4 Home Security Tips When Living in a High-Rise Condo
Moving into a high-rise condominium is an achievement. The residences usually include luxury amenities along with superb craftsmanship and quality construction materials. However, security can be an afterthought in both the design and on a tenant’s checklist of must-have features in a place to live. The architects and builders of high-rise condos think about views and luxury, and potential tenants are dazzled by those very same things, Still, high-rise living does require some security protocols to be continually minded as well as security features and equipment to be implemented.
1. Know Exit Routes
Every tenant in a high-rise building should know at least three ways out in case of an emergency. Often, the condo only has one way in or out other than a balcony where emergency personnel may be able to provide rescue, but only up to a certain floor level. The primary egress method is the elevator, but that is a no-no in most every emergency. Know where the stairs are at. Walk the routes, and time how long it takes to get out. Explore other floors to find areas that may offer shelter in natural or man-made disaster situations. Sometimes, it is only possible to get halfway down before egress is blocked. Having multiple shelter areas buys time until rescue personnel can get through.
2. Consider a Fortified Bedroom Door and Wall
Safe rooms are popular in houses, apartments and condos, but not all residences have them. The first step to having a safe room to retreat to in the event of intrusion is to fortify the door and at least four feet on each side of a door. Fortified doors can be opened and closed like regular doors but they provide fire and intruder resistance when locked tight. Most locking mechanisms on fortified doors rotate cams outward into the frame structure, much like the bolts on safe doors. The doors are made of fire resistant material, and they are highly resistant to being compromised even if axes and sledgehammers are used on them. Wall sections can have the subsurface reinforced with heavy plywood or metal. Some may even opt to install ballistic protection in the walls adjacent to a fortified door.
3. Redundant Communication
Landlines can fail. Cellular phones can fail or even be jammed. Redundancy is a key in having communication capability in an emergency. Radio transceivers would only be good if someone was monitoring at the other end. Satellite phone technology is viable, and it is not as expensive as it used to be. VOIP is over the Internet and includes services such as Skype and Vonage. It requires an active Internet connection to use. However, all are part of a redundancy communication plan. In disaster situations communications are often unreliable or completely interrupted. Each method may come and go as the disaster unfolds. Texting over cellular has proven to be the most reliable communication infrastructure during disasters.
4. Monitored Alarm System
Early warning is a proven defense. ADT Home alarm systems provide early warning of intrusion, and they also can provide early warning of fire, smoke or carbon monoxide. It all depends on the sensors that are connected to the system. Having a monitored system means that someone else will be made aware of the alarm condition. This is extremely helpful in situations such as home invasion or incapacitating carbon monoxide gas leaks from natural gas or other fuel burning appliances.
Security should never be an afterthought, but it often is in the modern world. Nothing is inherently safe. It is the responsibility of each person to take security concerns rationally into consideration. Secure for the most likely threats. Do not rely on any one system, person, protocol or device. Think redundancy and layers when it comes to security just like the experts do.
