Seasons Greetings from Affordable Alarms. I trust you all had a satisfying and nourishing Thanksgiving Holiday! If we all take just a few moments and look around us, we'll see we have much to be thankful for.

Safety Tips

As the Christmas holiday approaches, we will all be busy with shopping, wrapping, shipping and decorating. Let’s take just a few minutes to review some wintertime safety tips.

1. If you burn wood in a stove or a fireplace, make certain that any ashes you discard are completely out before dumping them out on the ground. Hot coals will stay active for up to ten days after removal from the stove! Store them in a metal container away from the porch or shed. Spread them onto the ground and pour water on them to assure their demise. Wood ashes are bad for any garden. Dig a small pit now, before the ground freezes.

2. Reacquaint yourself with the fire extinguishers in your home and workshop. If they are over two years old, ask Santa for a new one!

3. Have you been setting your alarm system when you leave your home or office? It becomes second nature after just a few days of routine use. Do you need assistance with your security system? Call us today for a free refresher course!

Generators

I know many of you own a stand-by generator for emergency power outages. Take time during this mild weather to check the oil and do a routine start up. Add fresh fuel and allow it to run for ten minutes.

Keep 10 gallons of fresh fuel on hand for emergency use. Remember, when the power is out, the roads are bad and the gas station is likely closed. Store fuel in an approved container. Consider adding a fuel stabilizer. Gasoline is only good for 60 days without it. Allow the engine to cool for at least ten minutes before refueling.

Most units require an oil change after 30 or 40 hours of actual run time. A few spare quarts of the recommended oil is a must!

Never run the generator indoors--not even in a garage with the door up! Be certain that the engine’s exhaust blows away from the home. This is especially important if running the unit during a warm weather power loss. An open window may allow deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gas to enter your home.

A customer from Memphis told me they were without power for 10 days after a monster windstorm hit in July. A New Jersey customer said they were in the dark for 8 days after hurricane Isabelle. The infrastructure for the power companies have become so large, that a major weather event now causes long term outages.

Responsible Party Call List

Do you need to update your responsible party call list or other alarm info? Call us today at (870) 435-2181.

If you are calling from outside of Baxter County, use our toll free number! 1-866-323-2355. Or email us at this easy address! steve@affordablealarms.com

Save Time and Money

Do you notice that nearly every time you open a monthly bill, the price has crept up again? 2% for a government regulatory fee, one dollar and nine cents for an administrative surcharge or 26 cents for the St. Ipswich fund?

We have worked very hard to keep your monitoring rates steady for the past 4 years, and will continue to do so! Many customers have chosen to pay via automatic bank draft. It’s free, and we do all of the work for you. One simple form to sign. We even provide the postage paid return envelope. It is safe and secure.

This will save you over $5 a year in postage and envelopes alone. Or, you can pay bi-monthly or quarterly to help reduce paperwork. Our invoices have time frames for monitoring clearly marked, and are mailed on the first of the month. We want to assist you in any way we can.

We are now the Authorized Dealer for White’s Metal Detectors!

We bought our first White’s metal detector 27 years ago, and it still works today! You’ve seen their ads on TV. If you are looking for a great outdoor hobby, try treasure hunting.

The Ozarks are packed with places to hunt for buried treasure, coins, jewelry, relics and more. We find something every time we hunt. Over 40 coins in the last two trips!

A full line of detectors and accessories can be found in Mtn. Home at Jean’s Good As New, 718 S. Church St. (catty-cornered from the revenue office). They make a great gift for any occasion. We can also ship same day to anywhere.

Cellular Back-up Phone Systems

We have installed several new generation cellular back-up phone systems. This is a redundant communication system to transmit alarms in the event of telephone line failure. Heretofore, the cost was prohibitive for all but banks and other high risk locations. If you are interested in learning more about this affordable service, give us a call.

Congratulations go out to Jordan Brown!

Jordan was chosen as the 2003 Instructor of the Year for the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association National Training School. He was chosen from over 120 instructors nationwide.

Jordan is the manager of our central station in Ft. Smith. Jordan is my instructor, and has a wealth of knowledge in the security industry beyond compare. Affordable Alarms is proud to be associated with Jordan and the staff at Guard Tronic.

Ready to Serve You Look for our new van. It is packed full of tools and supplies to make installations and service calls go a bit easier.

We now keep a small office in the rear of Jean’s store. It is there for your convenience to pick up any supplies you may need.

Think about this:

1. a billion seconds ago, it was 1959.
   a billion plus minutes ago, Jesus was alive.
   a billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the stone age.
   
2. The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn it’s head

Have Fun!
Steve Leisey