There are a lot of different home security companies, and even more different types of systems to choose from. It’s advertised as this end all solution to crime and people breaking into your home, but before you invest in such a system it is important that you make sure you use a reputable company with high standards. Also it’s nice to know what the laws are that govern how this company responds to alarms. Some advertise that they call the police immediately, but in some cases this is not true. Yes, someone will respond, but it might be private security. If this is the case, it still is not a deal breaker, but it is important that you know what security company they use and try to get some information on that companies reputation. The right private security company is just as reliable as the police, just do your homework and know who exactly will be knocking on your door when the alarm goes off.
It’s also important to know how to best utilize your alarm system. Some can be very complicated so if you’re not the type of person who gets into high tech equipment try to keep your alarm simple and easy to operate. An alarm system is only good if you know how to operate it. Usually alarms are set up with passwords and on keypads so generally speaking as long as you can remember passwords you should be good. If you have a family hold a “training meeting” so everyone in your family knows how to operate the system. Make sure your children understand what it is, what it does and that it is not a toy. It’s even more important that they understand what to do if an alarm goes off.
There are also different types of alarms; the two main ones that I think of are silent alarms and vocal alarms. There are also systems that utilize both types. Silent alarms will most likely be routed to a call center. Vocal alarms could be thought of as a car alarm. Vocal alarms are very good as scaring away intruders, but also keep in mind how annoying car alarms are when they go off because a shopping cart rolled by, then they keep going off for the next 20 minutes for no reason at all. The same thing can happen with your house alarm, and if you are not home, depending on when it goes off your going to have some very unhappy neighbors to deal with when you return. Also, depending on your area you live there can be fines for false alarms, so not only will your neighbors be a little distraught, but you might feel your wallet become a little lighter.
For the elderly an alarm system can save a life. Alarm systems can be used for much more than scaring away an intruder. They can be used for fire or medical emergency. When you’re away from home you will have the confidence that if something happens someone will be notified. The commercial with the elderly women yelling “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” is mocked over and over, but in reality its no joke, and this scenario has been played out in real life by many people who have been saved by an alarm system.
