Home Security Monitoring

Many people don’t appreciate a home security system until it actually goes off. That’s the story I got from my next door neighbor at four in the morning a week ago this past Friday. Torn from a deep sleep by the klaxon-like baying of Randy’s burglar alarm – Randy’s my neighbor – I wandered over to his house about 30 minutes after the police had gone. While the police hadn’t made an arrest, Randy’s home security system did the job, scaring away the burglar before he had entered the house.

If what happened to Randy isn’t enough to convince you that home security systems can pay for themselves many times over, consider the fact that insurance companies will substantially discount insurance premiums for a private home outfitted with a security system or burglar alarm. My own insurance company discounts my home owner’s policy by twenty percent because I have a security system installed and monitored by a nationally certified company. The savings make a big difference in defraying the cost of my alarm system.

Home security systems come in many different flavors and are able to detect events ranging from forced entry to smoke, fire and even high levels of carbon monoxide. A plain-vanilla setup consists of a keypad, motion detectors and a link to a monitoring center that contacts the police or fire department if the alarm is triggered. Costs for a basic system usually amount to about one hundred dollars for installation and then a monthly monitoring fee that normally ranges between thirty and forty dollars.

Finding the right company to install your home security system needn’t be a tedious job. You’ll usually have a number of friends and relatives who already have security systems installed and they’ll be happy to make a personal recommendation. If you don’t know someone who already has a system, take time to visit the website of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFFA). They’ll be happy to supply information about home security systems and recommend companies in your area that install home security systems and provide monitoring services.

Depending on your location, your list of companies will probably include such nationally known names as ADT and Brink’s Home Security, along with many local companies. Try to narrow the list to three to five companies located in your area. Good selection criteria include membership in the NBFAA, as well as participation in the industry’s Installation Quality (IQ) Certification Program. The IQ program gives consumers a yardstick for identifying alarm companies that are active in quality and false alarm issues.

Once you’ve narrowed your list, call each company and arrange a meeting with a company representative in your home. Price isn’t necessarily the most important issue in selecting the company to install and monitor your security system. Here’s a quick checklist with questions to ask and things to do:

How many years has the company been in business? Longer is better!

Will it monitor your home security system’s operation twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year? Make sure they’re working 24/7/365!

Does it have a backup power supply so it can monitor your home even when the power goes down? A good company will continue to operate, even when the lights go out.

Does the company have an in-house training program and are employees well-trained so they are able to correctly install, monitor and service your system should repairs be necessary? Make sure the answer to this question is yes!

Finally, have the representative survey your home and explain in detail your security needs and options. Don’t forget to get a written list of recommendations and a quote in writing for the cost of the security system and monitoring services.

Once you’ve met with the companies on your list, compare equipment, services and pricing. Then, make the call and have your system installed. And don’t forget to cut your premiums by telling your insurance company that you’ve installed an alarm system.

You’ll probably never need your home security system, but you’ll sleep better for having it, just like me and my neighbor Randy.

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Are you and your family debating if you want to spend the money on a home alarm or if you should save that money for other things? If you just look at the cost of installing a new system in your house, you could be concerned about the price and think you’d rather spend that money on something else or save it for your next vacation. However, if you then also look at the cost of losing your valuables if your house were to be broken into, then you would understand how affordable it actually is.

There are companies that provide affordable home security systems all over country. Having a simple alarm or a monitored system installed in your house doesn’t have to be an expensive investment. However, it is understandable that many families just don’t know how to justify the added expense during tough economic times. Think about how much you would lose if your house was broken into and someone stole the money you keep hidden in your closet shelves, your new Mac laptop, the diamond wedding ring your wife took off and left on the counter last night while she was doing the dishes, the family set of China that was passed down from your parents, the pearls your Grandmother gave you for your sweet 16th birthday that were originally given to her by her mom and all the other little things you’ve collected throughout your life such as that glass vase your dad brought you back from Italy or the music box you got during your high school graduation trip across Europe. When you start to think about how much valuable stuff you keep in your house, the cost of a home alarm doesn’t seem as expensive.

It’s not just the items in your house you want to protect though – it’s also the people in your house. You can easily give your wife and children a feeling of safety and comfort in your home by spending a little extra money on a home security system. Your children will be able to sleep more comfortably through the night if they know the alarm is on. You will no longer have to wake up in the middle of the night with them crawling in bed with you because they woke up to a noise outside of their window and couldn’t fall back asleep. With a monitored alarm installed in your house, you’ll also know that someone is looking out for you and your home from a command center during every hour of every day of the week.

Not only will you be pleased with the monitoring company price options available, but you’ll also realize as you start doing some online research of reliable home security providers that the cost is nothing compared to what you could lose if your house was broken into. The cost even seems less when you think about the sleep you’ll save by not having to worry about the safety of your family during the night.

No monitoring system. What do you think of this plan? I mainly want to know how well the glass break detectors work.

Every home security system is going to have a false alarm at one time or another. But alarm systems from Smith & Wesson Security Services reduce the chances, while keeping you protected at all times. Our Cancel/Verify feature gives you total control over your home security alarm. When an alarm goes off, many other security alarms will disable the alarm completely when you enter your security code leaving you unprotected. A Smith & Wesson Security System lets you cancel the alarm with the push of a button while still keeping the system armed. In a false alarm, simply press CANCEL to let the monitoring center know an authorized user has canceled the alarm. Or, in a real emergency, press VERIFY, which tell the monitoring center to send help immediately. Cancel/Verify gives you more control over your security system, faster response, protection when you need it most, and better security for you and your family. For more information on this feature or other home security alarms from Smith & Wesson Security Services, call 1-800-400-1852, or visit smithwessonsecurity.com