We’ve reviewed the benefits of a monitored burglar alarm in many posts on our site. These systems create a few valuable layers of security. First and foremost, a security breach gets greeted with a siren response to alert you to danger. In turn, this generally causes the perpetrator to flee the scene as well. Additionally, our central station-based monitoring service also creates a call-center response to an alarm. Our central station operators will reach out to you and, if necessary, even create an emergency dispatch. While many people know about this service, we often surprise them with some surprising monitoring-based security features. In this post, we share some unexpected benefits to alarm monitoring for homeowners.
First, we’ll explain how our monitoring service works in general. With this knowledge as our “base,” we’ll explore some of the specific monitoring services we can add. This will include general monitoring options such as interactive cellular monitoring. Moreover, we’ll also look at specific equipment we can add to make your monitoring encompass various security levels. Finally, we’ll show you how you can get paid back for installing a monitored alarm! Now, let’s dive in and see how our alarm monitoring can create security for you.
The Basics of Alarm Monitoring
In order to monitor an alarm system, security companies must create a connection between your alarm and a call station. We at Northeast Security Solutions went through a very thorough process to choose a central station to monitor our customers’ alarms. Our chosen monitoring partner, Rapid Response Monitoring, represents the best of the best in alarm monitoring. For starters, Rapid Response has the backup power and phone capacity to withstand any disaster. They also have the physical personnel to quickly reach out to all of our customers whenever help is needed.
Furthermore, Rapid Response has an Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) listing for security monitoring. Most central stations do not have this qualification! A UL listing for security monitoring means that the central station must meet several security-related guidelines, and pass an independent inspection. It also means that workers must go through specific, rigorous training before interacting with customers. Now that you know about our monitoring service, let’s show you an upgraded form of alarm monitoring that represents one of our top unexpected benefits to alarm monitoring!
If you rely on your property’s old-fashioned phone lines for monitoring, you will not experience the most consistent or reliable monitoring available.
Added Features Through Interactive Cellular Monitoring
As we point out above, traditional alarm monitoring relies on a hardwired telephone line to create a connection between an alarm and a central station. However, a couple of factors have started to make this form of alarm monitoring simply outdated. For one, many customers have shed their landlines. These customers generally install cellular dialers to maintain their alarm’s connection to the central station without a traditional phone line in place. Cellular dialers use a cell phone network, rather than a landline, to communicate to the central station. A second factor in installing these dialers lies in their ability to communicate even if burglars cut a property’s phone lines. Many thieves take this precaution, so using a monitoring service that doesn’t get affected by this act adds tremendous security.
In addition, many customers prefer the extra functionality and convenience provided through interactive cellular monitoring. Some cellular dialers, such as ours powered by Alarm.com, offer these services. Interactive monitoring allows users to control their security system remotely. Forget to set the alarm on the way to work? Simply grab your phone and use the Alarm.com app to take care of it. Interactive cell monitoring also generates custom security alerts for events such as low batteries or sensor trouble signals. Many attribute the desire for this technology to the “newer generation” of homeowners. However, we’ve found that this easy-to-use technology works for our customers across all demographics. Next up, let’s run down some unexpected benefits of alarm monitoring, starting with installing monitored life safety devices.
Life Safety Monitoring
Adding monitored smoke and carbon monoxide detection creates tremendous security benefits. Just as we can add burglary-related security sensors to your existing home security system, we can also install devices that detect smoke, excessive heat, and carbon monoxide, or “CO.” These devices can quickly catch the presence of these threats and create a siren activation, as well as a central station response. Therefore, the activation of these devices also creates a fire department dispatch. This can save your home or– more importantly — even a life in the case of a fire or CO-related emergency! Furthermore, you will also receive notification of the emergency. The extra security these devices provide makes installing them an easy decision for many homeowners. Now, let’s check out another layer of monitored security in the form of enviornmental sensors!
Receiving Alerts for Environmental Emergencies
When it comes to threats that your property faces, Mother Nature presents quite a few ways to do damage. Luckily, we have you covered! We surprise many people by offering sensors that create alerts for environmental disasters that have the potential to cause major damage. These sensors can help you detect and address these issues before they create a mess that takes a significant amount of time and money to repair.
For example, our “hi-lo” temperature detectors can create a central station response if your property experiences dangerously hot or cold conditions. This can help alert you to frozen pipes or HVAC equipment failures. Additionally, we offer flood sensors that can detect the presence of water wherever we install them. These contacts provide a huge amount of environmental security, as well as peace of mind when you are away. The effectiveness of these sensors makes a great resource in securing against the unexpected. Let’s now take a look at one final form of unexpected monitoring-based security in the form of panic devices!
Panic Button Options
Monitored panic devices can add value to your security system in a few different ways. For one, a remote panic button can activate your alarm whether it is armed or disarmed. The ability call for help and even create a blaring siren response immediately — regardless of your system’s arming status — adds quite a bit of security. Additionally, these devices can create unique responses based on our customer’s needs. For example, we can program a panic button to create an audible or silent alarm response. We can also program a panic button to call for an ambulance response, rather than creating a police dispatch. This is ideal for families with elderly residents at home.
Alarm.com users can activate a number of both audible and silent panic alarms from their cell phones.
Finally, if you take advantage of Alarm.com’s interactive monitoring that we described earlier, you can also use your phone as a panic device! If you opt in for interactive security, you’ll have the pictured menu available to you to create a the proper response at any time. At this point, you’ve seen some alarm equipment-related benefits of alarm monitoring. Let’s look at one more, often unexpected, bonus to adding this security!
Insurance-Driven Discounts
Obviously, we believe that creating home security represents a worthy investment regardless of the cost. That being said, any time you can install security and save money, it’s a win-win situation. In this case, you can often save money in the forms of insurance discounts! In fact, each of the tips described here may lead to a greater discount as you add security. For starters, just about any insurance company will discount your rates based on adding monitored burglary-related security, as well as monitored life safety. Moreover, adding interactive security monitoring and environmental monitoring often triggers additional discounts as well. In fact, many of our customers add security and end up saving money in the long run due to these rate cuts. The ability to receive security and peace of mind while saving money makes adding this security a true no-brainer!
Putting Our Unexpected Benefits to Alarm Monitoring to Work for You
We hope that this post helps you understand some of the unexpected benefits to alarm monitoring! Of course, we always encourage you to contact us with any questions this material may raise for you. If you feel like you might want to take advantage of some of these benefits, we also offer free site surveys to both new and existing customers alike. We can set up a convenient time to look at your property and address your existing security concerns. During our visit, we can also make our own suggestions based on observations of your home. Together, we can create a complete security plan — including security monitoring — to keep you as safe and secure as possible!