Rural Security Issues
from the August 2005 issue
By
Jimmy Shane
 We
live in the country for all kinds of reasons, one
of the most cited is, “we want to escape congestion”.
That blessing also brings some additional concerns
our city cousins have been dealing with for years;
security being one of the most common. Here contributing
editor Jimmy Shane looks at some practical acreage
security answers.
My
house sits at the end of a quarter-mile lane eight
miles from town. The lane curves a bit to the east
so you can’t see the front gate from the house
and my closest neighbor is nearly one-half mile away.
At one time these security concerns were nothing to
worry about but it is a different world today. In
total I’d say my firearms, farm equipment, livestock
and other personal possessions could make some thief
a wealthy person…for at least a couple of weeks.
Keeping that in mind we’ve adjusted our thinking
with regard to keeping the place accessible. Here
are a couple of simple security tips that you might
want to consider.
Lighting
We hear it all the time from the electric co-op to
the sheriffs department. They tell us one of the easiest
ways to dissuade a thief is to have the property well
lit. The days of putting a 250-watt bulb under a shade
near the barn are long gone. Today it’s a good
idea to place lighting in several locations around
the barn and house. Often the local electric company
or co-op will come out and offer some suggestions
and even install the fixtures. Sometimes you can even
do it yourself.
We
went to town and purchased several sealed beam lights
with sensors and placed them in strategic points around
the buildings. The sensors will turn the lights on
at dusk and off at dawn. But beware…the cheaper
the fixtures the more often the sensors fail…or
so it seems. In addition to all weather “farm
lighting” you might consider residential lighting
that can softly illuminate the outside of your house.
Folks in the city have used this low wattage lighting
for years, mostly as a decorative addition. While
it also lends a great look to a rural home this type
of lighting can also become a deterrent to folks looking
for a dark, easy target.
 Wireless
Lane Announcement
Several years ago dealers began marketing “driveway
alerts”. Jason Quam of Dakota Alert has been
manufacturing these systems for years. Says Quam,
“Obviously notification systems are not meant
to stop somebody from coming down the lane but rather
notify the resident that they’ve got company.
What is important here is that the homeowner make
a wise purchase.” For example Quam’s systems
come in a variety of wireless designs that incorporate
motion sensors, metal sensors and even a tube stretched
across the lane that acts like the old filling station
alarm. Says Quam, “If you’ve got livestock
or a bunch of deer on your place the motion sensor
alert may not be the best idea. Deer or turkey pass
through the sensor beam and the alarm in your home
goes off. That could get real annoying real quick.
In this case we suggest a probe system that reacts
to large metal objects like cars, trucks or tractors.
The vehicle moves past the probe, the magnetic switch
is tripped and the alarm in the house goes off.”
All of Quam’s Dakota Alerts are wireless and
can operate for a year on a 9-volt battery.
I
asked Jason about remote locations. For example say
you’ve got a barn or livestock a mile or so down
the road what about signal strength? “The range
of many alerts”, says Quam “is between 3,000
feet or several miles. We even manufacture a system
that will dial a number to alert the owner. They can
be programmed to call a work number, a neighbor and
in some parts of the country, depending on the county,
even dial the sheriff’s department.” Jason
tells us his systems usually run $150 to $250 for
standard models.
 Keep
‘em Out
And then there is the option of putting a gate on
your property simply to keep folks out. While this
had been confined to “gated communities”
and fancy country estates, we’re seeing more
and more of this type of security. And, it is becoming
much more affordable. Our search led us to Elaine
Beckstrom of Zareba, a company based in Minnesota.
Along
with a nifty electric fence alarm that can alert the
homeowner to a downed electric fence, (I have GOT
to get one of these!), the company manufactures an
automatic gate opener that will work with most any
swing gate up to 16 feet long and 750 pounds. “The
system works just like an automatic garage door opener,”
says Beckstrom. “A transmitter in the vehicle
opens and closes the front gate with a range of 300
feet so you don’t have to get out of the truck.”
 Not
bad…but what about power failure? “We also
sell a solar powered battery charger that can be installed
even when AC power is more than 1,000 feet from the
gate. It keeps the 12-volt battery system charged
but of course the number of solar panels and the owners’
geographic location limits the open/close cycles.
” Elaine told me that zareba's opener kits are
available at most farm/country stores or can be ordered
online and direct from the company. The cost for the
single gate kit is between $475 and $500.
But,
what if you, like me, have livestock concerns? Clearly
opening and closing a gate when the cattle are grazing
nearby can be a “wandering” waiting to happen.
Well, now you can purchase a “no pit” cattle
guard system from a company called 2T Cattle Guard.
This system works like the old “pit and bar”
cattle guards only it is spring activated to raise
and lower when your vehicle starts to pull over the
bars. It really is a great product and one that doesn’t
require a bunch of digging and construction.
That’s
just a few suggestions to chew on and considering
the value of your property and the cost of today’s
insurance…all of them may be a good property
investment. To learn more about these items and other
companies like them visit our website at www.AcreageLife.com
and search the manufacturers.
http://www.zarebasystems.com/
http://www.2tcattleguard.com/
http://www.dakotaalert.com/
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