Vaults and Safes

Safes are used to hide or protect valuables such as jewelry, money, or important documents. As such, safes follow several parameters:

~Burglar-resistance
~Fire-resistance
~Environmental resistance (as protection from water or dust)
~Type of lock—it can either be a combination, time lock, or electronic lock.
~Location (e.g. wall safe, floor safe or hidden/diversion safe)
Fire resistant safes consist of self-contained devices that have insulated bodies, doors, drawers or lids, or non-rated multi-drawer devices with containers that contain one or more inner compartments for storage of records. A fireproof home safe can help keep your valuables away from thieves and protected from fires.

Cobalt Safes & Keypads 

I wanted to clear the air today after I recieved a phone call from somebody regarding a blog and Cobalt Safes.  First it was not on this blog. Second, the issue was that Cobalt Safes doesn’t take a keypad. 

I’m here to correct this issue.   A Cobalt Safe is one of the most flexible regarding locks.  They come with Sargent & Greenleaf dial combos but can easily be upgraded to electronic keypads.  The keypads can be LaGard Basic II, LaGard Audit lock and the remainder of the LaGard lineup as well as, Sargent & Greenleaf ’s entire line up of electronic locks.  You can order the keypad already on the safe or have your local locksmith put it on for you if you already own one. 

So it doesn’t matter if you want to use a dial or keypad. Cobalt Safes has you covered, secured, and protected!  If you want to see a good selection with either dial or keypad of check out Cobalt Safes

California police suggest the use of Gun Safes and Home Safes for Security. 

California police are seeing a dramatic jump in residential and vehicle burglaries and are urging residents to protect themselves.

Police receive 51 percent increase from September, a police news release states.

In November burglaries and vehicle larcenies were reported way up.

Officers believe a few individuals are responsible for most of the crimes and are using specific enforcement methods to identify and arrest the thieves. Additional officers have been assigned to work patrols each day and evening, the release states.

The burglars targeting homes are looking for unlocked doors and windows. In some cases, they have forced open windows and doors. The burglars also are entering backyards through side gates so they are less likely to be seen entering homes. Once inside, the thieves ransack rooms, looking for small valuables and cash. Firearms and electronics have been stolen, the release states.

The vehicle burglars do not appear to be targeting a specific make or model car and don’t appear to be looking for specific property inside to steal. In some cases, the car stereo was taken, the release states.

Police are asking residents to take measures to keep themselves safe. They offer these tips for deterring vehicle and residential burglaries.

Vehicle tips

• Unattended cars should be locked day and night.

• Do not leave cars idling when you are not in the car.

• Do not leave valuable items, such as laptops, purses, change, cell phones, iPods or Christmas gifts in vehicles.

• Always use your vehicle’s anti-theft devices.

• Pay attention to your surroundings when parking for holiday shopping. If anything looks suspicious, leave the area.

Home tips

• Become a “nosey neighbor.” Report unusual or suspicious activity in your neighborhood. Write down license numbers of cars and note the make and color of the suspicious vehicle.

• Participate in Neighborhood Watch programs or start one in your neighborhood.

• Evaluate locks for effectiveness.

• Install movement or dusk-to-dawn lighting around the home.

• Lock side access gates to backyards.

• Have neighbors gather mail and newspapers if you leave home for an extended time, or place holds on your mail and newspapers.

• Don’t leave garage doors open unless you are inside.

• Keep high-value jewelry and significant amounts of cash inside home safes that are internally bolted in place.

• Keep firearms in gun safes or equip firearms with individual gun locks.

• Record and keep serial numbers on valuable electronics.

• Do not hide house keys under doormats or in other obvious places.

• Break down big boxes that Christmas gifts arrive in so burglars don’t know new items have just arrived.

Check out home safes and gun safes for sale.

Three primary types of SAFES:
1. Fireproof Safes

2. Burglary Safes

3. Fire & Burglary Safes
Fireproof Safes
 Fireproof Safes are designed to protect paper from catching fire. It is constructed with a thin metal double wall design which allows a fireproof insulating material to be put between the walls.  When a fire occurs, the insulating material releases moisture which keeps the interior safe temperature below the burning point of paper. These safes are rated by the length of time they will protect their contents under extreme heat conditions. A 1/2-hour rating is used only for small fire-insulated boxes, (popular brand of this is Sentry) Most fireproof safes have 1-hour or 2-hour ratings. These are adequate for the protection of paper records in normal home and business fires. The 4-hour rating is only used for record rooms. If a safe is labeled as a fire resistant container, that label is usually provided by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL). However there are other testing agencies which test and label safes, such as Japan Institute of Standards (JIS) and Korea Safe Standards.  These labels are equivalent to UL labels.
The burglary resistance of a fireproof safe is minimal. Any metal box with a combination lock is described as a Class 1 burglary resistant container.
Media Safes are designed to protect electronic media such as computer disks and video tapes. Like regular fireproof safes, media safes have UL ratings for protection times. Electronic media and data are more sensitive to heat and humidity than paper so a media data safes  are differently constructed and much more heavily insulated than regular fireproof safes with the same rating.
Burglar Resistant Safes
The burglar-resistant safe is designed to contain valuables. It is constructed with solid metal walls and a heavy door resistant to attack by drilling, cutting or prying. Hardened and drill resistant metals are often used to slow down attempts to break in to this safe. These safes are rated in two ways:
1. The class rating (1-5) is based on a combination of door and wall thickness, and in the higher ratings (3-5), resistance to certain forms of attack such as drilling and cutting with a torch. Insurance companies use this rating to designate how much cash may be kept in the safe.
2. The UL rating is a system developed by Underwriters Laboratory which rates safes based on how long they will resist various forms of attack. The UL ratings start at 15 minutes and go to one hour. In addition they add the following letter designations: DR drill resistant, TL tool resistant, TR torch resistant, TRTL tool and torch resistant and finally the X6 designation is reserved for the very best bankers and jewelers safes. They would be designated : TRTL60X6. Please keep in mind that any UL designated burglary safe is of high quality and gives excellent protection.
There are two specialized burglary resistant safes that are commonly used for storage of cash, the in floor safe and the drop safe.
The in floor safe is a round or square tube with a heavily constructed lid which lifts out when unlocked. The tube is usually installed in a concrete floor or it can be installed on the floor surface in a concrete block which adds weight and protects the tube from attack. The main advantage of this safe is the low cost. Since the exposed lid is the only part that is heavily constructed, good protection can be achieved inexpensively.
The drop safe allows envelopes or bank bags to be inserted into the safe while the safe remains locked. The drop can be as simple as a slot in the lid of an in floor safe, or it can be an elaborate hopper or drawer designed to allow large items to be inserted. These safes are used where frequent cash deposits must be made to deter robbery. Often the manager is the only one with access to the “dropped” cash. These safes are never UL burglary rated and are not recommended for long term storage of cash. They are also quite light and should be bolted to the floor or counter to deter the smash-and-grab thief.
Fire & Burglary Safes
Fire & Burglary Safes are designed to give protection against both fire and burglary. It is usually designed as a burglary safe with a secondary wall constructed inside the safe which contains insulation. This safe can be UL rated for both burglary and fire protection.
Another type of combination fire and burglar resistant safe is one where a small burglary resistant container is installed in a larger fire-resistant container. In newer units the fire resistance is UL labeled but often the burglary container is not.
Older Safes
Most older safes are not labeled as either burglar or fire resistant. We can only guess at their true quality and in the case of the burglary containers rate them Class 1, 2, or 3 based on door and wall thickness, according to insurance classifications.
Another point to remember is that often insurance companies ask their clients to by a safe based on weight or to have the safe bolted to the floor if it isn’t heavy enough. Many of those clients come to us wanting to buy an inexpensive fire-resistant safe and have it bolted to the floor.  Though this keeps the thief from picking it up and walking out with it, It doesn’t stop crow bars and other tools.  So be carefull in this area. Because you can be penny wise and pound foolish.  Best to get some good advise.  Call our friends a Vault and Safe or visit their site.

Security in our homes must never be taken for granted. You never know when a burglar will enter your home. Important documents, checks, and cash can get into the wrong hands in a matter of minutes and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Prevention is the key. If all home owners would think about investing in wall safes, then our homes will be safer. Keeping our valuables in wall safes will ensure they won’t get stolen.

Copy of news cast on home safes.

Business is down for a lot of companies right now, but sales of home safes are soaring.

‘The Safe Place’ in Sparks has seen sales increase by about 45% in recent months.

In fact, Bill Callos says he’s selling about 150 safes a month right now.

He says people buy in good times with money and in bad times out of fear. “Recently with all the banks and stock and share holder companies going under it has a lot of people concerned so they’re looking at taking their valuables homes, specifically cash.”

Now we have to stress, no one is advocating taking all your money out of the bank. The safes are being used more for those who just want to have some cash on hand just in case.

Also to keep guns and valuables at home.

Americans possess close to 200 million firearms, and 65 million handguns. Many use the weapons for recreation activities like skeet and target shooting, and hunting. Others keep their guns for protection.An unfortunate side affect of gun ownership, however, is that unintentional shootings account for almost 20% of all gun-related deaths among children aged 14 and under.

Nearly a third of American families with children keep a gun in their home. Many times guns kept for protection (hand guns, usually) are left loaded and unlocked, and within a child’s reach.

No one wants or expects their child to get a hold of their firearm—but statistics show it happens–and all too often. Sometimes kids can even mistake a real gun for a toy! Decreasing the accessibility of guns can eliminate the likelihood of an accidental shooting in a family residence. Gun safes are easy to obtain, and are affordable. Locking away guns will ensure the weapon doesn’t cause unintentional harm.

My parent’s house burned down last year. They lost everything, and they had no fire insurance. It was so sad; my Mom didn’t even have time to grab her treasured family photographs, let alone any keepsakes or antiques. When I arrived at my parent’s house the night of the fire all Mom would say was “all your baby pictures are in there.” Dad was patting her back and trying to console her, but I could tell he was just as upset.Mom and Dad are renting an apartment now, and are slowly recovering from the disaster. At least they have their Pomeranian “Pickles” to keep cheer them up. I hate to say it, but the apartment never feels like home to me. There are no family photos on the wall, nor is there my great aunt’s collection of antique salt shakers lined neatly on shelves.

I know I couldn’t have prevented the fire, but I do wish I would have instructed my parents on how to save important documents, files, pictures and jewelry. If I would have only suggested they invest in a fireproof media safe to store all of their keepsakes, maybe Mom would still be able to fondly look at her wedding pictures. It’s too late now. I bought a fireproof media safe for my family last month. Even if I lose my house to a fire, I feel comforted that I won’t lose my history.

Some points to keep in mind when shopping for the right fireproof office safe. The first thing to remember is the size of your office safe how big it is? How much materials you’re going to place inside? How large are the materials are? If you think that the amount of items you want to protect will expand the space then you’ll have to go for a large safe. There are many fireproof office safes with varying degrees of thickness of weight. Office safes are best safes for any business or office. Office safes will bring a value added emphasis to the technical and critical aspect of today’s workplace. Office safes will protect your valuable things from fire or theft; their many of them you’ll find an office safe for any size budget. Office safes have many types of shapes and sizes to safely store documents, valuables. There are many office safes with varying degrees of thickness of weight. Many of us don’t remember the size of the right office safe; first thing to keep in mind when shopping for the right office safe is the size of your office safe. Office safes are normally made to protect the appliances from fire like, computers, printers, monitors, scanners, lamps, CD players, cell phones and many more.
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