Every home should have at least one portable fire extinguisher in their home that is easily accessible. Tips for your Fire Extinguisher. Fire Extinguishers are divided into four categories:

Class A which is for ordinary use such as paper, wood, and most plastics
Class B which is for flammable or combustible liquids like gasoline, kerosene, grease and oil
Class C which is for electrical equipment like with your appliances, outlets, circuit breakers
Class D which is for chemicals - this is typically found in chemistry labs

Only use a fire extinguisher if the fire is considered small. Never try and fight a big fire with a fire extinguisher or a fire that appears to be spreading quickly. In fact, you should know what is even burning in order to recognize which type of fire extinguisher to use; otherwise you are putting yourself in danger. Check that the gauge of your fire extinguisher is in the "green zone." This means it is charged. Not all extinguishers have pressure guages & not all that have them have a "green zone". Sometimes it is white or another colour. When using an extinguisher always have an exit at your back. Make sure you understand how to use the fire extinguisher before there might ever be a time to even use it. If you have a lot of smoke building up, get out quickly because carbon monoxide is the most deadly gas that is produced by a fire.

In an effort to combat unlicensed activity, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Regulation made a statewide unlicensed activity sweep during the last week in February. This effort is part of the division’s three-tiered approach to combat unlicensed activity through education, prevention and enforcement. While specific details were not available at press time, investigators performed compliance checks across Florida in an effort to prosecute unlicensed individuals and assist them with becoming licensed.

“DBPR is dedicated to ensuring compliance with state laws and protecting Floridians from the harm posed by hiring unlicensed individuals. We are ending a strong message that unlicensed activity will not be tolerated,” said DBPR Secretary Charles W. Drago. Hiring an unlicensed person can have dire consequences. unlicensed activity in security, for example, can threaten the personal safety of consumers, as well as the livelihood of state-licensed professionals. The Division of Regulation conducted sweeps from the ten district offices around the state. To perform these operations, they partnered with other agencies, including local law enforcement, building and code enforcement departments, State Attorney’s offices, and the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Workers’ Compensation. Specific locations were not disclosed at this time; however, an extensive summary of the operation will be distributed shortly. Through education, prevention and enforcement, the department works to eliminate this risky activity. These increased efforts are in response to concerns from both citizens and licensed professionals. Efforts include a public awareness campaign consisting of public service announcements, educational brochures, Google Ad Words, online advertising, and a soon-to-be unveiled unlicensed activity Web page. The department’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. The department licenses more than one million businesses and professionals ranging from security, real estate agents and accountants to contractors and cosmetologists.

Provided by 'The Handshake,' The Official Publication of the Alarm Association of Florida

End-of-Line Resistor is a resistor placed in an alarm zone circuit, ideally at the last device on the loop, allowing the control panel to “supervise” the circuit (make sure that everything in that circuit is intact), and allow functions like mixing normally open and normally closed devices in the same circuit/loop. Many systems provide an option for turning off the requirement for these resistors, but they are usually still required for zones set as fire/smoke loops.

• 100 Feet - Exterior lighting needs to bright enough for you to see 100-feet.
• 95% of home security owners are satisfied with their alarm systems.
• 94 % of US homes have at least one smoke alarm installed.
• 93 % of homeowners have a garage. This is one point of entrance that burglars target.
• 92 % of emergency calls end up being false alarms.
• 90 % of police believe home monitored alarms help deter burglary attempts.
• 89 % of all burglaries go unsolved.
• 88% of all burglaries are residential in nature.
• 87 % of all home burglaries are considered to be preventable.
• 86 % of burglaries occur when people are at home.
• 85 % of burglar alarms were not switched on or being used properly
• 84 % of the Nation’s burglaries took place in metro areas.
• 81 % of residential intrusions occur through the first floor
• 80% of break-ins occur through a locked door

Source: http://hoppeteam.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=65

Alarm installation manuals are written with the assumption of at least basic electrical/electronics knowlege. You need some degree of understanding of basic electrical and electronics terms and practices. Libraries and many online sites can provide the basic concepts that will make tackling an alarm project simpler. The important concepts to understand include the difference between a series and parallel circuit; the difference between a normally open and normally closed circuit, and the use of basic testing tools.

Source: http://forum.doityourself.com/electronic-alarms-home-security-devices/203784-alarm-forum-faq-please-read-before-posting.html

American Wire Gage is the common standard for measuring wire diameter. Larger numbers represent smaller diameter wire, and vice versa. A cable is usually described by its AWG size followed by the number of wires (conductors) it contains. For example, a cable listed as 22-4 is a four-conductor cable made up of four wires, each 22 gauge (most system makers specify 22 gauge as the minimum for their systems to be installed to UL standards).