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Fire alarm systems just aren’t often a laughing matter.

And that’s precisely why I followed a link that John Drucker posted on the Automatic Fire Alarm Association list-serve to what was my best fire systems chuckle of the year.

You should follow that link too and see a false-alarm reducing fire alarm pull box.

One caveat, don’t expect your AHJ to approve any installations of this device… Now get back to work and stop pissing away your time following funny blog posts about fire alert systems.

-Geoff

ASIS came out in support of a federal court decisions in Oklahoma which deemed that employers do have the right to ban firearms from being kept in employee-owned vehicles that are parked on the company’s parking lots.

The case has been an interesting one in the area of workplace violence prevention, because it deals with issues of an employer’s right to manage their property as they see fit vs. an employee’s right to store personal property within their personal vehicle. The interesting thing about this is that it divides security directors fairly evenly. I raise this same debate among some ASIS members from the Atlanta chapter a couple years ago when this issue first appeared, and they were well-split between the rights of private citizens and the need to protect the workplace. Most, in fact, were not in favor of banning guns from being kept in the employees’ private cars.

In the end, I’m very mixed on this: I agree with ASIS and the federal court in Oklahoma which puts the importance on a business owner’s safety determinations, yet I also recognize that the right to bear arms is vital and part of our legal heritage.  and that the inside of a vehicle has traditionally been considered personal space. Finally, I have to wonder how enforceable this ruling is, since it’s well-beyond cost-prohibitive for most businesses to even think about doing vehicle searches at parking lot entrances.

Admittedly, when I think about “residential” security systems I picture a house on a green lawn with a sticker in the front window letting the world know that it is protected.  And honestly, there’s a good reason I have this “picture” in my head.  It’s what I’m used to seeing.  After all, I haven’t seen too many burglar alarms in apartments. 

Back when my mom was single and living in New York City, she had her apartment burglarized while she was on a business trip.  When she got back and discovered that a break-in had occurred, she had the police come out to file a report.  While there, the police let her know that the criminal(s) would likely be back because there was easy access to her window (from an adjacent roof) and she had left her travel schedule on the refrigerator so they would know when she would be away. 

My mom’s solution back then?  Move to a different apartment.

But things are changing today and more security solutions are being offered for apartment dwellers.  A few weeks ago I was on the phone with Tony Dohrmann, CEO and founder of LaserShield, which sells an alarm solution both to dealers and direct (in Home Depot, CompUSA, Sears, etc.) Dohrmann wants his solution to be as simple as possible for users to buy, install (just plug it in), and secure their home.  One niche that he’s really targeting is renters because they’re currently underserved when it comes to burglar alarm systems, despite the fact that they’re robbed more often than homes.

On SIW earlier this week I learned that ADT is also aggressively pursuing the renters’ market.  They have teamed up with Multibrand Corporation, which will market ADT’s security solutions to its renters and owners of apartment units.

As burglar alarms become more efficient and mobile, we’re going to see them pop up in more and more places.  For now, I’m glad to see reinforcements on the way for the renters.

-Greg