Commercial Security Systems in Baltimore, Maryland

If you have a business in the Baltimore Metro Area then we would like to educate on some common mistakes that can be made when making a decision on purchasing a Alarm System for a business. Listed below is the 10 mistakes to avoid whether you have an existing system, looking to up grade or purchase new.

1. Don’t get stuck in a long term monitoring contract because any reputable company will provide an annual monitoring contract.
2. Customize how your alarm signals are handled by the monitoring station or how it reports in so false alarm fines can be avoided.
3. Make sure all alarm signals are being monitored by a U.L. Listed Monitoring Station.
4. All points of protection i.e., Motion Sensors, Door Sensors, Panic Buttons, Glass Break Sensors should be tied to an individual zone so alarm points can be easily identified.
5. Have the system programmed to notify you if the backup battery gets low so you are never without a system if building power is loss.
6. Always get an English Text Keypad so points of protection are displayed instead of a keypad with a little zone lights that can make it difficult to know what point of protection is faulted.
7. All devices should have zone number labels on them.
8. Ask if the installing company has a afterhours service.
9.  Check to see if the U.L. Listed Monitoring Station located in Maryland or at least in the Mid-Atlantic region.
10. Never purchase alarm equipment that is proprietary to the installing company because then you’re married to that company unless you rip out and replace the equipment.

Email me at jemerick@acssec.com for a Free Copy  of  “False Alarms and Procedures Guide” to better understand your alarm system and how to deal with false alarms. This guide cost $28.00 but we will send it to you at no charge for responding to this post.

Alarm Systems for Maryland Businesses

Listed are some of the most common security system mistakes Maryland Businesses are making when it comes to protecting their property, people and assets. Listed below is the Top 10 mistakes to avoid whether you have an existing system, looking to upgrade or purchase new.

1. Don’t get stuck in a long term monitoring contract because any reputable company will provide an annual monitoring contract.

2. Customize how your alarm signals are handled by the monitoring station or how it reports in so false alarm fines can be avoided.

3. Make sure all alarm signals are being monitored by a U.L. Listed Monitoring Station.

4. All points of protection i.e., Motion Sensors, Door Sensors, Panic Buttons, Glass Break Sensors should be tied to an individual zone so alarm points so it can be easily identified.

5. Have the system programmed to notify you if the backup battery gets low or power loss so you are never without a system.

6. Always get an Easy to read English Text Keypad so points of protection are displayed instead of a keypad with a little zone lights that can make it difficult to know what point of protection is faulted.

7. All devices should have zone number labels on them.

8. Ask if the installing company has a afterhours service.

9. Check to see if the U.L. Listed Monitoring Station located in Maryland or at least in the Mid-Atlantic region.

10. Never purchase alarm equipment that is proprietary to the installing company because then you’re married to that company unless you rip out the entire system.

 

Energy Saving Security Video Cameras

In today’s world with the cost of energy going up day after day it is creating a real problem for Maryland Area Property Managers, Facility Managers and Business Owners because they are scrambling to cut their energy usage as much as they can. This mean turning down the temperature on hot water heaters, disconnecting interior lights that are not needed and reducing the exterior lighting around the building and parking lots. With the reduction of lighting this can present a real security threat since most criminals like to operate under the cloak of darkness.

There is a solution that will allow these high powered lights to be turned off to save money and provide a more secure environment as well. The use of infrared security cameras have become very popular over recent years. These are Security Video Surveillance Cameras that use Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) to cast out infrared light that is invisible to the human eye but to the camera is like having a powerful light in the field of view.

Here is an example of the savings that these IR Security Video Cameras can provide. If you have a 75Watt Light Bulb it would only take 7 Watts of LED’s to produce the same amount of light as the bulb. They last 5 times as long as normal lights, to the camera it lights up the field of view as if you have a light on in the area and the cost of these cameras are no more than the traditional cameras that you see everywhere.

Sign up now to recieve our emailed report on the top reasons to consider infrared security surveillance cameras for you facility.

 

Keeping an eye on your Business

ACS Security offers professional grade security surveillance camera systems installation and service in Baltimore, Maryland Metro area. Our CCTV Security Camera System Installers service in and around the following cities: Aberdeen, Annapolis, Baltimore, Bel Air, Beltsville, Catonsville, Columbia, Dundalk, Ellicott City, Glen Burnie, Jessup, Laurel, Owings Mills, Savage, Severn, Towson, Westminster, White Marsh to provide the best possible service to our clients. This not to say we have clients outside of these areas but this is the geographical area we service the best.

We provide a Free On Site Security Survey with our experience and educated technicians to determine what is the best solution and design for your security needs.

ACS Security is committed to our clients and recognize that customer service is the key to our success. We have effectively implemented many security surveillance camera system projects in the region for Office Buildings, Schools, Restaurants, Stores, Warehouse, Churches, Businesses and Industrial Facilities.

We service existing CCTV Surveillance Systems regardless if we installed the system or not. Some of the biggest problems we find with customers that have a CCTV Surveillance System installed by others is poorly installed connectors, dirty lens, cameras out of focus, inadequate power, focal shift or programming issues with their recoding device. Call us to perform a Inspection, Cleaning and Adjustment of your existing system because you made the investment so keep it working as long as you can.

 

Access Control Systems vs. Lock & Keys

Access control enables you to control who has access to your building, store room, office, file room, parking area, elevator or any secured area that requires some type of control. More and more Maryland Businesses and Organizations are using some type of Access Control from a single proximity card reader to a large system using a combination of Proximity Readers, Keypads and Bio-metric Readers.

Locks and keys also allow you to secure your building, but when keys are lost or stolen, the inconvenience and expense of changing locks and re-issuing keys can be considerable. Keys may also be copied, creating even more security risks. This is what most Baltimore Businesses and Organizations are getting away from and switching to Access Control.

All businesses, whether small, medium or large, have assets that need to be protected from theft. There is also the issue of protecting staff and their property. It is common in buildings that are secured by locks and keys for doors to be left unlocked all day. This opens up the possibility of opportunistic theft and malicious damage.

Electronic access control provides the most efficient and convenient way of securing your building and assets. Installing an access control system means that you will never have to change a lock again. Once an access control system is installed, all doors controlled by the system will automatically lock when the door is closed. Anyone without access is unable to enter. If necessary, doors may be set to unlock during a designated time frame.

Access control can also offer flexible control over users’ access rights. For example, all staff can gain access through the main door of a building, but access to internal areas may be restricted to those who have a specific need to be there. Access may also be restricted by time, only granting access to particular users at certain times of day or night.
Contact ACS Security for a site survey and information. We can show you all the available options with this technology for your office, warehouse, distribution center, church, nursing home, store, restaurant and much more.

Prevent False Alarms in Baltimore County, Maryland

Most businesses and organizations experience false alarms not because of human error but by the one thing that they don’t normally consider and that is the alarm system battery. This is usually found locked up in the control panel so it is out of sight and out of mind for anyone to realize the cause of the problem.

When Baltimore County Police respond to an alarm call and find no evidence of criminal activity then it is reported as a false alarm and this can result in a fine if it has not been 1st or 2nd time the police have been out to the business address. One of the main causes of False Alarms is loss of power and a weak battery. Most security systems have a rechargeable battery that powers the system for a minimum of four hours in the event of a power outage.

If you have false alarms after a storm, it may not be the storm that caused the alarm. If your batteries are not up to the job, a false alarm may be generated when your alarm system powers up after a power failure caused by a storm. Even a short power failure of a second or less may be long enough to cause a false alarm.

Like all batteries, your backup has a useful life of about 3 to 5 years, but that life may be shortened if you have had several power outages. Your battery backup should be checked annually, or after any storm related false alarm, by an alarm technician and replaced when needed.

Other Steps to take to avoid false alarms.

• Make sure that your doors and windows are all locked before arming the system.

• Move objects that could move by heat vents such as balloons and hanging signs away from the path of a motion sensor.

• Make sure everyone has a separate code to track who armed and disarmed the system.

• Have the system programmed to alert you through the keypad of a low battery problem.

• Test your system monthly. Always contact your alarm company before you test the system.

• Have your system tested by a technician annually or any time you have an unexplained false alarm activation.

• Educate everyone who works at the alarm site on the proper operation of the system.

• Never give a code to someone who is not familiar with the alarm system.

10 ways to protect your company’s bottom line.

Most businesses have some type of security from a simple lock and key to a basic alarm system but has your business been exposed to Internal Theft, Fraud, Workers Compensation Claims, Production Losses, Burglary, Vandalism, Time Theft, Work Place Violence or any other threat to your bottom line. Security technology provides a wide range of benefits and applications especially to the corporate bottom line. A well-planned security application for a business can provide a significant return on investment and should not be seen as an expense or drain. Here’s a list of just a few benefit’s a security system can provide. Be sure to contact ACS Security Systems to set up you free no obligation Security Evaluation or email us for free Business Continuity Guideline
What can a well planned security system do for your bottom line?

1. Protect against internal and external theft.
2. Offer avenues to reach and reduce employee time theft as well as business shrinkage
3. Lower insurance premiums by minimize risk and loss due to accidents.
4. Automated tools for tracking people, places and materials.
5. Receive data and images for measuring business activities such as production and materials.
6. Identify and control access to the facility.
7. Real time and remote status of business operations as they occur.
8. Integrate of physical access control and logical database access.
9. Activity log of events to provide actual information as it occurred.
10. Security can provide a greater feeling of comfort for customers.