Re: Which system is better?

["Robert L Bass" <Sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Bill" wrote:
>
> As to monitored systems and response time, most home
> security systems basically pick up the phone, dial a
> number to an alarm business monitoring station, and
> transmit your alarm information to the alarm company.
> Then the alarm company picks up the phone and calls
> the police...

This is correct, except for the last point.  Most central stations call the
house before calling the police.  From when the siren sounds until the police
are finally informed usually takes at least several minutes.  In a news expose
on the industry several years ago, an experienced (and presumably paroled)
burglar entered several homes with monitored security systems.  In one cae ADT
took over an hour to call the premises.  They didn't call the police at all.
Systems by several other national alarm companies were also tested with fair
to poor (though nowhere near as bad as ADT) response times.

In addition to the slow response, the thief was easily able to completely
circumvent the "basic" systems so that no alarm was triggered at all.  This
was because the protection was extremely limited, consisting of a single
motion detector and a couple of door sensors (magnetic switches).

The above is not meant to imply that all monitored systems are useless.  There
are many companies that provide excellent coverage and that offer fast,
efficient response to alarm signals.

If you hire an alarm company, large or small, to do your installation, be sure
they put in a proper level of protection.  Opinions vary on this, but I prefer
to "bug" every external door and window, including both the roll-up garage
doors and the door leading from the garage to the house.  I like to back that
up with glass break detectors, especially around sliding doors or windows that
face away from the street.  Consider adding a few motion detectors as a second
line of defense.  You don't usually need motion detection everywhere though.
Try placing one at the foot of the stairs (or in thew hallway if your home is
a single story) leading to sleeping quarters.  Place one in the family room or
wherever your entertainment system is.  If you have a home office, that's
another place you might want to protect as it is a target for thieves.
Finally, place a motion detector in the master bedroom since thieves almost
invariably go there looking for jewelry and credit cards.

While you're doing the security system, you may wish to consider adding smoke
detection.  System type smoke detectors are neither better nor worse than
interconnected 110V smokes with battery backup (the stuff the electrician puts
in).  Either type will wake you up and get you out of the house.  However, if
the alarm system is monitored, smoke detectors connected to the control can
cause someone to call the fire department.  If a fire builds until a neighbor
notices smoke and calls it in, the fire may be far more extensive by the time
help arrives, especially if it happens while you're away from the house.

> The problem with this is many alarm monitoring centers are out of town. They
> will have one large center to serve a regional area. Sometimes the phone
> lines going out of town can be busy and your alarm system may need to call
> several times before it finally gets through. This is rare these days, but
> still happens sometimes.

I've heard this argument for years, always from salesmen representing alarm
companies with local central stations.  However, I make local and long
distance calls for myu business dozens of times every day of the week.  I
can't remember the last time I got an "all lines busy" signal (which sounds
like a re-order tone, much faster than a standard busy signal).  I have no axe
to grind on this matter, since I owned an alarm company with a local central
station for many years.  IMO, there's no real difference between local and
800-number alarm monitoring.  Choose an alarm company that offers real
protection rather than the usual "two-doors-and-one-motion-detector" junk the
nationals push.

> There are more expensive alarm systems available which are always connected
> to a separate phone line and instantly notify the alarm company if there is
> an alarm.

If by this the gentleman is referring to leased phone line systems, I
disagree.  These have not been offered for many years in most US locations.
Phone companies don't want to designat an entire circuit to a single
subscriber.

> So you get what you pay for, but if you need "for sure" instant
> notification, it is available.

The closest thing to instant notification is long range radio monitoring.  In
most cases, the signal goes from the house to the central monitoring station
either directly or via a wireless network.  They then call the premises and,
if no answer, the police.  It's a few seconds faster than dial-up but not
instantaneous by any stretch.  Long range RF is more secure than dial-up since
there's no phone line to cut.

> Then as to response time, in some areas the police get tons of false alarms.
> Burglar alarms go off, and most of the time it winds up being a malfunction
> of the alarm system. So the police get to thinking alarms are a waste of
> their time and take their time responding. Sometimes taking 30 minutes or
> longer to respond.

Agreed.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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