Alarm Center is dedicated to offering a diverse set of services to accommodate all of our customers' unique needs. While you may be familiar with iAlarm – a recently-added service that provides internet monitoring with smartphone access – you may not be as familiar with our Alarm Link service, which is a cellular transmitter that allows you to be fully monitored without having to maintain a phone line.
Yet, portraying Alarm Link as merely a home phone alternative for our monitored customers is really selling it short. This high-powered cellular communicator is part of a valuable service we are proud to offer that provides a highly reliable monitoring experience, and offers new alternatives to customers that want a little bit more than the standard monitoring setup.
What Is Alarm Link?
Alarm Link Wireless Monitoring is a communications link for our customers who do not have, or would like to get rid of, their home phone service/landline.
The Alarm Link module is wired directly to your alarm panel and allows the alarm system to transmit activity, via the cellular network, to the Central Station. The unit, pictured here, has a back-up battery, so that even in the event of power loss at your home or business - either by intentional (criminal) or accidental (natural) means - your signals will still be received by Central Station.
Alarm Link is also perfect for monitoring locations where phone line access is unavailable, such as warehouses, boathouses, cabins or camps, garages, etc.
But Aren't Cellular Networks Too Flaky To Be Reliable?
We all know our cellular networks can be unreliable even in the best of circumstances. Dropped calls are simply a part of our mobile lives, and we all remember how impossible it was to make a call on our cell phones after the Saints won the Super Bowl or in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It's only natural to wonder if Alarm Link, utilizing a cellular network, would be prone to the same troubles.
It isn't! Alarm Link utilizes a high-powered transmitter making it communicate with a significantly stronger signal than a regular cellular phone signal. In fact, Alarm Link's signal strength is 16 times stronger than that of your typical hand-held cell phone!
Cost Savings!
Many people are disconnecting their home phone services simply to cut down on their monthly expenses. Standard landlines today with features like Caller ID and Call Waiting can cost around $50/month. Even the most stripped-down of home phone service can cost over $20/month. Now that the use of cellular phones and mobile devices are so common in today's society with often every member of a household having at least one, many would agree there is no need to keep a separate landline in the home.
While, in the past, a home phone line was required for a home's alarm system to be monitored, Alarm Link now gives our customers who are trying to save money by "cutting the cord" on their home telephone the ability to still be safe, secure, and fully monitored.
Alarm Link Is Reliable, Stable, & Cost Effective
If you are one of the many households who choose not to maintain a home phone or are considering eliminating your landline, and are interested in learning more about Alarm Link Wireless Monitoring for your home or business, give us a call today at (225) 292-5276 or contact us directly with any Alarm Link queries at CutTheCord@alarm.net.
[Call Alarm Center Security today for a FREE quote on a security system for your home or business - 1-800-97-ALARM - or visit our website to see if you qualify for a $0 down installation - alarm.net]
Knowledge is both power and prevention, and the best way to protect yourself from the threat of home invasion is to know everything there is to know about it.
This post aims to educate you on home invasions – when, why, and how they happen – and inform you of the preventative measures you can take to keep your home safe.
Home invasions are different than your usual break-and-enter burglary. Per Wikipedia :
Home invasion differs from burglary in having a violent intent, specific or general, much the same way as aggravated robbery - personally taking from someone by force - is differentiated from mere larceny (theft alone).
Some states, Louisiana included, have addressed the epidemic by defining home invasion as a specific kind of crime, differentiating it from some types of burglary or robbery; per Louisiana RS 14:62.8 Home Invasion:
Home invasion is the unauthorized entering of any inhabited dwelling, or other structure belonging to another and used in whole or in part as a home or place of abode by a person, where a person is present, with the intent to use force or violence upon the person of another or to vandalize, deface, or damage the property of another.
In other words, a home invasion happens when a person is in the house that is being broken into. For this reason – the direct contact with a perpetrator – home invasions are one of the most terrifying and dangerous types of property crimes.
On The Rise
According to Sentinel Security Group, who compiled statistics from the FBI per the NCVS (National Victimization Data Survey) and UCS (Uniform Crime Reports):
- 38% of all assaults occur during a home invasion
- 60% of all rapes occur during a home invasion
Security expert, Jordan Frankel – also known as The Security Sensei – of Global Security Experts says that 1 out of every 5 homes will encounter a violent home intrusion or burglary. He believes a rise in home invasions are a result of increased security measures – such as security cameras and monitored alarm systems – becoming the norm rather than the exception in previous commercial targets. Per Frankel:
Due to the increased security of commercial businesses, houses and apartments are considered much easier targets by criminals. Home invaders also know that many homeowners and renters still don't have alarm systems. In fact, it's the home without security devices that they look for when deciding on their next target.
Don't Think It Can't Happen to You
Doing a quick Google News search for "home invasion" will turn up dozens of recent reports, some just a couple of hours old, about home invasions that have happened all over the country.
Home invasions can happen anywhere and to anyone – from a father of five, killed in a Rock Hill, NC home invasion to a Hollywood actor in Los Angeles, CA, who confronted an intruder in his home after returning from the SAG awards. Here locally and just three days ago, a man in Ponchatoula shot a man he found burglarizing his home after the burglar pulled a gun on him.
No one is immune to a home invasion. In fact, the FBI states 13% of all homes are burglarized every year, and 85% of those are through the front door.
An intruder doesn't just have to force his way in. There are far too many horror stories of victims who were overtaken in their homes by the simple act of opening the door to a stranger – one who needs to supposedly use the phone or is dressed as maintenance or delivery person or even a police officer. In their article on home invasions, the Professor's House blog gives these tips for what to do when you hear a knock on the door:
- Always check to see who is there before you answer the door.
- Always respond so the person knows someone is home.
- Do not open the door to anyone you do not know. Remember, you do not have to open the door to anyone.
- Ask for identification. Once you have seen it, ask for secondary identification such as a telephone number that you can call to verify the person's status.
- Pretend there are other people in the house by calling out someone's name. Keep your radio or television on.
- If you see any suspicious persons, activities, or vehicles in your area, do not be afraid to call 911.
The Security Sensei notes that "it's the home without security devices that they look for when deciding on their next target", so naturally the best protection you can have is a security system - especially one installed and monitored by a professional company. Even if the intruder does get inside and tells you to disarm the alarm, you can – instead – type in a duress code that will immediately notify the authorities that you are in danger.
It's What We've Been Doing for 35 Years
Consider Alarm Center for protecting your home and business. We have been keeping local residents safe since 1978, are locally owned and operated, and take great pride in continuing to offer protection and security to thousands of satisfied customers. We offer flexible solutions for all your security needs, whether you're a home or business owner. We work with each client individually to build a protection plan tailored to your specific needs. In addition to no up-front costs (with approved credit), you can fill out our online form for a Free Estimate on our Comprehensive Homeowner's Package.
[Call Alarm Center Security today for a FREE quote on a security system for your home or business - 1-800-97-ALARM - or visit our website to see if you qualify for a $0 down installation - alarm.net]
In 2011, there were 4,220 burglaries of residences and businesses in the Baton Rouge area alone. Larceny - taking away someone's personal property while trespassing on private property – affected 7,947 home and business owners.
Every day more homeowners are choosing to have a monitored alarm system installed in their homes, making their homes three times less likely to be broken into. With the rise of property-related crimes in Baton Rouge in the last few months, business owners would be wise to, also, consider getting a monitored alarm system installed in their establishments.
Having security cameras and a keypad installed in your business and being monitored by a reputable, local alarm company can not only keep you safe from after-hour burglaries, but can help protect your employees and assets. A monitored alarm system does not just protect from thieves, but can also safeguard from fire and vandalism. Business owners should also check with their insurance providers, as they sometimes offer discounts to businesses that have a professionally-installed security system.
One of the key benefits of having an alarm system is having total Access Control over your business and property. A business with multiple employees can assign a separate access code for each employee, allowing the business owner to log who is coming and going, and when. Also, lost or stolen keys are a problem of the past.
According to About.com's "Do I Need Electronic Access Control?":
You can evaluate your need for EAC by asking these three questions:
- Do I need an audit trail, i.e. a time and date stamped record of every opening or attempted opening of a door?
- Should different employees have different access privileges based on time and day?
- Does a lost or stolen key represent an immediate security threat to my facility?
Answering yes to any of those questions can justify the investment in an EAC system.
Our U.L. Listed and Approved Central Station is located right here in Baton Rouge and monitors and processes your alarm system's signals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Even during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Issac, we never went offline. Depending on the signal received, we will dispatch the Police, Fire Department, or an Ambulance and notify you within seconds of an event.
Give us a call today - (225) 292-5276 - to see what we can do for you in helping to make your business safer and better protected, or consider switching to us from your regular alarm company and get 6 months free!
[Call Alarm Center Security today for a FREE quote on a security system for your home or business - 1-800-97-ALARM - or visit our website to see if you qualify for a $0 down installation - alarm.net]
