Are you planning to keep paper documents in your safe? What about cash? A basic security safe is a thick-walled metal box. This is also a very effective oven design! A fire will destroy documents in a basic safe. It doesn’t matter whether your papers and cash are stolen or destroyed: gone is gone.

Fire safes offer a degree of protection. They are thicker and heavier. They generally feature two walls, with a void space in the middle. This void is typically filled with a specialty cement. This “fire mix” is not very hard (read: does not increase security!) because it contains a lot of moisture. When exposed to high heat, this moisture evaporates out, carrying the heat away from your items. This isn’t a perfect solution, but it buys you time while the fire department does their thing.

Properly rated fire safes (assessed by either UL or ETL laboratories) keep their contents below 350 degrees for a specified period of time. Paper can spontaneously combust when it reaches approximately 400 degrees. You should consider the availability of fire suppression services when picking a fire safe. Rural homes benefit from a longer time rating, because the fire department can take longer to arrive.

The construction of fire safes leads to their interior being somewhat humid. Dry storage bags are available to keep your papers safe. Electronic dehumidifiers and basic silica packets can keep moisture contained. And for every type of valuable in any type of safe, you must periodically open it up and take stock! I’ve seen an envelope of cash locked in a fire safe for five years finally get opened, and the money was damp and moldy!
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Do you need protection from fire and burglary? Spoiler alert: yes, you do. JD Williams Locksmith Service carries a series of high quality AMSEC security products with ratings as both a UL Residential Security Container and ETL 80-minute fire safe! Another common solution for homes and businesses which already have a large security safe on site is to purchase a smaller “document size” fire safe, and place that inside the security safe.

The market is flooded with low-cost “safes”. Most of these should be called lockboxes or locked cabinets. If you want to get serious about security in your home, you may be best served by a Residential Security Container.

Residential Security Container (RSC) is a rating developed by Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL). It prescribes a specific breaching test which the container must withstand. If the tester gets it open, or even manages a hand-sized hole, it fails! The RSC standard ensures you have a minimum standard of reliable security.

How do you choose between a RSC and a lower-cost unrated “Home Security Safe”? The two factors to consider in that decision are budget and what you need to protect.

-Are you storing a firearm? Any Residential Security Container is automatically approved by the California DOJ to secure any firearm that physically fits inside.

-Are you securing cash? If you want to lock up more than a day’s wage, you should keep it in a RSC at minimum. If you are only locking up some spending money, or just holding enough to pay a contractor until they’re done in a few days, a Home Security Safe may be sufficient.

-Are you keeping family heirlooms, coins, and other valuables? You should consider the RSC category to be an entry-level option. Many collections deserve an even higher security level best determined by a professional assessment.

-Are you keeping important documents, passports, records, etc? A security rating is great, but if this is what you’re holding you should be more concerned with fire ratings!

-Are you keeping your car keys, prescription, small amount of cash, and some personal property out of the reach of children, and away from “sticky fingers”? A compact home security safe such as the AMSEC EST series may be best for you. 
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Still not sure what you need? A licensed Lock and Security Equipment Contractor / Locksmith can help you find the best solution for your specific needs. There are very few entities in California with both qualifications, and JD Williams Locksmith Service is one of them.

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