Does anybody work in security?

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Does anybody work in security?

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I am thinking no but worth a try. I am looking for *free* ;) advice about security. If nobody replies, I have at least written down my intentions etc.

Basically I am going to do a plan for my Grandad to improve his current security. The reasons are that he lives in a fairly bad area, he's usually alone and very venerable. I care about him too much for the possibility of anything happening if it can be prevent. Of course.

Firstly I want to attack the possibility of fire:

He has 2 smoke alarms, one downstairs in the hall and one at the top of the stairs. Since he blew himself up his hearing has gone from bad to worse - to the point I had to once drive over at 11:30pm in heavy snow and enter his house, he couldn't hear the phone or the doorbell. Hence the smoke alarms IMO are useless, especially if he is asleep. I want to put a siren in his bedroom that will sound if the smoke alarm sounds. He is covered for CO2 downstairs so I am not worried about that.

Security:

I intend to ask him to totally reprotect the internal perimetre of the house, this includes a new yale lock on the inside front door (external is a good PVC door but I don't believe his internal door is one that you can lock and prevent the lock from being opened by smashing the glass), a bolt on the back "conservatory" door, which is more of his workshop. A second bolt on the door between his internal carport to back up the current lock on that door. This means that although it is feasible people can get into his garage/second workshop area from the garden or drive, the internal part of the house is well protected. His car/tools etc. are irrelevant.

I intend to ask him to refit a lock to his bedroom door and use a quality lock. I will instruct him to ONLY use this in the event that he knows somebody is in his house and shouldn't be. You hear many stories these days and all I would want him to do is lock the door and protect himself.

He already has a colour CCTV system at the front of the house with dedicated TV and long play video recorder. This however is covert so I am considering a dummy CCTV box to support this - a more visible deterent. Front and back are covered by numerous PIR security lights, 60metres up his garden is a PIR security light which once set off, sets off the light there and most importantly a buzzer in the house and a bright red bulb in the conservatory. IMO, if you entered through the garden, you would see this large red light and turn back since you would be worried what else is to follow!

I intend to fit 3 x panic alarm switches connected to one zone on his alarm. One next to the door if somebody attempts to force entry despite him knowing NOT to open the door (hence CCTV). One in bedroom (if he wakes to some noises) and one in the living room. This is since the living room puts him most venerable because if he is in here and hears something, somebody is probably already in the house.

I am hoping to fit a pressure sensitive mat underneath the carpet at the top of the stairs since there is a venerable PVC window here which probably wouldn't be in the PIR range of the alarm. Both front and rear main entry doors are PVC, double glazed and door contacted already.

I am considering a simple beam break for the drive, a simple 1 second beep if beam is broken. This may give him additional warning of anything dodgy but might also just confuse him. Hence I am turning away from this idea.

To end this, I am looking into autodiallers for the alarm system. Hence if the alarm is set off it is connected to the phone line and will call up to 5 selected numbers. The "system" would be then that one of the people called would call his mobile phone to confirm whether or not he is ok, this is useful for if he is taken ill also and hasn't the ability to do anything but press the panic alarm.

So in summary I know mainly what I need but lack:
  • fire alarm/smoke alarm system to alert him in his room
(I did think I had a few bullet points but can't find them!)


Cheers for any comments that follow.
 
Oh nice one Liam! Cheers for that.

Luke, I am wanting a bought in system to be honest (though possibly not if they only cost what Liam has found) since although my Grandfather was an engineer and loves making this sort of thing it is of course an option but he may not be impressed by my ideas if he has to do too much.

I love the idea of a strobe, vibrator and alarm!
 
dave said:
my nan has a thing she wears around her neck, if she has a fall or meets an intruder she can press it, it phones someone up, i am not sure who though.

Yeah I know a little bit about those systems (nearly made one at GCSE level) but it's hard enough to get him to carry around a mobile nevermind something around his neck all the time! Also, that sort of system runs into the hundreds on its own, he is wealthy but doesn't like spending money!
 
we got a sensor in the front, if it pics anything up an alarm inside the house starts sounding

fire/smoke alarm, im sure with deaf independant people someone will of invented a flashy light alarm

pressure sensor mat, had a xmas one that wished everyone a merry xmas, could use the gubbings out of that
 
The Negotiator said:
Yeah I know a little bit about those systems (nearly made one at GCSE level) but it's hard enough to get him to carry around a mobile nevermind something around his neck all the time! Also, that sort of system runs into the hundreds on its own, he is wealthy but doesn't like spending money!

my nan uses a system like this home call or something like that, you get a phone, 2 way radio, neck alarm and a wrist alarm which you can wear like a watch
 
pressure sensors are £5 so not a problem.

What are people's thoughts on locks on his door? Good/bad idea? I am in two minds. If used incorrectly it could be more dangerous than helpful. (he has solid wood doors, a decent lock would mean that the door can't be put through without tools I am sure of it).

Found: "Interconnectable smoke alarms" which is what I want I think. 3 of those linked up.
 
in new houses or recently renovated ones all fire alarms need to be linked up by law, they are also mains powered

as for locks a few are ok at vunerable points in the house, front/rear door, downstairs windows and anywhere else that points of entry can be made

another idea is to maybe have venitian blinds or vertical blinds on the window, im saying this because they a bugger to get through :eek:
 
Sorry if this is out of line Paul but what is it in your gramps' pad that would require fort know like security?

If they want in they'll get in.

Aside from that I appreciate your worries and he should have some form of recognisable smoke detector.

Liam
 
I just care for him a lot and it worries me that he is on his own and so venerable. It's also not in a particularly great area and if some developers get their way he may have to sell off some of his land and will be left more open to forced entry down one side of his house. IMO, the fact is that a criminal will walk down a road to chose his next target. If he seems my grandpa he will think easy target. If he sees a well protected house with visible signs of security he will move on, why bother going for somewhere like that is more protected than elsewhere? UNless there's something specific, which there isn't.

He does have some fairly valuable stuff but that stuff is kept in a safe within a fire proof safe (!!!) in a locked room. It's not this that is important to me.


Cheers for your help so far, I am going for the interconnect smoke alarm idea, seems best for the money. Didn't realise they existed and seem very good value!
 
LOL...as I said he lives in a bad area but has a huge garden (100m long). He was once at the top of it with his rake burning a few bits of garden waste. Some kids started shouting at him the waste land behind and he rose the rake at them to tell them to bugger off. He went back to his house and was met by a couple of armed police man stating it was claimed that he was gesturing with a gun! :D

I will look at the costs of the film but he has fully double glazed throughout so now a huge issue.

Can get wireless interlinked smoke alarms (opical or ionisation, whichever is better) for £13.50 on ebay.
 
OK, just had a nice chat with him, we're going ahead.

Next time I am home (or earlier if i sort it) he's getting "at least 3" wireless smoke alarms (OR wired interconnected and mains powered, he likes this as zero maintainance).

New front gates - the ones nows are just for show but will be going for triangular shaped ones to improve the height of them.

New locks and bolts on all his workshop doors as necessary

New yale deadlock on inside front door

3 x panic alarm switches to alarm

Visual CCTV deterent on the front, either making a point out of the camera already present or using a visual and realistic fake camera.

The best thing was that he was so happy I mentioned it since he has been worried lately but didn't know who to turn to.

Yet to mention (although I have done before):
Autodialler
Pressure switch (he will see uneccessary but I will get my way)
Beam break (changed mind on this anyway)
And the locks on his door, this is a very difficult thing since if he locks it and is taken ill, a sledgehammer maybe necessary to get inside.


Thanks again for all the advice :) I endevour to make him safe and will feel good because of it. Sometimes I just wish that if a criminal came to his house and was going to take what he wanted, I could help him take what he wanted just so long as he doesn't hurt him.

Binks; ;)
 
I dont want to get all soppy and serious paul but I think it's really nice what you are trying to do for your gramps, most grankids wouldnt bother until something bad happens.

I hope your grandad enjoys his fort knox when its finished.

Good luck. (y)
 
:) I owe him most of where I am in life IMO so I have always been as good to him as possible. THanks for the luck and comments.
 
Connect the smoke detectors to the house alarm so that it would set off the main siren on a 24 hour circuit (also provides constant power & battery back up), this also makes it simple to reset in case of false alarm. Connect a 3 channel autodialler to the alarm (£80) which can have three different messages for intruder, panic and fire. This means if there is a smoke activation somebody will know about it and they also know what type of response is necessary (i.e if panic alarm get straight onto it).

If you have the money, buy a GSM dialler (pay as go card) as a back up to the phone line (£99.00), this allows you to listen in to what is happening and via a speaker talk to the house. For example if your grandad fell over and couldn't reach the phone you could call in and speak to him and listen to what is going on (depending on size of house), also if there are intruders it will scare the crap out of the them if you claim to be the police and that a patrol car is just about to arrive. You can connect the panic buttons to the GSM dialler as well. The other advantage is that if he doesn't answer his phone as has previously happened you can just dial in and shout to him.

The problem with land line based diallers is that some criminals know to cut the line or break in and take the phone of the hook downstairs before going up stairs.

If you need any contacts for the kit, send me a PM. I also know a place which has trip systems for outside which set off a blank shotgun cartridges and that really scares people (legal as well).
 
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