Need FRiend Help -- Home Burglar Alarm

Self | 10/13/12 | Self

[ProtectOurFreedom]

There has been a big wave of home burglaries in our town and area lately, so we are finally going to get a home alarm system. I'm thinking of going with a local guy who does old-fashioned wired systems and uses Napco equipment. Mrs. POF thinks alarms are a nuisance and, after talking with friends, thinks that we'll use if a few weeks and then stop using it. I'm used to arming and disarming the alarm at our small business office (her, too, at a different office), so I think we'll have the discipline to use it all the time.

What are your experiences with home alarms? Too many false alarms? Too many payments to the PD for false alarms? Do you use it all the time? Or did you stop using it? Has it foiled burglars? Do you use wired or wireless? Do you use a monitoring service?

All thoughts and info greatly appreciated.

POF

[jy8z]

Alarm systems can’t be bribed with steaks or doggie treats.

Neither can my dogs, as they are sleeping on the floor on my wife's side of the bed. Any nocturnal sound will have a consequence decided by two very competitive canines on a mission. It's best to not be that guy that made the noise. Not a thing against alarm systems, just my two cents worth, backed by 40 years being protected by man's best friend.

[cableguymn]

“the dog will bite you. The owner will shot you”

Or.

“Don’t worry about the dog. Beware of owner”

[ottbmare]

But you don’t want the alarm to relinquish the line before calling the cops. In a home invasion situation, you do not want the bad guys to be able to in any way prevent that outbound automated call or inbound human call from the alarm company. You want the alarm system to seize the line and call out. Call the alarm company with your cell phone to cancel the alarm, if necessary.

Of course, the limiting factor on the protection the system gives is the response time of the local cops. If they are told an alarm has been triggered at a residence, they don’t usually lay rubber getting there. You need a dog and a bunch of guns.

In addition, you need to think about and rehearse how you will deal with cops when they do show up so that everyone involved is safe. The cops will probably ask you to leave the house and walk away from it with them so they can make sure you’re not being constrained.

[null and void]

Instead a of a siren, how about a PA system that plays the sound of a 12 gauge racking a round into the chamber, with a Biden giggle voice-over...

[P-Marlowe]

I just put up some signs from an alarm company (I don’t actually have an alarm) and a “Beware of Dog” sign (I have a cat) and I park my truck that has an NRA sticker in the back window in the driveway.

So far the only intruder I’ve encountered was a raccoon who came in the cat door.

I don’t think the raccoon could read. He left before I could shoot him.

[voteNRA]

"A final word of warning: if you have young male children or grandchildren, do not ever ever ever say, “Now, sweetie, don’t touch this button here, because if you do the police and firetrucks will come.”

You brought back a great memory from when my oldest son was 3. Exact situation you describe! I have pictures of him sitting in the fire truck pretending to drive, and the police man showed him all the switches in the car, and he got a tour of the ambulance ... Great lesson that was :~)

I'm just glad everyone was in a good mood and understanding that day.

Thanks for making me laugh again about that ottbmare!

[goat granny]

after my husband passed away on the farm, I had ADT put in, had it go off once, and the cops were there pretty fast especially for a rural area....also consider a motion detector in a vulnerable place....being rural, they also put up a outside alarm, and had a battery backup...your phone line gets cut, your alarm doesn't go off (but that was about 20 years ago...I had 5 doors wired, but what surprised me is the company said more break ins are via a window....I had downstairs about 15 windows and was informed not to wire the windows, a bird flying into a window can give a false alarm (happens frequently in the country) Even an extreme wind storm might set off a window alarm... I had wood double hung windows and my instructor said to drill a hole that will go through the top and bottom, get a 3 or 4 inch nail, drill where the upper and lower windows meet.(in other words, with the window closed...Insert nail just a little smaller than the hole drilled. You can take the nail out to open the windows during the day and put the nail in during the night...most window break ins they will bust the window on top and unlock the window and open it.....Cannot do that if you have the nail in place, window won't open....if you have aluminum windows your on your own. I didn't put window alarms in, saved me money with that little tip...just did the doors, 5 of them... If you have a 2 story house you will need a pad upstair and downstairs...

[tallyhoe]

Either a 45, 357 or 9mm!!! Large dog to warn you!

[fatnotlazy]

The one downside to a mean dog is, if he takes a chunk out of an intruder, the guy could sue you and he could win big time money. It has happened.

[Mortrey]

My favorite was the freeper who suggested a BIG dog bowl on the front porch (or in easy sight of intruders) with the name “Brutus” painted on it and a heavy chain with a broken link beside it, and a note saying, “Hey, Bubba-—we went to go get more beer and ammo. Don’t go in the house. I think Brutus injured somebody ‘cause there’s blood all over his muzzle so I put him in the house. I wouldn’t go in ‘til we get back and Brutus has a chance to settle down.”

[Old Sarge]

This is all the warning an intruder gets...

[Loud Mime]

Very interesting timing. The house next door was burgled yesterday. My 88 year-old Mom got between the perp and his exit; he just jumped around her instead of bulling her over.

There is now a video system around the house.

We use ADT and have been very happy with the service and security. I highly recommend them.

When you get a system, make sure that the crooks know it. Stickers everywhere and some goods in sight. Deterrence is a good thing. You may notice that many people prefer confrontation. You have 50/50 odds should that happen.

[jy8z]

My dogs are not mean. They are super protective of my wife and grandson. Any confrontation would be inside our house. The dogs live here, the bitten intruder does not. TX courts recognize this.

[SpaceBar]

A chihuahua and a pump mossberg 20 ga. The dynamic duo.

[SpaceBar]

err 12

[Chance Hart]

Just a little tip a friend of mine learned the hard way.
His alarm system notified him via cell phone that someone had entered his home without invite.
He made sure that his 9mm was ready to run and headed home to confront the intruders. They entered his home (2 of them) with only a knife, but by the time he arrived and rushed through the door, they had found his Colt 1911 and his Mossberg 500, making them much better armed than he was. He did survive the incident, but learned a valuable lesson about locking up the guns you don’t take with you in a secure safe before leaving the house.
A large percentage of criminals do not enter a home with a gun. No sense handing them your own firepower to use against you if you beat the cops there when the alarm goes off. :-)

[peggybac]

Well, deers can read so why wouldn’t a raccoon?

http://thestir.cafemom.com/home_garden/144958/ditzy_woman_begs_to_move

[Ken H]

I am very lo-tech. I have about a 5 feet wide band of leaves around the outside of the house, so it'll be hard to sneak up to the house without making noise. I've also installed one-way internal locks on three rooms such that an intruder will be confronted with a locked door between him and the rest of the house.

I have 2 dogs, a security front door, lighting around the house, and of course, accessible firearms.

The only time I'll call police is to remove a body. I prefer as little contact as possible with public employee union members of any type.

[cva66snipe]

But you don’t want the alarm to relinquish the line before calling the cops. In a home invasion situation, you do not want the bad guys to be able to in any way prevent that outbound automated call or inbound human call from the alarm company. You want the alarm system to seize the line and call out. Call the alarm company with your cell phone to cancel the alarm, if necessary.

Of course, the limiting factor on the protection the system gives is the response time of the local cops. If they are told an alarm has been triggered at a residence, they don’t usually lay rubber getting there. You need a dog and a bunch of guns.

In addition, you need to think about and rehearse how you will deal with cops when they do show up so that everyone involved is safe. The cops will probably ask you to leave the house and walk away from it with them so they can make sure you’re not being constrained.

I'm a retired maintenance mechanic and worked in a retirement/assisted living/health care facility. I was first responder to all alarms on the complex when I was working. We had about 40 houses that had alarms. The phones would stay seized sometimes even after I got there {several minutes later} or while I was trying to call and cancel. That was especially true if it was a power issue such as the battery or a storm was in the area etc. If you have cell phone service no problem. All I had was a radio to my dispatcher {switchboard operator} who didn't have the codes.

For my home I'm low tech. I have 2-3 outside motion sensors set up on different chanels on the driveway. Crooks won't see them. I also have a 24/7 Two Terrier Security Service ativated inside the house when we're home. Two Terriers have very sensitive hearing for detecting Rats. Two Terrier System though alerts me to cars coming up the diveway and phone ringing especially my cell which I can't hear that well when asleep and my hearing aids out. I'll have pistol in hand before anyone can gain entry though. :>}

I also have a sign on my entry door "To All Responding Agencies" then some radio communication codes in case I'm not home. LOL.

[blueplum]

check with your local PD re: annual/bi-annual permit costs -around here a false alarm with no permit means a fine; with a permit the locals allow two false alarms per year before the fines fly. cost of permit is minimal-your mileage may vary.

I don’t pay a monitoring service but I do spend a small fortune on goodies for my 4-legged monitors. My neighbors down the valley can hear the (more than one) sirens and they all carry long guns anyway for rabid coyotes, bigfoot and other such varmits. In town, tho, I’d definitely have monitoring - and a safe room, if at all possible.

I’m not a fan of wi-fi systems but they’re useful for gates/outbuildings. I prefer hardwired interior walls/windowframes, motion detectors, break sensors, electronic interior/exterior door locking, and cameras - with redundant battery backups and more than one control point.