After-School Home Safety Tips To Keep Families Safe and Protected
Kids are going back to school and that means parents who work outside of the home, will have help with caring for their kids after-school.
Whether it’s a babysitter, family member, neighbor or whether your child teenager is old enough to come home to an empty house, it’s important to go voer home safety rules every so often. Take the month of August to reevaluate your family safety plan.
Being aware of potential danger is the first stop to preventing harm!
The Ride (or Walk) Home
School bus safety and rules come from the school district. Take the time to go over the school bus rules with your child so that they know what to expect. It is important to tell your child(ren) to let you know that the ride to and from school isn’t safe any longer for a variety of reasons (bullying, unsafe driver, unruly students, heat or cold)
If you child walks home alone, or with a group of friends, make sure you have a system set up to check on them each day right after they arrive home. Go over the rules (no lingering, don’t bring friends home) so that you both know what to expect!
Kids Home Alone
When is your child ready to stay home alone after school? It depends on each child as well as the area you live in, technology you currently have installed in your home, the maturity level of the child and the state you live in (law)
Read more about how to know your child is safe to stay home alone after school.
If you think your child might be ready to be home alone without a babysitter or after-school care, read this!
Babysitters, Tutors and Neighbors, Oh My!
If you do need to give a babysitter, tutor or neighbor access to your home, it’s important to have a security system installed with a mobile app so that you can have a visual of what’s going on at home!
Hiring a babysitter should not stress you out , instead focus on creating a back-to-school family safety plan!
Strangers at the Door!
Tips about how to handle a stranger at the door, from a previous article here on the Strand Security Blog. We suggest you share the following with your teenager who might be home alone!
1 Take a look at the Stranger.
Try to get a look at who is knocking on your door. You may need to find a window in the house that makes your front door visible or use the peephole if you have one. You must have a way to see who is at the front door without opening it!
2 Keep Your Phone on You.
Have your phone visibly on you for the knocker to see. If a situation should occur you will have easy access to call 911.
3 Call Out to Someone in the House.
“Can someone get the door?” or “I’ll get it”
Maybe you are alone but the knocking stranger does not have to know that! Make it evident that there are others in the house with you. This can deter any planned unwanted activities.
4 Do Not Ignore Them.
Sometimes the first reaction is to just ignore a stranger’s knock all together. However, in doing so, you are silently announcing that your house is empty and now is a good time to break in. So, it is better to say something no matter the time of day. A majority of break-ins occur during the day when people are thought to be at work.
5 Request Their Identity.
If a utility worker knocks at your door, ask for them to prove their identity with the company they work for. You can always call the subject’s company to check if they have sent someone to your house.
6 Do Not Share Information.
Strangers may take advantage of you by saying they are in trouble, hurt or in need of help. As much as we all would like to help our fellow citizens, it may be a better choice to let them know you are calling 911 and help is on the way.
Technology can help in this situation! Read more about which devices can help here.
Cyber Safety at Home
THIS is the time to talk to your kids and teenagers about online safety: cyber security! Not when they start to act strange, not when they are upset, scared or sad. Talk to them before leaving them home alone for extended periods of time!
Cyber safety and security should take an important, prominent place in your back-to-school family safety plan.
Set rules, boundaries and check in often!
House Rules
Last but not least… house rules are house rules whether you are home as a parent, or not! Make sure you instill a sense of responsibility in your child or teenager, to build mutual trust. Respect goes both ways. Always be sure to tell the kids you’ll be checking the cameras remotely if they are home alone. They need to know you can see them or talk with them.
Safety rules about pool usage, opening doors for strangers or or operating dangerous tools are all important enough to warrant a frequent reminder!
Your house, your rules, and that includes rules for friends and rules for pets, too!
After-School Activities!
We wish you, your family, your kids a fantastic 2021-2022 school year. We are here to help you navigate it all. If you need smarthome solutions to keep your family safe, need (additional) security cameras, or a panic button for your employees or elderly parents, we can help you with all of that!
If you are thinking a home theater would be great to have at home, we can help with the design, installation and servicing for that as well! Just give us a call!
Control your Home Security with this Updated App | Honeywell
Summer Vacation, Here We Go!
As we write this article, springtime is quickly taken over by summer weather, and summer activities are here to stay for the next few months in South Carolina. Myrtle Beach is a great place to work and live and even if you don’t travel far to take a break, there are plenty of gorgeous places to visit on the Grand Strand.
Last year, during our 10th business anniversary, we highlighted South Carolina and the Grand Strand on grand scale! We love this community : we live and work right here alongside you, our customers.
Summer is one of the best times to ‘play’ and be out and about. But before you do, make a safety and security plan. There is no sense in going out to play only to come back to a home that’s been burglarized or vandalized!
Keeping an Eye On Your Home While On Vacation
In this recent blog article on the Strand Security blog, we gave our readers and customers 5 ways to prevent a break in while away on vacation. Preventing a crime is always better than a clean up afterwards.
A home invasion, or a burglary will bring forth all sorts of headache, least of all the feeling of your home and privacy being violated by criminals.
Take these 5 actionable tips before going away this summer!
Monitor a Home While On Vacation with a Mobile App
When you do go away this summer, due to a vacation (or an unexpected hurricane!), monitoring your home from any location will give you peace of mind.
In order to monitor your home, you will need security cameras installed – Strand Security is happy to consult with you on what type of cameras are best for your home, or business.
Wouldn’t you love to know what’s happening in-real-time in and around your home?
You can!
Get the New and Updated Honeywell Total Connect App
Isn’t it time to check out all you can do with the Honeywell Total Connect 2.0 App? Download it today to control and remotely manage your garage doors, thermostats, lights, locks, video doorbell, cameras, and more.
Do you have questions about Honeywell, smarthome technology or any other integration? Our doors are always open. We will be happy to help you monitor your home from afar, or we will monitor it for you!
How To Integrate Your Home and Your Car Systems for Security and Safety
Smarthome Technology for your… Car?
Say what? Can you really integrate your car alarm system with your home security system?
Yes, now you can with Alarm.com and the latest smarthome technology. The program is called ‘Connected Car’. Learn more about it here in this article!
Connect Your Home And Car System
Why would you want to connect your home and car systems? Well, let us count the reasons!
- Track a vehicle’s location
- View engine status
- Analyze fuel efficiency
- Connect car and home on one easy-to-use-app
Real Time Car Status
Want to know what is happening with your car, in your car and where it is?
Connected Car offers customers 24/7 awareness—even when the car is parked and the engine is off—thanks to a dedicated cellular connection and backup battery. Now when your elderly parent, the babysitter or your teenager drives the car, you have the data you need for peace of mind!
Driver Safety Alerts
Next, you can monitor your car as it drives. This is great for parents with a new teenaged driver, or an elderly parent, a nanny or if you are a business owner with a fleet of cars driven by employees. You can monitor speed, mileage, location and more.
Trust us, this will be worth every penny!
The Alarm.com Mobile App Connects It All!
Connected Car allows customers to easily track their vehicle’s location, monitor its diagnostic health and receive alerts for speeding, towing and more—all from the Alarm.com mobile app.
APPLE: Download on the App store
ANDROID:Get it on Google Play
How Can You Get Connected Car from Alarm.com?
If you already have an Alarm.com system, it’s as easy as connecting with us at Strand Security. You need a car device that connects with your home system. Easy-peasy. let us know you want it and we will order and install it for you.
3 Valentine’s Day Tips To Secure Your Home While You Are Celebrating
Do You Have Plans for Valentine’s Day?
Happy Valentine’s Day! We wish you a wonderful day with the one you love. How will we spend Valentine’s Day? We will take time to be with our family!
Valentine’s Day is a great time to stop and thank those we love and those who have a daily impact on our lives.
At Strand Security, we love our customers, we love our staff and we love our community.
Valentine’s Day is a great time to let someone know you care. And what says ‘I care’ more than helping someone stay safe and secure? Here are 3 tips to secure your home while you are celebrating Valentine’s Day, or not!
1. Don’t Announce Your Valentine’s Day Plans Online
It seems so simple! Yet many people, teenagers and adults, make this mistake: they will announce their plans to go somewhere, online! Criminals do monitor social media and someone might see your post and know you are away for the day or the evening!
Posting your Valentine’s Day plans online is just not a smart move. Instead, wait until you are home to post pictures or a status.
It’s a simple way to secure your home and we certainly don’t wish a burglary on anyone! Holidays are prime days for criminals: they know people are excited, distracted and often let their guard down. Don’t be that person that is targeted!
2. Arm your System When You Leave
If you have plans to go out and celebrate Valentine’s Day, please remember to do this one thing! Nothing will spoil your day or night quicker than coming home to a home that’s been burglarized!
Before you leave for the day or evening, remember to arm your system. It’s a simple thing to do but an equally simple thing to forget as you rush out the door to make it to a romantic dinner. 😉
Arm your system before you leave and have a fantastic date, worry-free.
3. Arm Your System When You Stay In!
Now if you have prepared a lovely backyard Valentine’s Day dinner, or any other home cooked family meal, don’t forget to arm you home! If you are distracted and busy in the home, you still would want your home to be armed, especially if you are in the backyard, or occupied somewhere in the house not near a entrance way. It’s a good habit to get into: arm your home when you are home!
Valentine’s Day Is All About Love!
Nothing says “I love you” more than keeping those you love safe and sound and caring enough to to action.
If you do not have an alarm system in your home, we encourage you to consider the possibilities! Come talk to us and protect those you love.
Home Security Trends To Watch for in 2021
Happy 2021! While we may not all be happy where we are in this pandemic, at least we can say there seems to be a light at the end of the (long) tunnel.
The 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic has affected everything we do.
How and where we
- work
- learn
- shop
- live
The housing market is booming, and so is marketing, outdoor equipment sales and home improvement, just to name a few industries!
In contrasts, the airline industry is in trouble, along with travel and restaurants.
We are seeing new trends and new technology take hold because of the changed circumstances we live in. Today, we’d like to look at 4 home security trends to look for in 2021!
1. Increased Demand for Home Security in 2021
Indeed! This trends that started in 2020 due to the Pandemic will continue far into 2021. As people spend more time at home, they want to improve their home. Increased demand for home security systems will continue far into 2021. Combine this with the increased home sales as people move out of cities to new places due to the ability to work remote and you have a ‘perfect storm’ and more people looking to connect with a local home security company!
2. Increased Demand for Home Smarthome Technology
As we all continue to spend more time at home, we want smarthome technology! Why not, right? What does this mean? Automation for daily tasks, mostly.
Connecting things like your thermostat, lights, security system, security cameras, shades and audio system so that you can automate through programming, as well as use voice commands to complete tasks. Amazing and smart!
3. Demand for Simplicity and Integration of Smarthome Devices
While the demand for smarthome technology has increased, so has the demand for simpler ways to use and integrate these systems. As children, teenagers as well as elderly relatives are home alone more, the need to keep things simple is evident. Brands are looking to simplify technology with the end user in mind.
It has to be simple and easy to use. User-friendly apps, easy-to-read screens and technology integration for technologically challenged seniors are all ways brands are leaning into this trend.
4. Increased Demand for Health-Related Features To Combat Germs Spread
Last but not least, we continue to see an increased demand for health-related features in our home and home security systems, as well as commercial security systems. We’ve seen the need for increased voice-command features so we can be hands-free and germ-free and temperature screening solutions for businesses. As parents continue to work from home and children continue to learn at home, this demand shall continue to increase and evolve.
2021 Home Security Trends
While this is not a complete list, we are confident that these trends are on-point. Most likely we will see an increased demand in home security systems as more people are relocating. The Myrtle Beach and South Carolina Real Estate market has exploded. So many people who used to be geographically bound due to jobs, are now free to live wherever they wish. Many are choosing the Grand Strand for their new home.
We welcome you and your family!
How to Connect With the Right Home Security Company
Are You Looking for a Home Security Company?
When moving to a new town or state or when you purchase a new home, it might be time to find a home security company to help you navigate the security and safety concerns of your new home.
How do you go about vetting the many choices of home security companies to find the one that is right for you?
This article will give you a few tips to get you moving in the right direction. Ultimately, it’s up to you to find and connect with the best fit and the best company to protect your home and family!
Connecting with the Right Home Security Company
When it’s time to choose a home security company to install and maintain your security system, understand you should always focus more attention on customers service and brand quality, than on price.
Ultimately, just about anyone with a screwdriver can hang a security camera – but it’s the knowledge and years of experience that will tell a professional where to hang that camera and to what system to connect it, as well as diagnose system failures or service interruptions.
Connecting with the right security company means connecting with a company that is interested and invested in your community and will serve your community for years to come.
Here is how we would start a search to connect with the right home security company.
1 Research ‘Local Home Security Company’ Online
Before leaving your home, and don’t we all want to avoid that these days, start your research online. Google ‘local home security company’ and add your location if needed.
Look for websites, Google reviews, social media presence, online reviews and images.
Create a list of several local home security companies.
2 Ask For Referrals from Friends and Neighbors
Next, ask your friends and neighbors for referrals. Don’t just ask ‘Who do you use?’ but ask them questions about WHY they picked that local business and what they love about working with them. Ask them what services they’ve contracted for and how responsive that company is when an emergency arises!
3 Keep an Eye Out for Service Vehicles and Signs in your Area
Last but not least, keep an eye out for service vehicles in your neighborhood. When you take your dog for a walk, try to find signs. When you take a bike ride with your family, look for those service vehicles. take note of which ones are helping your neighbors with their home security needs!
4 Pick Up The Phone and Call
Now that you have developed a list of potential local home security companies you want to give your business to, pick up the phone and call! There is no substitute for a phone call inquiring about services!
You will know pretty quickly if you are getting what is ‘advertised’ so to speak!
Does a human answer the phone? If you got the answering service or a machine, how quickly, if at all, was your call returned? Did you get answers to your questions and a friendly human on the line? Move this company to the top of your list!
5 Prioritize Your Needs and Wishes
Once you have a top 3 of local home security companies you potentially want to work with, make a list of services you need now, and additional services they offer that you are interested in for a future project.
That could includes additional services like
- smarthome systems
- central vacuum
- security cameras
- commercial security
- home theater installation
- and more!
Choose Locally Owned and Locally Operated!
One more point to drive home. We highly recommend asking each potential business if they are locally owned and locally operated. Supporting your local businesses in 2021 is more important than ever.
If you are in the Myrtle Beach area, in Horry County or in Georgetown County, we invite your to give us a call!
How To Protect and Secure Your Family in 2021
Happy New Year to You and Yours!
What a crazy we year we leave behind as we move toward 2021. The year 2020 brought us a pandemic of epic proportions, and with that, homeschooling, working from home and all sorts of new ‘firsts’ we might or might not have enjoyed.
The Grand Strand saw spikes of covid-19, increased hospitalizations, hybrid school programs and the closing of many small businesses.
As we move forward to what we hope and wish to be a better year, we’d like to look back one more time at the best of the best articles from this past year to give you ways you can continue to protect and keep your family safe in 2021.
Everything You Need to Know About Ring Cameras!
Ring Cameras are an effective way to keep an eye on your home. Did you know that Strand Security installs Ring cameras in Horry County homes as well as Georgetown County homes? Learn more by reading this blog.
Homeschooling in a Smarthome is the Smart Choice for Parents
While we are entering a new year, we aren’t out of the wood yet with this pandemic. If you are (still) struggling) with homeschooling your children, give this article a read to see if technology could possibly help you as we enter the new year.
Does Your Home Need A Security and Safety Tune Up?
Earlier this year we released an article that talked about doing an safety and security audit for your home. Why would you need these audits? Things break. Kids grow. Family dynamics change! Just like you take your car in to be inspected or serviced, your child gets a checkup at the pediatrician every year, your home security system and your safety protocol need an audit yearly!
How To Attain a Germ-Free Smarthome in the Post COVID-19 World
With so much technology available to us, it’s no wonder we are at the stage of being able to give voice commands to do just about anything in and around our home. Voice activation is a great tool for fighting germs and the spread of COVID-19, Influenza or any other virus! Learn more here.
The Best Home Security Tips for Homebound Seniors
What a sad year 2020 was for the seniors in our lives. While they were less-mobile to start, COVID-19 kept them isolated in their homes. Fortunately, technology can play a part in keeping them safe and connecting, virtually, with family and friends in their life! Read about the latest technology to keep seniors safe at home here.
Go Ahead and Take Charge with URC Total Control!
Last but not least we want to highlight URC automation! If you have just build a new home or purchased a new home on the Grand Strand in South Carolina, we want to talk to you! Did you know that ANY HOME, no matter when it was built, can be turned into a Smarthome!?
Yes! 🙌🏻
No need to wait for contractors or handyman… (because we know you already have!) We at Strand Security can turn ANY home into a Smarthome with URC! Learn more here.
Protecting Your Family in 2021
Lessons from the past can help us take charge of the future. No matter how we personallexperienceded 2020, we all have some takeaways that will help us navigate 2021.
We wish you a happy, healthy and safe 2021.
5 of the Best Home for The Holidays Security Tips!
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays to you and yours on the Grand Strand! We at Strand Security are still busy installing smarthome technology, URC automation and home security systems, all while preparing for Christmas.
We’ve collected 5 of the best holiday security and safety tips to keep you, your family and your employees safe and secure this holiday season.
While we know you are busy, it only takes seconds for disaster to strike – take a few minutes today to read and learn more about keeping your home and family safe during this special time fo the year.
1) Fire Safety & Decorating Your Home For Christmas
Here are some ways that decoring can undermine your security!
❌ Don’t use real candles in any room without proper adult supervision.
❌ Don’t run your outside lights through your windows; that is an invite for a burglar to open the window and come in!
❌ If you have a fireplace, get it cleaned before making your first fire of the season.
❌ Don’t leave crockpots plugged in if you leave your home. They are a fire hazard.
❌ Don’t forget to activate your alarm system, even if you are home.
2) Don’t Post Your Plans To Travel, Shop or Play Online
While we are in a pandemic and most of us will choose to stay home, some of you may need to travel. As always, we highly recommend not advertising the fact that your home will be empty and unattended; do not post on social media that you will be gone for an extended period of time.
If you need additional tips on keeping your home safe and secure while you travel, read this.
3) Draw The Shades on Your Gifts
Do you love spoiling your family? We do! Well, burglars look for gift boxes under the tree. Don’t give the Grinch a chance to steal your Christmas gifts – draw your shades at night so the tree and your gifts can’t be seen from the outside!
4) Don’t Open The Door for Strangers
Be aware of strangers is something we’ve talked about before on this blog. But during the holidays, you might have people come to your door that do not look suspicious. Burglars may take advantage and scope out your home and your security measure, or lack there off, by pretending to ask for donations, by carolling or ‘delivering’ something to the wrong address. Beware of strange vans or unidentifiable delivery personal! Don’t open the door for strangers.
5) Don’t Put the Christmas Trash Out Early!
Last but not least, don’t leave your Christmas trash outside overnight! TVs, iPhone, games, expensive boots, clothes, or other tech gadgets – if you received these for Christmas and leave the boxes outside for all to see it will attract those with bad intentions!
Instead, flatten all boxes – recycle them if possible – and put them inside your trash can where no one can see them! Alternatively, put your trash out right before the trash pick up occurs, illuminating the possibility that someone is scoping out the ‘goods’
What Are You Wishing For This Christmas?
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We hope you will be spoiled with the presence of family, love and yes, gifts!
Stay safe and secure.
The Latest Security Technology to Be Thankful For!
Happy Thanksgiving Week!
We want to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. No matter how different this year’s celebration looks due to the pandemic, if you are with family and healthy, you are lucky and blessed!
We are thankful for so many people in our business.
We are thankful for our staff and our suppliers, and we are thankful for you, our customer! As we come to the end of a year-long celebration of our 10th anniversary, we are so very grateful for the ability to continue to serve the Grand Strand community of South Carolina and keep residents in Horry County and Georgetown County safe and secure!
Today, let’s look at some of the latest security technology we are grateful for during this crazy 2020 year.
Smarthome Technology
We love our URC smarthome technology. We have installed numerous systems like this during this past year in the Myrtle Beach area, on the Grand Strand in both homes as well as commercial locations.
The possibilities are endless with URC technology and we are grateful to be able to help solve problems for our clients with this amazing system and related products.
Learn more about URC here.
Remote Access To Your Home Security System
If nothing else, we’ve all learned to “let go” this year! Many of us have had to go to work and leave teenagers and kids at home for remote schooling whether they we ready for this, or not. Some of us have elderly relatives who are at home in self-imposed isolation to stay safe from COVID-19 and because of all this, how thankful we are for remote access to our home security cameras and systems!
No matter where you need to be, the ones that are left at home can be reached in an instant with remote access to your home security system, how comforting is that as a parent or caregiver?
Voice Activation
Last but not least, now that we know through science how germs are spread, using voice activation to control your home, your smarthome, gives you an added buffer of security and safety against an invisible enemy, COVID-19.
No more touching and retouching light switches, curtains, temperature controls, garage door openers, windows, locks, sound systems, home theater controls… With URC smarthome technology everything can be controlled by voice and thus by default becomes touch-free and germ-free!
We are thankful to be able to offer this to our Strand Security customers, both homeowners and families, as well as our commercial customers like restaurants and Grand Strand business owners who need a new way to keep customers and staff safe!
We Are Thankful For Our Grand Strand Community
We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here! We don’t just work on the Grand Strand , we live here, too. We are thankful to be surrounded by businesses who, like us, care about their customers’ safety and security, and we are glad to be working on several URC integration projects right now to give those businesses that added buffer of safety.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Strand Security to you and yours!
Everything You Need To Know About Ring Cameras
Population Growth In the Myrtle Beach Area
Are you considering buying a Ring Camera?
If you live on the Grand Strand, you know the growth of our community. Thousands upon thousands move to our area each year and new homes are popping out of the ground like mushrooms.
New neighborhoods seem to arise overnight as builders churn out new homes near our beautiful South Carolina coast.
With new people and a larger population comes more crimes and more home burglaries and invasions. Criminal activity goes up as communities grow as there is more opportunity to steal and more potential victims available.
Residents might choose a DIY home security system or a professionally installed system to keep their loved ones and their property save; many residents choose to enhance their systems with Ring Cameras
Home Security Systems for Grand Strand Residents
While we knock anything DIY, there is so much to know about installing cameras that we highly recommend extensive research, or hiring professionals like Strand Security.
We have over 25 years of experience installing home security systems and we get the job done fast, and right the first time! 😉
Things to remember when installing your own cameras would include
- location
- angle of camera
- light source
- nearby landscaping
- and more
What is a Ring Camera?
Ring Cameras can be purchased as a stand-alone product from just about anywhere online.
They’ve gained popularity among DIY-ers and home improvement communities as an easy way to keep tabs on what’s going on at home when you are not there.
One of the best places to install a Ring Camera is at your front door.
This YouTube video shows front-porch thieves stealing packages and breaking in.
Ring Camera Options Include Indoor Cameras!
While the ‘most well-known’ Ring Camera is the one people have installed at the front door, there are several Ring Cameras on the market! Strand Security is happy to help you choose the right cameras for your home, your security, your needs. You can stop by in Murrells Inlet for a visit to check out the Ring Camera options and models, including:
- Indoor Ring Camera
- Stick Up Ring Camera
- Spotlight Ring Camera
- Floodlight Ring Camera
Ring Camera Installation
While we highly recommend you purchase your Ring Cameras from a reputable Ring Camera Dealer, we also recognize that not everyone will want to go that route. You might find an online sale or might have received a Ring Camera as a gift.
The good news is that Strand Security can and will install your Ring Cameras should you need assistance. We serve Horry County residents as well as Georgetown County residents and will be happy to come your way to set up your Ring Camera System for you.
Give us a call today and let’s get your home and your family secured!
Like Us On Facebook
