Home security consists of both the physical security hardware placed upon a property and people’s personal security techniques. Physical security equipment includes locks, deadbolts, alarms, lights, and video surveillance cameras. Some home security providers even install alarm systems with motion sensors that trigger when someone passes by an entryway. Some home security providers also offer 24-hour security monitoring services. These services involve responding to an emergency call, contacting law enforcement officials on your behalf, or informing owners of certain potential risks, such as fire or flooding.
If you choose to monitor your home security system yourself, be sure to be thorough in your inspection process. Be sure to visually inspect all exterior doors and windows, exterior vents, garage doors, exterior access points, and any other places that may lead someone into your home. Be sure to check window panes and any glass doors that may lead to the outside of your home as well. A trustworthy alarm company will provide a checklist of the areas that require extra attention. Armed with this information, you can develop a plan to prevent burglars from gaining entrance into your home and notify the proper authorities should an attempted burglary to take place while you are away.
Most modern home security systems include a base station. The base station is the main communication device for the entire system. The base station should have motion sensor lights at each entrance and have base stations that have monitors that communicate with an array of base station alarms and video monitors. These base stations should alert the home security systems office of potential intruders through a telephone call or an electronic alert. The base stations, coupled with motion sensor lights, should alert the monitoring personnel at the monitoring center.
The monitoring centers should have multiple lines of communication established between their control panel, computer databases, phone lines, and the monitoring equipment itself. These centers should keep good records of all suspicious activities taking place in their areas of responsibility. Security professionals employ security professionals. There are three basic types of security professionals. These types of professionals are:
Security Professionals can be broken down into three basic categories: security technicians, security officers, and professional monitoring companies. Security technicians are typically sent to residential customers and business customers by their parent company. Security officers are employed by a neighborhood watch service or a security professional monitoring company. Professional monitoring companies are typically contacted by alarm and security companies for a monthly fee.
When contacting a professional monitoring center, you should ask for specific information about their services and pricing structures. Some companies offer 24 hour emergency services and other advanced services that can help reduce the likelihood of a burglary in progress. Many companies offer quick response times for their alarms. Most professional monitoring centers provide training seminars to educate customers on how best to protect their homes.