FAQs

Sometimes I give the keys to my house or business to another person like a part-time employee or housekeeper. How can be sure they won't make a copy for themselves?

Many people have access to the keys to your home, including housekeepers, previous owners, ex-spouses, baby-sitters, valet parking attendants, car mechanics, etc. Even an unskilled thief can get a copy of your key made by writing down the code stamped on it. You need keys that you can be confident won't turn up in the wrong hands.

Medeco's patented biaxial system means it's virtually impossible for someone to get a copy of your keys without your permission. Only Medeco security professionals are authorized to copy your key, and only with your consent. You can even get a card that requires your authorization before a key is made. You can trust your keys to Medeco.


I have heard recently of mail theft occurring in my neighborhood. What can I do to prevent mail and identity theft?

Mail theft and tampering have become such an epidemic that the United States Post Office is now recommending locked mailboxes for homes and business use. Designed to help thwart thieves and keep personal valuable correspondence private. We have -- look that fits inside the mailbox pictured. Among its many features are: it converts a standard mail box into a secure place for your mail; it’s easy to install; 2 keys are included; it allows magazines and larger packages to fit into their own compartment; mail carrier needs no key and secures your mail while you are away on trips.


If I secure my home or business with good MEDECO locks and alarms and even put security film on my windows, if someone really wants to break in, will they?

The answer is yes. However, most burglars calculate how to break in, how easy is it and how long it will take. What you try to accomplish is not being a good target. If you have simple hardware on your doors with no alarm, then you are a good target. The chances of your getting broken into are quite high compared to your neighbor who may have good security hardware, an alarm and a dog. We run 5000 security related jobs per year and we see it all, and can secure your home so you won't be any easy target. It is very important to have a combination of a good alarm and good hardware. Only having one of these defeats the purpose. We also have had a recent problem in Studio City and Sherman Oaks with mailbox theft. Please call for advice..


I want to make my windows safer and protect them from shattering in an earthquake or a break-in attempt. I don’t want to use bars. Is there another way to accomplish this?

Yes, there is. We carry and install Protekt Safety Security Film that when applied to your windows (residential or commercial) can cut your risk of personal injury, property damage and theft. Protekt is a transparent, high efficiency micro-thin film that is bonded to glass with a specially formulated adhesive. Glass and film virtually become one, and a barrier is created on the inside of your windows that help contain flying glass shards if windows are shattered. Burglars and looters depend upon speed. Smash a window, grab the merchandise and go before the police arrive. A Protekt window is harder to break and will most likely stay intact. Protekt polyester films are available in clear, tinted and reflective styles and in thickness from 2 to 14 mils.


Is a regular fire safe appropriate to store computer data?

No. A standard fire safe is tested and rated to keep the interior of the safe at 350° for a certain amount of time. Paper burns at 450°. Media safes are tested and rated to keep the interior of the safe at 125° for a certain amount of time. Computer data will melt well before the interior of the safe reaches 350°.


Are there fireproof safes?

No, the fire safes that you find are "fire resistant" safes. There is not a safe out there that can protect your valuables indefinitely against fire. Each fire resistant safe is tested against a fire and given an hourly rating at 350°. They give little burglary protection, because they are easy to break into and they cannot have holes drilled into them to bolt them down.


What size safe should I purchase?

Our suggestion is to think of the items that you are going to be putting in the safe, and then add some room for growth. Once you purchase your safe and start putting things into it, you will find that yourself saying, "I should have gotten a bigger safe because I could have put my video camera in it, or my coin collection, etc. It costs twice as much to take a safe out than it does to install it. And you will always grow into a safe.


What is the difference between a burglary and fire safe?

A burglary safe has been tested and rated against an opening attack. A fire safe has been tested and rated against a fire. Here at Mulholland Security, we carry BF units. The initials BF stand for Burglary/Fire. They are fire tested for 1 hour and have also been tested against burglary attacks. Since 1996, some manufacturers have developed safes which offer different degrees of protection against both fire and burglary and are tested and labeled accordingly.