Anyone knowledgeable about security systems? We need to have an alarm system fitted and don't know what is best.

[MmeLindt]

After being broken into twice in 4 months, DH's company is considering paying to have an alarm system put into the house that we are living in (it is rented through the company, we are here temporarily).

One of his colleages is leaving Switzerland and has an alarm system for sale which the company would pay to have installed in our house.

As far as I know it is a system with movement sensors inside the house, so would only be any use when we are out as we have 2 young children and a dog.

I would prefer a system that can be activated when we are home as this has happened to our predecesors in the house, and another family in the street.

Does anyone know what kind of system is best and if there is a huge price difference between a system that goes off when someone breaks into the house (ie. alarm on the doors) and a system that goes off when someone is inside already (ie. movement sensors)

That sounds ok. Are the police automatically contacted if your alarm goes off? Do you have time to cancel the alarm if it goes off accidentally?

you def need one that is 'monitored' by a company who will contact the Police
Anything else is a waste of time, even if neighbours report an alarm sounding , the Police won't come out for it unless they report suspicious activity too.
Thats in the UK though

Ok, that is something to ask the guy when he comes to quote it next week.

I want to have a bit of an idea what would be the best for us before he comes, and I also need to find out what is common here. And how to say, "Sorry, it was my dog/DC/DH that set off the alarm, we are fine thanks very much", in French.

We have movement sensors all over the house so we only use alarm when away/out. Dog sleeps in house and acts as night-time alarm.

Also a panic button in bedroom and hall. Never used either (looks for wood to touch) and it never goes off accidentally unlike our neighbours' which starts screeching the minute the wind get above 5mph.

Remember - the siting of the alarm box etc outside is also a very useful deterrent(sp?)

Alarm company monitoring is quite expensive but if your company will pay...then get it

We have a dog, but I am not sure that she would actually scare any burglars away. She is more likely to greet them friendly and lie on her back to get her tummy tickled.

I used to work in the security business,but it was about 7 years ago.You can get pet detectors,which are set above the height of your dog ect,but they can be activated by cats jumping on top of high furniture ect.

No alarm system actually goes through to the police,unless the police themselves have set it up-they go through to a monitoring station who will contact the police if necces
sary.You can get a device called a speechdialler,which will contact 3 numbers of your choice if the alarm is activated,and will keep calling them until someone answers.

With your concerns,you may be better with door & window detectors and break glass detectors on the windows,so if anyone attempts to smash the window or force them or the doors,the alarm will go off.You can also get a panic button that you can hit if someone you let in turns out to be nasty.

If your alarm and fitter are NACOSS bonded,you will probably get a discount on your home insurance.

HTH.
FG

Thanks, FuriousGeorge. That is very helpful.

Fab name, btw.