Quote:
Originally Posted by csnarpy
IMO, getting an alarm system is not about the the stuff in your house. It's about Life Safety. If someone breaks in while your sleeping, the siren alone can help scare off potential situations.
Not sure of other companies, but ADT has panic buttons on their keypads that are direct lines to the police/fire. These ARE 911 calls and they work. I accidently forgot to put a system on test, hit a panic button - to show the client - police were there within 5 mins.
Monitored Fire/Smoke alarms, CO detectors, flood detectors are invaluable towards life safety and maybe help preserve your property. IMO. These alone justify getting a system.
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Just to follow up a few things for someone who's worked on the other side with 911....
If you a hit a panic alarm, its crucial to understand the call does NOT go straight to the 911 call centre or anything like that. It will goto the ADT alarm company and than they will phone us ON THE SAME BACK DOOR NUMBER THAT THEY PHONE FOR REGULAR ALARMS. The response may be adjusted due to the type of alarm but it still comes in on the same number.
FWIW, the average time between when a burglar alarm goes off and when police get notified is approximately 7-12 minutes...than it gets dispatched....plus repsonse time. So as much as I think they can be a deterrent don't expect them to catch anyone.
Futhermore, within the city, including CPS/CFD/EMS, you can get charged for false alarms. So, all stuff to keep in mind.