Advice requested re: home security system

[Jenny_in_Chico]

Hello all,

I recently took an online test to evaluate my personal risk of home invasion and burglary (thanks to Bill Mattocks for this useful suggestion!), and discovered that my home could use some added security. I have persuaded my sister (the homeowner) to invest in a home security system, of the armed response type.

Since I'm completely ignorant on this subject, before I begin my investigation for the best system available I wanted to ask the advice of any MT'ers, especially those of you with law enforcement experience. Or those of you with cat burglar experience.

What particular features should I be looking for in a home security system? Are there "must have" features?

We have sliding glass doors and widows with no security pins right now...will we need to replace or modify these features?

What questions should I be asking these companies? Are there any red flags I should be aware of?

Should the response be from armed private cops, city cops, or both? Is "both" even an option?

Should I clarify from the beginning that I have a personal firearm for home protection, and integrate my own response into the response plan of the company?

Any and all advice would be appreciated!

Jenny

 

[Bill Mattocks]

In no particular order...

Security systems are either local or remote. That is, they either make a hell of a racket locally, or they make a phone call to a remote monitoring site; or both. Generally, if you have a remotely-monitored system, you can also have a local alarm set to go off.

Central stations (monitored) cost more; there is a monthly fee involved and a contract. They generally require their own equipment, and their own installation. You can get discounts by signing longer term contracts. You can also get a discount on your homeowner's insurance in some cases - check with them.

Alarm responses in the case of monitored systems are up to you. They can call police (or fire, if a fire alarm is triggered; or ambulance if a medical alarm is triggered) or they can call you first - or some companies send their own private security people or contracted security response.

Alarms are of various kinds. Glass break, magnetic contact, motion sensitive, photo-electric beams, and so on. The most common are magnetic contact, glass break, and motion sensitive. Also there are fire (heat) and smoke detectors.

We live in a small town. So we want police response, and we want them called first. Be aware that repeated false alarms can incur a fee from the local law/fire/medical emergency responders, so check with them.

We have pets, so motion sensitive alarms are not for us. However, glass break and magnetic switches are useful. If you don't have pets moving about, motion sensors can be cheaper and cover more ground than the others.

You can have keypads installed in strategic locations; we have one upstairs and one downstairs. You can have special keypads which offer specific buttons, such as 'panic' buttons for intrusion, fire, and medical emergency.

You can also have remotes that a person can wear. My 82-year-old mother-in-law lives with us, so we might consider getting a remote for her in case she should fall or something when we're not home.

There are security codes that have to be punched into the central keypad in order to turn the system off or to disarm it. There is a security code to be given to an operator if you accidentally trip the alarm and wish to not have an emergency response. You can create temporary codes for house-sitters and pet-sitters and that sort of thing. You can have reports created of who comes and goes and when based on their codes.

Basically, the entire thing is built around a core, and you want to think about what level of threat you wish to defend against before you invest in anything. Consider your exposure and your risk. Central monitoring is not really cheap, but it can give real peace of mind as well as a discount on insurance costs.

Don't forget you can check your exposure to risk also by looking at demographic stats on websites like www.citi-data.org and simply by talking to police officers at your local PD or precinct (talk to them one-on-one, not at the desk. They often can't say what they really want to say when they are monitored).

Check out the alarm company. Name brands can be important, especially if the low-cost no-names are not going to be around in the long-term and leave you with alarm equipment that other companies won't use (they love to demand that you use their preferred brands and models, meaning buy it from them or you can't use it). Don't be afraid to test them out.

The sales guys are very much like car salesmen. They don't like to give prices, they like to set appointments and come over to your house and scare the bejabbers out of you. You need a negotiator on your team when they show up. Prices are all negotiable, so you must negotiate or get ripped off.

http://www.homesecurityguru.com/dont-get-scammed-on-home-alarm-system-quotes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burglar_alarm

Now, currently I have a unique situation. I have a house in NC but an apartment in MI. I have devised a fiendish DIY security system for my apartment. It's very geeky, so YMMV.

Basically, I have a very small cheap old PC that runs all the time in my apartment. It is connected to the internet via my cable modem. I have two USB webcams connected to it, and it runs Linux as an OS and a security system called 'motion' which simply detects motion and then does whatever you tell it to do when it detects it.

So I have mine configured to send me an email and post the photo on Flickr if it detects any motion. I obviously can't rush to MI from NC and do anything about it, but I could call the police if I got the email quickly. If not, perhaps I'll have a record of who did it for the police.

Example:



I asked my apartment management to send a bug sprayer guy into my apartment while I was gone. I see that they did. You can click on the photo and see the photo larger. Not bad for a cheap webcam and a home-brewed system.

And yes, I'm paranoid. The real question is whether I am paranoid enough.

Hope that helps. I'll try to answer any questions you have.

 

[Carol]

Should I clarify from the beginning that I have a personal firearm for home protection, and integrate my own response into the response plan of the company?

Mum on the personal firearm. None of their business, really, and should the worst happen, it would be in your best interest to not have anything in writing that an aggressive lawyer could use against you.

This is my line of work so forgive any perceived bias. Many of the monitoring companies rely upon a landline telephone for communications, and some savvy thieves have been known to try to interfere with that connection when targeting a residence.

If you have cable television and/or internet, it may be worth contacting Charter (or whomever your carrier is) to inquire about getting telephone service through your cable connection. It is usually harder to interfere with the cable phone.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

This is my line of work so forgive any perceived bias. Many of the monitoring companies rely upon a landline telephone for communications, and some savvy thieves have been known to try to interfere with that connection when targeting a residence.

If you have cable television and/or internet, it may be worth contacting Charter (or whomever your carrier is) to inquire about getting telephone service through your cable connection. It is usually harder to interfere with the cable phone.

Not to knock your advice, but just to note that traditional landlines will often work when the power will not. No AC power often means no internet, which means no telephone if you're using Voice-over-IP (VOIP).

Also, in some locations, 911 service does not give your address if you're using a VOIP service instead of a standard phone line.

In my area, I considered how many days a month my cable TV is out (meaning no Internet either) and how many days my phone is out. The phone is almost never out in my area, so for me, it was an easy choice. Also, my phone line comes in at about 20 feet in the air. My cable is run up the side of the building from the ground where they laid the cable, so it's easy to cut.

However, you do have good points. I'm just offering something for discussion.

 

[Carol]

Not to knock your advice, but just to note that traditional landlines will often work when the power will not. No AC power often means no internet, which means no telephone if you're using Voice-over-IP (VOIP).

Absolutely incorrect. Generally, cable carriers are compliant with FCC lifeline recommendations/requirements.

When utilizing phone service from a cable provider, the phone and internet is separated from the TV feed by a Media Terminal Adapter, or MTA for short. The MTAs that major cable providers use include one or two, long life rechargeable batteries so phone and internet service is provided even if the power goes out.

For example, my carrier provided me with an MTA with one battery, but my MTA can hold two. I purchased a second battery after the ice storm of 2008. Power outages suck

In addition, when using phone service from the cable company, a dedicated chunk of your cable signal is immediately reserved as soon as you take your phone off hook. Therefore, the phone maintains its quality whether or not there are heavy downloads, Pay-per-view deliveries, or other demands on the local facilities. This is why the work-from-home telephone customer service jobs (1-800-Flowers, Jet Blue, and the like) will permit the worker to use VoIP service if, and only if, it is from a dedicated cable connection.

Also, in some locations, 911 service does not give your address if you're using a VOIP service instead of a standard phone line.

This does not apply to phone service that is provided by major cable TV carriers that are compliant with FCC lifeline service.

The carriers all have established connections to local PSAPs, and do communicate the residential contact information. This is embedded in the protocol messaging that goes between the resident's carrier and the PSAP.

Natch, if you have any questions about any of this, get confirmation from the local office of your own provider.

Just to clarify, many of the aftermarket VoIP services (such as Vonage) typically do not offer full FCC lifeline service. Therefore, you do lose your phone if the power goes out, you don't get the dedicated bandwidth that you would through cable, and you may not get your address transmitted to a local PSAP. On the other hand...it is much cheaper. Its just not a solution I would recommend for home security.

In my area, I considered how many days a month my cable TV is out (meaning no Internet either) and how many days my phone is out. The phone is almost never out in my area, so for me, it was an easy choice. Also, my phone line comes in at about 20 feet in the air. My cable is run up the side of the building from the ground where they laid the cable, so it's easy to cut.

However, you do have good points. I'm just offering something for discussion.

No doubt there are some places where cable may not be the best choice.

Although keep in mind, for a thief to interfere with phone service by cutting a cable, he has to first know that he must cut the cable to cut your service. In addition, cable is a bit more rigid, given that cable is typically (RG75) coax but phone wires are very thin (untwisted 22 or 24 AWG).

 

[SensibleManiac]

Just to relay a quick story that happened to my friend's wife years ago.
She was home around 8:00 in the evening and the kids were asleep, she received a phone call from the alarm company telling her that her phone line had been cut as they lost the phone connection, (she hadn't turned the alarm on yet) as it was early and my friend was coming home around 9:00.
So all of a sudden the power goes off too, she tells the alarm dispatcher this and next thing you know she hears loud banging on the back door, the alarm disatcher tells her the police have been notified and several minutes later the police arrive, the back door was broken in but no one entered.
The police told her they were probably checking the police response time in the area as we'll as practicing how long it would take to cut the alarm and take the door.

She was lucky the alarm co had a system in place for a cut phone line,
either way I just thought I would relate this story as it shows the importance of an alarm system.

On a side note the placment of the siren in the house is also very important as you don't want the siren to be easily located and accessed, wires should pass inside the wall and the siren should be out of easy reach.

 

[jks9199]

Lots of good advice above.

You said you're looking for an "armed response company." In my area, there aren't a lot of those because of licensing requirements, and because they have no authority to respond faster than normal, legal driving. In other words -- if they have 5 units assigned to armed response to alarms (I'm making the numbers up), covering even just a 5 square mile area, they could take 10 or 20 minutes to get there -- and that's assuming they're not already tied up on a call.

Instead, a remote monitored system, with no direct response, is generally more than adequate. And much less expensive. In this sort of system (there are lots of companies), a monitoring station essentially gets a phone call that says that your alarm is going off. Their options depend on what you've specified (call first, or call the cops first, for example), and your local laws.

I'm not going to tear into what specific items you need; generally you want door/window contacts matched with volumetric systems (Passive Infrared and Ultrasonic are the main types) to catch movement in area if the door contact fails or is defeated. You want the commo line backed up, and you want a trouble alarm. You probably want a panic or duress button or code.

And you MUST have a maintenance plan! The biggest failure in my experience in alarms is maintenance; the alarm gets out of whack or is set too sensitively, and so you stop using it -- especially if there's a false alarm ordinance that sets a fee for repeated bad alarms...

 

[Jenny_in_Chico]

Many thanks to everyone for your advice! I'll wait a few days and see if anyone else has advice to offer before I start making phone calls. We have dogs so that will enter into the equation with respect to alarm switches. We have a landline that we never use, and we've been discussing getting rid of it...it never occurred to me that the monitoring company wouldn't use a cellular network.

 

[jks9199]

Make the calls tomorrow. Don't buy anything till you've heard from them all, though. Go for a company with some history and make sure that they've got the appropriate licensing and bonding for your area. Make sure that they're financially stable and will be likely to be around for a while, too, because most monitoring centers won't sign up to monitor somebody else's hardware... even if they've gone out of business.

 

[Jenny_in_Chico]

Make the calls tomorrow. Don't buy anything till you've heard from them all, though. Go for a company with some history and make sure that they've got the appropriate licensing and bonding for your area. Make sure that they're financially stable and will be likely to be around for a while, too, because most monitoring centers won't sign up to monitor somebody else's hardware... even if they've gone out of business.

I have no idea how to establish their credentials, other than asking them. Suggestions?

 

[Carol]

I have no idea how to establish their credentials, other than asking them. Suggestions?

Home security is big business. If the company or their parent company isn't publicly traded on the NYSE or the NASDAQ, think very carefully if you want to buy in to the firm. Being a listed company is not a guarantee of financial security, however a listed company must disclose quarterly financial reports and run within the regulations of the SEC. Private companies have no such regulations...which makes it harder for the consumer to do their due diligence.

Try doing research on a corporate research site such as www.hoovers.com and on a financial portal such as finance.yahoo.com. Research the company as diligently as if you were buying stock in the company -- you are making an investment in them when you buy their equipment.

 

[Tez3]

Do your police provide any advice in things like this? We have crime prevention officers you can call and they'll come round, go through your security with you recommending what you should and shouldn't do. very useful. We also have neighbourhood watch groups which are also handy.

 

[jks9199]

I have no idea how to establish their credentials, other than asking them. Suggestions?

A little internet research can probably tell you whether your state has licensing or registration requirements. Look for things like "private security registration" or "private security licensing" or "alarm system licensing." And absolutely ask them! Their professional security consultant that they send out is a salesman, with some training in what they have and how place it.

I'm generally a fan of local business -- but don't go with someone who doesn't have a decent track record and might go out of business unexpectedly for something like an alarm system. A well funded, established local business -- or a local business that serves as the installer for a larger company -- is probably OK, otherwise, you might want to stay with big names like ADT, Brinks, etc.

You can find some company-neutral information from the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. You may also find some info at the ASIS which is a professional organization for security management. I also found this page; I suspect it's more a referral system than a neutral source, so be cautious as you read it.