Implementing a home security system can seem like a daunting task, but it’s an investment you won’t regret. People typically visualize the home break-in scenario where the masked intruder breaks a window setting off an alarm, ultimately sending the perpetrator on the run. A home security system is so much more than a triggered alarm, it’s a potential life saver in a variety of situations. We all like to imagine our homes are impervious fortresses of safety, but the reality is there are too many uncontrollable factors that could affect our daily lives. Home security allows you to be more prepared for those unpredictable situations.
Our licensed integrators at Perfect Connections, Inc. design and install comprehensive home security systems. We have been providing custom security solutions to residents in northern and central New Jersey for the past 23 years. Our systems protect people and property, offering a peace of mind that can’t be obtained from anything else. It is our belief that a comprehensive home security system should include a burglar alarm, video surveillance, home automation, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and a monitoring service.
Burglar alarms are likely the first thing that come to mind when thinking about home security. This is because they are a vital system component that helps keep you and your family safe from intruders. Not only do burglar alarms alert you and your monitoring station of a potential disturbance, they can deter would be thieves from even attempting a break-in or burglary. In a study by the Alarm Industry Research and Education Foundation (AIREF) 422 convicted burglars were asked about their decisions to burglarize. They found that approximately 60% would not make an attempt on a home or commercial property that they knew had and alarm system.
Having a surveillance system is an essential component of a comprehensive home security system. Cameras keep eyes on your property even while you can’t. The recordings can also help during an investigation after the fact if necessary. In the burglar study conducted by AIREF approximately 60% said cameras would be factor in their target selection with more than 40% reporting they would choose an alternative if cameras were present. Aside from being a deterrent and a forensics tool, home surveillance systems can often be remotely accessed via an app on your mobile device. This would allow you to check-in on specific parts of your home, see that your pets are okay during the day, or check-in on a loved one.
Remote access to your home security system is part of the abilities you are afforded when you have home automation. With home automation you can setup customized alerts so you receive notifications to your mobile device when your children arrive home from school, when an alarm is triggered, you receive a package, or there is a drastic temperature change in your home. Having remote access to your system helps you control certain parts of you home as well. Maybe you go on vacation and you forget to close your garage doors, if you have home automation it’s not a problem, you simply login to the app on your mobile device and close the doors. Depending on your system configuration you can arm or disarm your system, lock or unlock doors, control the temperature, turn lights on and off, and sometimes control appliances. Home automation offers convenience and connectivity you can’t get from anything else.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are two of the most important life safety devices every home should have. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that every year more than 400 Americans die from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning unrelated to fires. Carbon monoxide is a “silent killer” that is colorless and odorless, that is why it is so important to have working detectors in the home. Based on past data, in 2014, The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) found that three out of five home fire deaths were caused by fires in homes that didn’t have working smoke alarms.
Statistics alone should be enough to convince any home owner to invest in these life saving devices. What makes them even more effective is if they are tied into your security system. That way when they go off or CO levels rise the central monitoring station will be alerted and if necessary they can send help right away. In situations where you might not be home or a loved one is home alone, it’s nice to know someone is still vigilant.
Monitoring services are the catalyst in security systems that initiate emergency responses. They are a key component that shouldn’t be passed up because of cost. You can’t put a cost on the lives of the ones you love or yourself for that matter. What good is an alarm if no one is alerted when it goes off? It might scare off an intruder, but do you really want to take that chance? During a fire or unpredictable disaster you want the fastest response you can get, right? That is where having a monitoring service proves its worth. It provides quick response times even when you are not home or incapable of responding.
Whether you’re new to the world of home security systems or have been considering one for a long time, it’s always a worthy investment. A comprehensive system will help protect not only your property but your life and the lives of your loved ones. Our team of licensed integrators at Perfect Connections, Inc. has been providing comprehensive security solutions to homes throughout northern and central New Jersey since 1992. We realize no two homes are identical and each one has individual security risks and concerns, which is why we custom design our systems to fit your needs.
If you live or run a business in Central or Northern New Jersey and would like information on any of the topics discussed above, please call 800-369-3962 or simply CLICK HERE.
Image Credit: Image by John-Flickr-Creative Commons
When you’re starting any kind of project, what’s one of the first things you do? In all likelihood you go to your computer, smartphone, or mobile device and open up a search engine. You run search after search to find what you’re looking for. In our connected world of the IoT (Internet of Thing) we are, at least partially, reliant on what we can find online. You can find information on virtually anything. This includes anything from how to properly stain a deck to how to choose which security system integrator is the best.
As a property manager you have a lot of people that depend on the safety and security of the real estate you oversee. Whether or not you own the properties you rent, or work with a landlord in managing their properties, a bulk of the responsibility lies on your shoulders. Your main goal is to attract responsible patrons, keep them, and build your brand. How can you do that if the property you oversee is publicly perceived to be too risky or unsafe? That’s the problem, if there has been an incident at a property that you own the public tends to remember and will likely steer clear of that address.
In the wake of home automation, smart home, or connected home technology you may have come across the term Z-Wave technology. What is it? 
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