spokane security

Beware who you allow in your home this summer! We have heard from several of our customers that there are people posing as representative from Honeywell claiming that they need an upgrade and give several phony reasons why Honeywell didn’t contact them directly. This is a scam! Honeywell does not send their representatives door to door! If your security system needs an upgrade or service you will be contacted directly, not from a salesman who poses as something they are not. Also, these people are not from Spokane! If you are interested in protecting your home please call a local company who is accredited with the Better Business Bureau, and not a door to door salesman from Denver or Utah who will leave Spokane with your money and you will never hear from them again. Check their business license and make sure they have an electrical license and contractors license required to install security systems legally. 

Please stop by our Showroom in the Spokane Valley where you can meet our local Spokane employees and see the latest technology in Security Alarms and Cameras. Buy from a company you can trust!

Solid Rock Security 21 S. Thierman on the corner of Sprague and Thierman in the Valley 509-279-0990

Have a Safe and Fun Summer! 

Crime in Spokane:  A Security Installers Perspective

Commandment #8:  Thou Shalt Not Steal

Regardless of your personal belief on the above statement, it still hurts to know that your stuff just got stolen.  By the time we get the call to provide a security assessment and to answer questions, the anxious details of the personal violation are sadly known.  We hear statements like, “My car got gutted.” “My house just got ransacked.” “My tools are missing.” “My computer is gone with all my family photos.” “Someone broke into my garage.”

People’s opinions on the effectiveness of law enforcement vary.   We are not in the business of tackling property crime head-on. We ARE in the business of empowering citizens on prevention through various security means in the goal of being proactive.

Below is a small portion of the 2010 statistics provided by the FBI for Spokane and the surrounding area.  Please remember that these incidences are only from the people that ACTUALLY REPORTED A CRIME.  According to various law enforcement officials, this figure is EXPECTED TO RISE.

In July 2011, Spokane Property Crimes Investigations Unit disbanded for budgetary reasons.  Comparing January 2011 with January 2012 statistics, the unincorporated county has had a 60 percent INCREASE in property crime reports. 

We at SOLID ROCK SECURITY understand that bad things happen to good people.  We also understand that good people take proactive measures to PROTECT WHAT MATTERS MOST.  We offer the most comprehensive active and passive security measures with full computer and smart phone integration to suit ANY need.  We are truly sorry if you were a victim of property crime.  We offer straight forward answers to questions you might have to better protect your family supplemented with state-of-the-art security products and customized service.

That’s right, a security showroom. You can come in, take a look at the latest security systems. You can turn them on and off just like it was in your home so you can choose the one that looks and works the way you want it to, and not just the one the salesman wants to sell you. We also have different models of security cameras set up so you can see what the video will look like, and we have an interactive demo of the remote capabilities of our camera systems through smart phones and tablet PCs. This is the new way to shop for the security of your home and business! Long story short, if you are thinking about security for your home or business, you should come check us out. We are located at 21 S. Thierman in the Spokane Valley at the corner of Sprague and Thierman For an after hours or weekend appointment call 279-0990

 On a recent Sunday night, Robert Bowman received a silent hold-up alarm from a food mart in Radcliff, Ky. He immediately contacted the local police who headed toward the store right away.

The police arrived at the food mart and found the store clerk bleeding from his head. Turns out two men had rushed through the front door, toward the lone clerk. He had only a split second to press the silent panic button before he was hit over the head with a gun. The robbers grabbed some money and cigarettes and took off.

The police dispatched an ambulance for the clerk, called for backup, and started searching for the armed robbers. Thanks in part to Robert’s quick response, the police nabbed the men within an hour.

After the emergency

The pair are now behind bars and have been charged with robbery, endangerment, and assault.

We were happy to hear that the store clerk suffered only minor injuries and recovered in just a few days. The owners of the store said they were super impressed with the arrest, their alarm system, and how quickly the police were dispatched.

 On September 2, Kimberly Graham received a burglary alarm from a house in Michigan. Right away, she made a call to the home number … no answer … she had to leave a message. Next she called the home owner’s cell phone. He answered and said, “send the police, please!”

Kimberly followed the instruction and immediately called the police department. They were rolling to the home in no time.

After the emergency

Several minutes later, the police called us back. They had found a broken window and a suspect on the scene. The thief was quickly arrested and taken to jail.

Another criminal off the street, another customer’s property saved.

 On August 27, Tara Taylor received a medical alarm from a house in Tennessee. Right away, she made a call to the home number and she had to leave a message. Next she called the paramedics—she knew someone in the house needed help.

After the emergency

Tara started calling the homeowner’s emergency contact list to try and reach someone—she was unable to reach anyone. She made one last call to the home and, luckily, the homeowner’s daughter was there. She said, “I got your message and rushed right over! He’s on the floor and can’t move. He’s numb and I think he may have had a stroke.” Tara reassured her that she had already contacted the paramedics and they were on the way.

The ambulance showed up while Tara was on the phone so she ended her call knowing that the home’s owner was in good hands.

We’re always on the job!

 
Summer is coming, and property crime is on the rise. There are several reasons not to wait another day to protect your home, family and valuables!

    Are you planning a vacation? With a monitored security system from Solid Rock Security you will have one less thing to worry about and you can focus on rest and relaxation on your vacation.



    School is letting out, will your kids be spending more time home alone? Give your kids the protection they deserve. All of our systems include emergency keys to press for Police, Fire department and for medical emergencies so your kids can get help in any situation whether they can get to their cell phones or not!



    Having insurance for your home is important, and the insurance company can usually replace most things that a criminal can steal or damage. But you still have to deal with your deductible, fighting with the insurance company over covered property, and knowing that your insurance company can’t replace your pictures, memorabilia, your memories or your knowledge that someone was in your home and your ability to feel safe there.



    The number one way to protect your home and family is with a monitored security system!

    Your deserve the best protection. Your family deserves the best protection!



    Call Solid Rock Security your locally owned security experts at 509-279-0990

Technology is such a great thing–I get all giddy when I see something especially futuristic. I found it particularly George Jetson when I first started learning about state-of-the-art interactive services.

Most awesome: these new technologies will allow me to control my alarm system from my iPhone (I could also be on a BlackBerry, Android or any Internet-enabled computer). I can use the cameras in my place to peek into my place and check out what’s going on in real time. I can also watch recorded video clips, get a text or e-mail when something in particular happens–like the front door staying open for too long–and even turn it on and off remotely. How cool is that?!

I’m all about this kind of interactivity with my monitored alarm system. It gives me a sense of control over my home and, dorky as it sounds, I’d like to look in on my little dog from time to time. Monitronics offers these services from three companies:

• 2GIG’s Go!Control
• Alarm.com
• Honeywell’s Total Connect

Check them out and leave a comment letting me know what you think. You, too, can get all George Jetson.

 
‘Tis the season to be jolly . . . and safe. Don’t let an accident get in the way of your holiday happiness. Follow these tips and pay special attention this season to avoid tears throughout the New Year:

Trees

• If you choose to display a live tree, choose a fresh one. The needles should be hard to pull back from the branches and if you shake the tree and needles fall off, it is not fresh. Trees that are not fresh dry out and become more of a fire-hazard.
• If you choose an artificial tree, be sure that it is fire retardant.
• Do not place your holiday tree near any heat source.
• Your live tree should be disposed of by the second of January. The longer it is in your home, the drier it gets.

Lights

• Before putting up your holiday lights, check for frays, bare spots, gaps in insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear.
• Don’t link more than three strands—you could overload the outlet.
• Turn off holiday lights before leaving home or going to bed.

Decorations

• Never put wrapping paper in the fireplace.
• Do not use candles to decorate a tree.

Solid Rock Security wants you to be safe during the holidays, so take precaution and enjoy yourself. And, don’t forget to leave cookies out for Santa.

 As a brief diversion we thought it’d be worthwhile to suggest some best-practices for building your home which could negate or reduce the need for an electronic security system altogether. For instance, simply building a moat around your house could reduce chances of break-ins by a factor of about 85%, according to our scientists’ estimates, and it could also be used for swimming. Introducing the “Swimming Moat” (Est. cost $275,000 to $650,000, depending on size of home):

"Swimming Moat" – Copyright © Steven M. Johnson. Used by permission.

For a more protective home-surround-system which includes aggressive, autonomous-agents (canines) which could fight off potential intruders, we recommend this feature – the “Home Perimeter Dog Run” – a raised balcony walkway that encloses the house. Naturally, you can save by allowing the family pet to double as your autonomous security agent, but we’d encourage you to only do that if your pet is a Doberman Pincher or a Pit Bull. (Est. cost $235,000)

"Home Perimeter Dog Run" – Copyright © Steven M. Johnson. Used by permission.

For residential owners concerned about potential home invasions, this “Front-Swinging Trapdoor” (Est. cost $35,000) with holding cell can be built as a fake front entrance to a home. The real front door may be located elsewhere, only known to family and friends. The trapdoor functionality could be activated specifically by pressing a button if you don’t like the looks of a person ringing your doorbell, or it can be set to automatically swallow anyone who touches the door (automated swallowing functionality not available for homes in California or Utah). Persons caught with the trapdoor are kept in a holding cell until police can be notified.

Not shown in this diagram is the ample padding that lines the floor and walls of the brick-lined holding cell (padding optional in the state of Texas).

"Front-Swinging Trapdoor" – Copyright © Steven M. Johnson. Used by permission.

While we’ve presented these as potential cost-saving alternatives to electronic security systems and monitoring service, we note that Solid Rock Security systems could be used in combination with any of the above security features in order to be doubly secure in your home, for more information call 509-279-0990

(For even more of Steven M. Johnson’s creative security architectural inventions, see “The Enemy at the Door” at Neotorama!)