Purchasing a home security system triggers a series of questions homeowners need to answer for themselves. Among them is whether to have the system monitored. And if so, who will be responsible for it? These two questions alone lead to numerous options that all require careful analysis.
If you are not familiar with the concept of monitoring home security, this post should serve as a good introduction. If you are already aware but don’t know how to handle your own system, perhaps the information you read here will give you some clarity. We will start by briefly looking at a discussion my wife and I recently had.
No Notifications From the Camera
I have built my own home automation and security system from scratch. The system includes two cameras, one of which is a repurposed USB web cam I purchased years ago to record videos. It is motion sensitive and can be panned, tilted, zoomed, and so on. Here is the problem: I haven’t yet figured out how to get my system to alert me when the camera detects motion.
I am not using a well-known proprietary smart home platform, so I need to figure a lot of things out for myself. At any rate, my wife recently asked me to explain the point of having a video camera if I need to continually check it manually. The lack of notifications means a burglar could break in, do his thing, and leave undetected. I would not know until the next time I checked the camera.
My wife is right, which is why I am feverishly trying to figure out why notifications are not working. In the meantime, her question is a perfect illustration of why home security monitoring is so important.
No Monitoring Equals Noise
A home security system that isn’t being monitored is little more than a noise maker. An emergency event triggers a noisy alarm, with the expectation being that someone will hear it and respond. But given the fact that people have learned to tune out noisy car alarmed, the chances of neighbors tuning out a noisy home alarm are pretty good.
A noise-making alarm is potentially better than nothing at all. But it is still reactive in nature. On the other hand, 24/7 monitoring is proactive. A monitored home security system is actively looking for triggers. And when a trigger occurs, someone is notified.
Vivint explains that if a homeowner isn’t content with no home security monitoring, there are only two other options:
- Remote Monitoring – Remote monitoring is provided by a company like Vivint. A homeowner’s security system is connected to the monitoring provider over landline phone or internet. When something triggers the system, monitoring personnel at the remote center are immediately made aware.
- Self-Monitoring – Self-monitoring is just as its name implies. Instead of a home security system sending alerts to a remote monitoring center, alerts go to the homeowner’s phone and/or email. It’s up to the homemade to pay attention and respond accordingly.
Vivint says that most systems can accommodate both types of monitoring simultaneously. In other words, alerts are sent to both the monitoring center and the homeowner’s phone. That means more opportunities to initiate a response.
Why Monitoring Matters
Home security monitoring matters inasmuch as it impacts how security companies and property owners respond to emergencies. One of my favorite examples here is a security system equipped with flood sensors.
Water collecting in a home can do a ton of damage. But unless you are talking about major flooding due to a swollen river or a severe storm, water tends to build gradually. A flood sensor provides early warning.
Imagine a homeowner who goes to work without a care in the world. Midmorning, one of the pipes in his basement bursts. The sooner he gets home and addresses it, the better off he and his property will be. The combination of a flood sensor and remote monitoring gives him the edge he needs. He is alerted right away.
What if his system wasn’t being monitored? He probably would have no idea of the flood building in his basement until he arrived home at the end of the day. What good would the flood sensor have been at that point?
Faster Response Times Make a Difference
Response times are a big deal because they can make a world of difference. Think of a burglary in progress. If a police officer arrives within 3-5 minutes, there is a good chance that the burglar will still be in the house. But if no one shows up for 30 minutes, the burglar will be long gone by then.
Fire is another big concern. The faster firefighters are on scene, the sooner they can begin knocking down the flames. There is some debate over whether faster response times reduce fire injuries in deaths. But there seems to be a link based on a 2024 report published by the city of New York.
Last year, fire department response times increased over the year before. There was also an increase in the number of fire-related deaths. The link doesn’t equal a definitive cause and effect, but the link is still hard to ignore.
Professional Monitoring Around the Clock
For the time being, I am content to monitor my own system as I continue to build it. But at some point, I may opt for professional monitoring around the clock. It has attractive features, for sure.
The idea of professionals monitoring my home when I am away sounds nice. I don’t have to pay so much attention to the phone, making my vacations more pleasant. And even when I am home, having an extra set of eyes and ears on my system might mean I sleep better.
One way or the other, a home security system that is not monitored is little more than a noise maker. Making noise is better than nothing at all. But if I’m going to invest in home security, why not maximize its capabilities?
Comments are closed.