How Security Alarm Monitoring Works
November 4th, 2011 | Author: weissheiss
Article by Gem Franco
So you are considering the purchase of a security alarm system for your home or business. For some, the ongoing monthly expense associated with alarm monitoring system is one of the major factors taken into consideration when choosing a vendor. With monitoring fees ranging anywhere from .00 to well over .00 per month, what are you getting for your money? Let’s take a closer look at the monitoring services offered by most alarm companies.
In its simplest form, a burglar alarm systems utilizes a control panel, an arming station and a combination of perimeter and interior protection to provide a deterrent shield to protect your most valuable assets. When an unauthorized entry is detected by a perimeter or interior sensor the system will initiate a sounds.
Similar to a facsimile machine, every security system panel that is capable of being monitored uses an industry standard digital communication format. The panel uses this digital language to communicate with an alarm receiver at the central monitoring facility using standard or cellular telephone lines. If an alarm occurs at your premises, the security panel will immediately utilize your telephone line to send a digital signal to the central station. A unique account number is programmed into your alarm panel to allow it to identify itself to the system receiver.
The central station operator is provided with the call list information that you have provided to the alarm monitoring company during the registration process. The central station operator that receives the alarm signals immediately tries to verify that the alarm is real.
Depending on the type of alarm, the central station operator will first call the premises to try and contact the alarm user. If the user answers the phone, they are asked to provide a unique pass-code that identifies them as an authorized user. If they can provide the correct pass-code, the security is logged, but authorities are not dispatched.
Now, that is what you can expect from your .00 monthly fee, although many central stations will charge more for “optional” services such as code changes, opening & closing reports, security system partitioning and fire, panic or medical alarm monitoring services.
Before you make that purchasing decision, have each security company that you are getting bids from outline exactly which alarm monitoring services are included in the base price and which services are optional. Then you can factor in the monthly monitoring and management fees into any purchasing decision.
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