While shopping for a home security system, you will notice that most services advertise their alarms with “monitoring”, but what does that really mean?
A security system is only as reliable as the monitoring behind it; therefore, understanding how it works is important. Doing so allows you to compare each service, their monitoring practices, and then decide if they are the right company for you. After all, a home security system with inadequate monitoring will just make noise, but never alert the proper authorities.
Monitoring 101
Alarm monitoring is the communication between your security provider and your home’s security system. The communication is quick and ensures that emergency personnel are dispatched to your home.
Monitoring goes through several steps, all which occur within minutes. These steps include:
- The control panel inside your home registers an emergency.
- The panel sends a signal to your central monitoring station.
- The station assesses the emergency type (fire, burglar alarm activation, etc.) and then notifies the proper authorities and dispatches them to your address.
When your home security system is installed, the company installs sensors. These sensors are what send signals to your home’s control panel. Sensors can include smoke detectors, carbon monoxide, heat sensors, motion detection, etc. The type of sensors depends on the level of security system you have installed.
Is Alarm Monitoring Critical?
Alarm monitoring does not just notify the police of a potential burglar, it can also be the difference between a fire that gets out of control and devours your home and a fire that is easily managed. Alarm monitoring can quickly report to the fire department, possibly even before you notice there is a fire.
Not all companies offer around-the-clock monitoring and fast response times. GuardMe Security’s alarm systems use innovative, 24/7 monitoring, two-way voice control that lets you speak to an operator and real-time alerts, thus ensuring your home is fully monitored.
Learn more about alarm monitoring by calling GuardMe Security experts today at (800) 235-0644. Ask us a question online and one of our team members will get in touch with you as soon as possible.