Home Alarm Security Systems...
your last line of defense

Home Alarm Security Systems.... once you have secured the outside of your home, this is your last line of defense, so we must make sure it is also the best!

Through the previous pages, we have looked at securing and monitoring the outside of your home, so now it is time to look at how to secure the inside.....

Just to recap what we have done so far to make your home safe and keep your family secure....

1. We have secured your perimeter and boundary walls....

With two of the most effective ways available at the moment. We have installed:

• electric fencing, and we have
• installed home security cameras

2. And we have made it difficult for the intruder to approach your home undetected....

If intruders do breach your perimeter, it is very important to make it as difficult as possible for them to approach your home undetected.

The cameras are invaluable here, but we have also looked at these ways to make it almost impossible for intruders to approach your home without you knowing about it:

• security lighting, and 
• movement detectors.

We have done what we can to keep them out and to have early warning systems in place, but we still have to protect our families inside the home and this is where the home alarm security system as a protection tool for your home is undeniable.

Apart from protecting your family from burglaries alone, the latest home alarms also protect your family against many other hazards....

These may include the following:

• fire,
• medical emergencies,
• smoke inhalation, and
• flooding.

Modern technology has not only made alarm systems more reliable, it has also made it more affordable.

It is therefor one of the most effective ways to increase the value of your home, while at the same time protecting your family and your possessions.

But.... (yes, unfortunately there is always a BUT.....)

The actual price from one system to the next can vary tremendously. It is therefore imperative that you do your research well and make sure you get exactly what you need and that will fulfill your requirements.

Remember that this is your LAST LINE of defense and it is therefore incredibly important that you remember my words from my home page:

• Plan your project,
• Budget well, and
• See it through

Because this is your home!

Only you will go the extra mile and make sure it is done right!

Do you remember my golden rule about do it yourself home improvements?

"The trick is to know enough about the home improvement project you want to perform so that you can discuss and manage the tasks you are not going to do yourself on an even footing with whichever trade person you need to employ.

You will then at least know what they (the specialists) are going to do (or are supposed to do) and so you will not be taken for a ride.

Sometimes we may think someone is a “specialist” just because they do the job for a living, but experience has shown me that it is not always the case."

So unless you are installing a complete wireless security system for your home, which you can do all by yourself with easy instructions, keep the above in mind and then plan and budget your home alarm security system according to the following requirements.

So..... let's look at how to protect the inside of your home. The last "layer" of your defense....

The first thing we should determine is what the design of your home alarm security system should look like.

You will need the following devices to make up an effective home alarm security system:

1. Control Unit

This is the "brain" of your system:

• It reads all the sensor inputs, including the input from your electric fence,
• it monitors the status of all the functions of the security system, including the arm/disarm functions, and it
• reports all triggers and statuses via the alerting devices (sirens and flashing lights) as well as to the monitoring service you belong to.

2. Sensors

These are the devices that detect intruders and various other undesired disturbances inside your home. It can detect them by a variety of methods:

• by monitoring doors and windows opening, or the detection of breaking glass,
  
  (Glass break acoustic detectors are mounted in close proximity to windows and detect the audio frequencies associated with breaking glass.)
• by monitoring interior rooms for movement, sound or vibration
  
  (These are usually Passive Infra Red (PIR) motion detectors)
• fire detection,
• smoke detection, and so forth
  
  (It is advisable to also connect smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors to your alarm control unit. These detectors are always on; in other words they are not disabled by arming or disarming your system and they contribute tremendously to your peace of mind).

Sensors also include:

• security cameras,
• spotlights with motion detection,
• and laser beams.

The combinations are limitless, so take great care in thinking, planning and designing your system.

Just remember that the beauty about a well thought-out home alarm security system is the fact that you will be able to expand the system at any time if so required.

You can now plan for your budget and if you can't afford to do exactly what you want to at present, you just plan for future expansion to implement as and when you have the money available.

3. Keypads

Keypads act as the "human to machine" interface to your alarm system. This is where you setup everything as well as arm and disarm your system.

4. Alerting Devices

Alerting devices are usually sirens and/or flashing lights.

Alerting devices serve the dual purpose of alerting you about an intrusion,  while at the same time I hope that the noise and the fact that the intruder knows now that he/she was detected, will scare them enough to decide to retreat rather than proceed with the burglary.

Alerting devices also include the audible alarms that warn you of fire, smoke, etc.

5. Interconnections

These are the way the different components connect to each other. This may be a wired system, a wireless system or a hybrid system, depending on your requirement.

Take great care in selecting the right system for your requirement. Do your research well and you will not only have many years of hassle free security, but the correct system will add enormous value to your home.

6. Alarm Monitoring

A home alarm security system is not really effective unless it is connected to a monitoring service. In South Africa this is especially true, as the crime is of such an extent that even howling sirens do not really deter the intruders anymore.

The operators will immediately contact you and also dispatch their private armed patrol vehicles to your home to investigate.

These signals can be transmitted via the following means:

• a dedicated radio link,
• telephone lines
  (although I personally don't think telephone lines are the way to go as they can be easily cut),
• or an internet connection which is the most commonly used method now.
  

A good service provider will not only monitor your home security alarm system, but will also monitor your security cameras, your fire detectors, medical response calls and anything else you may want them to monitor.

Once an alarm was triggered, they will distribute this information to you and the required services via the internet, so that you are at all times aware of what is happening at home.

Return from Home Alarm Security Systems to Do It Yourself Home Security