Halloween Safety Tips and Treats

Halloween falls on an unseasonably warm day this year which will help bring the "trick or treaters" out in groves this evening. We have compiled a few reminders to keep your kids (or yourself) safe, along with a few fun facts about the holiday itself.

Tip #1: For those of you who don't have children, Slow Down. These small devils and vampires will be patrolling the streets and may pop out anytime behind parked cars.

TREAT : Halloween originated in Ireland and started with the Celtic culture and the "Druid" religion whose belief was that on October 31st (their "New Year's Eve) all the spirits who died that year would rise up and roam the earth. The Lord of Darkness, Lord Samhain, would arrive that night to gather these spirits and take them to the underworld. 

Tip #2: Those glow-in-the-dark sticks are great to give to children to help provide visibility at night.

TREAT: Because of the superstitious black cat stories and beliefs, most animal shelters will not allow adoption of black cats near the end of October.

Tip #3: Don't go out alone. There is safety (and strength) in numbers. For young kids it is especially wise to stay with friends, neighborhood pals or Mom and Dad.

TREAT: Do you believe in haunted houses? There are several famous "haunts" in Kansas City, one being the Sauer Castle in Shawnee. The Sauer Castle is said to have numerous ghost stories associated with it starting back in the 1930s. These stories have since been discredited, but the old mansion still draws much attention from thrill-goers. The Castle was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Tip #4: Candles in Jack O'Lanterns can be fun, but keep them off the porch and away from flowing gowns and floppy pant legs. Flame-resistant costumes are available to purchase, as well.

TREAT: Did you know that Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bits? Also, the first Jack O'Lanterns were actually turnips.

Tip #5:  Plan out the routes that your children should take, and slip a piece of paper in their outfit with their name, address and phone number.

TREAT: Halloween is also the birthday of Atronic Alarms General Manager, Nell Mathews. Nell has been with the company for over 20 years.

Atronic Alarms wishes everyone a Safe and Happy Halloween.

No Phone Lines? No Problem with Honeywell's Vista21ip Security System

Don't have a home phone line but want a monitored alarm system? There are many options available now for monitoring security and fire without a phone line, and one of these is installing the Honeywell Vista-21iP security and fire system.

The 6280 Graphic Touchscreen Keypad serves as a security system keypad,
digital photo display and video viewer. The seven inch display is available in white and silver.

The Vista-21iP control panel comes with an on-board IP connection which provides sophisticated, reliable communication to the monitoring center through the Internet. It also has an optional snap-in GSM unit for cellular backup when the Internet is not available.

This user-friendly system can be aligned with Honeywell's Total Connect Video product, which allows you to view your home or business over a secure Internet connection with economically priced IP hardwired or wireless cameras. Below is a nighttime video of an actual event which alerted Todd Harrison, operation's manager at Atronic Alarms, through his Total Connect system that an escape was in progress:

Along with the technologically advanced IP functions, Honeywell offers smoke detectors that have a low temperature sensor built in, which can be set up to "alert" you at 43 degrees. This helps prevent frozen pipes or other costly winter disasters.

Additionally, one of the newer products for the system is an outdoor gate contact which is perfect for pool gates or privacy fences. If someone enters and breaks the contact, an alert can be sent through Total Connect to your PC or phone.

With the power of Honeywell and the knowledge and service of Atronic Alarms, the feature-rich Vista-21iP can be tailored in many ways to fit your specific security needs.

Visit Atronic Alarms, Inc. or contact us at 913.362.0000

Websites that Police Your Childs Online Activity

Online social networking is one of the ways teens relate
to each other and create personal bonds.

The digital age. Even if you aren't on Facebook, MySpace, iGoogle or Twitter, it is almost certain that your children will be, if they aren't already. Preteens, teenagers and young adults are far more tech-savvy then the 40, 50 or 60 something generation. It is the way they learn, interact, and even date. And if they aren't on one of the more popular online social networks, it is only a matter of time before they plug into another one looming on the horizon; waiting to be discovered. Perhaps even one with a portal . . . now isn't that frightening.


Because this online social networking craze elevated the need for automated parental control systems, there are now websites and software programs available to analyze the content on your child's social networking sites. These programs alert you if there are sexual references, profanity, alcohol or drug references, bullying, violence or other acts of solicitation, and some single out "older" people who are not in your child's friend circle or whom others do not know.

Listed below are several monitoring sources we found during our research that were also reviewed by PC Magazine and Top Ten Reviews websites, and although Atronic Alarms, Inc. does not officially endorse or recommend any of these, they may be worth looking into:

ZoneAlarm SocialGuard - A software program specifically for Facebook or Twitter. $19.99 a year.
Minor Monitor - A web based program that is free to use. Must have child's login information.
SafetyWeb - Monitors various social networking sites as well as cell phones. $100.00 a year or $10.00 a month. 
Net Nanny - A Detailed filtering program for PC and Mac to block inappropriate content on sites. $39.99 to $59.99.
Web Watcher - For the stealthy parent who wants to track all activity on a child's computer. $97.00
True Care - 24-hour monitoring for $9.99 a month. Online website to track child's profile on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.
AOL Safe Social - $9.99 a month.

Bottom line: Educate your children on the dangers of online social networking. Let them know that the Internet levels the playing field for the "bad guys" who create web profiles specifically to deceive people. Remind them not to befriend people they don't know and to secure their posts and their photos. The winner isn't the teenager with the most online friends, it is the teenager with the most online safety smarts.

Visit Atronic Alarms, Inc.

Office Building Fire Prevention

The previous post featured NFPA's Fire Prevention Week's "Protect Your Family From Fire." Since "family" may additionally include the people you work and associate with on a daily basis, we felt office building fire prevention deserved a "shout out" during this week's awareness campaign.

2010 NFPA stats conclude that the bathroom is the leading area of origin of intentional fires set in public places, like stores, office buildings or schools. Complying to your city's fire code is the number one priority in fire prevention and safety. Each city is different, but below is a general list of guidelines to follow:

• Make sure that your address on building is easily seen from street.
• Keep objects clear from exit doorways and passages.
• Your exit fire doors should NOT be propped open and should be self-closing.
• Make sure your exit signs are self-illuminating.
• Don't overuse extension cords.
• Keep your block's fire hydrant easily accessible. 
• Assure that the fire extinguishers are in good working order. 
• Set up annual testing of your building's fire and sprinkler system.
• Have a preparedness plan and an emergency evacuation procedure for occupants.

Atronic Alarms is certified to install fire systems in commercial rated buildings that require U.L. Certified installation and offers annual fire system inspections. For more information on commercial fire systems, visit the Atronic website. 

Fire Prevention Week: Protect Your Family from Fire

Reproduced from NFPA's Fire Prevention Week Website
www.firepreventionweek.org. ©2011 NFPA.

Fire Prevention Week is October 9 through 15 this year and the theme for the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) campaign is "Protect Your Family From Fire."

A fire prevention day was officially declared in 1920 by President Woodrow Wilson to honor those who died and were injured in two historical fires 50 years earlier: The Great Chicago Fire, which broke out on October 8, 1871 and did most of it's damage on October 9, killing more than 250 people and destroying more than 17,400 structures, and The Great Peshtigo Fire, which also started on October 8, 1871 in Wisconsin and roared through the Northeast part of the state, killing 1,152 people, burning 16 towns and destroying 1.2 million acres before it finally ended.

Several years later, Fire Prevention Week was observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls, and now continues to be the longest running public health and safety observance on record, according to the NFPA website.

There have been many important themes over the years, but "Protect Your Family From Fire" closely relates to the importance of home smoke detectors, fire escape plans and educating kids about fire safety. The NFPA website is full of activities for younger children, and schools usually discuss fire safety tips during this week and send information home for review. It is the perfect time to remind yourself and your family to:

• Change batteries out of electrician-installed smoke detectors and other life-safety wireless devices twice a year. A good habit is to change them out on Daylight Savings and the day Daylight Savings ends, which this year is on November 6.
• Check your smoke alarms once a month. Put your Atronic Alarms system on test first. (Read how.)
• Develop a family "fire escape plan" with a meeting place outside the home and have at least two escape routes. 
• "Drop and roll" if your clothes are on fire and crawl on the ground in heavy smoke. 
• Don't leave pots on the stove unattended. Cooking is the #1 cause of fire in homes. 
• Turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed. Home heating methods is the #2 cause of fire in homes.
• Don't leave candles unattended and keep them one foot away from anything that can burn. 

If you currently have monitored Atronic Alarms, Inc. smoke and heat detectors, remember that they are "on" 24 hours-a-day, even when you disarm your security system. If you are interested in adding these devices to your current system, please contact the office at 913.362.0000 or visit Atronic Alarm's website for more information.

Crime Stoppers Achieves it's 10,000th Arrest

(From a press release issued by Detective Kevin Boehm, coordinator of the KC Crime Stoppers)

As of September 30, 2011, the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline achieved its 10,000th felony arrest in program history.  The anonymous reporting resource which pays cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of felony criminal suspects has been in operation in the Greater Kansas City area since October 1982.

The TIPS Hotline extends its appreciation to all area media outlets as well as federal, state and local law enforcement and most importantly the anonymous callers, web TIPSTERS and texters who have made the program a success and model for other Crime Stoppers programs world wide.

In addition to the 10,000th arrest the program has received over 118,000 TIPS and cleared 593 homicides, 1,565 robberies, 1,419 burglaries and provided anonymous information to law enforcement resulting in the arrest of 2,765 fugitives. 1,668 firearms have been recovered and $23,089,909.40 dollars in recovered property and narcotics seized. Cash payments to TIPSTERS have totaled $1,184,282.00 to date.

Todd Harrison, operations manager at Atronic Alarms, has served on the Board of KC Crime Stoppers for six years.

"I am very proud to be associated with a program that is fully committed to work with local law enforcement and the civilians to assist in putting felon's behind bars," Harrision said. "The 10,000th felony arrest is quite an accomplishment . . . that is 10,000 felon's taken off our streets, making our communities safer each and every day."

The New Generation of Security Technology

"Smart" Cameras See People, Not Things, and Send Alerts to the Monitoring Station 

Businesses and other building managers have been utilizing video surveillance as a key component in their security’s infrastructure for years. Security guards monitor the activity on the monitor and NVRs or DVRS store video to play back clips on demand.

Unfortunately, the cost of hiring a full time security guard and building upon your existing network isn’t always easily justified. In addition, cameras that catch the activity for forensic evidence won’t guaranty prevention of the criminal act.

Video analytics has the capability to distinguish people,
animals and vehicles to help eliminate false alarms.

Video monitoring, a security solution which utilizes adaptive video analytics with advanced camera technology to send images to the monitoring station, offers a more proactive approach to video surveillance for 1/5th the cost of a guard service. With video monitoring, theft and other acts of vandalism can actually be prevented as the motion activated video clip signals to the live person at the central monitoring station. This person then determines if the proper authorities need to be contacted, whether it be management personnel or the police.

Video monitoring can be a stand-alone system or easily integrates into your existing video surveillance. It is ideal for:

1. Energy substations prone to copper theft
2. Parking lots and outside equipment lots
3. Offices, warehouses and storage areas
4. Remote locations requiring wireless security, like boat docks and street corners
5. Multiple-site security