Alarm Monitoring
24/7 Security Coverage for Your Home and Family
Home security alarm monitoring is a service usually provided by a security company as part of a whole home security system package. The idea is this: once a security or alarm system is in place it’s only really effective if the necessary authorities—fire and/or police—are notified immediately. What if you or your family members are unable to do this? Who then?
Alarm monitoring services are in the business of being available 24/7 and 365 days of the year. You can be halfway around the world and should a window be broken or an armed door opened in your home, alarms will sound and your system will automatically notify your monitoring center. This isn’t a casual alert. Stand-by professionals immediately call fire or police and then try to contact you, but help is already on the way. If it’s a false alarm then you can let them know and they cancel the authorities. Simple as that.
How Do Alarm Monitoring Services Work?
On most monitored alarm systems you have two ways to alert your monitoring center: manual or automatic notification.
Automatic alarm notification:
When a security company installs your home security system the entire system is connected either by wire or wirelessly to a central keypad. When you arm your system at the keypad you automatically arm all attached support devices, which could include not only intrusion detectors, but other systems as well, such as heating and air, flood and water, smoke and fire detectors, and even medical emergency alarms. When one or more of your system devices is triggered or detects something unusual it transmits a clear alarm signal to the central keypad. Audible alarms and sirens are triggered and the system is programmed to “call” the monitoring center sending a notification of the type of alarm over a phone landline or wirelessly should landlines be cut.
Manual alarm notification:
But most alarm system main keypads also have a few emergency buttons you can activate yourself: fire, medical and police. If you’re being held at gunpoint with an alarm going off and the intruder demands you disarm your system you may also have the option to key in an alternate “panic” password that disarms the audible alarms, temporarily passifying your attacker, but transmits a clear call for help to your monitoring center.
Costs for Monitoring Services
Alarm monitoring costs vary depending upon type of security system and subscription. You might try shopping around for special deals, but make sure the company you finally buy from is reputable and has a proven track record of service.