Re: Newbie questions on alarms

["Mike W." <wiz561@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Jun 15, 4:56=A0pm, "Bob Worthy" <secur...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Below you will find the ramblings of a person named Bill that most likely
> got something for nothing, didn't read the agreement, which industry wide
> contains the same easy to read and understandable language and now has a
> bitter taste toward the whole industry because he was held to the agreeme=
nt
> he signed. Now he is an expert. Let me tell you my most resent experience=
. A
> client decided to change his own battery in his control panel. The simple=
st
> of DIY tasks. He has the key to the box because I do leave one onsite in
> case of an emergency. He changed the battery and without knowing it
> accidentally unplugged the RJ jack (telephone line). When I didn't get th=
e
> dialer test signal from his panel is when I found out about his attempt a=
t
> servicing the panel. If something would have happened, who would have bee=
n
> to blame? The customer that was dicking around with his panel, since he
> thought he was capable of the simple task of changing his own battery, or=
 me
> for leaving him the key? Meanwhile, his house burnt down, his wife was
> raped, his kids were kidnapped, his elderly parent fell and died waiting =
for
> help, the broken pipe flooded the living room and ruined the Persian rug,
> the carbon monoxide killed the dog, the burglars made off with all of his
> guns, they stole all of the prescription drugs out of the medicine cabine=
t
> and all because the communication line was "accidentally" disconnected. B=
y
> the way, no one would have received an email either. Your cell phone is n=
ot
> set up to generate a "Did Not Test" signal so you will never know unless =
you
> email yourself every day. You may not have even thought about this. Howev=
er,
> this will only lead to ignoring signals. Fortunately, none of this happen=
ed
> because it was the expert alarm company that was watching out for this ho=
me.
> That is our job. We don't ignore signals and in this case a no signal eve=
nt.
> DIYers can pretend all they want and have that right. But trust me, there
> are things that will be overlooked. Hire a professional if you are seriou=
s
> about yours and/or your family's well being.
>
> "Bill" <billnomailnosp...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>
> news:79n40fF1rd77tU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
> > Beware that some large alarm companies can be larger crooks than the
> > crooks they are protecting you from!
>
> > Read EVERY SINGLE WORD of any contract / paperwork they ask you to sign=
.
> > Don't be pressured into signing anything. Say to leave it and you will
> > read it at your leisure.
>
> > Be sure you purchase and own the alarm equipment. Get the key to the
> > control box, the password for programming, and a programming instructio=
n
> > manual. (or no deal!) With this you can reprogram it to use another
> > monitoring service if you so choose.
>
> > You can buy your own equipment on the internet as well. Some alarm pane=
ls
> > may require a specific keypad for you to be able to program it. Be sure
> > you will be able to do this yourself before purchasing.
>
> > Be sure you can get and installation and programming manual before
> > purchasing.
>
> > They will try to keep the key and "lock out" the control unit with a
> > password so you can't change to a different monitoring service. Or they
> > will "own" the main control unit and will not allow you to switch to a
> > less expensive monitoring service.
>
> > They will try to lock you into paying for monitoring for several years =
in
> > a contract and this automatically renews. Again read every word!
>
> > You can get monitoring at the following link for $8.95 a month...
> >http://www.alarmrelay.com
>
> > For other companies which also have reasonable rates, search google.com
> > for Alarm Monitoring.
>
> > Then wireless sensors use batteries which need to be replaced every so
> > often. Find out what type batteries these are, then go to the store and
> > see how expensive each one of these batteries are. They are not cheap! =
In
> > my opinion it is less expensive in the long run to get hard wired senso=
rs.
> > Then you don't need to replace batteries every year.
>
> > If I were you, I would find out what is the best equipment to buy and b=
uy
> > it on the internet. Then if you decide to go with a wired system, find =
a
> > small local company to run the wires for you and connect them. But don'=
t
> > sign any monitoring contracts with that company. Learn how to set that
> > part up yourself and choose your own company. Then you could switch it =
as
> > you choose.
>
> > There is an "art" to running wires in an existing home. These wires and
> > window/door sensors can be totally concealed. Need an experienced
> > installer for that.

Well...it would bring an interesting lawsuit together.  I've been
working in cyber-security for about 8 years now, and I see a lot of
commonalities between cyber and physical.  Now, getting back to your
post.  I believe while an alarm system is there to protect the owner/
resident, it should NOT be viewed as a safety net.  I believe an alarm
system, along with locks, exterior lighting, fences, burgalar bars,
etc....all of those are just delay mechanisms.

OK, so a prowler comes up hops your fence.  Then, he checks the
windows and they are all closed.  Next, he checks your door and it is
locked.  It takes them a few minutes to either pick it or break the
door down.  After that, the alarm sounds....  By adding all of these
up, the thief would have to be pretty motivated to grab something.

So, while some people might view their alarm system as a system that
will save your life, people should realize that all it is there for is
to delay an intruder.  And while I am a 'diy-er' type person, it is
something that I'd rather do myself and have control over.