Alarm Monitoring
 

Sadly, home invasions are as common as they are frightening.  As we hear about these terrifying break-ins, many Americans are looking to secure their home through alarm monitoring.  When it comes to home security, selecting the right alarm monitoring company is an important step to securing your home. When it is time to select an alarm monitoring company you can trust, get suggestions from your insurance company, from friends and neighbors, your local police department, or the Better Business Bureau.   Once you have a list of about four or five companies, you can begin to determine what kind of alarm monitoring you need and select the company that can do the best job.

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Your lifestyle and family habits will determine your security requirements and the best type of system that will work for you.  Contact at least three alarm monitoring companies and see if they can send out a representative to do a written estimate on your home.  Your security system should be customized to best fit your needs, and the right company will be able to do that for you.

Pricing is determined by the quality and complexity of the alarm monitoring service you receive.  Your alarm monitoring system can be as simple as a few door and window monitors or as complex as a whole-house hard-wired system.

Trust is the number one issue with choosing an alarm monitoring company.

ü       Make sure the company is listed with the BBB.

ü       Make sure the company is a member of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association.

ü       Make sure the company screens its employees before hiring them.

ü       Make sure the company uses Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listed equipment.

Here are some questions to ask the company representative:

  • Does the security system monitor more than just the instance of fire and burglars, such as carbon monoxide or temperature?
  • Is this alarm monitoring system convenient and effective to protect my entire family?
  • What guarantees or warranties are available?
  • Is there a maintenance plan?
  • Does your alarm offer backup communication unit if telephone lines are cut or down?
  • Is there a backup system in the event of power failure?  Can the system run on batteries?
  • Is there a redundancy plan in the event of a power failure at the alarm monitoring station?
  • How long is the contract?
  • What is the cancellation policy?

Once you have spoken with the representatives of a few companies, sit down and make a hard comparison.  Do they offer similar services?  What’s the price comparison?  From your notes you should be able to determine which alarm monitoring company is the best fit for you.  Alarm monitoring is a complex and advanced art form, and when you approach it with curiosity and respect, you will secure your home to the fullest extent. 

Ralph Winn publishes articles, guides and reviews on many topics about security related topics. Ralph Winn has over 32 years of education and experience in the security industry.