Home Security Surveys

Dedicated fax #?

Newnsie

surveys that

Security Survey Checklist:

STEP 1 - LIST ALL VALUABLES In addition to listing it is recommended that you etch all property in two places with your drivers license number and the state abbreviation. EXAMPLE: KY 1000000

For nondescriptive articles such as jewelry, coins, antiques, etc.; · Photograph the articles. · List the information needed on the back of the pictures. · Once you have completed the information, store this document with other important papers in a safe place.

STEP 2 - DOOR & WINDOW SECURITY All exterior doors should be secured with the following: · Quality single cylinder deadbolt, with 1" throw, for solid doors. · Quality double cylinder deadbolt, with 1" throw, for glass style doors. · 190 degree peephole or interviewing grill to view front. · Hinge studs for the hinges. · Heavy-duty lock strike with 4" screws. · All casement and louvered windows should be secured with the following: · Casement lock device. · Louver window "S" style anti-movement device. · Security grill bars. · All sliding glass doors should be secured with the following to prevent vertical and horizontal movement: · Anti-lift devices. · Patio security pin. · Keyed patio door lock. · Charlie bar. · All wood style windows should be secured with the following: · Keyed sash window lock. · Ventilation window lock. · Wood or metal rods in window track. · All metal style windows should be secured with the following to prevent vertical or horizontal movement: · Anti-lift devices. · Thumb turn locking devices. · Keyed sliding window locks. · All garage doors should be secured with the following: · Heavy duty padlock covering. · Garage slide bolt. · Quality padlock for the garage slide bolt. · Cane bolt on the lower inside center into cement floor.

STEP 3 - LIGHTING For cost effective exterior & interior security, the following is recommended:

For exterior lighting; · Place 40 watt bulb at the front entrance, 60 watt bulbs at back & side entrances. · In addition, place flood lights under eave corners.

For interior lighting; · Place lights & timers in rooms that would give the appearance of normal living habits. · Radios and TV's can be tied into the timer circuits also.

STEP 4 - SMOKE ALARMS & SAFES For additional self-assurance, the following is recommended:

STEP 5 - ADDITIONAL SECURITY STEPS · Place emergency numbers near phones. · Lock outside power and fuse boxes. · Trim shrubbery to provide good visibility. · Join the neighborhood awareness programs. · If you live alone, be sure that exterior mailbox name plates conceal that fact. · Inform a trusted neighbor when you are going to be away for any length of time. · Also, inform the newspaper delivery service, milkman, post office, etc. · Never open a door without knowing who is there. · Do not admit strangers. · Be alert to strangers in your neighborhood. Jot down license numbers, car descriptions & description of person(s). · For extra protection, install a burglar & fire alarm system. · For additional window protection - install wrought-iron bars, but only with panic exit releases.

forgot where I got this. can't give proper credits.

Also recommend the following: Emergency communications:

1. Keep the cellphone (if any) and charger in the master bedroom to allow for calling police, fire dept, alarm co in the event telco/alarm lines are cut or house phone taken off hook..
2. Holdup button or alarm keypad with HUB feature in master bedroom.

Locks:

1. Where dual cylinders are used in glass doors safety concerns may mandate maintenance of a key in the interior cylinders. Pin the locks so the interior key will not operate the exterior cylinders. Reason - to prevent the use of a stolen key to gain entry. Note: thsi recommendation could be combined with a simple master system to allow keys held by responsible family members to operate ALL locks. Also provide a 'maid" key which operates one desiganted door if required. If lost only one lock need be re-pinned.
2. Consider a cylindrical deadbolt on the masterbedroom door. If necessary solid core door and HD strike.
3. Check obvious places for hidden keys (under door mats etc) recommend better solution.

Emergency Response:

1. Consider the location, distance and estimated response times of police and fire personnel in planning.

:Lighting

1. Consider use of carrier current (X-10) light controls. Literally dirt cheap. Push one button and all X-10 lightss come on. Place manual controls in master bedroom and other locations. May also be combined with timers and interfaced with alarms.

Stuff

1. Videotape all your stuff. consider using home inventory feature In prgrams like Quicken. Store tapes and disks in safe deposit box or with a trusted friend or relative. If homeowner lives in an area prone to floods, torandos etc...make it adistant friend or relative.
2. Consider an RSC (gun safe) for guns and othe concentrated portable valubles.

Health and Welfare

1. First aid kit
2. 30 day supply of any required medications.
3. Food water for family members for 3 days (in case it really hits the fan)
4. A couple of hundred bucks in cash. maybe $ 50 in dimes and quarters in case you need to use pay phones.
5. Keep gas tanks in cars topped off (in bad weather seasons)
6. Phone numbers and addresses of relatives, friends.
7. Copies of wills, insurance polices and other important papers
8. Put items 1-8 in a duffel(s) for quick departure.

Insurance:

1. When was the homeowners policy last reviewed?

The list is only limited by your imagination. But it can serve as a selling tool plus get the customers thinking about their vulnerabilities.

Wow!

These are great! I have been compiling some of the ckecklists that some of the different police departments use/publish. Adding here and there. Hopefully I will come up with a good single list/script. I'd like to add this as something I can do that I would like to pitch in October (National Crime Prevention Month).

I have gotten mixed responses form other smiths some going so far as to say it is a waste of time. I am figuring it will get my foot in the door, and at least get to educate people in my local area that locksmiths are not just for when they lock their keys in teh car. Which seems to be the main prevailing attitude.

I may be grasping at straws with this, but I figure if I sell one or two deadbolts and a single rekey it should take care of all the effort.

Has anyone tried this before with any good or bad results? Am I reinventing the wheel? Am I wasting my time? Is this something that should be offered free, or perhaps for some token amount that could be applied to future service call etc...

-- Absinthe

Sorry, I don't have a fax. Best I can do is email.

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sounds good to me. give it a go ! I once participated in a neiborhood watch program meeting. got a few jobs from that particular neiborhood. Sure wasn't a waste of time...

good luck

Just a thought but some aspects of a security survey are best done under actual conditions. for example external lighting should be viewed at night if possible. I don't know if it was your intention to create a document the customers could use them themselves or something you would use or perhaps thirdly something with an "a" part you might do and a "b" part the customer might complete themselves. The more sophisticated the checklist becomes naturally the more time it will take and you don't want to lose money. Where you will be able to leverage your experience is in knowledge of local conditions. If for example the local PD only has 1 man on the road from midnight to 6:00am and he is covering X square miles the customer should be made aware. That's the kind of info that could lead to a nice sale of a safe for instance. As long as you are directly competing wouldn't hurt to network with local alarm guys and provide each other leads. Same with a local finish carpenter who handle door hanging and trim work. One final point if you have room on the truck to slide in piece of 1/2 plywood and a circular saw you could do on the spot emergency repairs after break-ins. As a security manager I was always looking for contractors who would step up and say "sure we can handle that" - even if they sub the work out its better than having to say "sorry we can't do that".

Do you have access to Locksmith Ledger's? There's an excellent article/sample survey for industry that may be adapted for home security. The article is in the July 1979 issue.