Are Home Alarm Systems Really Worth It?

We receive A LOT of questions here at Alarm System Report about home alarm systems and whether or not they’re worth the money. It seems many people believe that an alarm system is simply protecting against something that will “never happen to them”. While many of you won’t actually have a break-in or an emergency at your home in your lifetime, the odds that you will are still very high. As we’ve stated before there are many burglaries and home break-ins throughout the country on a yearly basis. In fact there are well over a million home invasions taking place each year. Having a monitored home alarm system can greatly reduce the chances of a break-in. In actuality, you are THREE time LESS likely to incur a break-in if you have an alarm system installed.

That statistic alone should tell you that having an alarm system is 100% worth it. It’s better to be safe than sorry, right? Aside from the fact that there are a lot of break-ins occurring each year, there are several other reasons installing a home alarm system is a good idea.

A Home Alarm System Protects Against More Than Burglaries

Not only are burglaries on the rise, but many homeowners worry about the potential for a fire in their home. While this may be a little easier to curb, there is still a chance. A home alarm system can contact authorities for you in the event of a fire. Many home alarm systems have devices for smoke or heat detection, and will alert the local fire department immediately, greatly reducing your chance of death or injury due to a fire.

Home Alarm Systems Can Help With Medical Emergencies

Burglaries and fires aren’t the only things a home alarm system can help you with in an emergency. Sometimes calling 911 or contacting emergency personnel can be difficult in a time of crisis. Home alarm systems can be a great asset to you during this time of need. All alarm systems have “panic” buttons on the main Control Panel and keypads, and many wireless alarm systems also have portable panic buttons which can be carried on your person, much like the popular “Life Alert” system. However, with this, you won’t have to have a separate service (or use your home phone line) in the case of an emergency. Hitting the panic button will have medical personnel dispatched to your home immediately.

Additional Home Alarm System Features Don’t Always Cost More

As we mentioned prior a home alarm system can help you in the case of a fire or medical emergency as well as with a burglary. However, many people believe that these other services will cost them extra. Many of the top home alarm system companies do not charge extra for the monitoring services. For instance, FrontPoint Security offers monitoring for burglary, fire, and medical with all of their monthly monitoring plans. So not only are you getting top of the line protection against intruders, but the alarm system could save you from a fire or help in times of a medical emergency at the home.

Overall, a home alarm system is a great thing to have in your home, and many home insurance companies will provide you with a discount off of your premium for owning a monitored home alarm system – so it can pay for itself sometimes. If you simply think “Oh, it will never happen to me”, that’s ok. We won’t tell you what is and isn’t best for you. But we will tell you that it is better to be prepared than not. Many times people come to us AFTER they’ve had a break-in or emergency, and they wished they’d installed an alarm system much sooner.