Deciding to use an alarm monitoring company adds the security of knowing that your local authorities will be notified in the case of an emergency.  For more than 30 years Alarm Relay has provided alarm monitoring services to homes and businesses.

Alarm Relay offers top-notch alarm monitoring at competitive prices--typically one-third less than the average alarm monitoring costs.  "Alarm Relay is run by professionals, and we recommend them highly," says Ralph Winn, Vice President of Home Security Store.

What is Alarm Monitoring and How Does it Work?

Alarm monitoring services, such as those offered by Alarm Relay, allow your security system to be just as effective when you aren't home as when you are.  Security systems are created to plug into a phone jack in your home or business.  If you are a subscriber to Alarm Relay's alarm monitoring service, when your security system detects an intruder, the following steps to get you the help you need:

Your security system places a toll-free call to the Alarm Relay alarm monitoring center

A dispatcher immediately calls your home to verify an emergency

If a false alarm has occurred, the person answering must know the preset password

If the call goes unanswered, the password is not given, or your voicemail picks up, the dispatcher alerts local authorities and calls the numbers on your emergency contact list

This order of events is slightly altered if your smoke alarm or a panic button set off your alarm.  Under these circumstances, the alarm monitoring dispatcher alerts the local authorities before calling your home to verify the emergency. 

Costs

Alarm Relay offers the same alarm monitoring rates to all subscribers.  If you own a home, a small business, or even a warehouse and desire alarm monitoring, the cost is only $8.95 per month with Alarm Relay.  At this price, alarm monitoring from Alarm Relay saves consumers anywhere between 50% to 300% off of other alarm monitoring services.  Alarm Relay makes purchasing alarm monitoring easy; there is a one-time setup fee of $35.00, and the $8.95 monthly cost is billed in advance for the entire year. 

Alarm monitoring services such as Alarm Relay offer more than safety and security solutions; they also help you to lower your insurance premium.  Most large insurance companies offer significant discounts to homeowners who utilize a professional alarm monitoring service.  One prominent insurance company grants a 15% discount to policy holders who "install a security system with an outside signal and connection to the local police and a fire alarm that automatically alerts the local fire department." 

Alarm Relay's clients include government offices such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, privately owned businesses, apartments, and homes.  If you have a security system, alarm monitoring by Alarm Relay ensures it will live up to its life-saving potential.

Monitoring companies use special phone lines, computers and trained staff to watch over a home security system and call the appropriate authorities if the alarm goes off. There is a monthly fee for the service. Because quality and experience can vary greatly among monitoring companies, do some homework before choosing one.

Conducting Preliminary Research

Steps:
1. Contact the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association. Ask them to provide you with a copy of the brochure "Safe and Sound: Your Guide to Home Security," and ask for a list of member companies.

2  Read the brochure and familiarize yourself with some basics about home security and terms used by the industry. Visit security Web sites for more information.

3.  Ask your insurance agent, friends and neighbors for referrals.

4.  Contact your local police department's crime prevention department, state licensing agencies, consumer protection agencies and the Better Business Bureau. Inquire about the status of the companies you are considering.

Company's Representative

Steps:

  1.   Ask the representative how long the company has been in business.
     
  2.   Ask whether the company uses Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listed equipment and whether the monitoring station itself is UL certified.
     
  3. Ask if the monitoring station is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and if the company has a customer service department that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
     
  4.   Ask if the company has a backup monitoring center. If the main center experiences power problems, you want to be sure your home will still be monitored.
     
  5. Ask if the monitoring center has built-in redundancies for its power, computer and phone lines. If something goes wrong, the redundancy ensures that the center can continue monitoring.