re your thermostat to automatically adjust to create cost savings. On a hot summer day theres no need to waste money in the heat of the day cooling an empty home, our system will detect that no one is home and automatically adjust the thermostat to save money, then using your cell phones location our system will automatically begin cooling your home when you are a preset distance away ensuring that your home will be cool and ready on your arrival
Seamless Integration
We connect the key devices in your home seamlessly to create intelligent home automation control that is not available from out of the box automation solutions. Our systems can lock and unlock your doors, control your garage doors, solar systems, turn on and off lights and plugged in appliances, monitor water usage, energy usage and more, all from a sophisticated mobile app.
By combining security and home automation, our software can adaptively learn to serve your needs. A connected home is more than turning off lights and locking doors, we combine all the data from all devices to create a system of connected devices that all work together to serve your needs, lower energy costs and secure your home and creating a system that adapts to your needs.
Best of all everything updates and configures automatically, we make things easier for you while saving you money and securing your home. Titan Alarm’s security and automation systems are priced similar to most alarm companies basic security packages but offer more than you can dream of. Take the next step in creating a home that protects and serves your family, contact a Titan Alarm representative today.
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Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.
How to Prevent Copper Theft
Copper theft is growing problem facing businesses and home owners in Phoenix and surrounding areas. Since 2008 copper and other metal thefts have risen every year and accounted for billions of dollars in losses across the nation. In 2012 over 10,000 residences in Arizona filed insurance claims for copper theft. With continued high prices for copper and other metals sold as scrap and legislation proving ineffective its important for residents and business owners to take steps to protect their home and businesses from metal theft.
Copper and metal thieves target any exposed metal on your property. Recently thieves went as far to steal copper from electrical poles around Tempe town lake. Often thieves target roof top HVAC systems, electrical conduits, utility boxes, exposed plumbing and other hard to see areas. Because metal is nearly impossible to trace, thieves are able to sell the stolen metal for scrap.
Fortunately there are ways to protect your home and business and prevent copper theft.
Video Surveillance and Monitoring
One of the most effective ways to catch a copper thief is to install a video surveillance and monitored alarm system. However all systems are not created equal. Most traditional CCTV systems sold by most alarm companies are hardwired and rely on using the video after the crime has occurred to identify the suspects.
This is often not effective and results in few arrests and does not prevent the crime from occurring. Because traditional CCTV systems are hardwired, and copper theft often involves cutting and stealing electrical and video wire, security systems are often rendered unoperational and ineffective during the copper theft.
Titan Alarm has worked with leading industry companies developed systems to prevent copper theft by catching the thieves in the act or before the crime is committed. Our systems combine wireless motion detector with video IP video cameras that capture and identify movement using sophisticated software, triggering video monitoring, day or night, and alerting our central monitoring station which will verify the video and dispatch authorities up to 90% faster than traditional systems.
Our systems are wireless and discreet, to the average person they don’t appear like a video camera and operate over cellular service, so even if the camera itself is stolen it will still continue to send video and location information. Resulting in more arrests.
Video Verification
Traditional security often trigger false alarms, and because of this many jurisdictions require verification to receive a priority response from law enforcement. A verified alarm triggers a priority response from police allowing them to arrive in time to stop damage or theft of your property. Titan Alarm has partnered with leading security companies to offer video verification of alarm events.
Our systems capture video once a senor is activated, the video can quickly be verified as a real event and dispatch police within seconds. The differences in response times is often dramatic making video verification a must for companies that are serious about protecting livelihood. In Phoenix Arizona an unverified alarm had an average response time of up to two hours, a Titan Verified video alarm has an average response time of 5min 13sec. Allowing ample time for the police to arrive and stop the theft before its complete.
Other Steps to Preventing Copper Theft:
Often access to the job site, facility or residence is what allows copper theft to occur. Securing your properties perimeter is important to preventing copper theft.
Using motion detectors and IP video surveillance and verified alarm systems combined with managed access controls on all gates, doors and ladders is a good way to protect your property. Access control systems for gates, doors and entrances allows your employees, family and friends to have access to your property while stopping all others.
Our advanced software based systems can identify intruders and detect whether the motion that triggered the alarm was actually an intruder or was an animal or other non threatening motion. By using smart software along with video verification you can ensure the quickest response time and fewer false alarms.
Speak with a Security Consultant.
Like most things, if you are serious about doing it right, its best to speak with an expert. At Titan Alarm we have decades of experience preventing theft. We employ only the top experts in the field, with back grounds in security, law enforcement and technology. Our security experts will work with you to create a cost effective and highly effective system to ensure the safety or your property and investment.
Learn More About Access Control
Home Security In Phoenix With Titan Access Controls
Home security is a key concern in Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. The suburbs of Phoenix area wonderful, sunny place, and a great place to raise kids for the most part, but isn’t a 100% rosy place. There is a dark side as well. Many people don’t know that Phoenix is the kidnapping capital of the United States, and possibly the world. Mostly illegal immigrants are kidnapped and forced into effective slavery here, on this highway from Mexico to the rest of the United States.
Some areas of the city are more susceptible than others to this type of dangerous activity, and such neighborhoods tend to experience higher than typical crimes of other nature as well. South Phoenix and Maryvale in west Phoenix are particularly notorious for being dangerous neighborhoods, although crimes such as murder, rape and robber can happen anywhere (and in any city for that matter).
In these neighborhoods in particular, home security is paramount. In many areas in Phoenix, homes might have bars on the windows to keep out intruders, although this might not be the most effective strategy. The best way to deter a burglar is to make the house as unattractive as possible from a theft standpoint, and to make it difficult to break into unnoticed at the same time. The key here is “unnoticed” as any modern house can be entered without a key quite easily. Thus a burglar’s main concern isn’t about getting in per se, but about doing so and getting away with it.
Install heavy duty locks on the doors, complete with deadbolts. A simple latch can be opened easily, even for someone with minimal experience, and a credit card or other thin, flexible object. Deadbolts require much more equipment, time or brute force to break in to, and their existence may simply cause a potential thief to shop elsewhere.
Security bars on windows are a debated line of defense. They do make it much harder for someone to get in. Obviously glass is not difficult to get through – a rock or a kick will shatter glass, either enabling direct access through that window, or allowing a latch to be opened, through the broken opening. Bars prevent direct entry. However, bars on a window can be a drawback for two reasons. One is that bars advertise to the neighborhood that the homeowner is concerned about security. If someone is overly concerned about security, a burglar might wonder why, and consider the home to be a more attractive target. This is the opposite of what a homeowner wants. The second drawback for window bars is that they cannot often be opened from the inside. In case of a fire, that window cannot easily be used to escape the building.
Some window bar systems have breakaway releases that are access near the window inside the building but which cannot be reached from outside. These are much safer in fires, but still might be difficult to release for panicked occupants.
The best option is a security system by Titan Alarm. Our systems offer comprehensive monitoring solutions, including remote access control, text-based notifications, and climate control monitoring. With a Titan System, you will always know your Phoenix home is secure.
Learn More About Home Access Control
Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.
Titan Security Solutions for Phoenix Security
Titan Alarm is the best choice for your Phoenix security needs, for a few reasons. We’re locally owned and operated, so you know that our systems are tailored specifically for your needs, and you know we’re not pre-occupied halfway across the nation. We provide security to primarily the Phoenix area, with a few other locations around Arizona and the Southwest.
Our state of the art systems do much more than simply scaring off burglars. Via text, you’ll receive instant notifications and updates about your system. You’ll know the second it goes off, and will know which doors and windows have been compromised. Our systems also let you know if the power has gone out in the rest of the neighborhood if the power is out to your house. This makes a big difference, since a neighborhood power outage is most likely benign.
Titan Security Solutions have features beyond security. Our systems integrate with the thermostat in your home to keep the interior at the perfect temperature. This helps you save money, since the climate system can keep the temperature closer to the outside when the house is empty. For example, in summer, Phoenix is incredibly hot and the need for air conditioning makes the electric bill skyrocket. With Titan’s intelligent climate control system, the thermostat can be kept higher during the day when the rates and temperature are high, but no one is home to need cool rooms anyway.
Our great Phoenix solutions are ideal for your home. Everything is controlled by one central device, helping you live more cheaply, safely and happily.
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Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.
The Best Line of Home Security
Most people in populated areas keep their doors locked at night and when they are away from the house. These practices are a great first line of defense, and certainly prevent the laughably easy tactic of simply walking in and walking out with valuables. However, for anyone with a little skill and a little time, home locks are stupidly easy, and relatively useless for providing actual protecting.
As any locksmith can tell you, picking a lock is actually quite easy. Tools are easy to make – a piece of hard wire such as an old bicycle spoke filed to the proper shape and perhaps an old bristle from a street sweeper that you can find just lying in the street will often do the trick. And while they are illegal in many jurisdictions, buying such tools is anything but impossible, thanks to the internet.
You might think, “OK, thieves might easily get in, but I’ll just keep my valuables in a heavy safe.” This is a great idea, except that safes aren’t as safe as you think. It’s a lot harder to get into a safe than a home, due to the specialized combination locks that are designed to be pick-resistant, but trusting the weight of a safe to prevent someone carrying it off is silly. You were able to get the safe into the house – a thief can get it out. Most of them plan for this and bring a dolly, which makes the process relatively straightforward and simple.
Bolting a safe down makes it much harder to remove, especially if the bolts are welded into place. But even a bolted-down safe can be moved with the proper equipment. Again, if it was built, it can be dismantled; if it was moved in, it can be moved out. So, with this uncertainty, is there no way to properly defend against determined thieves?
One line of defense that has a very low likelihood of being defeated, while simultaneously not breaking the bank, is a Titan Phoenix security system. Titan systems utilize a multi-tiered defense configuration. The first line of defense is a sensitive alarm network. All doors and windows use a high-tech magnetic system to determine which zones are being breached. Motion detectors within the house ensure that in the weird case of someone entering through some opening that is not a door or window (or in the more plausible case of a window being left open when the alarm is armed), the alarm will still sound. All of these alerts and alarms are synched with the owner’s mobile device. Unlike early alarm systems that simply sounded a tone in the home, but did nothing to actually alert anyone, Titan’s systems ensure that you’ll know immediately when defenses are breached.
Finally, a closed circuit camera system, also synched with your mobile device, means that you can monitor your home in real time from a remote location. And with a direct link to the police department even if you’re unable to see the notifications, the system will spread the alarm automatically, in the event of a break-in.
Learn More About Home Security
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Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.
Guarding Against Home Invasion in Phoenix
Home security in Phoenix,az is a growing concern. Hundreds of homes are broken into in the Phoenix area every year, and the frequency really has nothing to do with the neighborhood. While you’re probably more likely to be murdered in some Phoenix neighborhoods than others, home invasion is surprisingly widely distributed. This is because “bad” neighborhoods are often poorer, and while the people who are interested in breaking in live in the area, the homes themselves are not high-value targets. By contrast, “good” neighborhoods house people who are less likely to break in, but the homes are more prominent targets. Probably the most prevalent break in activity occurs near the junctions of affluent and poor neighborhoods.
To prevent against home invasion in Phoenix, there are several strategies. One is common sense. Get good locks and deadbolts for the doors and windows. Don’t leave the house with things unlocked. Keep bushes and trees trimmed up and away from the home, to ensure clear lines of sight from the street to the house. Talk to the neighbors and get to know them, and get another set of eyes watching your house.
The second strategy is getting a dog. A lot of people are afraid of dogs, especially big ones, and so assume that a dog will keep the house safe. However, most dogs, unless they are specifically trained, can be won over by a burglar and do little more than create noise (which may be enough to make a burglar nervous).
The best line of defense is a security system by Titan Alarm. Securing homes in the Phoenix area Titan is a local company specializing in all things home automation. While some home alarm systems simply make noise, and then call the police and the home owner after a minute or two, Titan’s systems allow for a more comprehensive real-time home monitoring system. Sensors combined with cameras mean that when your home is entered, you’ll know immediately.
This real time monitoring system isn’t just for keeping burglars out and valuables in; it’s also a great way to keep your interior climate control easily at hand. Titan’s systems work on a timer or remote activation, so that you’ll save money on your electric bill. In this way, we work with you to provide a comprehensive system that protects from multiple angles.
Learn More About Keeping Burglars out of Your Home
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Updated by Titan Alarm on October 31, 2018.
Protecting Your Glendale Home
Home safety in Glendale is a matter of avoiding some common pitfalls in home decoration and security. In order to stay safe in your home, keep the doors locked. Many crimes are crimes of opportunity. Perhaps someone comes to the door for some other reason, such as to deliver a package or solicit some product or service. If the door is open, maybe he or she will decide to just walk in and take something. The crime wasn’t thought out beforehand, but because the homeowner made it so easy, the crime happened. It might have been easily prevented by simply locking the doors. Titan Alarm allows you to remotely lock doors that may have been forgotten in a rush, and to check the status of your home at any time.
Windows should also be kept locked. Imagine if you ever got accidentally locked out of the house. Probably the first thing you’d do would be to check for an unlocked window in order to get back in. That’s what burglars think of too. It’s incredibly easy to just slide a window open and get inside. Even most screens can be removed intact and replaced later, leaving no sign of entry or exit (and those that can’t still don’t provide any protection whatsoever).
The third line of defense is a good landscaping scheme. If you maintain clear lines of sight between your front door and the street, it will be easy for neighbors to spot any suspicious activity. Furthermore, actually going next door and meeting the neighbors can be a great way to enlist them in defense of your home. Many people in modern America don’t bother to befriend their neighbors, and their home safety suffers for it.
Finally, a quality alarm system is essential for monitoring the status of your home and dealing with any possible situations as they arise. Titan’s Security Suite does much more than simply sounding an alarm if a door is opened. We offer comprehensive home management systems. From your smartphone, in a remote location, you’ll be able to handle any security threats. View home activity in real-time via the HD 100 security camera. Check status of locks and alarms, and unlock doors and disarm alarms to let visitors in while you’re away. A feature not related to security offered by the home management system is climate control. Use the remote access login to adjust the thermostat so that your home doesn’t waste energy when you’re gone but returns to a balmy, comfortable temperature when you return.
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Updated by Titan Alarm on November 5, 2018.
