Security is no minor necessity with rising crime everywhere. With cities and towns witnessing a massive population influx every single day of the year, all rounded security is the need of the hour. The bulk of the urban population are starting to depend on apartment complexes, housing societies and gated communities for their housing needs. The reason for this shift towards apartment living is twofold – affordable housing and increased security for themselves as well as their family. Apartment security system, therefore, has no scope to compromise on the hundreds and thousands of residents who consider such communities as their home, as their safe space.

Gatekeeper

What Is All Rounded Security?

Before a community decides on investing in security services and devices, an important question to answer is – what exactly do we mean by security? Is security only about protection from untoward events? Or does it also comprise prevention of untoward events? Does it also include proper mitigation protocols in case of an unfortunate incident?

All rounded security has three major steps – Prevention, Protection and Palliation. Apartment security system must remember all three Ps while setting up an efficient security system.

A security solution should be able to prevent any mishaps. Such a solution should also be able to protect in case something goes wrong. The same solution must be capable of mitigating the damage caused if an emergency arises. Achieving such all rounded benefits from a security solution is possible only when humans and technology work together with a single objective in mind – safety of the people they are responsible for.

Prevention

“Prevention is better than cure” – we have all grown up hearing the adage. Apartment security system is no exception to this rule. Gated communities these days have several entry as well as exit points surrounding the premises. In some cases, the residential section of the community has to share space with the commercial section like office complex or malls. As a result, some gates remain open to the public. Securing all these gates, irrespective of their location, are of utmost importance. Multi level visitor verification and check in increases the scope of safety in such cases. This work is made easier and faster with security software.

There is no replacement of the human instinct in sensing danger. However, information technology goes a long mile to support the human instinct and provide faster resolution and greater efficiency. Apartment security system must put an enormous focus on verification of every single visitor who walks in and walks out of its gates. This process must never be hasty. Saving 30 seconds of time on visitor verification makes no sense if the stake is compromising the lives of children, senior citizens, women and men. Having a strong verification procedure at gates discourage foul play.

Manual verification can be tedious. Visitor management software help to screen visitors faster. Their personal details like name, phone number, photographs, vehicle numbers are recorded and a notification instantly shot to the residents they have come to visit. The resident decides whether or not to entertain a visitor without going through irritating phone calls. Not just that! A digital verification process helps the apartment security system to keep a record of the data of visitors in a digital cloud, accessible from anywhere. Therefore, the security personnel can always keep an eye out for individuals who are not welcome in the premises.

Protection

Sometimes, even the most hawk eyed monitoring by an apartment security system might fail to stop or prevent an emergency situation. In such a case, the system must be equipped with protection. One of the most important aspects of protection is to ensure avoiding repetition. This is possible if an instant incident report is made while the events are still unfolding or still fresh in the memory. Security software provide options to instantly click and save picture on spot with the option to record your statement of the event. This helps in investigations which further contribute to ensure unfortunate incidents are not repeated. Apartment security system records access of every individual who walks in the community premise which in turn makes it easy to track someone when necessary.

Such security software also come packed with emergency alerts that can immediately send SoS messages to chosen contacts. The availability of outside help at such high tension moments is one of the best form of protection one can receive. One may question if these software can help in an emergency situation, when panic is the order of the day. The answer is a resounding yes. The user just has to remember they have something within the grasp of their palms that can protect them from adversity.

In addition to this, as a community practice fire escape drills regularly. Organise regular workshops on self defense and spotting signs that might hint at a security breach.

Palliation

An apartment security system is incomplete without the system of palliation in place. An adverse situation gets worse if there are no systems in place to mitigate the effect of untoward incidents. Emergency alert is again helpful to control the impact of an accident or any security breach in the community. A very small example would be the situation of senior citizens residing alone in gated communities – they are vulnerable to sudden sickness or accidents within their own apartment units; the presence of an emergency alert on their smart phone can help them to ask for instant help, thereby mitigating the impact of the mishap.

Apartment security system do not just offer visitor verification or incident investigation and emergency alerts. They also offer services like parcel management which allows the delivery executives to leave the parcels at gate when no one is at home to receive, thereby taking measures to stop home intrusion as much as possible.

An ideal apartment security system is an integrated system of biometric devices, security cameras. There should be eyes in every corner of the community to ensure absolute safety for each and every resident of the community.

If you are interested in opting for an apartment security solution capable of integrating with all security hardware and create an ambience of safety for your community, you have come to the right place. Contact us today to schedule a demo.

We have covered the topic of gated community security multiple times, but since the world around us keeps changing every minute, it is kind of essential to stay updated about apartment safety on a regular basis. Burglars are coming up with more and more innovative ways to rob a house & dropping your guard could be dangerous.

So here are some things that you can do to make sure that your apartment stays safe at all times.

1. Strengthen overall gated community security

Individually securing your apartment sometimes isn’t enough. The entire compound needs to be better equipped to withstand every possible emergency.

Join hands with your fellow residents and discuss setting up a system that is hard to breach. CCTVs and security guards alone are obsolete these days. An app based gated community security system like ADDA GateKeeper is vital for overall management & security monitoring of residential complexes.

If you do not have one already, get one installed. The benefits that the ADDA Gatekeeper brings to your apartment complex are abundant. It offers the following –

As it is an App based Gated Community Security management system, it negates all the manual errors guards may commit.
Solid visitor management system that digitally records details of every visitor.
Alerts guards should a visitor overstay his/her welcome.
Sends instant notifications to residents about visitors which means even while away, residents will know who is dropping by.
Comes with an inbuilt panic alert system. If a resident is in danger, simply pressing a button sounds an alarm at the main gates and a safety contact of your choice.

2. Install a surveillance system

Even if you don’t have kids that you leave in the care of maids or too many valuables to speak of, a CCTV is recommended. The very presence of a CCTV will discourage maids and other potential criminals from committing a crime.

The ones that broadcast probably cost a little more than the ones that simply record. So you can opt of the latter, but it doesn’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes.

3. Better Locks

If the apartment you live in is rented, this is all the more applicable. It makes sense to have the old lock changed to a fresh and solid one. We never know if the previous tenant has a key or not. Even otherwise, if the home is your own, having a high-end, hard to break locking system for your door is strongly recommended.

The general understanding is that units on the lower floors are more prone to burglary and crimes as opposed to higher floor units. So if your flat it is on the lower floors, make it a point to change or strengthen your locks every few years. In plenty of cases, a simple screw driver or even hair clips can be bent to form tools to pick a lock with.

4. Secure your balcony

Again, more applicable for the units in the lower floors. It does make sense to install grills or other forms of protection in your balcony to deter criminals or sometimes even animals. The doors that lead inside from the balcony too must be strengthened so that they won’t be easily picked.

5. Never drop your guard

This involves a series of things that you must do to keep yourselves and your family safe. This is just a basic set of pointers, we recommend that you get to know your neighborhood and premises better so that you know what to look out for.

Beware of deception crimes. Burglars often pose as utility workers to gain access to your house. Having a system like ADDA Gatekeeper can do wonders in preventing such imposters.
Keep copies of the ID cards your domestic staff provide. If you are not around when they come for duty, having a CCTV helps keep an eye on them.
Make your valuables hard to find. Don’t go for the conventional key under the pillow system. Install wall safes or lockers that are pretty hard to break.
Connect with your neighbors. Know who lives around you.
Strongly urge your residents association to install a system like ADDA Gatekeeper which not only monitors visitors and other gate-related activities, but also gives you perks like pre-checking in visitors and lots more.

The Final Word

In today’s times when security is starting to be considered a myth, being on your guard is vital to ensure that you and family stay safe. We cannot stress enough on the importance of having a software based solution at the gates and within to not just secure your apartment but also to bring together the residents and make for better a quality life.

We hope you found the article useful and do let us know if you have any concerns or safety tips that you would like to share. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends. Cheers!

Tag Archives: apartment safety tips

Haste Makes Waste – Redefining Apartment Security with IT