Anyone have any expirence with home alarm systems…I have heard of ADT, APEX, Sonitrol, Brinks, safe touch? I have had a small service for a while however, we had a false alarm and the cops showed up and 15 min. later the alarm co called me and I am 3rd on the list. I would like to hear the good the bad and the scams. I am LE so I am interested what other LEO’s are using as well. I live near Central Fl. I would also love the have … breed of dog that is not what I am looking for. If you do not want to post a response in open forum feel free to pm. Thanks for the help.
with an alarm system, the most important thing you’re buying is the monitoring service.
and that means customer service and response times are critical.
IMO (and take this with a bucket of salt) … ADT has the worst service (as evidenced by the highest subscriber churn in the industry).
On the other hand, Brink’s Home Security reputedly has the best customer service (and the lowest subscriber churn). Note that Brink’s is undergoing a name change soon.
Also, anecdotally, you’ll see more “ADT sucks” hits on google than you will with “Brink’s Home Security Sucks.”
Once you’ve made up your mind about which service provider, then assess your needs. Most advertised “basic” package alarm systems only offer a door sensor, a few windows and a motion detector for the ground floor. Your needs may exceed these basic offerings.
Note that since the alarm company is making a sizeable up-front investment in the alarm system … (around $1,000 or more even after your down payment) … you’re going to be locked into a monitoring contract for a few years. READ THE FINE PRINT ON THE CONTRACT. Many monitoring contracts have EVERGREEN RENEWAL CLAUSES (watch out for those where they are legal).
Also, you may have to register your alarm system with the town / city police. And don’t forget you could get hit with fines for false alarm charges.
Oh yeah, some cities have municipal policies which stipulate that the police WON’T respond to your burglar alarm. So do check.
Thanks for the insight, I have system now but just not happy with the service, and we tried to cancel it 6 months ago. They just sent me another bill saying they never got the letter to cancel. I am through with them.
Yep, I had to go with the wireless option since I’m on FIOS. I hear ya about ADT and probably would agree if I didnt have a direct line to a big marketing rep for them who is able to move and shake things.
Any breed of dog will alert you most likely. If you want a home protection system that will walk with your family and guard them on the street, there is no better choice than a properly raised and exercised German Shepherd.
If I were going to add the system, I would add in a ire system as well. Tied into your system, if you are ever away from your house and something goes wrong you’ll have a much better chance of coming home to something. Plus it lets you focus on getting out of the house, rather than trying to talk on the phone.
For most (not all) applications, a monitoring service is a waste of time and money. By the time we get the call it’s far to late for us to do anything.
Get a dialer that will call your cell phone and/or many others when you alarm has been tripped. Some have microphone options where you can hear whats going on in the house. This way you can call us directly cutting our response time down dramatically. If you don’t have a land line to your house, there are also cell phone dialers.
I’m surprised someone doesn’t come up with an email service.
BGs trip the alarm in my house. Instantly, an email goes out with details about time, which alarm(s) was activated, etc. Email goes to me, my wife, my brother, a couple of neighbors …
This could be in addition to or as an alternative to monitoring.
While I agree with the idea that a dog usually makes a great alarm system, it’s no more a panacea than an electrical system. First, my dog barks every day … so the neighbors aren’t going to call the cops just because they hear my dog barking while I’m out. Second, if someone knows you’ve got a dog, it’s not exactly hard to kill a dog quietly and discreetly. If someone tossed a poisoned hamburger over our back fence, our Loki would be DRT.
A dog is a great backup alarm system and also a secondary protection system. My German Shepherd is usually indoors at night. He also maybe barks once and that’s a “I’m gonna mess you up” bark. Having the right breed of dog is a force multiplier. With him indoors at night, I know for certain that he will hear someone long before I will and will instantaneously and fearlessly investigate the noise. The dog will also unhesitatingly die protecting me and my family. That’s just how German Shepherds do things, they think of it as their duty and it’s second nature. I realize dogs can be easily defeated but if you’re trying to get into my house in the dark and a furry self propelled, guided missile is waiting for you, it would be most likely harder than you think to dispatch the dog quietly in the dark. Add another dog into the mix and your problem is exponentially harder.
ADT installed my system approx 4 years ago right after my house was built. Nice thing was they wired the sensors to all the windows and doors for “free” with a 3 year contract along with 1 control pad downstairs.
Bad thing was the install guy was a dickhead and left drywall mess on the floor everywhere he did a sensor hookup (house was pre-wired during set-up). I called ADT and voiced my displeasure and they sent out a different guy to verify everything was hooked up properly and installed a keypad upstairs for free for voicing my complaints.
I’m not sure about other people’s complaints with ADT but they addressed mine and I really recommend installing a keypad by your main entrance door and your master bedroom. I really like the extra peace of mind I have by being able to verify everything’s set in the middle of the night without having to get out of bed and it’s really convenient as I have a 2 story house.
As far as response times go I’ve never had a break in so I can’t comment on that but the added security I feel at night by knowing an alarm will instantly trigger if someone where to attempt entry is well worth the monthly fee in my opinion.
Maybe it’s time to check out different monitoring companies… take care.
I was kind hoping someone would challenge me on the indoors German Shepherd option. Try to break in and hit me and him with paintball without him snacking on ya or me getting up with weapon in hand
My home dog team consists of what appears to be a cross between a Catahoula and a Mastiff. He is the team leader. His partner is a cross between a Pug and Dachsund. Thats the Alpha team. Bravo is a Chihuahua Dachsund mix, and a pure Boston Bull Terrier. Bravo makes the noise while Alpha attacks.
lol. My boxer has good ears. He’s on things well before I notice it. No idea what he would do if someone got in. I know he protects my wife and daughter well when they go on walks.
