Security System

[dowhatyouwant]

How many of you have security system like ADT? I'd be worried without CCTV or security alarm if I live on the ground floor, e.g. house, no matter where I live. It just looks easy to break into the house through the window.
Can anyone tell me how security systems works? Do the security company
come straight to your home if it's alarming?

The alarm might be monitored (extra cost) so that it phones the monitoring station and signals the alarm. If if a break-in is confirmed, they will call the police, who will turn up quickly or slowly depending on how busy they are. If you get more than two false alarms in 12 months they will stop coming. If you work very locally you can get the first call to yourself so you can rush home.

You need to arrange some keyholders who can get to the house and open it up in the event of an alarm. Preferably at least two trusted neighbours or friends who are likely to be nearby and not mind being called up at odd times.

Or at extra cost you can have an additional contract with a firm of local security guards, who will send a van round with the keys and also look round the house. They will probably have an annual charge for keyholding, and an extra charge for every call-out.

Your neighbours will probably ignore the alarm as they will think it is a fault or false alarm. The presence of a visible intruder alarm box will discourage some intruders, and they will go and look for an easier touch. This might not work if they are out of their skulls, or of you have something extremely valuable and worth a professional attack.

As it happens I paid my annual bill to ADT this morning. It was £329. For this the system is monitored. If the alarm is triggered, whether by an intruder or, say, the cat getting into the sitting room when the alarm is on, or we have gone out into the garden without switching it off, the alarm rings (very loudly). You have 30 seconds to dash to the control box to enter your number and switch it off. If you do not do this, or if there is an intruder, the alarm continues and ADT ring you. if you know the reason for the activation you give a password and they do not summon the police. If no reply and no password, they call the police.

My husband works away and I am alone in a big house. I cannot hear the downstairs doors being opened when I am in the bedroom. Because I always set the alarm I am quite happy and never frightened. However we do live fairly close to the town centre and police response is very quick. If I lived in the country where the police would take ages to arrive I am not so sure it would be much help.

If the panic button by the bed is pressed ADT don't bother checking, they call the police immediately. Very embarrassing when it turned out a new kitten had trodden on it.

You do need to get into the habit of setting it every time you leave the house, even if going just up the road, and it can be difficult to find five willing key holders living within 20 minutes drive.

ADT routinely check the system twice a year; the annual fee covers replacing anything faulty, and it has a beneficial impact on our house insurance premiums.

Worth every penny as I said to the young man who relieved me of my £329 this morning!