Protect Your Home on Vacation

You are finally taking a well deserved vacation. While it seems like common sense with the busyness of life and a rapidly approaching departure date it is easy to forget something. Put together a checklist to be completed before you leave. All it takes is a few hours to secure your home, ensuring it is in the same condition on your return as when you left. By making your home appear lived in and using a home security system you can greatly decrease the chances burglars will target your house.

Although it would seem obvious many people forget to lock all doors and windows. Check every door and window twice, or have a spouse or your travel companion do a separate check. Place a metal or wooden bar to prevent windows from being jimmied and slid open. Unplug or turnoff your garage door opener. If there is a hidden spare key on the property put it away. Put inside lights on timers and outside lights on motion sensors. You may also consider putting the television on a timer.

A great way to deter thieves is to create the illusion that someone still lives there. Have a trusted friend of family member check on the house regularly. You can hire a house sitter for between $50 and $100 dollars per night. This is great if you have plants that need to be watered and pets that require feeding. Having this person collect your mail and newspaper is better than a calling for a stop mail/paper order, since burglars sometimes have access to this information. If you will be gone for several weeks or months it is a good idea to hire someone to mow the lawn.

A monitored home security system is a good deterrent and may even reduce your insurance rates. Wireless security cameras can be easily installed since there are no wires to run. All it takes is mounting the camera and plugging them into a transmitter. Data can be recorded at home using a digital video recorder (DVR), or you can view footage over the internet using a surveillance camera video server. This device has everything you need to access images over the internet from any web browser anywhere in the world. Simply plug the cameras into it and your ready to go. Visual verification is the best way for police to follow up on suspicious activity or a break in on your property.

One final note of importance, SHUT OFF THE WATER! This is especially important during winter months. If a water pipe springs a leak or toilet bowl cracks thousands of dollars of damage will be done to your home potentially making it unlivable. Following these simple steps will give you some piece of mind while you are away. Relax and have a great trip!


About the Author: Mike Ward is the owner and operator of Protection Depot, a leading online provider of wireless security cameras and digital video recorders. For more information, please visit The Protection Depot.

Sunday School Safety Essentials

Sunday school should be a safe place where kids can enjoy learning and playing. Unfortunately over the years it has been found that bad things happen even in Sunday school classes. Injuries, physical or emotional child abuse, and abduction are just some of the dangers any Sunday school program must address. The good news is that with a properly trained staff, safe facilities, and consistent operating procedures these issues can be virtually eliminated.

The core of any program is people. Do not compromise on selecting individuals to lead and volunteer for classes even if it seems difficult to find people. Good leaders will put together a top notch program that others will want to be involved in. Churches are traditionally trusting environments, which makes them a prime target for child abuse. A child molester cannot simply be identified just by looking at someone. Today’s churches cannot afford to skip interviews and background checks on leaders as well as volunteers. A regular leader for each class will get to know parents and kids and become familiar with their varying needs. Provide introductory and ongoing teaching and training for staff. People are more likely to stick around if they feel they are growing personally. This will ensure your Sunday school team and program gets better and better.

Special attention should be given to your church facilities. Of course common child safety sense should be observed, such as child safe anti-tip brackets on shelves and furniture, and child proof doors and cabinets. Often church’s have placed classes and nurseries in out of the way rooms or a basement area. These areas commonly have other unused rooms, or storage and supply closets that could be a place for abuse to occur. Class rooms should have windows on doors or viewing windows. The best classes are in all glass rooms; this also provides a bright and cheery environment for children’s activities. Security cameras are a great way to attain accountability. If leaders know they are being watched it is less for an abuse to occur whether it is a verbal outburst or something more serious. Data stored on a digital video recorder (DVR) can easily be referred to should a question arise. Wireless security cameras are easy to setup in existing building, since there are no wires to run.

Class procedures that address safety and security concerns are the final piece to the puzzle. A two adult class policy and security staff that monitor hallways for suspicious activities or individuals are the best way to deal with abuse. Programs should also include a registration system where organizers take children’s and parent’s information including contact info, medical alerts, and any other pertinent care information. Large churches should consider a security checkpoint to get into the Sunday school wing. With so many divorced and single parents custody alerts are not uncommon. Even though a child acknowledges a parent leaders should still know whether or not that parent is authorized to remove the child from class. An effective method is to issue a pickup slip or pager to a parent or caregiver at the time of drop off, which they would present when classes are over. This way a leader can keep tabs on each child and scenarios where parents flood into class rooms and scoop up their child should be avoided.

The days are gone where children’s safety can be taken for granted. With proper planning and attention and some old fashioned elbow grease your kids programs can be a fun and safe place that promotes and grows the church, while fostering children’s development.

About the Author: Mike Ward is the owner and operator of Protection Depot, a leading online provider of wireless surveillance cameras. For more information about security cameras please visit The Protection Depot.

Security Cameras for the Home

Home security is becoming more affordable and as a result more people are interested in installing home surveillance cameras for safety and security. Trying to decide what kind of camera to purchase can seem overwhelming. Take some time to think about what it is you want to secure with your surveillance system. Here are some things to consider when determining what type of security camera is right for your needs.
If you want to protect your house from the outside, then outdoor spy cams would be your best option. They are obvious because of their size and people will see that your house is secured. That is actually a good reason to put a security camera on the outside of your home. It will let burglars know that your house is protected and they will be less likely to attempt a break in. If you decide to install an outdoor camera, then you will want to make sure that it is weatherproof and waterproof. You also want to be sure that rough weather won’t damage or break it. Decide if you need night time surveillance. Outdoor cameras with infrared are available for capturing images at night.
Spy cameras inside the house are also used for security purposes. In case burglars do break into your house, your home spy cams will detect the burglars and record their moves. There are even home security systems that have alarm functions built-in. These security systems have motion detection devices. Once armed these systems trigger an alarm if movement is detected. The type of alarm triggered can vary from sound signals, flashing light, an automatic phone call to you or your neighbours if you are away, or even an email sent to your PC or laptop.
You may have the need for a home spy cam that is not for security, but for spy and surveillance purposes. People use hidden cameras in their houses to spy on their nannies, spouses, or kids. You will want cameras that can easily be hidden for this type of surveillance. There are mini spy cameras or pin-hole cameras used for this purpose. These small cameras can be hidden anywhere, in stuffed animals, behind the book shelf, or near the computer. They can also be wired or wireless. Another alternative would be ready made hidden cameras, meaning that they are already stuffed into some regular everyday objects such as lamps, fake plants, or books.
Once you have decided if you need outside or inside security, visible or hidden surveillance, you can now begin to shop around for the best camera for your investment.


About the Author: Mike Ward is the owner and operator of Protection Depot, a leading online provider of security cameras and hidden cameras. For more information about security cameras, please visit Protection Depot.

Security Cameras in Taxicabs

In September 2005 the city of Ottawa passed a bylaw that would require all city taxi cab drivers to install security cameras in their vehicles by March 21, 2008. The mini security cameras would snap periodic still photos of a car’s occupants, On February 12, 2008 hundreds of taxi drivers protested outside of city hall in Ottawa by clogging the streets and honking their horns defiantly. Prior to this demonstration of protest the taxi driver’s union representative announced that they refused to have the cameras installed without their consent.

Cost and privacy are the two major issues that have the cab drivers up in arms. "Our people feel that the camera is going to be used to discipline drivers," says Mohamad Alsadi, a national representative of the Canadian Auto Workers Union. Drivers were told that the cameras would cost between $700 and $1,000, but the price has climbed to $1,500. Drivers have been charging an extra 5 cents surcharge on all fares to help fund the cameras, but the difference in cost will have to be paid by drivers/owners of the cars.

As a result of the protest and a subsequent city council meeting , the date that drivers are required to have cameras installed by has been moved to July 2, 2008. The mayor threatened that taxi drivers would risk having their licences lifted if they refused to have the cameras installed. In the meeting mayor O’Brian stated, "The key issue in terms of my decision-making was related to public safety. A secondary issue was the safety of the drivers." This slightly thoughtless statement may explain why a large number of drivers believe that the bylaw is discriminatory. Following the meeting, the mayor's office released a statement to clarify his comment about public safety. It said the cameras are for the benefit of both the public and drivers equally, and the mayor apologized for any confusion his comments may have caused.


Advantages of taxi security camera include protection for the drivers, deterrent for potential violence, and prevention of robberies. According to Stats Canada for the period 2001 to 2005, cab driving was the most dangerous work-related job in Canada. Cab drivers work all hours of the night and in all neighbourhoods. They put themselves at the mercy of their passengers. Between 2001 and 2003, crimes against Manitoba city taxi drivers dropped 79% after security cameras were installed and mandated by the city. At the same time, the cameras monitor driver behaviour as well. Passengers aren't the only ones with the potential to act out of line in a taxi cab. Drivers can also be guilty on occasion. Taxi cameras help to ensure that cab drivers carry out their duties in a professional manner. In cases where violent confrontations or robberies do take place, in-cab security cameras can provide valuable video evidence for criminal investigations.

The drivers union claims they won’t cave on this issue and have not ruled out the possibility of a strike. The city council representative stated that the drivers concerns of cost and privacy are being addressed, but as it stands the bylaw will be enforced starting July 2, 2008. Ottawa residents may find it difficult to find a cab come July.


About the Author: Mike Ward is the owner and operator of Protection Depot, a leading online provider of mini security cameras and security cameras. For more information about security cameras, please visit Protection Depot.