Looking for a Home Security System

Bird · Oct 2, 2003

Very good, and of course accurate, information, Gary. In this area, a lot of cities have ordinances now requiring that you register (for a fee) your alarm system, fines (or "fees) if one goes off and it isn't registered, and as you said, fines or fees for answering too many false alarms.

MossRoad · Oct 2, 2003

I, too, own an alarm system. I won't mention the name, but the initials are A.D.T. It is not monitored (for all of the above reasons). It is audible. If it is activated, the siren sounds for a pre-set amount of time. Bad guy knows by the sound that he has been detected. Bad guy grabs a few items and leaves. My losses have been limited. I've saved on my insurance and I've not cost the non-alarm owning taxpayers a dime. 

Around here, even if your system is not monitored, like yours, if it goes off and someone hears it and calls the police, you will be billed if it is a false alarm.

A friend of mine had his alarm go off. The neighbor heard it and called the police, then called him at work. When he got home, the police were there and told him it was a false alarm and it would be strike one, so to speak. Two more and he would get billed. He asked how they knew it was a false alarm and they said the wind blew his garage service door open. He asked them how they knew that. Couldn't someone have opened it, set off the alarm and then left? Well, the door wasn't locked, they said. He said, so what? They let it go. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I think the law here in our town is you get three false alarms a year, then you pay per call. Each one gets more expensive. I like this setup. Seems more than fair to me.

edt · Oct 2, 2003

rcaretti i'm in the same situation about 1,000 feet from neighbors
we have lived here about 13 years have had a dog for all this time some houses were hit about 5 years ago ours was not i feel the dogs did the job and you have a freind for his/her life
EDT

Inspector507 · Oct 2, 2003

When we lived in town, you needed to get an alarm license and register the type of system, installer, etc. You were allowed 3 false alarms in a 12 month period and you'd be billed after that. The other nice thing about that ordinance was, you also had to submit in writing what you or the installer did to fix the false alarm problem. Replaced devices, secured the doors better, etc.
Anyone that did not register their alarm would get fined at the 1st alarm, false or not. It's amazing to eavedrop on the Police with a scanner and hear their responses when a familiar address is broadcast. They take their time getting there and only send one officer, to basically write out the bill.

fivestring · Oct 2, 2003

"Around here, even if your system is not monitored, like yours, if it goes off and someone hears it and calls the police, you will be billed if it is a false alarm." 

That is the reason for the set time period that the siren sounds - 30-45 seconds is all that is needed. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif The Police must personally hear the un-monitored alarm to determine where it is coming from. If they can not determine the source of the sound, you can't be billed. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

"He asked how they knew it was a false alarm and they said the wind blew his garage service door open. He asked them how they knew that. Couldn't someone have opened it, set off the alarm and then left? Well, the door wasn't locked, they said. He said, so what? They let it go." 

We don't let it go. If there is no evidence that someone tried to break-in.... it's a false alarm. And, if you're thinking of manufacturing your own evidence (pry marks, etc.). we will get you for filing a false police report... much more serious than a false alarm!

I have never had a false alarm from my system (knock on wood). Not during storms, not when I have visitors, etc. That's called responsible alarm use. All most Police Departments ask for is responsible use.

One other thing to think about....
If your false alarm causes an officer (or fire and medic personnel responding to a false fire or medical alarm) to be involved in a wreck while responding, and injure or kill someone (including the officer).... you can (and probably will) be sued. This also is a statement of fact. There are numerous case laws (prior cases won successfully) showing this. This is called "responsibility". It is the alarm user's responsibility to be sure his system is operating correctly.

OK, I'm off to the beach (or what's left of it after Isabel /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif ) to go flounder gigging. I'll be back Sunday.

TimSullivan · Oct 2, 2003

I have had ADT systems at business and home locations for over twenty years. There is so much more to the system then just theft protection. In one home we had a sump pump that if it failed, could cause significant damage. The same home had a pump up to the sewer. Not something you want to over flow and have to clean up.

The ADT system alerted us when either of these pumps failed. In the fourteen years we lived in that home the sump failed five times. Once when we were on trip to Ireland for two weeks. The sewer pump up failed four times. Just one notice of failure was worth the system to me.

We also have a low temperature setting that will warn of furnace failure. Never needed it but it was sure nice to have the piece of mind while we were away. Our system is monitored and I have found ADT very easy to work with. The salesman was good but the installer was great. He had some very good suggestions which I will not share on an open forum.

Our system has a cell back up and that protects the weak link of most monitored systems, the telephone line. We would never be without this part of the system.

Here is an funny story about the alarm system and my wife. We had a power failure and the alarm monitor in our bedroom beeped to let us know. I went down and started the battery operated sump pump and hit the alarm sensor by accident. My wife had a candle for light and went to the control panel to turn off the alarm. Within a minute the phone rang and ADT told us that we had a sump pump failure. While I was on the phone the fire alarm went off. Wife and her candle were right under a heat sensor. I was still on the line with the monitor center when the girl told me we had another alarm. She insisted on leaving the line open until I checked the cause of the fire alarm. Poor wife was not thinking now and flushed a toilet and that set off the the pump up alarm. Just as I got to the control center to see why the alarm had sounded again I picked up the phone. The girl at the monitor center was telling what zone had gone off.

We live on a dirt road back in a woods and never would be without the alarm system that is monitored.

dmccarty · Oct 2, 2003

Fivestring,

I'm still on the fence about an alarm system. I think we will have something that will allow video monitoring but the alarms
are problematic to be sure.

Like others, our house will be a good 1000 feet from the nearest
neighbor. We already have one gate covering the road and we
will add a fence around the house, barn, and garage. The fence
is to keep in the dogs. The dogs will provide the best security
anyway. The problem with this approach is the meter reader
for the power company. Now this really peaves me because for
60 dollars or so a year we can get an automated meter reader
for the house so that the company does not have to visit. You
know keeping a person from having to drive to our place would
save them big bucks but we get to pay for the power company's
savings.... But it will be worth the privacy.

Back to false alarms which is my reason for posting. There was
a false alarm at a house I drive by all of the time. The deputy
got there and the gate to the house was open. The owners of
the house have a landscaping company and two of their
workers where nearby. They did not speak to the deputy since
theri English was pretty much non existent. The deputy got out
of her car and started to approach the house when three or four
bull dogs attacked her. They tore her up real bad. The workers
managed to get the dogs off of her so they could all retreat.

Arriving LEOs shot three of the dogs killing one since that was the only way the deputy could get treatment. The dogs would
not leave the area and EMTs/LEOs could not get to hre car. If
the workers had not been there she likely would have been
killed. If the gate had been shut the deputy would have seen
the beware of dog sign. But with the gate open the sign was
not visible. The owner knew that there had been an alarm
activation but she left. Its not been clear who called in the
alarm.

Can you say big law suit?

Later,
Dan

MossRoad · Oct 2, 2003

flounder gigging 

Now that's alarming! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

MossRoad · Oct 2, 2003

One thing about video monitoring... It does nothing to scare anyone away. So you get a picture of an ugly mug taking your stuff. No on recognizes him. Also, if they see the camera, they're going to look for the VCR, which probably means a ransacked house. Maybe putting up a sign at your back door that reads "If you can read this your picture is already on the Internet via wireless connection." would help /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I still think the best thing if you don't want a monitored system is to have a loud siren both inside and outside the house, and an autodialer that calls several sources, preferrably via cell phone, with a recorded message. The X10 stuff can be interfaced to just about any alarm system to flash tons of lights off and on, too. As many people have stated, the guy will probably seek easier targets if it is in a populated area. If it is in a secluded area, he might just drive around a while to see if anybody shows up, then break in anyway, regardless of the alarm.

Someone mentioned garages. Light beams are great for garages. The animals can still run around under them. In our old house we had one in the garage that was mounted near the service door and ran to a mirror, which sent it around the corner, past the window and to the reflector, which was mounted on the overhead door. The reflector then sent it back. This covered the sevice door, window and garage door with one $39.00 device and only one place to hook up wires. The dog could go in and out all day through the pet door. I figure so could some skinny burglar, but he'd probably open the service door to leave. They are lazy, you know /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

rcaretti · Oct 3, 2003

Just to update everyone, my wife just got a quote yesterday for a wireless system covering 4 doors, 13 windows, 2 keypads, and at least one motion detector (can't remember). It was over $1700 plus monitoring!!

They must prey on people you just had a break in. I'll continue shopping around, I was given another company's name by two different people. They are coming out Monday.