What if it happens to you?

Did you know that there were an estimated 2.3 million burglary offenses nationwide in 1998? The Department of Justice recently released an alarming report that one out of every four homes will be subject to serious crimes within the next 10 years. Over the next twenty years the numbers were projected to worsen: one out of every 3 homes can expect to experience a serious crime and/or burglary.

More than two million Americans a year are victims of burglaries, rapes, murders, and violent assaults. One of the more sinister trends in crime that criminologists and law enforcement officials are studying is the rapid rise in "home invasions." During a home invasion family members are taken hostage in their own home to be assaulted and victimized by aptly named "sexual predators."

• Every 10 seconds a burglar breaks into a home, apartment, or condomin
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• Over one-half of all burglaries happen during the daytime!
  
  
• Nationally, people who rent homes experience higher rate of burglary than those who own their home (48.9 per 1,000 households in 2000).
  
  
• Two out of every three burglaries are residential in nature.
  
  
• In the metropolitan areas, the burglary rate was 900 offenses per 100,000 in population; in the cities outside metropolitan areas, 885; in the rural counties 597 in 1998.
  
  
• Urban residences (46.2) have a higher burglary rate than suburban (27.1) or rural homes (32.6) per 1,000 households (in 2000).
  
  
• In 1998, there was an estimated $3.1 billion in losses for burglary victims. Average dollar loss per burglary, $1,343.
  
  
• In 1998, 65% of burglaries involved forced entry. 28% were unlawful entries (without force) and the remaining 7% were forcible entry attempts.
  
  
• More than 50% of all felony murders occur during a burglary or robbery.
  
  
• Justice Department statistics state that approximately 60% of all rapes and 30% of all aggravated assaults occur during break-ins.*

Much of the rise in criminal activity related to burglaries and home break-ins has been attributed to the growing drug problem. Increasingly, juveniles have become addicted to crack cocaine, heroin, and other new generation (and extremely addictive) drugs. After becoming addicted many must steal anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 worth of household items each and every day in order to support their drug habit. This need turns them into volatile, unstable, and dangerous full time burglars.

What if it happens to you?

For this reason law enforcement professionals warn never to confront any burglar should you discover one in your home. Otherwise, what may have been a simple burglary may very easily turn into a violent assault, or worse. It is advised that if you happen to wake up at night or come home to find a burglar present, again, do not try to stop him from stealing; and don't panic. Either leave the home quietly or lock your bedroom door and call "911" for help. As soon as the burglar gets what he wants he will usually leave. Experienced burglars can be in and out of your home in under 10 minutes.

* Uniform Crime Report, 1994, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Does A Security System Really Make a Significant Difference?

There is an overwhelming preponderance of evidence that a properly installed, high quality, professionally monitored security system can be a major deterrent to burglars and other criminal types. Insurance companies have known this for years. The mere presence of a security system is so effective against household losses due to burglars that most insurance companies routinely offer up to a 20% discount to policy owners who install security systems.
According to Simon Hakim of Temple University, homes without security systems are about 3 times more likely to be broken into than homes with security systems. (Actual statistic ranges from 2.3 times to 3.1 times, depending on the value of the home.)
FBI studies have shown that a home equipped with a professionally monitored security system is fifteen times less likely to be burglarized. It has been demonstrated that the simple presence of a security yard sign prominently posted on a homeowner's property is enough to deter 80% of the would be intruders or burglars.
Conversely, depending on the crime activity in a neighborhood, homes without a security company yard sign are as much as 15 (fifteen) times more likely to be burglarized and victimized than surrounding homes that display security company yard signs. These homes are seen as easy targets for the burglars. In the past, security systems were viewed as a luxury that only the wealthy could afford. Today with the rise in crime and the price of security becoming affordable to the masses, more and more of the American public now view a security system as a necessity that they can no longer afford to be without.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What happens if I lose power?

All systems contain a backup battery, which will take over the operation of the system upon an AC power loss. The length of the life of a solo battery is determined by the size of the system and the number of devices connected to it. A minimum of 8 hours is standard. If you would like more details, please call our office 321-254-8877, or email us (email address here). Upon a power loss, your system will begin to beep. This can be silenced by resetting the system - though it will come back until the battery is fully recharged. Under normal circumstances, a back-up battery in most residential security systems is approximately 3 years.

2. What happens if the phone lines are dead?

Your system will continue to operate locally and the siren should sound. However, the control panel may not be able to dial out to the monitoring station unless you've requested that we install a second dialer on a separate line or if you have a digital cellular communicator. Advanced Detection Systems offers wireless technology, via digital cellular transmission, as an auxiliary communications system in the event that the phone lines are cut or otherwise compromised. The digital cellular communicator uses a secure portion of the cellular phone network to transmit signals to Central Station, and thus avoids busy signals and dropped calls.

3. Why is monitoring necessary?

Security alarm systems are generally designed only to detect burglary and to activate the alarm at the premises. However, to foil a burglary attempt, appropriate counter-measures must be taken upon detection. Having your security system monitored by Advanced Detection Systems will ensure that prompt and appropriate counter-measures will be in place to protect your premises in the event of a break-in.

4. What does a monitoring service provide?

When you subscribe to our alarm monitoring service, you are assured of round-the-clock surveillance by our trained staff of any fire, burglar or distress situation at your premises. When the alarm is activated, our Central Alarm Monitoring Station will receive a signal and notify you immediately. At the same time, we will activate and despatch the appropriate response, i.e. the local police.

5. Who provides the monitoring service?

Our monitoring is provided a UL listed, locally operated command center, electronically linked in real-time with other UL listed central stations through out the United States. Our central station is equipped with highly-trained staff who are at your service 24-hours a day.

6. Can I change user codes on my own?

On most residential systems you can change user codes anytime you wish. The procedures to do this can be found on the preceding page with the alarm operation manuals. If you use your alarm codes as your passcode, please remember to send the new information to us so we can update your Central Station Information. Other systems require further assistance from the alarm and monitoring companies. For any questions concerning user codes, please call us at 321-254-8877, or email us at info@advanceddectionsystems.com.

7. My system is over five years old. What will it cost to upgrade?

ADS offers attractive upgrade options! Check with Bob at 321-254-8877 or email him at BErdman@advdet.com to learn more about the latest features available to you.

Some Alarming Facts About Home Fire Detection

Fire is a deadly threat to any household. It can strike anywhere, at any time. The frightening truth is that residential fires are now occurring at an estimated rate of 2.6 million per year in the U.S. You must be prepared--you need a warning and a weapon for total fire protection!

Smoke alarms provide warning. Smoke alarms are the easiest, most cost-efficient way to alert your family of a developing fire. The more smoke alarms you have installed in your home, the more your chances increase that you will survive the fire.
In 1994, home fires caused $481,000 in damage EVERY HOUR. (National Fire Protection Association!

If you have any fire safety questions that are not answered on this site, or if you would like more information about fire safety please consult our link page.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What do I need to know about fire?

Fire can and might happen to you! You must be prepared and have the knowledge to escape safely. Fire is darker, smokier, hotter, and faster than you can imagine. You must know what fire is like in order to escape the danger safely. The following are four important facts to remember:

A. Fire is dark. Most people expect fire to be light. On the contrary, fire is pitch black. For this reason, people get trapped in their homes because they could not find their way out in the dark-- they didn't have a rechargeable flashlight and didn't practice an escape plan.
B. Smoke kills not flames. Since most fire fatalities occur between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. when most people are sleeping--the only thing standing between the deadly fumes of fire and a safe escape is the piercing sound of a smoke alarm. The poisonous gases emitted by a fire actually put people into a deeper sleep and many suffocate without ever waking or even becoming aware of the fire. They die of smoke inhalation because they had no warning.
C. Fire has intense heat. Fire can cause the temperature to rise several hundred degrees in just seconds. The heat is so intense that it can cause the human body to stop functioning altogether--one breath can cause severe lung damage. The heat alone can cause someone to become unconscious and not be able to escape.
D. There is no time. A residential home can be totally consumed in flames in less than five minutes from the start of a fire! There is no time to waste. You must know what to do and you must get out. A closed door is often the best way to stall a fire. By closing the door, you may save yourself valuable seconds to use an alternate escape route.

2. I have one smoke alarm in my home. Is that enough protection against fire?

No, several smoke alarms must be installed and maintained for proper fire protection. Smoke alarms must be installed on every living level of the home, inside every bedroom, and in the main corridor outside each bedroom area.

Installing and maintaining fire alarm system dramatically increases your family's chances of surviving a fire.

3. How do I maintain my fire alarm system once it has been installed?

Improper maintenance is the biggest reason fire systems fail to work according to their design. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOUR FIRE SYSTEM BE CALIBRATED AND CLEANED ANNUALLY. Check with us about our Preventive Maintenance Program.

4. What should I do if I hear the fire or smoke alarm's sound?

NEVER IGNORE THE SOUND OF A SMOKE ALARM. If the smoke alarm is sounding its alarm, there is a reason. You and your family must be able to escape quickly and safely. Here are several steps your family can learn and rehearse for an emergency:

A. Have an escape plan. Discuss and rehearse escape plans. Know two exits from any room in the house.
B. Feel if the door is hot. Always feel the door to see if it is hot before opening It to escape. If the doorknob or door is hot, do not use that exit. Use your alternate exit to escape.
C. Crawl on the floor. Smoke from a fire rises and so does the temperature. If you crawl on the floor there will be less smoke and the heat from the fire will be less severe.
D. Meet at a prearranged spot outside the home. If you clearly show where everyone is supposed to meet outside the home when there is a fire, it will be easier to know who is safe.
E. Call the fire department from a neighbor's home. Be prepared to give your full name and address to the operator at the other end of the line. Stay on the line until the operator has all of the information needed.
F. Never go Inside a burning building. Never return inside the house for any reason. The firemen will be there immediately and they have special gear and clothes that allow them to go into a fire.

IF you follow these basic fire safety tips, you will increase your family's chances for survival in a fire.

5. I Burnt Some Toast And My Fire Alarm Went Off, Help!!

Call the Central Station, give them your ID number and cancel the dispatch. If the fire alarm sounds:

• Enter your code to silence the alarm.
  
• Clear the smoke away from the area.
  
• Reset the system according to the instructions provided in your owner's manual.

For further information, see www.usfa.fema.gov or http://countygovt.brevard.fl.us/publicsafety/fireprev.html, http://www.melbourneflorida.org/fire/als.htm

For other local fire department links see http://www.fsfc.ufl.edu/Links/FirLnks.htm
For further information on alarms in general see http://www.fla-alarms.org/