adobe generative ai 3
IconBack to Articles

adobe generative ai 3

April 28th, 2025
Share:

Adobe rolls out more generative AI features to Illustrator and Photoshop

How to make Adobe Generative Fill and Expand less frustrating

adobe generative ai

Experimenting with selections, context, and prompts can play a big role in getting a quality result. Make sure to keep in mind the size of the area you are generating and consider working in iterative steps, instead of trying to get the perfect result from a single prompt. Leading enterprises including the Coca-Cola Company, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Major League Baseball, and Marriott International currently use Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) to power their customer experience initiatives. Apparently, you can’t use the new Generative Fill feature until you’ve shared some personal identifying information with the Adobe Behance cloud service. Behance users, by contrast, will have already shared their confidential information with the service and be able to access the Photoshop Generative Fill AI feature.

And with great power comes responsibility so Adobe says it wants to be a trusted partner for creators in a way that is respectful and supportive of the creative community. Adobe Firefly generative AI tools riding shotgun can unlock limitless possibilities to boost productivity and creativity. Every content creator, solopreneur, side hustler, and freelance artist has hit roadblocks, maybe because of their skill level or perhaps a lack of time; it happens. When building a team isn’t possible, Adobe Firefly generative AI can help fill those gaps. Additional credits can be purchased through the Creative Cloud app, but only 100 more per month. That costs $4.99 a month if billed monthly or $49.99 if a full year is paid for up-front.

adobe generative ai

The recently launched GPU-accelerated Enhance Speech, AI Audio Category Tagging and Filler Word Detection features allow editors to use AI to intelligently cut and modify video scenes. Instead, it maintains that this update to its terms was intended to clarify its improvements to moderation processes. Due to the “explosion” of generative AI, Adobe said it has had to add more human moderation to its content submissions review processes.

Will the stock be an AI winner?

Remove Background is a good choice for those looking to build a composite, as simply removing the background is all that is required. However, for some Stock customers, they don’t want a background; they require a different one altogether. It brings new tools like the Generative Shape Fill, so you can add detailed vectors to shapes using just a few descriptive words. Another is a Text to Pattern feature, whichenables the creation of customizable, scalable vector patterns. This update integrates AI in a way that supports and amplifies human creativity, rather than replacing it.

adobe generative ai

The partnership also aims to modernize content supply chains using GenAI and Adobe Express to deploy innovative workflows, allowing for a more diverse and collaborative team to handle creative tasks. While the companies are yet to reveal further details about any products they will be releasing together, they did outline the following four cross-company integrations that joint customers will be able to access. These work similarly to Adaptive Presets, but they’ll pop up and disappear depending on what’s identified in your image. If a person is smiling, you’ll see Quick Actions relating to whitening teeth, making eyes pop, or realistic skin smoothing, for example. The new Adaptive Presets use AI to scan your image and suggest presets that suit the content of the image best. While they can edit them to your liking, they’ll adapt to what the AI thinks your image needs most.

Adobe Firefly

Illustrator, Adobe’s vector graphics editor, now includes Objects on Path, a feature that allows users to quickly arrange objects along any path on their artboard. The software also boasts Enhanced Image Trace, which Adobe says improves the conversion of images to vectors. Adobe’s flagship image editing software, Photoshop, received several new features.

Around 90% of consumers report enhanced online shopping experiences thanks to AI. Key areas of improvement include product personalization, service recommendations, and the ability to see virtual images of themselves wearing products, with 91% stating this would boost purchase confidence. Adobe made the announcement at the opening keynote of this year’s MAX conference and plans to add this new Firefly generative AI model to Premiere Pro workflows (more on those later).

By clicking the button, I accept the Terms of Use of the service and its Privacy Policy, as well as consent to the processing of personal data. Read our digital arts trends 2025 article and our 3D art trends 2025 feature for the latest tech, style and workflow predictions. “For best results when using Gen Remove is to make sure you brush the object you’re trying to remove completely including shadows and reflection. Any leftover fragments, no matter how small, will cause the AI to think it needs to attach a new object to that leftover piece. The GIP Digital Watch Observatory team, consisting of over 30 digital policy experts from around the world, excels in the fields of research and analysis on digital policy issues. The team is backed by the creative prowess of Creative Lab Diplo and the technical expertise of the Diplo tech team.

Historical investment performances are no indication or guarantee of future success or performance. We make no representations or warranties regarding the advisability of investing in any particular securities or utilizing any specific investment strategies. Adobe has embedded AI technologies into its existing products like Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro, giving users more reasons to use its software, Durn said. Digital media and marketing software firm Adobe (ADBE) impressed Wall Street analysts with generative AI innovations at the start of its Adobe Max conference on Monday. You can now remove video backgrounds in Express, allowing you to apply the same edits to your content whether you’re using a photo or a video of a cut-out subject. Adobe Express introduced a Dynamic Reflow Text tool, allowing you to easily resize your Express artboards—using the latest generative expand resize tool—and the text will dynamically flow to fit the space you’ve created.

These include Distraction Removal, which uses AI to eliminate unwanted elements from images, and Generative Workspace, a tool for simultaneous ideation and concept development. The company, which produces software such as Photoshop and Illustrator, unveiled over 100 new capabilities for its Creative Cloud platform, many of which leverage artificial intelligence to enhance content creation and editing processes. Adobe, known for its creative and marketing tools, has announced a suite of new features and products at its annual MAX conference in Miami Beach. Set to debut in beta form, the video expansion to the Firefly tool will integrate with Adobe’s flagship video editing software, Premiere Pro. This integration aims to streamline common editorial tasks and expand creative possibilities for video professionals.

The company’s latest Firefly Vector AI model is at the heart of these enhancements, promising to significantly accelerate creative workflows for graphic designers, fashion designers, interior designers or professional creatives. In a separate Adobe Community post, a professional photographer says they use generative fill “thousands of times per day” to “repair” their images. When Adobe debuted the Firefly-powered Generative Remove tool in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw in May as a beta feature, it worked well much of the time. However, Generative Remove, now officially out of its beta period, has confusingly gotten worse in some situations. Adobe’s Generative Fill and Expand tools can be frustrating, but with the right techniques, they can also be very useful.

That’s a key distinction, as Photoshop’s existing AI-based removal tools require the editor to use a brush or selection tool to highlight the part of the image to remove. In previews, Adobe demonstrated how the tool could be used to remove power lines and people from the background without masking. The third AI-based tool for video that the company announced at the start of Adobe Max is the ability to create a video from a text prompt. While text to video is Adobe’s video variation of creating something from nothing, the company also noted that it can be used to create overlays, animations, text graphics or B-roll to add to existing created-with-a-camera video. It’s based on Generative Fill, but rather than replacing a user-selected portion of an image with AI-generated content, it automatically detects and replaces the background of the image.

Behind the scenes: How Paramount+ used Adobe Firefly generative AI in a social media campaign for the movie IF – the Adobe Blog

Behind the scenes: How Paramount+ used Adobe Firefly generative AI in a social media campaign for the movie IF.

Posted: Mon, 09 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The Generative Shape Fill tool is powered by the latest beta version of Firefly Vector Model which offers extra speed, power and precision. It includes text-to-image and generative fill, video templates, stock music, image and design assets, and quick-action editing tools to help you create content easily on the go. Once you have created content, you can plan, preview, and publish it to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest without leaving the app. Recognising the growing need for efficient collaboration in creative workflows, Adobe announced the general availability of a new version of Frame.io.

Some of you might leave since you can’t pay the annual fee upfront or afford the monthly increase. We can hardly be bothered as we need more cash to come up with more and more AI-related gimmicks that photographers like you will hardly ever use. It’s not so much that Adobe’s tools don’t work well, it’s more the manner of how they’re not working well — if we weren’t trying to get work done, some of these results would be really funny. In the case of the Bitcoin thing, it just seems like it’s trying to replace the painted pixels with something similar in shape to the detected “object” the user is trying to remove. Last week, I struggled to get any of Adobe’s generative or content-aware tools to extend a background and cover an area for a thumbnail I was working on for our YouTube channel. Previous to the updates last year, the tasks I asked Photoshop to handle were done quickly and without issue.

Adobe is listening to feedback and making tweaks, but AI inconsistencies point toward a broader issue. Generative AI is still a nascent technology and, clearly, not one that exclusively improves with time. Sometimes it gets worse, and for those with an AI-reliant workflow, that’s a problem that undercuts the utility of generative AI tools altogether.

Adobe’s new AI tool can edit 10,000 images in one click

The Adobe Firefly Video Model — now available in limited beta at Firefly.Adobe.com — brings generative AI to video, marking the next advancement in video editing. It allows users to create and edit video clips using simple text prompts or images, helping fill in content gaps without having to reshoot, extend or reframe takes. It can also be used to create video clip prototypes as inspiration for future shots. Adobe unveiled its Firefly Video Model last month, previewing a variety of new generative AI video features. Today, the Firefly Video Model has officially launched in public beta and is the first publicly available generative video model designed to be commercially safe.

adobe generative ai

That covers the main set of controls which overlay the right of your image – but there is a smaller set of controls on the left that we must explore as well. Back up to the set of three controls, the middle option allows you to initiate a Download of the selected image. As Firefly begins preparing the image for download, a small overlay dialog appears.

There are also Text to Pattern, Style Reference and more workflow enhancements that can seriously speed up tedious design and drawing tasks enabling designers to dive deeper into their work. Everything from the initial conception of an idea through to final production is getting a helping hand from AI. If you do happen to have a team around you, features like brand kits, co-editing, and commenting will aid in faster, more seamless collaboration.

Adobe is using AI to make the creative process of designing graphics much easier and quicker, … [+] leaving users of programs like Illustrator and Photoshop free to spend more time with the creative process. Adobe has some language included that appears to be a holdover from the initial launch of Firefly. For example, the company stipulates that the Credit consumption rates above are for what it calls “standard images” that have a resolution of up to 2,000 by 2,000 pixels — the original maximum resolution of Firefly generative AI. Along that same line of thinking, Adobe says that it hasn’t provided any notice about these changes to most users since it’s not enforcing its limits for most plans yet.

To date, Firefly has been used by numerous Adobe enterprise customers to optimize workflows and scale content creation, including PepsiCo/Gatorade, IBM, Mattel, and more. This concern stems from the idea that eventually, AI-generated content will make up a large portion of training data, and the results will be AI slop — wonky, erroneous or unusable images. The self-perpetuating cycle would eventually render the tools useless, and the quality of the results would be degraded. It’s especially worrisome for artists who feel their unique styles are already being co-opted by generators, resulting in ongoing lawsuits over copyright infringement concerns.

  • The samples shared in the announcement show a pretty powerful model, capable of understanding the context and providing coherent generations.
  • IBM is experimenting with Adobe Firefly to optimize workflows across its marketing and consulting teams, focusing on developing reliable AI-powered creative and design outputs.
  • Adobe has also improved its existing Firefly Image 3 Model, claiming it can now generate images four times faster than previous versions.
  • It also emerged that Canon, Nikon and Leica will support its Camera to Cloud (C2C) feature, which allows for direct uploads of photos and videos to Frame.io.

But as the Lenovo example shows, there’s a lot of careful groundwork required to safely harness the potential of this new technology. If you look at the amount of content that we need to achieve end-to-end personalization, it’s pretty astronomical. To give you an example, we just launched a campaign for four products across eight marketing channels, four languages, and three variations. Speeding up content delivery in this way means that teams are then able to adjust and fine-tune the experience in real-time as trends or needs change.

However, at the moment, these latest generative AI tools, many of which were speeding up their workflows in recent months, are now slowing them down thanks to strange, mismatched, and sometimes baffling results. “The generative fill was almost perfect in the previous version of Photoshop to complete this task. Since I updated to the newest version (26.0.0), I get very absurd results,” the user explains. Since the update, generative fill adds objects to a person, including a rabbit and letters on a person’s face. Illustrator and Photoshop have received GenAI tools with the goal of improving user experience and allowing more freedom for users to express their creativity and skills. Our commitment to evolving our assessment approach as technology advances is what helps Adobe balance innovation with ethical responsibility.

adobe generative ai

We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. GhostGPT can also be used for coding, with the blog post noting marketing related to malware creation and exploit development. Malware authors are increasingly leveraging AI coding assistance, and tools like GhostGPT, which lack the typical guardrails of other large language models (LLMs), can save criminals time spent jailbreaking mainstream tools like ChatGPT. Media Intelligence automatically recognises clip content, including people, objects, locations, camera angles, camera type and more. This allows editors to simply type out the clip type needed in the new Search Panel, which displays interactive visual results, transcripts, and other metadata results from across an entire project.

An Adobe representative says that today, it does have in-app notifications in Adobe Express — an app where credits are enforced. Once Adobe does enforce Generative Credits in Photoshop and Lightroom, the company says users can absolutely expect an in-app notification to that effect. As part of the original story below, PetaPixel also added a line stating that in-app notifications are being used in Adobe Express to let users know about Generative Credits use. Looking ahead, Adobe forecast fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of between $5.5 billion and $5.55 billion, representing growth of between 9% to 10%.

In addition, Adobe is adding a neat feature to the Remove tool, which lets you delete people and objects from an image with ease, like Google’s Magic Eraser. With Distraction Removal, you can remove certain common elements with a single click. For instance, it can scrub unwanted wires and cables, and remove tourists from your travel photos. Adobe is joining several other players in the generative AI (GAI) space by rolling out its own model. The Firefly Video Model is powering a number of features across the company’s wide array of apps.

It works great for removing cables and wires that distract from a beautiful skyscape. This really begins with defining our brand and channel guidelines as well as personas in order to generate content that is on-brand and supports personalization across our many segments. The rapid adoption of generative AI has certainly created chaos inside and outside of the creative industry. Adobe has tried to mitigate some of the confusion and concerns that come with gen AI, but it clearly believes this is the way of the future. Even though Adobe creators are excited about specific AI tools, they still have serious concerns about AI’s overall impact on the industry.

One capability generates visual assets similar to the one highlighted by a designer. The others can embed new objects into an image, modify the background and perform related tasks. Some of the capabilities are rolling out to the company’s video editing applications. The others will mostly become available in Adobe’s suite of image editing tools, including Photoshop. For photographers not opposed to generative AI in their photo editing workflows, Generative Remove and other generative AI tools like Generative Fill and Generative Expand have become indispensable.

How to Choose the Right Security Company
IconBack to Articles

How to Choose the Right Security Company

April 25th, 2025
Share:

If you’re thinking about installing a security system in your home or business, you’re not alone. According to SafeHome.org, 13 million households report that they may install an alarm system within a year. These households would join the 39 million that already have alarm systems installed. Likewise, for businesses, it’s more important than ever to invest in video surveillance and access control.

 

When it comes to protecting your home or business, the security company you choose matters. You’re not just investing in equipment—you’re placing your trust in a team that should be watching over what matters most to you, 24/7. Security companies have varying offerings and differ in reputation, costs, customization options, and more. This guide highlights the top seven factors to consider when choosing a security company. 

1. Local Presence & Reputation

National security companies may have name recognition, but local providers often offer more responsive, personalized service. The best security companies are not only within a reasonable distance from where you live; they are also familiar with the unique needs of your neighborhood and are better equipped to respond quickly in your neighborhood. Local security companies may also provide a more direct customer support experience. Streamlined communication is always a plus.

 

Questions to ask: 

  • Where is the company based?
  • How long have they been in business?
  • How well do they understand the security challenges in your community?
  • Are they well-connected with local law enforcement and other local organizations?
  • Can you meet with team members in person or at the company’s main office?
  • Is the company known and considered reliable by community members?

2. Range of Services

Are you looking to install one or two products to start, or a comprehensive security system? Check which services the company offers beyond traditional alarm monitoring and security features. The top security companies offer a wide range of services, such as Patrol, perimeter detection systems, and proactive video surveillance, that provide enhanced protection to homes and businesses. 

 

Make sure the security company you choose can accommodate all of the services you’re interested in. Along with a range of options, you’ll want to have a cooperative team that will work together to meet your unique security needs.

 

Questions to ask: 

  • Does the company offer all of the services you’re considering? 
  • How do the company’s services compare to competitors’ services? 

3. Technology and Equipment

The top security professionals stay on the cutting edge of the industry’s technology. They not only have access to the latest equipment, software, and other products; they’re also expertly knowledgeable and can verify which product is the best match for your situation.

 

Read up on the company’s technological offerings, including live video monitoring systems, smart home services, advanced security cameras, and seamless online account management.

 

Questions to ask:

  • Are their security systems hard-wired or do they communicate via cellular or wifi?
  • How do the company’s security products compare to those of their competitors? Are they as advanced?
  • How often does the company update its systems and technology? 

4. Customization

Your security company should understand your unique needs and provide customized solutions. Home and commercial security do not come in one-size-fits-all systems. A security expert should evaluate your home or business in person, check the property for vulnerable areas, and recommend specific services based on their expert opinion. 

 

When searching for security companies, check their websites for customized options and packages. You can also look for “customized” and related key terms in online reviews, or call and ask about their offerings.

 

Questions to ask:

  • Do you offer on-site consultations?
  • Will my system be custom-designed or based on a preset package?
  • Can I add features like additional security cameras, smart locks, and glass break detectors?

5. Monitoring & Response Time

One of the most crucial considerations when choosing a security company is response time. Many companies outsource their alarm and video monitoring to third-party monitoring centers, sometimes located in other states. This can lead to delays or less reliable communication during emergencies. If the fire alarm goes off or an intruder is detected on the property, monitoring agents should respond immediately. Identifying threats and taking action is their number one responsibility, and a timely response could save lives and property from losses. 

 

You may be able to find testimonials that speak to a security company’s response times. 

 

Questions to ask:

  • Do you own your monitoring center, or is it outsourced?
  • Where is your monitoring center located?
  • Is your monitoring center certified? (e.g., UL-listed, Five Diamond)
  • How quickly do monitoring agents respond to alarms and alerts?
  • What is the protocol when an alarm is activated?

6. Cost & Contracts

Cost matters and should be considered along with other key factors, such as reputation and the range of services. Rather than choosing a security company based on the lowest cost of service, look for the one that offers the highest value. If a company checks every box—the latest security technology, a spotless reputation, a wide range of services—it may be worth a higher price point. 

 

You should also choose a company that is transparent about costs, both in conversation and in the contract terms. Some companies aim to lock customers into one- to three-year contracts, making it difficult to get out without paying cancellation fees. On the other hand, companies like Post Alarm offer month-to-month contracts, earning the business of its clients each month. 

 

Questions to ask:

  • Are the costs reasonable compared to industry standards?
  • How do the costs and value of services compare across companies? 
  • Does the company offer a month-to-month contract, or are their terms longer? What is your responsibility if you need to terminate a contract early?

7. Installation & Service

When choosing a security company, the quality and extent of service make all the difference. For each company you’re considering, find out who installs security systems—a dedicated team member or a third party. It’s best to have a security professional from the company install your products, as they can walk you through instructions for use. This also simplifies communication after the installation, in case you have follow-up questions or want to schedule a maintenance appointment.

 

Other important factors to review are a company’s licenses, customer service, and the length of service appointments. 

 

Questions to ask:

  • Do they have an in-house team of technicians that provides installation and service, or do they outsource?
  • How long are their installation and service windows?
  • Are the installers licensed, and have they been background checked?
  • Does the company offer phone as well as in-person technical support?

Shields Up. Since 1956.

A third-generation family business in Arcadia, CA, Post Alarm strives to provide best-in-class security services to Southern California communities. We are one of the only local, full-service security organizations, and we pride ourselves on providing professionally installed, fully integrated, customized security solutions for residential and commercial properties. We pride ourselves on earlier threat detection and a synchronized response. 

 

Ready to start building your custom home security package? Reach out and get a free security quote today!

How Night Shield Prevented Theft on a Residential Property in San Marino, CA
IconBack to Articles

How Night Shield Prevented Theft on a Residential Property in San Marino, CA

April 22nd, 2025
Share:

Security cameras and alarm systems allow you to monitor and check in on your property. However, these security measures are only effective in preventing crime if you actively review footage and respond to alerts in real-time. 

 

One San Marino resident discovered this when he returned home from visiting his children for Thanksgiving. After landing at LAX, he turned his phone back on and found a slew of messages and notifications from his security company and local law enforcement saying their house had been robbed. He returned home to find a burglar had broken in during their flight through a second-story door, ransacked their home, and stolen valuables and cherished items. Their alarm system was activated once the burglar moved into the main house, and while this notified his security company and law enforcement of the event in progress, there was no measure in place to prevent the break-in and theft.

 

Advanced methods of burglary and trespassing have been on the rise in San Marino and surrounding areas within the last couple of years. Local police believe this home was targeted by an organized burglary ring, like several other nearby properties.

 

After the break-in, the homeowner decided he needed to update his security measures. A friend of his recommended a live video monitoring solution that would allow for immediate response to potential threats or incidents. They invited the Post Alarm team to his property to discuss their services and learned that they were beta-testing Night Shield®, Post’s live video monitoring solution.

 

With Night Shield®, monitoring agents are immediately notified of suspicious activity flagged by cameras with advanced analytics. They’re then able to verify a crime in progress, intervening and notifying local law enforcement often before a break-in can occur. Post Alarm even has its own locally based central monitoring station, where they keep a watchful eye on their clients’ properties. 

 

“One of the advantages of our video solutions is that they’re just much more affordable than other services that are out there…because we do it all in-house,” says Rob Bado, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Post Alarm. “Virtually no one does their live monitoring in-house or through their own facility, and we do.”

 

The homeowner was interested in upgrading his alarm system and installing Night Shield®. Still, there was one challenge: He was traveling again for the holidays in just a few short weeks and wanted to get the security system up and running before he left. This wasn’t an issue for Post Alarm—the installation was prioritized and completed in just two days. 

 

“A significant portion of the installation was replacing the intrusion equipment, the alarm control panel, [and] the keypad,” Rob explains. “Most of the programming of those cameras is done remotely by our in-house technician, so it doesn’t greatly extend the time of the installation.”

 

With the installation complete, the homeowner and his family left for their holiday ski trip. While on the mountain, they received a call from Post Alarm: Someone, a potential intruder, was on their property while they were away. 

 

With the newly installed Night Shield® services, Post Alarm’s dispatchers saw this person from the central monitoring station. They observed them peering into the home’s windows and making their way around to the back of the property. Immediately, they activated the outdoor cameras’ lights, sending a warning to the potential intruder. The person left the property as soon as the lights came on. Break-in averted.

 

Relieved not to relive the nightmare of another home burglary, the homeowner said of Night Shield®, “It did its job; it protected us and did exactly what it was designed to do. The sense of comfort you have knowing someone is watching when you can’t is priceless. It’s so much better knowing you have technology on your side. On top of it, you have someone being alerted when the technology sees something, and that person can call the police instead of you being on vacation and watching your cameras.”

 

With Night Shield® in place, this San Marino family feels comfortable leaving home knowing their property is under watchful protection. “It definitely saved us from being robbed a second time.”

 

Shields Up With Post Alarm

A local, family-owned company, Post Alarm has protected people and neighborhoods across Southern California since 1956. Our proactive, layered approach to security keeps our clients’ homes and businesses protected, wherever they are. 

 

To learn more about Post Alarm’s Shield Services, contact us and get a free security quote.

Live Video Monitoring: Proactive Home Security
IconBack to Articles

Live Video Monitoring: Proactive Home Security

February 21st, 2025
Share:

Categories

What does a proactive approach to home security make you think of? Home security systems with alarm monitoring and smart home features like automated lights, locks, and doorbell cameras certainly save time and offer more awareness for homeowners. Even surveillance cameras that record events in progress can act as a deterrent against potential crime.

 

But what about a more proactive approach to your home security? As criminals become more sophisticated in breaking into homes and businesses, individuals need more advanced security solutions. Enter: live video monitoring.

What Is Live Video Monitoring?

As its name suggests, live video monitoring means your camera feeds aren’t merely recording crime and events as they happen. Instead, a trained expert monitors cameras on your property in real-time, allowing for fast, decisive action when suspicious activity occurs.

 

Stopping crime before it occurs is no longer a science fiction fantasy. Live video monitoring is an emerging game-changer for home and business owners looking to take their security to an even greater level of proactive protection.

Benefits of Live Video Monitoring

Benefits of live video monitoring.

Live video monitoring acts as an early warning system, providing an effective way to intercept intruders before they have a chance to reach your home or business. Some of the benefits of live video monitoring include:

24/7 Live Surveillance

Get all the benefits of normal security cameras, with an extra layer of action when the situation requires it. Plus, you can still store a bank of video data and view live feeds from a smart device to check in on your property anytime.

Proactive Protection

Security experts review live footage and verify a potential threat. If police are needed, visual verification of a crime means faster, more informed response times. Additionally, cameras can see what first responders can’t, equipping them with advanced intelligence, full visibility of your property, and descriptions of any persons involved.

Smarter Security

State-of-the-art security cameras utilize advanced analytic technology to flag unusual activity or threats. From there, live video monitoring agents are alerted of a possible event in progress and can take action.

Always in the Know

Real-time alerts of unusual activity are also sent directly to you, meaning you know when an emergency situation is at hand and first responders are on their way whether you’re home or not.

Reduced Response Times

Visual verification of a crime in progress by a professional monitoring team typically gives you top priority with first responders and reduces response times and false alarms significantly.

Early Intervention

Advanced two-way speakers allow for early intervention by security specialists to alert potential intruders they have been seen and officers are on the way, adding another layer to deter crime before police and first responders arrive.

Safer Homes = Safer Neighborhoods

Fortifying your own home protection with advanced security technology inevitably affects the rest of your surroundings. Making your home safer with added deterrents and threat protection positively changes the safety of your community.

 

The security company you choose may vary in the specific video monitoring services they provide. Still, the core idea of video monitoring and proactive protection remains standard across the industry.

Shield Services from Post Alarm

Shield Services is Post Alarm’s suite of proprietary live video monitoring solutions. And like every superhero, Night Shield® has a unique origin story. As Post Alarm Co-Owner and CFO Rob Post relayed to the Montecito Journal, Night Shield® was born from a needed bridge in security surveillance coverage.

 

“Six years ago, I had an incident at my house. In the neighborhood, these guys tried to break into cars and mailboxes up and down the street. It was a problem,” he said. “And where I’m from (foothills of Monrovia, near Pasadena), there are a lot of bears and wild animals. So I’d wake up in the morning, turn on my phone, and see that the system detected a bear.”

 

But the old video system wasn’t designed to flag a non-imminent, prospective threat, focusing instead on the motion of wild animals. The need for something like Night Shield®, with live video monitoring agents and advanced analytic data to distinguish between threats and non-threats, was apparent.

 

“Now, when you arm your system at night, our central station will see a person detected around your property.”

How Our Shield Services Work:

  • Post professionals install advanced video cameras in strategic locations on your property.
  • If a camera detects a threat, it then alerts Post’s locally-based live video monitoring agents.
  • Agents verify the threat and dispatch local law enforcement and/or Post Patrol services.
  • Post Alarm monitoring agents relay critical details to responders ahead of their arrival.
  • Law enforcement or Patrol responds in minutes to apprehend suspects and prevent a crime from occurring.

Post Alarm makes home security simple and synchronized. Our 24/7 local alarm monitoring, remote access from your phone for real-time notifications and control of smart security devices, advanced video surveillance technology, and Patrol response work together for total protection.

A Shield Service for Every Situation

Post Alarm offers a variety of live video monitoring solutions, depending on your specific needs and situation:

 

  • Night Shield® – Overnight event-based live video monitoring identifies threats and alerts responders at the first sign of suspicious activity.
  • Vacation Shield – With highly trained experts, event-based live video monitoring by highly trained experts can identify and deter threats from your property while you’re away.
  • Construction Shield – Safeguard construction sites and trust your valuable assets stay protected, even when you’re not there.
  • Post Shield 24 – Create a schedule customized to your unique needs, with confidence in your property’s protection.

Combined with local alarm monitoring and Patrol Services from Post, our dispatch team and Patrol officers receive critical information ahead of their arrival, including video verification of a crime in progress and location on your property, typically resulting in a higher priority response from law enforcement first responders.

Shields Up. Since 1956.

Unlike traditional motion-triggered technology, live video monitoring provides a proactive approach to home and business protection. The ability for your security company to take the same action as they would in the event of a triggered alarm before an actual crime takes place not only mitigates damage and loss, but potentially saves lives.

 

At Post Alarm, we’ve always been a local, family-owned company, and we plan on staying that way. As a privately held, third-generation family business, Post has provided alarm and patrol services to Southern California communities, neighborhoods, and homeowners since 1956.

 

Our family founded Post Alarm with a passion for protecting people and the neighborhoods we call home. Now, we’re one of the only local, full-service security organizations in the Southern California area providing professionally installed, fully integrated, customized security solutions that result in earlier threat detection and synchronized response, getting you help faster when it matters most.

 

Ready to start building your custom video monitoring and security package? Reach out and get a free security quote today!

Fire Alarm Monitoring: Does My Fire Alarm Need to be Monitored?
IconBack to Articles

Fire Alarm Monitoring: Does My Fire Alarm Need to be Monitored?

January 31st, 2025
Share:

Categories

From the fear of safeguarding family to the immense structural damage, fires are one of the most devastating disasters home and business owners can face. Installing the right fire security measures saves lives in an emergency. Simply put, fire alarm monitoring offers more protection in a fire.

 

Traditional smoke detectors simply make noise, which is what they’re designed to do. But that only alerts anyone in the home or building of a possible fire, and that action may be required. Monitored fire alarms communicate with an alarm monitoring center, which can then take the next step to alert the fire department and first responders.

But when is fire alarm monitoring actually required?

When is Fire Alarm Monitoring Required?

Technically, fire alarm monitoring isn’t a legal requirement. However, most states have laws in place that require the presence of carbon monoxide detectors (whether they’re monitored or not) in homes and buildings in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and regulations.

 

In California, for instance, the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 (SB-183) is a law that requires carbon monoxide detectors in all dwellings. In fact, the State Fire Marshal certifies and approves all carbon monoxide devices and their instructions for use.

 

Fire alarm monitoring meets all legal requirements for the presence of a carbon monoxide detector, with the added bonus of providing an extra layer of response.

Commercial Fire Systems

When it comes to protecting commercial buildings, there are generally more compliance measures required to properly protect people and property. The NFPA’s robust infrastructure of codes, standards, and guidelines address the fire protection needs of commercial buildings across industries in areas like:

 

  • Building construction
  • Design, installation, and maintenance of fire alarm systems (monitored or not)
  • Sprinkler systems
  • Emergency evacuation plans
  • Potential electrical fire safety issues

At Post Alarm, our Fire Specialists design, engineer, and install a UL-approved fire detection system that complies with current NFPA code standards, as well as state and local fire authorities requirements. Advanced fire monitoring and suppression systems not only keep businesses protected and code-compliant but can also help control the early stages of a fire to avoid complete disaster.

General Fire Alarm Tips for Homeowners

The NFPA recommends that all homes have at least one smoke detector per level, in each bedroom, and near all sleeping areas. You should also test your fire alarms at least once per month and annually swap out batteries. Of course, if your alarm makes a “chirping” sound, indicating the battery needs to be replaced, you should do so immediately.

 

Depending on the design and installation of your fire alarm system and whether it is wired into your home’s electrical system, you may need to regularly check to see that the signal light is blinking and the alarm is active. If you’re unsure, contact your fire alarm provider.

Monitored vs Unmonitored Fire Alarm Systems

Fire alarm monitoring vs unmonitored infographic.

Time is of the essence during a fire. And the unfortunate truth is that too many individuals fall victim to easily avoidable disasters. A monitored fire alarm system buys precious time in an emergency, saving lives and property.

 

While traditional smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors may activate effectively during a fire, if no one is home, the fire alarm can’t be heard, or individuals inside are already incapacitated, help cannot arrive. The alarm performs its job, yet no additional action steps occur.

Traditional (Unmonitored) Fire Alarms

  • A beeping alarm alerts anyone within hearing range
  • If you’re not home, you may not know what’s going on
  • If you or someone at home is injured, it may be difficult or impossible to call for help
  • First responders arrive too late or not at all

Monitored fire alarm systems ensure that first responders are quickly alerted to an emergency and can be on the scene within minutes, even when you’re not home or unable to hear the fire alarm.

Monitored Fire Alarms

  • A beeping alarm alerts anyone within hearing range
  • You receive mobile notification of a triggered alarm
  • Our Central Monitoring Station is notified and assesses the situation
  • First responders are dispatched quickly in an emergency

Benefits of Fire Alarm Monitoring

Conventional smoke alarms are an important safety measure, but they only alert those within earshot of potential danger. From there, individuals must take the next steps to safety. However, they may be unable or unequipped to do so when every second counts.

 

What if no one is home? What if you or someone you love is trapped or struggling with smoke inhalation and unable to reach the phone?

 

Fire alarm monitoring accelerates critical action during an emergency. Here’s how it works:

  • Post Alarm’s monitored smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide equipment detect the first sign of fire or carbon monoxide.
  • Our UL-listed central monitoring station is alerted. They assess the situation and alert you to the emergency.
  • At the same time, our monitoring agents immediately notify and dispatch fire department authorities and first responders.

With monitored fire alarms, first responders are dispatched and arrive on the scene within minutes, saving valuable time in an emergency. Those precious minutes can save lives and properties and prevent the unimaginable.

Smart Home Integration

Monitored smoke and carbon monoxide detectors pair perfectly with other smart home features and greatly enhance your home’s automation. With real-time notifications of unusual activities or potential emergencies, you can quickly respond and take action.

Why Choose Post Alarm for Fire Alarm Monitoring

At Post Alarm, we’re your one-stop shop for fire alarm monitoring in Southern California. When you choose us for monitored fire alarm systems, you can count on the following:

 

  • Custom design and installation from our fire safety specialists ensure you have the right number and placement of smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide detectors in the right areas of your home.
  • 24/7 local monitoring from our award-winning, UL-listed, owned, and operated monitoring and dispatch facility.
  • Professional alarm monitoring enables swift and decisive action regarding alarm events, meaning we can immediately dispatch local fire departments and our Patrol Team to the scene.

Fully integrated security from Post Alarm, including alarm and video monitoring, smoke and fire detection, smart home technology, and patrol, all working together, results in earlier threat detection and synchronized response, getting you help faster when it matters the most.

 

At Post Alarm, we’ve always been a local, family-owned company, and we plan on staying that way. As a privately held, third-generation family business, Post has provided alarm and patrol services to Southern California communities, neighborhoods, and homeowners since 1956.

 

Our family founded Post Alarm on a passion for protecting people and the neighborhoods we call home. Now, we’re one of the only local, full-service security organizations in the Southern California area providing professionally installed, fully integrated, customized security solutions that result in earlier threat detection and synchronized response, getting you help faster when it matters most.

 

Ready to start building your custom fire alarm monitoring and security package? Reach out and get a free security quote today!

Follow Home Robberies: An Essential Guide for Arriving Home Safely
IconBack to Articles

Follow Home Robberies: An Essential Guide for Arriving Home Safely

December 2nd, 2024
Share:

Categories

Your home should always be a place of safety and comfort. And the right home security system brings an extra sense of calm in knowing you and your family are protected, whether you’re home or not. But practicing strong safety habits doesn’t start and end at your doorstep.

 

In recent years, the LAPD has warned of possible upticks in “follow home robberies,” in which victims of this type of crime are followed home or to their place of business and targeted for robbery.

 

Safety starts wherever you’re coming from, and should begin before, during, and after your journey home. Learn more about follow home robberies and some simple habits to better protect yourself from this type of crime.

What are Follow Home Robberies?

A follow home robbery is a crime in which an individual is stalked or followed from a public location to their home, where they are then robbed. It might occur when traveling back from high-end districts, stores, restaurants, or events.

 

In 2022, the LAPD investigated 328 follow-home robberies and made 122 connected arrests, with many follow-home robberies taking place in the Hollywood or Wilshire areas.

 

This type of robbery often targets individuals who may appear to be carrying valuables, such as shopping bags, electronics, fine jewelry, or cash. Some other common scenarios in which follow home robberies occur include:

  • After shopping – think high-end retail stores, jewelry shops, or crowded malls.
  • Leaving an upscale dining experience.
  • Cash-based businesses like casinos.
  • Social events or gathering places like parties, bars, and clubs.
  • After ATM withdrawals.

Always remember to stay vigilant of your surroundings and any potential followers when driving home or entering and exiting your vehicle.

Before Getting in Your Vehicle

Often, simply staying aware of your surroundings goes a long way in protecting yourself. When heading back to your car, always have your keys ready before reaching your vehicle.

 

Situational awareness in public spaces also includes:

  • Staying mindful of any individuals in your proximity when leaving stores, restaurants, or any of the potentially targeted spaces listed above.
  • Keeping an eye out for any suspicious individuals or groups who mirror your movements in parking lots or enter their vehicles at the same time as you.
  • If in a crowded parking lot, stay mindful of any would-be robbers lying or hiding between parked cars.

You don’t need to carry extreme fears or anxieties every time you leave the house. Situational awareness can be as simple as practicing classic “stranger danger” habits to better protect yourself.

Protect Yourself While Driving Home

Once you’re driving and on your way home, simply staying present can help prevent a potential crime. So avoid distractions like your phone, which you shouldn’t use while driving anyways!

 

You might also break routines by occasionally taking different routes home. Should you think another vehicle is following you, take a few different turns to see if it is the same vehicle behind you throughout your journey home.

 

As you arrive in your neighborhood, keep a close watch for any groups or individuals loitering or any suspicious vehicles sitting idly.

Before Pulling into Your Driveway

When you finally arrive home, it’s still not time to let your guard fully down. If you installed any surveillance cameras or a doorbell camera, check for any push notifications of activity before pulling into your driveway. And if another vehicle is behind you, pull over on the street. In either case, should there be nefarious activity happening, you don’t want to be blocked in your driveway.

 

Finally, take a quick scan of the front of your residence to ensure no one is hiding. And never remotely unlock your front door until you’re absolutely sure it’s safe to do so.

What to Do if You Suspect You’re Being Followed

If you do find yourself in a situation where you suspect you’re being followed, do not stop driving, and do not head straight for home. Instead, drive to a safe location like a police station or another crowded, public space.

 

Call for help if necessary, and provide as much details to police about the make and model of the suspicious vehicle. If more than one member of your family regularly drives, take the time to talk through emergency plans. Set up emergency contacts, meeting places and general protocols with your family.

Additional Security Recommendations

It never hurts to strengthen your security touch points at your home’s exterior to help ward off follow home robberies. You might consider additional lighting for your driveway and all entry points to eliminate potential hiding places. And for an added layer of security, perimeter security measures like additional cameras and sensors can alert you of any unusual activity on your property.

 

Finally, there’s always strength in numbers. Avoid traveling alone if possible, and connect with your neighbors and community. Stay involved with any neighborhood watch programs and pay attention to community notifications that might affect you.

 

And for all Post Patrol subscribers, officers are regularly active in your neighborhood and available to escort residents safely inside their homes.

Shields Up. Since 1956.

Living with fear every time you leave the house is not sustainable. But taking a few simple mental notes when you are out and about can ensure you always make it home safe and sound. And for better protection for your home and family, there’s Post Alarm.

 

We’ve always been a local, family-owned company, and we plan on staying that way. As a privately held, third generation family business, Post has provided Alarm and Patrol Services to communities, neighborhoods, and homeowners since 1956.

 

Our family founded Post Alarm on a passion for protecting people and the neighborhoods we call home. Now, we’re one of the only local, full-service security organizations in the Southern California area providing professionally installed, fully integrated, customized security solutions that result in earlier threat detection and synchronized response, getting you help faster when it matters most.

 

Ready to start building your custom home security package? Reach out and get a free security quote today!

Layered Home Security: Perimeter to Porch Protection
IconBack to Articles

Layered Home Security: Perimeter to Porch Protection

November 26th, 2024
Share:

Categories

When you think about home security, what comes to mind? For many homeowners, home security typically focuses on traditional measures, like making sure exterior entry points are secure, and a home security system is in place to trigger an alarm in response to an emergency, like a forced entry.

However, the reality is that truly effective home security requires a more comprehensive, layered approach. Post Alarm recommends implementing a multi-layered safety and security strategy to enhance your home’s fortification and deter potential intruders.

What Is Layered Home Security?

Layered home security is an approach to protecting your home that begins at the street. It extends beyond the physical structure of your home to encompass your surrounding property. While traditional measures, like door and window sensors and glass break detectors, shore up your warning system, additional security layers provide early detection and deterrence.

Simply put, earlier detection = smarter protection.

This approach involves identifying and addressing vulnerabilities around your home with measures that enhance visibility, provide early warning, and enable proactive intervention.

Layered Home Security Begins at the Street

Your first layer of defense begins at the street. A well-maintained and well-lit exterior not only enhances curb appeal but also deters unwanted visitors. Some simple measures to extend your home’s security to the street include:

  • Eliminate Hiding Spots: Trim any overgrown trees or bushes to eliminate interior visibility issues or potential hiding spots, especially around doors and windows.
  • Motion-Sensor Lighting: Install motion-activated or dusk-to-dawn lights to cover driveways, pathways, and entryways.
  • Visible House Numbers: Ensure your house numbers are large, in contrasting colors, or illuminated for easy visibility, especially for emergency responders.

Layered Home Security: Perimeter Protection

Securing your property’s perimeter creates a critical barrier for intruders. This layer not only deters, but homeowners gain a significant advantage — time. Additional time gives you the chance to react and respond effectively to any security breaches, allowing for proactive intervention and time to get your family to safety.

Examples of effective perimeter protection include:

  • Fences and Gates: Fences establish a clear barrier, while driveway gates with keypad access control require authorized entry.
  • Video Surveillance and CCTV: Installing cameras with advanced analytics allows you to monitor your property in real-time and receive instant notifications of unusual activity.
  • Live Video Monitoring: Adds another layer of vigilance with security experts ready to review footage, verify threats, and dispatch Patrol Officers and law enforcement.
  • Perimeter Alarms: Systems with sirens and lights can alert you to intrusions while signaling to intruders they have been detected.
  • Floodlights with Two-Way Talk: Our 4MP Outdoor Floodlight Camera provides a powerful response to unwanted visitors. Combining lights, a siren, high-quality video recording, and two-way audio for intervention.
  • Yard Signs: Posting security signs prominently on your property can often act as a deterrent to intruders.

By implementing a comprehensive approach to perimeter security, homeowners can take another step toward effective security through a layered approach.

Layered Home Security: Exterior Entry Points

As most homeowners know, securing entry points is vital to a comprehensive layered home security strategy. These areas are the most vulnerable spots for your home where an intruder can gain entry. Fortifying your exterior entry points can greatly enhance your defense against potential threats.

  • Reinforce Exterior Doors using deadbolts to prevent forced entry and consider door reinforcement bars for added strength.
  • Install a Smart Lock, which allows you to assign unique codes to family members and temporary guests.
  • Establish a Routine for making sure your doors and windows are locked.
  • Door and Window Sensors alert you when these entry points are opened unexpectedly.
  • Video Doorbells allow you to see and communicate with visitors remotely.
  • Glass Break and Motion Detectors should be installed in key areas on all floors.
  • Garage Security – lock the door leading from your garage to your home, keep your garage door closed when not in use, and never leave your garage door opener visible in your car.

Layered Home Security: Interior Safety Measures

The final component of our layered security approach focuses on the interior of your home. By implementing safety and security measures within your home, you can create a final line of defense to safeguard your home and family.

  • Surveillance Cameras: Monitor interior spaces for added protection
  • Secure Valuables: Use a safe to store jewelry, cash, and other items. Your safe should be in a discreet area that is not accessible or noticeable to intruders.
  • Identify or Create a Safe Room: In the event of an emergency, if you can’t safely escape/exit your home, identify a space where your family can gather.

Additional Home Security Measures

Small habits and thoughtful precautions can significantly improve your layered home security approach.

Simple & Effective Practices:

  • Keep valuables out of sight and dispose of packaging carefully to avoid showcasing what’s inside your home.
  • Limit sharing on social media. Avoid posting vacations, extended absences from your home, and interior photos of your home.
  • Shred personal documents before disposing of them in the trash.
  • Use a USPS-approved mailbox with a lock or mail checks directly from the Post Office.
  • Always lock your car and remove valuables from your car, including keys, wallets, and weapons.
  • Get involved or start a neighborhood watch program to enhance your community’s safety.

Customize Your Home Security System

Every home is unique, and every family has different needs. The right home security system should be customized to you. A review by a professional security expert can help you to identify vulnerabilities and you specific recommendations to ensure your home and family are fully protected. With a layered home security approach, you can achieve peace of mind.

Shields Up. Since 1956.

A layered security approach is only as effective as the core strength of your home protection: a monitored alarm system. With 24/7 local monitoring, remote access from your phone for real-time notifications, advanced video surveillance technology, and Patrol response working in synchrony, Post Alarm makes full-coverage, layered home security simple.

We’ve always been a local, family-owned company, and we plan on staying that way. As a privately held, third-generation family business, Post has provided Alarm and Patrol Services to communities, neighborhoods, and homeowners since 1956.

Our family founded Post Alarm on a passion for protecting people and the neighborhoods we call home. Now, we’re one of the only local, full-service security organizations in the Southern California area providing professionally installed, fully integrated, customized security solutions that result in earlier threat detection and synchronized response, getting you help faster when it matters most.

Ready to start building your custom home security package? Reach out and get a free security quote today!

Kids Home Security Tips for Back-to-School
IconBack to Articles

Kids Home Security Tips for Back-to-School

October 1st, 2024
Share:

Categories

Fall is here, and the school year is well underway! It’s a busy, exciting time for many families as the season changes and school year activities pick up. But with more comings and goings from the house, it’s also a perfect time to instill kids home security best practices in your home.

Shorter days and darker nights in Southern California can provide more opportunities for potential criminals to take advantage. Take the necessary precautions and get the most out of your security system to ensure your family stays safe and protected during this back-to-school season.

Create Simple and Safe Security Routines

Busy back-to-school days can make your home feel like a constantly revolving door. Between making the bus and starting your workday on time and after-school activities like sports and clubs, there are likely many more short trips away from your home.

With changes and disruptions to your summer routine, something as simple as arming your security system can get overlooked.

Create a simple security routine for every family member when they arrive:

  • Disarm your system upon entering and reset to the “Armed Stay” setting.
  • Lock all doors behind you when leaving and entering. Don’t forget to double-check! Consider adding smart locks to your home to check your lock status when you’re away and remotely lock/unlock your door.
  • Teach your children how to lock and unlock windows; if you open a window for fresh air, don’t leave it unattended. Always make sure to close and lock windows before leaving the house.
  • Explain emergency contact information to your children and keep it somewhere visible, like the fridge or a bulletin board.
  • Always arm your system when leaving the house, no matter how long you’re away.

Simplify Your Safety with Security Upgrades

With professional installation, your security system motion sensors should be well placed on your home’s first and second floors on all doors, windows, and other entry points. Second-story home break-ins are becoming increasingly common. Adding an extra layer of protection with motion sensors and glass break detectors on second-story windows can act as an additional deterrent.

Glass break detectors are only operational when your security system is armed. If glass breaks while you’re not at home, the sensors pick up the sound and activate the alarm system as a response (as long as the system is armed).

Consider additional upgrades and smart home features to get the most out of your back-to-school protection.

Back-to-School Smart Home Features

The total control of smart home security allows you to take your safety routine to the next level. For instance, instead of manually managing every aspect of your system, you can easily set rules and schedules:

  • Set rules to arm your system automatically at certain times of day, like your usual leave time for school and work.
  • Schedule indoor and outdoor lights to keep your home and property illuminated, whether you’re at home or not.
  • Ease your mind on the go by double-checking that your system is armed and all doors are locked from the convenience of a single app.

Smart Locks for Kids Home Security

The days of hiding a key under the doormat or inside a planter are long gone. With smart locks, you can easily control who has access to your home and when with unique and temporary access codes for family members or guests, plus additional features like:

  • Remote locking and unlocking and activity notifications ensure home-alone kids lock the door behind them.
  • Smart speaker voice control ensures only family and welcome guests gain access.
  • Unique access codes avoid the risk of lost keys and allow for monitoring of entry times for different family members.

Utilize Security Cameras

Security cameras are another way to monitor your home and family when you can’t be there. Doorbell cameras let you monitor your front door to ensure everyone is home from school or sports practices when they’re supposed to be.

Indoor motion sensor cameras with two-way voice control allow you to check in on everyone in the home. Plus, you can manage video surveillance and your other smart home schedules directly in one app.

Shields Up. Since 1956.

The back-to-school season should be a time of fun and excitement for the whole family. Going the extra mile to instill best practices in kids home security ensures that this season stays safe.

Post Alarm has always been a local, family-owned company, and we plan on staying that way. As a privately held, third-generation family business, Post has provided Alarm and Patrol Services to communities, neighborhoods, and homeowners since 1956.

Our family founded Post Alarm with a passion for protecting people and the neighborhoods we call home. Now, we’re one of the only local, full-service security organizations in Southern California. We provide professionally installed, fully integrated, customized security solutions that result in earlier threat detection and synchronized response, getting you help faster when it matters most.

Ready to start building your custom home security package? Reach out and get a free security quote today!

 

 

Fall Home Security Tips for Shorter Days and Darker Nights
IconBack to Articles

Fall Home Security Tips for Shorter Days and Darker Nights

October 1st, 2024
Share:

Categories

Autumn is upon us in Southern California! While that means a break from the summer sun and the chance to enjoy new seasonal activities, it also brings unique fall home security challenges.

Per the State of California Department of Justice, property crime and burglaries decreased at rates of 1.8% and 7.8%, respectively, across the state. However, the Los Angeles Police Chief reported that the number of burglaries this year has increased by 4%, and more than half of the locations targeted were residences. The fall season’s shorter days and darker nights create additional opportunities for these types of crimes. Take the necessary steps to protect your home and family during autumn and enjoy a safe and secure end of the year.

Fall Home Security: Protection Inside and Out

The start of a new season is the perfect opportunity to double-check your current home security system setup. Are all doors, windows, and entry points properly secure with functional locks? Post Alarm suggests that every door and window is equipped with a motion sensor. You should also consider glass break detectors, which trigger your alarm at the first sign of a forced window entry. Second-story burglaries are becoming increasingly common, and having motion detectors and glass break sensors on the second floor of your home is critical to your safety.

Installing motion-activated exterior lighting is another way to make the outside of your home even safer. Well-lit door entries and driveways provide visibility of potential threats and act as a deterrent to intruders. A bright, active space is much less of an easy target than one with plenty of hiding places.

For example, the 4MP Outdoor Floodlight Camera from Post Alarm offers a powerful response to unwanted visitors. It combines lights (flood light, strobe light, and flashing blue and red lights), a siren, high-quality video recording, and two-way audio for proactive security measures and improved visibility.

On that note, ensure all your security cameras, including doorbell cameras, exterior video surveillance cameras, and any interior two-way voice cameras, operate correctly.

Protect Your Perimeter with Smart Home Features

Utilizing everything your smart home security system offers can make preparing for fall security that much easier. For example, use timers or in-app controls for indoor lights to give the appearance of someone being home, even when you’re away.

Consider upgrading to smart locks and get total control over who can access your home and when. Plus, enjoy great features like:

  • Keyless entry to avoid fumbling around for keys in the dark or risking an intruder finding your hidden spare key.
  • You can have peace of mind knowing your home is secure with remote locking and unlocking capabilities and real-time notifications of activity.
  • Use smart speaker voice control as an extra layer of security against unwanted visitors.

Fall season is also a great time to shore up your home’s perimeter protection. Conduct a thorough inspection and repair any fences and gates and trim shrubs and trees nearby to improve visibility and eliminate potential hiding areas.

And don’t forget about with Night Shield® from Post Alarm, our proprietary event-based live video monitoring service, agents monitor your property for unusual activity in real time. If a threat is detected and video verified during overnight hours, our monitoring agents coordinate faster responses from our Patrol and local Law Enforcement.

Fall Security: Situational Awareness in Public at Night

Autumn is prime hiking time in beautiful California. But should you find it getting dark when you’ve finished, or you’re just stepping out in your neighborhood for an evening walk, some general safety tips to consider include:

  • Stay in well-lit areas. If you’re walking anywhere (including just the neighborhood with your dog), plan to take routes with good street lighting, bring a flashlight, and wear reflective or bright clothing so drivers are aware of your presence.
  • Remember, there is safety in numbers. Coordinate walking or hiking with a group instead of venturing out alone.
  • Know before you go: emergency exits. Anytime you’re in public spaces, make sure to be aware of the nearest exits so you know where to go in an emergency.
  • Always trust your instincts. If something or someone makes you uncomfortable, there’s a reason. Never be afraid to leave an area or situation and seek help if necessary.

Protect Yourself and Your Vehicle

More than likely, this fall, you’ll find yourself driving to evening activities and outings. When you are out and about, there are many safety checklist items to keep in mind to maintain situational awareness:

  • Remain alert and focused while driving or walking to your parked car: avoid distractions like looking at your phone or wearing headphones.
  • Keep your hands free, and your belongings secure so that you can react faster if you need to defend yourself. Always get your keys ready before making your way to your vehicle.
  • Be aware of your blind spots when parking and other drivers’ blind spots when walking.
  • Always check your car before entering for signs of an intruder, attempted forced entry, or any damage to your vehicle.

You should never be frightened when leaving your home, but a little preparation and mindfulness can ensure you’re ready for any situation.

Shields Up. Since 1956.

Fall is an exciting time of year with many seasonal hallmarks to look forward to. At Post Alarm, we want all our customers to feel safe and protected throughout the season. Taking the proper steps for fall home security ensures it stays a happy time worth celebrating.

Post Alarm has always been a local, family-owned company, and we plan on staying that way. As a privately held, third-generation family business, Post has provided Alarm and Patrol Services to communities, neighborhoods, and homeowners since 1956.

Our family founded Post Alarm with a passion for protecting people and the neighborhoods we call home. Now, we’re one of the only local, full-service security organizations in Southern California. We provide professionally installed, fully integrated, customized security solutions that result in earlier threat detection and synchronized response, getting you help faster when it matters most.

Ready to start building your custom home security package? Reach out and get a free security quote today!

The Benefits of a Locally Owned and Operated Central Station
IconBack to Articles

The Benefits of a Locally Owned and Operated Central Station

April 26th, 2024
Share:

The Benefits of a Locally Owned and Operated Central Station

Aren’t all central stations for alarm monitoring relatively the same? Not at all.

The truth is, roughly 90% of electronic security companies don’t actually own their own central station. Instead, they use a third party provider that pretends to be the customer’s security company when they respond to an alarm signal. These third party central stations could be in an entirely different state than the companies they represent. That hardly inspires confidence in their ability to dispatch your local police or fire responders if you have an emergency.

The Better Approach for Alarm Monitoring 

A much better approach is to use a locally owned and operated central station — preferably, one that is owned by your alarm company. That’s what we offer at Post Alarm. We own and operate our own central station, which means your home or business security system is being monitored by the same team who understands how your system was designed and installed.

Furthermore, our trained security agents are located onsite at your alarm company, based in your own community. Their familiarity with the area makes them uniquely qualified to respond to your specific emergency.

Other Advantages to Local Alarm Monitoring 

  • Relationships with local police. We have strong relationships with our local law enforcement — the same police departments that are responding to our customers’ emergencies. When police know your alarm is being monitored by a local central station they’re familiar with, they often have more confidence in the validity of your alarm. The result? A coordinated effort, which allows for faster response.
  • Faster response times. With a third party monitoring center, wait times are excessively long; that’s because, due to the prevalence of false alarms, sometimes police need to lower the priority of most alarm signals (unless they are video verified). At Post Alarm, our response times consistently outpace the response times of our competitors. Our close relationships with local law enforcement make a real difference in the response times we can provide you.
  • Prompt troubleshooting and repair. Our close proximity also enables us to provide better repair service. If a problem is detected with your system, we will text or call you immediately from our own central station located right here in SoCal. Your problem can be troubleshooted and repaired faster, minimizing the time that your property is unprotected.

These are some of the most important reasons to choose a locally owned and operated central station for alarm monitoring. To learn more about our locally owned and operated central station at Post Alarm, contact us today. We’ll be glad to answer your questions.

About Post Alarm

To learn more about Southern California security technology, come see us at Post Alarm. Our highly qualified and experienced home security experts can answer all your questions. Call us today at 1-800-654-7678.