It's late when you get home, and you're startled to find the back door ajar. Your house looks like someone tossed it in the air. Dressers and desk drawers
With your stomach turning flip-flops, you push the door open.
And what you see makes you see red.
have been rifled, their contents strewn everywhere; closet doors stand open, clothes in heaps on the floor;
the cabinet that held your television, VCR and stereo is empty. You reach for the phone to call the police
only to discover you no longer have a phone.
As homeowners we have an array of things to worry about, from leaky pipes to property taxes, but none have the personal impact of a burglary. Loss of possessions aside, a burglary is a violation of personal privacy; someone enters a home uninvited and rummages through its contents. That defiles our notion of home as a sanctuary.
Burglary is big business. According to the U.S. Justice Department's National Crime Survey, nearly 7 million home burglaries take place each year. At that rate, theoretically almost every home in the United States could be burglarized over the next ten years.
However, studies conducted by police departments in Scarsdale, New York, and Portland, Oregon indicate that homes protected by electronic security equipment are five to six times less likely to be targeted for break-ins than unprotected homes. In fact, one experienced burglar told authorities, just seeing a security system sticker on a door or window will often convince an intruder to seek an easier target.
Based on industry sales figures, Americans today seem more security conscious than they were ten years ago. Over the past decade, the U.S. home security market has grown at an annual rate of 12 percent to 15 percent. Still, home security experts estimate that only about 7 percent of homes in the U.S. contain security systems. But that's expected to change as growing concern over personal-injury and property-loss crimes (burglaries, assaults, robberies) lead more homeowners to investigate home security.
Shopping for a system, however, can be confusing. Security devices range in sophistication and price from a simple,plug-in motion detector you can buy at a hardware store for less than $100 to computer-controlled, remote-monitored systems that cost $30,000 or more.
Before investing in any type of home security system, says Patrick Egan, president of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA), there are a number of things to consider. According to Egan, who also heads Commonwealth Security Systems in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, questions you should ask yourself include:
Your answers to these queries will help you answer the key question confronting you: Do you really need a security system?That's a question that deserves careful thought because owning a suit system changes your life. You have to be conscious of its constant presence and conscientious about using it. Otherwise, your money might be more wisely spent on stronger doors and windows, better locks and lighting and a dog that barks loudly at strangers.
Assuming you decide to go ahead with a security system, here's a rundown of the other decisions you'll face.
A basic home security system consists of a series of magnetic contacts on exterior doors, and perhaps on windows. It can also include interior protection devices (known as traps); motion detectors, pressure mats, heat sensors, smoke detectorsand sound sensors. More sophisticated higher-end systems offer panic buttons which, when pressed even momentarily, set off your alarm.
A central panel controls the entire system. It can be turned on and off from that panel or from key pads located in strategiclocations (inside the front door, in the garage, in the master bedroom). Since most systems are zoned; that is they consist of several protected areas throughout the house; each zone can be controlled individually from the central panel. Problemswithin specific zones; equipment malfunctions, tripped alarms, or other calamities are easily identified and corrected.
Once the alarm system has been activated, breaking the door and window contacts or interfering with other detection devices will set off sirens inside and/or outside lights will go on immediately.
Many systems offer the option of central station monitoring, linking your home security system via your telephone line to a monitoring center. When your alarm sounds, the signal is received at the central station, and the police or fire department is notified. In some parts of the country, cellular telephone or radio monitoring are offered as back-ups in case the phone line fails.
Amsterdam accommodationWhen looking at equipment, says Tom Smith, president of Security Inca., in Bathes, Maryland, make certain it's certified by Underwriters Laboratories. "There's plenty of low-priced, as well as high-priced, equipment on the market that's UL-approved. If the equipment can't meet the Underwriters standards, I wouldn't consider it. It means they haven't worked out the bugs."
There are two types of home security systems available- hard-wired and wireless. A hard-wired system connects to your home's electrical supply and has battery back-up in case of a power loss. A wireless system, on the other hand, uses a series of battery-powered radio transmitters and receivers.
Within the alarm industry, opinions differ about wireless systems. Some praise the ease and the lower cost of installing wirelessdevices;they simply screw into position. This is a particular advantage, says Ron Saldin, Honeywell Product Development manager, in homes where extensive wiring would be a problem; such as slab homes with no attic space or historic homes.
In terms of reliability, others feel that wireless systems can pose some problems. Robert Bonifas, president of Alarm DetectionSystems in Illinois, Inc., says one of the major disadvantages of wireless devices is interference. Their narrow frequency radiotransmissions can be affected by humidity, as well as metallic foil wallpaper, metal-backed mirrors, metal window frames andother metallic household fixtures. However, professional installation should eliminate the likelihood of this ever occurring.
Another potential drawback is the high level maintenance required. Every transmitter and receiver in a wireless system uses a lithium battery, meaning a system with 25 transmitters and receivers needs 25 batteries, all of which weaken at different rates depending on temperature levels in different areas.
Saldin, however, argues that since lithium batteries have a minimum service life of one year, most system's will not require battery changes any more frequently than a wristwatch or 35 mm camera. He recommends changing all the batteries atthe first sign of malfunctioning on any one unit of a self-monitoring system, that way you'll avoid frequent maintenance checks from a professional alarm company which can be costly.
Installing a hard-wired system is a job for professional alarm technicians, with in-depth knowledge of electronic alarm technology, as well as experience in electrical wiring. Wires run from a central control panel through walls and ceilings to every door, window and interior trap included in the system. Depending on the size of the house and complexity of the system, a hard-wired installation can take even the most experienced alarm installers several days.
Installing a wireless system is less involved: The transmitters and receivers are screwed in place at predetermined spots throughout the house. The system can be in operation within a few hours. However, to provide optimum security, wireless equipment has to be properly positioned.
An experienced alarm installer is going to ask a lot of questions about your lifestyle and your security concerns to determine where to install your wireless equipment so it functions effectively. If you don't ask those same questions of yourself, you'llend up with a self-installed system that is potentially less effective than it should be.
The NBFAA's Egan says a homeowner who self-installs a burglar alarm runs the risk of doing it wrong, and having an alarm that could fail to operate, perhaps with a burglary or an assault as a result. "What that person has bought is a false sense of security," says Egan, "and that's unsafe."
There are scores of local and national alarm companies willing to sell you a home security system. How should you begin yoursearch?
David Carter, president of National Security Service, Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina, suggests you start by choosing a reputable alarm company with which to deal. "Today, there's very little difference in the quality of security devices, but there is a very real difference in the quality of alarm companies." he says. "Dealing with a good alarm company adds to your safety and satisfaction with the system you have selected to install in your home.
Egan agrees. When evaluating a company, he suggests thoroughly scrutinizing its reputation in the community. Talk with local police and fire officials about the company's professional affiliations (Does it, for example, belong to the NBFAA, or one of its state/local chapters? Membership will indicate that the company subscribes to the NBFAA's professional code of ethics and installation standards.) Verify the company's bonding and insurance coverage, and get references from two or three ofthe company's past home or business alarm customers; and check them.
"When you evaluate an alarm company," says Security Inc's. Smith, "an overall feeling of competence should be apparent. Unfortunately, almost anybody can get a license to install a burglar alarm. That's why a homeowner needs to check out companies before doing business with any of them."
Once you're satisfied that you're dealing with a reputable company, says Carter, trust its representatives and tell them exactly what you have in the house that's valuable and merits protection. "Six months after we finished installing a system in one home, we found out the owner had a $25,000 gun collection. We didn't protect that part of the house simply because he didn't feel comfortable telling us about the guns. An alarm company needs to know what you have to protect or else they can't protect it."
Egan, Smith and Carter all advise dealing only with companies that provide maintenance contracts. Hard-wired or wireless, every security systems needs maintained to properly function, and the company that installed it should be the one to serviceit.
"If you're not offered a maintenance contract," says Egan, "think twice. If a company's not willing to stand behind its work past the warranty period and give you a fixed cost to service it in future years, consider another company.
The worst is over. You've filed the police report, notified your insurance company and put your house back in order. Now you're trying to put the burglary behind you the best way you know how; by taking steps to make sure it won't happen again.
And while you're thinking about security systems, it might be the time to spend some money on heavy-duty doors or windows. Push-in place door and window alarms might be another deterrent to keep away the amateur burglar. Quality locks and lighting are good ideas, too. Do-it-yourself plug-in motion-sensors are a simple way to light up entryways; welcoming residents and scaring off intruders who prefer cover of darkness. Also, be sure to always lock your house securely. And as an additionalmeasure, put your lamps on random on-off timers.
Whatever the precautions your take, don't make the mistake of thinking that any home is invulnerable. Take to heart this caveat from Robert Bonifas: "No matter how much money you spend, no system can provide you with 100 percent security."Still, with some careful planning, you can put the odds in your favor.
Article reprint from Home Magazine