Tips for Home Alarm buyers

Tip 1: Imagine the alarm is installed.

Tip 2: When is your alarm system an enemy rather than a friend?

Tip 3: You find your alarm has activated - what to do

Tip no 1: Before buying a new alarm system -

Imagine the alarm is installed

Many people don't think about what the alarm system will be like once they have the system installed.

Try and imagine the system in place.  What should come to mind is entry and exit.

Where will you need the keypad or keypads.  Keypads are needed to arm and disarm the system.  If you sometimes enter and or exit via your garage, is that going to be close enough to where the keypad is at your front door? 

What we do when we come around to quote your alarm is try and envisage the system in operation.  Often the purchase of a second keypad close to the garage entry exit or other side entry exit is a valuable addition, a little expensive yes but worth it in the end for ease and simplicity.

Otherwise we have to put all or many of your sensors on delay.  Delay gives a thief time to get in and do their thing before the alarm is activated. 

Think about your system before its installed - will it be functional for your needs?

Tip 2: When is your alarm system an enemy rather than a friend?

If you have an NX alarm system monitored by us then this is not a problem, however if you have an unmonitored alarm system and you go away for a while AND the alarm goes off, what happens.  The blue strobe out the front goes off and continues to flash day and night until someone resets the alarm system.

I'm sure everyone has seen the flashing blue light outside a premises going off day after day.

What does that tell a would be thief?  The people are away and the place is ripe for burglary.

With an NX alarm system monitored by Aegis Security we can download directly into the system and change the programming from our control room and either a) reset the alarm system thereby stopping the flashing light or b) reset the strobe to flash for only a set period, same with the siren.

Tip 3: What do you do when you come home and find the alarm system has activated or worse the siren is blaring away?

At Aegis Security this is one of the key things we go through with you after the alarm system is installed. What to do when you arrive home to find the alarm has tripped or worse the siren is going.

This can be a very dangerous time and and extreme caution must be used. 

The difference - siren & strobe both going vs siren not going but the strobe is flashing.

With the siren and strobe both going means what ever triggered the alarm happened within the last 5 minutes. 

With only the strobe flashing means whatever triggered the alarm is not currently in one of the sensor areas or hasnt been for over 5 minutes.

CAUTION: Just because whatever set the alarm off is not currently in the range of one of the sensors does not mean they (assuming it is a person) is not in the house or business, hiding in another area out of the sensors reach.

Action:  We recommend you stop and listen and observe before proceeding into your home or business. 

If the siren is sounding we suggest you walk around the premises looking for signs of a breakin.

If you see anything suspicious or find something wrong immediatly dial 000 and alert Police you have "an offender on the premises"  Police will usually make this a Priority One response.  Best to await the Police and let them search the premises.

If you have walked around and all appears ok and you feel confident enough to go inside, check the door closest to the alarm panel is still secure not just shut and unlock the door. 

Open the door and have a look before proceeding inside. 

Check the alarm panel.  It should show which sector or sectors have gone into alarm.

If you find two or more sectors have tripped you have almost certainly had someone in your premises AND OR could still have someone in your premises.

Don't be the hero.  80% of thieves will runaway, if you find them inside, give them the opportunity to flee.  Note what they have touched, their appearence etc and call the Police, and go back outside and wait.  Let the detectives catch them tomorrow.