Should You make the Investment in Alarm Monitoring?

Imagine the effectiveness of the following sign at your front door when a would-be intruder reads it:

WARNING: This house is protected by a remote monitoring service; if you break in while the homeowner is away, he'll be instantly alerted and the police will be automatically dispatched. And if you break in while he's home, well heck, you're still screwed.

What exactly is a remote monitoring service?

• It's always ready for an intruder, 24/7, every single day.
• A comprehensive service will also detect smoke, water heater problems and other issues like a carbon monoxide leak.
• You will have a "safe" word that only you (and other trusted people) know.
• If the alarm is tripped and the monitoring service can't get the safe word from whomever answers the phone, or there is no answer, police will be on their way.
• An advanced system will also allow you to remotely revise settings on your customer account.
• Another feature of a high tech system is that it allows you to set silent alarms, so that the "intruder" won't know they tripped the sensor, but you will get an alert to your phone indicating this. This feature is great for people who suspect a family member is snooping around where they shouldn't.

The Technology

• Joe Thug kicks down your back door (you kept putting off getting a top-flight strike plate).
• The alarm is triggered.
• This alerts the monitoring center.
• They call you.
• But you can't answer because you're not there.
• The intruder answers, intending to convince the company that it was a false alarm. Instead he's asked for the secret word. Startled, he hangs up and flees.
• The police are dispatched.
• After the dispatch, your secondary phone numbers are called (family, friends, etc.).
• This same technology has a panic button for fire, police and EMT. Once pressed, help is on the way.

So should you make this investment? How worth it is your home, family and peace of mind? Invaluable.