Post by twodogsandababy on Apr 19, 2014 18:28:06 GMT -5
H got a monitored alarm for our house before he deployed, even though we live in a safe area. I've been glad to have it, and I like that I always know when a door or window is being opened. The entire system/install was free and we own the equipment, but we pay $40/month for monitoring.
SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE!!! yes, we have a security system for the parsonage but the church pays for it. parsonages are burglarized all the time because people know exactly when the pastor's not home. 11am on a sunday? lots of cars in the parking lot? bingo. we have had 5 clergy family friends broken into on sunday mornings
Post by muppetinma on Apr 19, 2014 19:04:25 GMT -5
We do. I insisted on it when I was pregnant and DH was traveling for work so much. It was built into the house when we built it, but we didn't activate it until years later.
Not to be a major downer but 2 nights ago my mother in law and her partner and mother were all robbed at gunpoint in their home. They live in a sketchy part of Orlando and if they don't get an alarm service now H and I are going to do it for them. It's a tiny price to pay for peace of mind.
Post by karmasabiotch on Apr 19, 2014 19:33:26 GMT -5
2 dogs that bark like crazy unless its after 7:30. pm when they go to sleep and only wake up if they think they have a chance at getting some dropped food.
Post by janiejones on Apr 19, 2014 19:40:23 GMT -5
We don't. There really is no need around us, our crime rates are among the lowest in Canada (something about all the mobsters retiring to my area).
MrJJ used to install them when he was in school (back in our home town, which also seemed unnecessary). MIL had one installed around that time and after the first year never used it.
We have a security system but no longer have monitoring. We still set it as a deterrent but weren't happy with our provider and nixed it.
Ditto. I realized while having it monitored that it really is a false sense of security. If someone had broken into my house with the intent of hurting me or stealing my property, they would easily have been able to do whatever long before the monitoring company called and verified that something was wrong and sent the police. I feel like I get the deterrent benefit without the cost now because I have the signs and the local alarm, without actually paying for monitoring.
Post by missmaddie on Apr 19, 2014 21:16:40 GMT -5
We don't. DH says that by the time they are ever notified by the company and dispatched a significant period of time has usually passed. He also says there are houses they have "cut off" and won't respond to (automated/alarm) calls from anymore due to 3 or more false alarms.
When we were renting the house had an alarm that wasn't monitored, and I liked that so I could hear the doors chime, etc. when DH got home from work in the middle of the night, but now the dog just alerts the whole house instead...
Another anecdote - when I was a teen we were looking at a new house, and my dad hit the panic button in the master, thinking it controlled the lights/ceiling fan. We were there for another half hour or so, during which time the phone rang a handful of times. As we were leaving with the agent and she was locking up, the police slowly drove up (not code 1), and it turns out it had been ADT calling the house for the past half hour to confirm if all was okay, before calling the police. WTF???
We use ours every evening. It gives me a lot of peace of mind, especially when I'm home alone with the kids (which is a lot). I believe you can get a discount on your homeowners insurance if you have an alarm system, if your H is really worried about cost.
We don't. DH says that by the time they are ever notified by the company and dispatched a significant period of time has usually passed. He also says there are houses they have "cut off" and won't respond to (automated/alarm) calls from anymore due to 3 or more false alarms.
When we were renting the house had an alarm that wasn't monitored, and I liked that so I could hear the doors chime, etc. when DH got home from work in the middle of the night, but now the dog just alerts the whole house instead...
Another anecdote - when I was a teen we were looking at a new house, and my dad hit the panic button in the master, thinking it controlled the lights/ceiling fan. We were there for another half hour or so, during which time the phone rang a handful of times. As we were leaving with the agent and she was locking up, the police slowly drove up (not code 1), and it turns out it had been ADT calling the house for the past half hour to confirm if all was okay, before calling the police. WTF???
Really? Eeeek! That makes me nervous. I hope that's just a "by department' thing and not everywhere. And if they didn't repsond, I'd think that would be a huge fucking liablitity.
We don't. DH says that by the time they are ever notified by the company and dispatched a significant period of time has usually passed. He also says there are houses they have "cut off" and won't respond to (automated/alarm) calls from anymore due to 3 or more false alarms.
When we were renting the house had an alarm that wasn't monitored, and I liked that so I could hear the doors chime, etc. when DH got home from work in the middle of the night, but now the dog just alerts the whole house instead...
Another anecdote - when I was a teen we were looking at a new house, and my dad hit the panic button in the master, thinking it controlled the lights/ceiling fan. We were there for another half hour or so, during which time the phone rang a handful of times. As we were leaving with the agent and she was locking up, the police slowly drove up (not code 1), and it turns out it had been ADT calling the house for the past half hour to confirm if all was okay, before calling the police. WTF???
Really? Eeeek! That makes me nervous. I hope that's just a "by department' thing and not everywhere. And if they didn't repsond, I'd think that would be a huge fucking liablitity.
2 completely different cities, 2 hours apart.
I think they clearly notify the residents and the alarm company that it needs to be a direct call to 911, vs. the alarm company sending out another notification. One I recall (we looked at a nearby house so he randomly told me the story when we drove by), had French doors to the backyard that kept blowing open from the wind if they weren't locked properly and latched to the floor, so in a period of X weeks they had 3 calls from sensors going off.
Not to be a major downer but 2 nights ago my mother in law and her partner and mother were all robbed at gunpoint in their home. They live in a sketchy part of Orlando and if they don't get an alarm service now H and I are going to do it for them. It's a tiny price to pay for peace of mind.
Oh, and yes. Ours is through AT&T and is $25/ month. When we renovated, we put the kids' bedrooms downstairs. A security system allows me to sleep at night.
Our new house has one. I don't know if we'll pay for the service to connect it to the security company/police, but it will function and sound if there's a break in or something.
Post by mrsukyankee on Apr 20, 2014 2:42:47 GMT -5
I live in London. Yes. I lived in one house in London that didn't have an alarm system and we were broken into. My ILs didn't have a security system and they were broken into. Not a high crime area either...just city living.
My hubby and I had the same argument. Then our home was broken into, and a bunch of stuff was stolen. We live in a good area with a low crime rate. So yes, it might take awhile for the authorities to show up, but at least they do and maybe the damage would be less. Needless to say, now we have one.
Not to be a major downer but 2 nights ago my mother in law and her partner and mother were all robbed at gunpoint in their home. They live in a sketchy part of Orlando and if they don't get an alarm service now H and I are going to do it for them. It's a tiny price to pay for peace of mind.
OMG! Are they ok?
They are all ok, just very shook up. My mother in law was in the bathroom when it happened and she managed to run into her bedroom and close the door and call 911, but they robbed H's grandmother of her iPad mini and purse (which was full of nothing but junk and Medicaid cards), and her partners wallet with $500 cash, and his car, which is a pos. We used the find my iPad app and located it yesterday. Hopefully the detectives can do something with that.
Post by RoxMonster on Apr 20, 2014 18:04:05 GMT -5
I would like to get one for the fire monitoring since we have a dog. One of my absolute biggest fears is that there is a house fire while she is home alone.