House Alarms : Added Safety or False Security?

F

FUD

Moderator
I've been thinking about having one of those home alarms installed where a central monitoring station is alerted when the alarm is activated. I thought that this would be a good idea because if somebody tries to break in while we're sleeping the alarm will sound, waking us and even scaring him off. Plus, the central monitoring station will take care of contacting the police for me while I have other things to take care of (such as waking up, getting my gun, securing my family, etc.). Plus, having an alarm on the house while we're away also seemed like a good idea.

I was seriously thinking about getting one but Sunday night I was over my sister-in-law's house with the wife and the little one and the home alarm a few houses over began to go off. We expected the police to show up relatively quickly but after 90 minutes, nothing happened and the alarm was still going.

Not sure if the monitoring station didn't bother to call the police or if the police didn't bother to respond thinking that it was a false alarm but this got me to thinking if having a home alarm is a good idea or if it's just a waste of money giving you a false sense of security.

Share what you know, learn what you don't -- FUD
fud-nra.gif
 
I've seen a better set-up that you can purchase online or at Home Depot. It's a home owner installed unit. It comes with wireless contacts for 2 or 3 doors and a couple of motion sensors. It has a dialing unit that you can set up to call any number you want with a message you can record. After it calls and plays the message it opens the line to a microphone that allows you to hear what's going on in your house. I

I like this beacause you can decide if you want the police called or not. I would set it up to call my cell phone and a close friend.

Police often get tired of responding to false alarms.

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"It is easier to get out of jail then it is a morgue"
Live long and defend yourself!
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NRA lifer
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They may not have been paying for the monitoring service. When we got an alarm on the house they told us that it was ours to keep and that we could stop the monitoring service after our 1 or 2 year contract was up. The alarm would still function properly but it would no longer be monitored by the company. They may have been counting on neighbors to call the police for them and not told them that they had discontinued the service. I like the alarm being monitored. I have accidentally set mine off a couple of times and every time I call the company right after and they already knew about it and were about to call me, or they have called first. They will call you and ask for the password that you have established and then if you can't give them the right one they call the police.

Once I went to my dad's house and set his alarm off. When the company called I explained that I was family and in town from the military and had forgotten the code. They acted like all was ok and then called the cops after they talked to me. It was a nervous experience but I was glad that they did it. They followed exaclty what they said they would do. I now have the same company for my alarm.
 
An alarm system is only as good as the monitoring service that goes with it. An unmonitored house alarm is much like a car alarm. The neighbors will be just as likely to call the cops when one goes off as they are to call when your car alarm bleeps.

That said, a monitored alarm system can be a lifesaver. The company contracts to do what your neighbors may or may not do; call the police when your alarm goes off.

A few caveats:
<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Most police departments issue hefty fines for repeated false alarms. If you trigger the alarm accidentally and you have a monitoring service, you must give them a call to stop them from notifying the police. Otherwise, you'll be paying hefty fines at some point. Worse, there's the "boy who cried wolf" effect and response will be slow or nonexistent.
<LI>When we had one I found that my first impulse whenever it went off was to shut the doggone noise off so I could figure out what had triggered it. Obviously this isn't a good idea! In my concern about being a neighborhood nuisance I erased the usefulness of the durn thing.
<LI>Going through the alarm system is slower than calling 911 yourself. It does not replace your own home defense plans but can be a good addition to them. You knew this already though! :)
<LI>An alarm system with a battery backup and a second phone line is better than one without. One with panic buttons is better than one without ... if you have no small children who might hit them when you're not looking.</UL>

All in all, a monitored alarm system is a good idea. Like a gun, it can be a useful item in your home defense toolbox but it isn't going to solve every possible problem.

pax

When the only tool you've got is a hammer, every problem tends to look like a nail.
 
What stops a criminal, who knows you have an alarm, from disconnecting one or both of your phone lines? The phone box is usually on the outside of the house and is accessible.

Shok

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"In 1789, when used without any qualifying adjective, 'the militia' referred to all citizens capable of bearing arms."
Akhil Reed Amar, Yale University
 
Actaully Shok lots of companies monitor
the lines in intervals and if their is no response from their equipment they see if there is a problem.

An alarm with a battery backup will still go
off with the power and phone lines cut. True the bad guys have more time if your not there, but if you are it will still wake you up.
 
We recently had ADT come out and install their system. Being a reired police officer I am all too familiar with alarm systems and false alarms. We discussed at length the way the system needed to be installed and the features we needed for our own unique circumstances. The saleman assured us that we would be given a three day trial period after the system was installed. If for any reason we did not want the system it would be removed and we would not have to pay for it. We also agreed on a one year contract. We were out of town on business the Friday that the contract needed signing so my mother signed the contract.
Upoon returning home after a weekend gun show once the system was installed I discovered the alarm had malfunctioned all weekend. My mother had called the people monitoring it in CO and not only was the person rude they actually eventually cussed her out and hung up on her. When I spoke with them they said it malfunctioned bacause they were installing other systems in the area and there was nothing they could do and it was not their problem. When I told them I did not want the system they informed me there was no approval period and that we had a three year contract. The system is now turned off (and has been since that weekend), the check for the deposit has been stopped and they are sueing me.
Avoid ADT like the plague!

I plan to install my own system. Thank you leedesert the one you described sounds like it will fit the bill.

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Gunslinger
 
A home security system is a fine addition to your bag of tools, but it should not be relied on as your only security.

I, personally, don't care much for the monitored alarm set-ups. For me, a biiiiig doggy, a motion detecting light and an IR system hooked up to a loud alarm work just as well, and I don't have to send money to Dallas or deal with snotty teenagers working a desk at a monitoring company 300 miles away.

Other people swear by the extra services provided by the monitoring companies. Check for yourself.

LawDog
 
will a burgler burgle a home with a security system? If there is the signs in the yard & sensors on the window, won't most bad guys pick on someone else?

The way i fugure it if you have a home computer, it should be able to protect the home too. Activehome can do this: http://www.x10.com/products/x10_ck11a.htm

Here is a cool home system that lets you have 3 cameras connected wirelessly to the tv in the bedroom $169! http://www.x10.com/products/sk10a_deal.htm

The camera can feed its signal to you over the web! http://www.x10.com/xrv/xraylanding1.htm

dZ
 
Gunslinger, it's too bad you had poor service from ADT. I've had their service at my home and shop for 13 years and have been very happy with it. (No, I don't work for them).

At home, I only activate the alarm system if my cycle is in the garage or if we're away.
In our old bad neighborhood it was on anytime we weren't using our doors. I do think that the window stickers are a deterrent, too.

Police response time in our new neighborhood has been incredibly fast. Unfortunately, they've all responded to false alarms, at a cost to me of $60 each.

I can't rely solely on neighbors, since so many people these days keep to themselves and don't get to know each other.

Consider this a rambling "yes" answer to your question.

Dick
Want to send a message to Bush? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk/petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
 
Fud,

As I recall, your bells at each door did a fine job when the "downpour intruder" entered. Do you require more?

Regards.
 
RWK, the chime are just that ... soft chimes. When I leave for work in the morning, they are not loud enough to wake up the wife or the little one. Consequently, if we're all in a deep sleep, they will not wake us up either if somebody comes in. There isn't any volume control and the guy who sold me the stuff does not appear to be around any more (his telephone number has been disconnected) so I don't know if there are other versions that I could be in for a louder chime. Of course, when I put these up, it wasn't with the intention of alerting us to a break-in when we're sleeping. Instead, they were installed so that we knew when the little one tried to leave the house by herself and they do serve that purpose. Plus, I've been thinking that something professional done would be better than something I put in by myself. Regards, FUD.
 
So just get some signs and stickers -- and maybe a dog. Problem solved, cheaply, easily and with a best friend, too!

Love my dog, and have no electronic security system! No worries about power failures or battery backups, either!

The X10 idea would be worth looking into as well, though.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by dZ:
will a burgler burgle a home with a security system? If there is the signs in the yard & sensors on the window, won't most bad guys pick on someone else?

The way i fugure it if you have a home computer, it should be able to protect the home too. Activehome can do this: http://www.x10.com/products/x10_ck11a.htm

Here is a cool home system that lets you have 3 cameras connected wirelessly to the tv in the bedroom $169! http://www.x10.com/products/sk10a_deal.htm

The camera can feed its signal to you over the web! http://www.x10.com/xrv/xraylanding1.htm

dZ[/quote]
 
Hey FUD,
I have two home alarms. One's a '94 model, weighting 140 lbs., and one's a '95 model, tipping the scales at a mere 150 lbs. Both are equipped with sharp teeth, powerful jaws, and a deep, penetrating, audio "roar type" early warning system. Another great thing about my alarms, is that they are mobile, and will react to a threat, not just warn of it.

Get yourself one or two huge "rolly-polly, teddy bear" type puppies. You'll have loyal companions for life that beats any electronic alarm system.

I do believe that your "rainy night intruder" would have never stepped a foot in my home.
 
What's wrong with each of these ideas? They're not mutually exclusive.

We have a monitored home alarm, dogs, security signs in the yard, firearm(s), motion detector lights, sniper nests ... ;)

OK, I'm kidding about the dogs ... ;)

Actually, having a monitored home alarm really isn't so expensive from what I've seen. We've used the same company for 10 years (a local firm), and they've done a good job. Ask around and get references. You should be able to find a good one. Also, some police departments have their own monitoring services.

Even if you don't have it monitored, the alarm is still a good idea. Dogs do occasionally sleep right through a burglary, and I like having a perimeter alarm at night. Broken glass I'll (probably) hear, and if they open a door or window, that siren screams like he**.

Another trick I've considered is to have some of those lights installed like you see in commercial buildings - they trip on (with batteries) when the power goes off. Thought I might hook them up to relays, and thereby blanket the interior access points with floodlights when the alarm goes off. Someday.

One other thing ... watch them when they install the system to make sure it makes sense. One fellow that worked on ours ran the phone line all the way around the house, on the exterier. Any fool could have cut that line anywhere in that 75 feet! Protect your phone line and your power.

Consider installing or having installed a metal box and locking metal door around your utility hookups. They can put a very small glass window in the door so the meter reader can read the electric meter. This makes it very tough for a burglar or other BG to cut your power and / or phone lines. (Still a good idea to have a cell phone in the bedroom.)

Thanks for the computer / video links above. There's a lot of neat stuff out there these days to enhance security.

Regards from AZ

[This message has been edited by Jeff Thomas (edited July 13, 2000).]
 
I grew up around dogs for 32 years. The last one was a 120-pound Alaskan Malamute (spelling might be off) and the one before that was a 200-pounder! Gonna wait until the little one gets a little bit older (4 or 5) and then get a puppy that she can grow up with and have as a buddy. ;)
 
If your worried about your phone lines being cut, you have a couple of options.
1) Have them install a line cut monitor on your system. This will cause the alarm to sound immediately if the phone lines are cut. Presumably, they are cutting your line in preparation for entering the home. You get a few extra moments of warning, and they know they've lost the element of surprise. Either one might be enough to change the outcome.
2) Have them install a wireless communication system that can't be cut. I'm not sure if they rely on cell phone technology or on radio linked to land line, but I know it can be done.
I also recommend covering your safe with a motion detector. Given enough time, safes can be breached, or moved intact, to be breached later. Covering the safe with a motion detector limits the thieves' available time.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tim Burke:
... I also recommend covering your safe with a motion detector. Given enough time, safes can be breached, or moved intact, to be breached later. Covering the safe with a motion detector limits the thieves' available time ...[/quote]My safe weighs 675 pounds & it's bolted from the inside to a cement floor. Unless it's a professional job or 4/5 strong guys, I doubt that the safe or it's contents are going anywhere.
 
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