A lot when it’s one of New Zealand’s most trusted names in home and commercial security. Did you know that Armourguard is ADT’s sister company?

That’s why if you’re unlucky enough to have an incident that requires a mobile patrol response, it will often be an Armourguard vehicle that arrives at your home and the guard will be wearing an Armourguard uniform.

We’re sure you’ll agree, it’s great having such an established and trusted partner helping us keep you and your family safe. As part of the ADT family, when you see an Armourguard vehicle or officer, you’ll know you are in good hands.

HOME MINDER, YOUR EYES AND EARS

While you’re at the beach relaxing with family and friends, who’s keeping an eye on your vacant home? Armourguard has a Holiday Home Minder Patrol Service that can be your eyes and ears while you’re away.

You already have ADT’s alarm monitoring service to help keep your home safe throughout the year. And now Armourguard can offer you a special patrol service to give you extra peace of mind over the holidays.

Our Holiday Home Minder Patrol Service is available upon request, with the service tailored to your needs. Here are some of the things we can take care of whilst you’re away:

· collecting mail and disposing of junk mail

· checking the outside perimeter of your home for any sign of unauthorised activity or trespass

· checking for potential hazards or damage from extreme weather

· keeping an eye on your home if you have any young adult children there, to make sure it doesn’t become the location of any unwelcome activity.

Like to know more? Just get in touch with your local Armourguard branch. For a list of Armourguard branches and contact details, click here. Please note, not all Armourguard branches can offer all the services outlined above.

Our top 10 tips

In addition to utilising our Holiday Home Minder Patrol Service, there are lots of things you can do to make your home more secure whilst you’re out of town. Here are our top 10 tips:

1. Lights inside give the impression the home is occupied. Use timers to automatically switch on lights, TVs and sound systems.

2. Never leave an answering machine message indicating there’s no one home.

3. Don't let mail, newspapers or flyers accumulate. Get a neighbour to collect them – or use our new Holiday Home Minder Patrol Service.

4. Leave curtains slightly parted so the house doesn't have an empty look.

5. Ensure all external windows are secured with key operated locks.

6. Don’t leave valuables in sight.

7. Protect doors with dead bolts and secure sliding glass doors with a metal bar or wooden dowel placed in the door track.

Around the home

8. If possible, leave a car in the driveway whilst you’re away.

9. Is landscaping free from potential hiding places? Trim trees and shrubs to allow clear visibility of the home. Tree limbs should be trimmed to prevent thieves climbing into windows.

10. It’s also important, before you go on holiday, to record the serial numbers of your valuables to help police locate your property in the event of a burglary. Engrave them with a number unique to you, such as your Driver’s Licence, and keep photographic records of valuables, especially jewellery, so they can be easily identified.

Update your contact details and instructions

Do we have your current contact numbers? If we need to reach you over the holiday period we can lose valuable time tracking you down. We can confirm your current instructions in the event of an alarm activation whilst you are updating those contact details.

Just call us on 0800 111 238 and let us know of any changes.

And don’t forget to programme our number - 09 580 9700 - into your mobile phone contacts with the name ‘ADT Monitoring’ so that your phone identifies that it is ADT calling.

New Zealand has the highest rate of youth drowning among OECD countries. For children aged one to four, home swimming pools poses the greatest danger. The new Aquaguard pool alarm will help prevent more tragedies.

Aquaguard is designed to detect a child, pet or object of a minimum size falling into a pool or spa. It monitors the movement of water by detecting changes in water pressure. When a change in pressure is great enough to indicate a fall may have occurred, a siren sounds at the detector unit by the pool or spa and at the wireless remote unit inside the house.

Designed and manufactured in the USA, Aquaguard technology has been rigorously tested against the toughest world standards for false alarming. This means there is now a consumer installed pool alarm available in New Zealand that provides excellent performance features with high immunity to wind, rain and other surface water disruptions.

All of which adds up to greater peace of mind for pool owners and, combined with a properly fenced pool, will help to lower our tragic rate of youth and toddler drownings.

Aquaguard retails for $799 (+GST) and is simple to install. Get yours today by calling Micron Security Products Ltd on 09 378 6098.