If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound? That may not be a question worth answering unless the tree happens to fall on your vacation home. Catastrophic damage should trigger your alarm, and when an alarm is triggered, your security system probably starts shrieking to high heaven. The people who are monitoring the signal should immediately alert the police. This is how it works if someone in a city office somewhere is watching your system. Security systems are trusted tools in safeguarding property, but they only work if they are constantly monitored.
Like many things, there is an app for that. FBI statistics from 2012 show that 1-in-36 homes is broken into annually. You can monitor your home system through your mobile device, but most people can’t spend all day looking at their phone. Apps that allow you to peek in on your children between the time they get home from school and when you arrive home from work are reassuring. They are limited in scope to one area, though.
Of course, you’re aware of the limitations of your current home security system. The company technician who installed it likely explained it to you. Did you know, however, that the reason many of those systems are not more expensive is that the companies who provide them make their profit from the monthly charges you pay to have them monitored? Some big-name security companies charge $25 per month or more to monitor their systems. When the basic system can cost as little as a few hundred dollars, the system is essentially paid for by that monthly charge.
A Google search turns up some attractive alternatives. There are independent companies offering monitoring services at much lower rates. These businesses sell only the alarm monitoring service, not the device. As in any purchase, you should check out the company before committing to it. The AlarmRelay.com website, for instance, provides a checklist of things a good monitoring company should provide and questions you should ask. Some of the companies charge under ten dollars a month but require a year’s fee to be paid in a lump sum while others charge by the month. Competitive rates are important, but trust is invaluable.
