Fireproof Safes Provide Security and Protection

There are few tragedies worse than a fire. Even when everyone walks out alive, the pieces of people's lives are left charred and burned in the remains. Pictures, valuables and important documents tend to all be lost. There's no getting some of these items back. It's a sad fact of life and especially one with fires; items that aren't protected can be lost to tragedy. But there are some things people can do to protect their valuables and sentimental items in case of a blaze. Fireproof safes are one way to ensure items are protected. They're even designed to handle a lot of different items, too.

The first rule of fire protection is to have a plan. This means an escape route for the valuables that can't be replaced no matter what - the people - and a way to protect the items you don't want to live without, but can. Planning for a fire isn't something anyone wants to do, but a well-studied plan can mean the difference between life and death for a family. Any home or office should have a fire escape plan, smoke detectors and a safe place to store valuables such as original negatives, insurance documents and so on.

Once the smoke detectors are in place and an escape plan smoothed out, there's more to consider. What about the valuables that can't be trucked out of a home at a moments notice? Here's where fireproof safes, the ones rated to handle very high temperatures, can really help.

There are a number of different types of fireproof safes. Each are designed to help protect different kinds of items. They include:

* Standard portable lock box safety rated for fire. These are ideal for holding papers and cash. Since they're portable, they can be grabbed during a fire and removed with the people, but if they're left behind, they should stand up okay.

* Fireproof gun safe. This is a good idea for stowing guns and ammo in a safe location. Ammo and fires do not mix well. With a good safe, they don't have to. Plus, they're ideal for keeping guns away from small hands.

* Floor safe. This is a fireproof safe that sits on the ground. There are even kinds that can be built into the floor and covered up with carpeting and flooring material. These come in all sizes, but are generally best for holding such items as papers, pictures, small valuables and so on.

* Wall safe. A great way to protect valuables not only from fire, but also thieves, these are commonly used for jewelry, papers and other valuables. They are easy to conceal behind pictures and other works of art.

* Media storage. A safe designed to hold media can protect valuables such as negatives, films, computer disks and so on from a fire's ravaging touch. They're also great for keeping valuables organized.

No one really expects a fire to strike, but it can. Whether it's accidental, an act of nature or due to a mishap in a home, fires do happen. Good fireproof safes can help protect the items you hold dear while freeing you up to take care of the people in your life.

More Resources:
http://www.fireproofsafesite.com
http://www.homesecurity2.com

Types of Safes: Which One Is Right For You?

There’s no safe designed to protect against everything. Most safes do better against some threats than others. If you’re looking to protect your valuables, here are some of the more common types of safes on the market.

Freestanding safes come in many sizes, and they are the most basic type of safe. When buying a freestanding safe, look for one with thick metal all the way around—since burglars can access all sides of a freestanding safe, make sure that all sides can stand up to break-in attempts. In addition, a freestanding safe should always be bolted to a floor, preferably a cement floor, so burglars can’t carry it off.

Wall safes. These are installed in your wall, and on TV, they’re often concealed behind a picture or poster. This is probably the easiest way to conceal a wall safe, and also the least effective—burglars watch those TV shows, too. The best way to conceal a wall safe is by installing it behind a panel specially designed to match the wall.

Floor safes can be extremely secure. Even if an unconcealed safe is bolted to the floor, burglars can still attack it from all sides. Not so with a floor safe—only the door is accessible, and that’s the toughest part of most safes. A floor safe is installed in concrete—either in a concrete floor, or encased in a concrete block beneath the floor. While the safe itself may be less expensive—many floor safes are only reinforced at the door, because the sides are inaccessible—it can cost more to install. Floor safes offer some fire protection, and can often be concealed more effectively than wall safes, because you can position a heavy and difficult-to-move piece of furniture over it.

Drop or deposit safes are often used by businesses whose employees handle large amounts of cash, such as banks and car dealerships. Some drop safes have a simple slot on the top or the side where money can be dropped in, while others have more elaborate drawer mechanisms for depositing larger items. Some drop safes can be installed in the floor or wall, but many are freestanding. Drop safes are often relatively light, and are rarely designed to protect against serious break-in attempts. Most businesses use them for cash or valuable storage during the day and remove the items at night.

Fire safes are specially designed to shield valuables from fire. Most fire safes are designed to keep the temperature inside below the temperature at which paper chars for a certain period of time. Higher-rated fire safes can control the temperature for up to 120 minutes, while lower-rated ones protect contents for about 30 minutes. Conventional fire safes do this by converting trapped moisture into steam as it gets hot.

Media safes are designed to protect digital equipment from fire and theft. A media safe keeps the temperature inside considerably lower than a conventional fire safe does, because media equipment is more sensitive to fire than paper is. It also does not use steam conversion to control internal temperatures, so the contents won’t be damaged by moisture.

Gun safes are sized to hold guns. They come in many different sizes, and most potential buyers are encouraged to buy more space than they need in case their gun collection grows. A good gun safe protects a gun collection from theft as well as from curious children, and it should always be bolted to the floor so burglars can’t remove it from the premises. Gun safes are usually freestanding.

Diversion safes are safes concealed inside an object to look inconspicuous. Diversion safes can be made to look like books, household cleaning products, candles, bottled drinks, and more—the varieties are endless. These are usually large enough only for small items such as keys and credit cards, and are often not recommended for serious security, as once a burglar finds your diversion safe they can easily remove it.

Laptop safes are sized to fit laptop computers, and they come in many different models. Some can be attached to a desk or installed in a drawer; portable laptop safes can be carried. Many hotels provide laptop safes for business travelers in each room. They are much more effective than security straps used for laptops.

Medical safes are usually shaped like a cabinet, and are used to lock up drugs and other medical paraphernalia. They are usually used to keep drugs away from children, and are not designed to withstand serious burglary attempts. Businesses sometimes use medical safes to store drugs and equipment for employees with medical conditions, and they are sometimes found in pharmacies and doctors’ offices as well.

It’s recommended that you invest in a good safe—don’t simply pick the cheapest. It doesn’t make sense to protect valuables worth £10,000 or more in a £100 safe. Do a little research and decide which safe makes sense in your situation, and you’ll have a good chance of finding the protection you need.

A.Neary is director of http://www.thesafeshop.co.uk an online store supplying a wide range of safes and fire proof cabinets. Visit http://www.thesafeshop.co.uk/Categories/security_safes/ for more information on safes and the security product range available.