Securing your home - 5 key turns!

With 837 burglaries recorded every day in France (source: Verisure), there's no shortage of reasons to secure your home. Especially when you consider that 71% of main residences are affected, compared with 23% for business premises and 6% for second homes. These figures have risen sharply over the past 10 years, with a 44% increase in break-ins between 2008 and 2018. The loot in most cases ranges from €1,000 to €5,000. These are substantial amounts, as the top 3 most stolen items include:

• ^1st place: 45% jewelry,
• ^2nd place: 24% cash, cheques and credit cards,
• ^3rd place: 20% computer equipment, games consoles, electronic, photo or video equipment.

(source: portes-et-serrures.fr)
All good reasons to opt for protection that minimizes intrusion.

• If you have a dog or cat at home, look for a pet-friendly system. This will prevent you from receiving alerts or hearing the alarm sound every time your pet passes in front of the detector.

1st Turn of the key
The anti-intrusion control unit

First comes the intruder alarm, which is like a control tower. It controls several devices designed to intimidate or stop individuals. It is connected to the sensors and, in the event of an alarm, triggers a number of actions: activating the interior and exterior sirens, recording the camera, sending a message to the owner or to a remote surveillance company.
Thanks to wireless technology, various elements can be added at will, such as an additional smoke detector or video camera. It's a guarantee of scalability.
Which functions to choose? Depending on the level of protection required, there are three main families of alarm systems:

• The first, where the alarm is controlled by a remote control and detectors activate the siren in the event of an intrusion.
• The second, with a control unit connected to the Internet box or telephone line, so that the occupant can control it remotely and receive an alert by SMS.
• The third level, where the occupant retains control over the installation, but relies on a system linked to a remote monitoring center with operators who intervene 24 hours a day.

Note that most alarms are connected to the box and transmit alerts via the Internet. It's best to ensure that another system takes over in the event of a connection failure.

2ndKey
Presence detectors

Installed in various locations around the home, presence detectors signal activity in a given area.
A distinction must be made between volumetric detectors, based for example on motion analysis, and perimetric models, which monitor events occurring at openings.
Which perimeter to secure? These detectors can operate both inside and outside the home. These systems use two sensors, linked by a beam of light invisible to the naked eye, to signal the passage of an intruder. This is the principle behind the volumetric detector, commonly used in boutiques and stores to detect the entrance or exit of a customer.
Perimeter detectors, on the other hand, detect shocks to a door jamb. These are small, discreet devices attached to doors, windows or gates to monitor access to the premises. As soon as the exit is opened, the two parts of the detector disengage, triggering the alarm.

3rd key turn
The surveillance camera

Increasingly discreet but still very useful, the surveillance camera lets you keep an eye on the inside or outside of your home. Its effectiveness relies on the quality of the image it sends back to identify individuals. Most available models feature HD or Full HD resolution.
Night vision is also preferable. In any case, these devices are very useful for "doubt removal".
Which vision to choose? Among the functionalities of surveillance cameras, real-time notification to the control unit or smartphone is very useful. Connectivity plays a fundamental role in storing data and recorded video.
For outdoor cameras, it's also important to consider the protection rating (IP), to ensure that exposure to the elements and humidity is not harmful to the equipment.

4th Turn of the Key
The fog generator

With a fog generator, the alarm system continues its action to the point of stopping burglars dead in their tracks.
What precautions should I take? When an intruder is detected, the fog invades the whole house, blinding the intruder within seconds. Without trace or odor, this generator needs to be set up by a professional for optimum performance.

5e Tour de clé
Remote control

"Halt, you're under arrest" is what awaits burglars caught in the act. For this type of remote apprehension, you need to contact a remote surveillance company. In exchange for a monthly subscription, they supply, install and maintain the equipment, and manage alerts 24 hours a day.
Which services should I opt for? In the event of an alarm, a remote surveillance agent verifies the reality of the intrusion by listening and watching what's happening in the home, thanks to the microphones and cameras installed. If the presence of an intruder or attempted burglary is confirmed, the police are alerted and an agent dispatched to the property.

NF A2P standard

NF A2P certification ensures that your alarm system offers optimum protection. It is not compulsory, but an insurer may require the installation of an NF A2P protection system if the value of the goods to be insured is high. In this case, you need to make sure that the installer is also NF A2P certified.

Christophe Raffaillac.