Whether you live in a modest apartment or a multi-million dollar home, everyone can benefit from an alarm system. The peace of mind that comes from knowing your family and belongings are secure can be a big motivator to stay healthy, focused, and productive. Aside from protecting your most precious items from burglary or theft, smart home security systems can also alert you to environmental threats such as fire or carbon monoxide, helping you keep your loved ones safe.
Most modern alarm systems include a central hub with contact sensors that communicate with the hub and sound an audible alarm when they are triggered. These are typically placed at all entry points like doors and first-floor windows, in hallways, and other high traffic areas. When armed, these sensors will detect when a door or window is opened or closed and can alert you via phone, email, or a mobile app when someone in the house moves around. Depending on the system you choose, it can also trigger a video camera or a floodlight to turn on in your yard.
Some alarm systems can be armed and disarmed using keypads on your home or through voice commands with digital assistants such as Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. This allows a parent or caregiver to check on kids or elderly relatives while still staying in the house or away from the property. Having access to an alarm system is also beneficial for homeowners or renters that have to leave their homes frequently, such as for work or vacations.
When a home alarm system is armed, it can be triggered by opening an entry way or movement in the home by motion sensors and/or audio sensors. The system then sends an alert to the alarm company’s monitoring center, who will verify that the alarm has been triggered and decide whether or not to dispatch emergency services. If the homeowner is not at home to respond, the monitoring center will often call and ask for a code or “safe word” to confirm that the alarm has not been triggered accidentally.
One of the biggest benefits of a home alarm system is that it can help you avoid costly repairs and replacements from fire or smoke damage. Unlike smoke detectors, which only detect the presence of smoke, a home alarm system will usually notify authorities and sound an alert when it detects the harmful gas carbon monoxide, which cannot be detected by human senses. This helps reduce the risk of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, which is one of the leading causes of unintentional deaths in the US.
