There is no debating that in today’s age there is a much greater awareness and demand for burglar alarm systems than ever before. Just thirty or so years ago, less than 10 percent of home owners owned or had any interest in owning a security system. And, for many of those who owned a security system, having it monitored by a central station was not desirable because in those days you could actually connect a pre-recorded tape dialer, which would call the police department directly in the case of an actual alarm activation, and notify the police department of the intrusion. Most homeowners would invest in better locks for their doors as well as better lighting on the exterior of their homes rather than spend their money on a security system. Although most homeowners in those days would have liked to own a burglar alarm, the price of an average burglar alarm system ranged from $1500 to $2500.
Even though it seems as though prices in those days were excessively high, it was primarily due to the high cost of the equipment as well as the labor time involved in protecting a home. The average installation in those days took two men several days to complete. Glass break sensors did not exist thirty years ago so the normal way to protect window panes or glass on sliding doors was using an aluminum strip of tape which was referred to as “foil”. Also, wireless systems for the most part did not exist, and the ones that may have existed were not very good. So in order to wire a two or three story house, or a house which did not have an attic, you would have to glue wires around the entire house at each level placed directly over the baseboards. The old saying “you’ve come a long way baby” truly fits the burglar alarm industry because with today’s modern advances in technology equipment cost is at an all time low and labor times are a fraction of what they used to be. However, one thing still does remain true about the industry as a whole in those long gone days, the protection chosen for a home was not left up to the homeowner to decide, no in those days the alarm contractor was considered an expert in the field of security and nothing less than total protection of your home was even suggested. Homes security systems would be designed in a way where if any door or window were opened, or if any piece of glass anywhere in the home were shattered by an intruder an instant sounding alarm would activate inside as well as outside the home creating as much attention as possible. Motion sensors were installed as a back up device, in case a crafty intruder found a way to enter the premise without being detected. Protecting a home was either done completely or not at all.
Today however, we see a very different picture than we used to. Most security providers today have one objective in mind, and that objective is to gain a monitoring contract even if it means providing a sub-standard security system. Homeowners are persuaded to install a basic system with only 2 or three door sensors and 1 motion sensor which leaves all of their windows in the house unprotected, making it easy for a burglar to enter through any window and exit through the same window completely undetected. Salespersons in today’s market are reluctant to explain the need for such devices as glass break sensors, back-up cellular radio, exterior sirens and window contacts for fear of losing the opportunity to gain a new monitoring contract. This creates a great false sense of security for uninformed customers.
So do you have a false sense of security? Take the appropriate steps to make sure that you and your loved ones can confidently rely on your security system if an intrusion occurs. Ask your security provider to go step by step around the house showing you what devices have been or will be installed to assure you have full perimeter and interior protection. Make sure if the system goes off that the siren loudness is adequate inside and out. Also, ask if a cellular back-up radio is installed to ensure communication to the central monitoring station in the event of a cut or down phone line. Prevention is the key; don’t wait to be a victim to find out if all along you had a false sense of security.
