Do you have an alarm system?

[arminnie]

I had one in Dallas. Seems like everybody did there.

When I lived in the San Francisco area I didn't have one. I'd forget to even lock or shut my doors and never had a problem. Safest area I ever lived in.

Now in New Orleans - crime is horrible. There's a murder within a few blocks at least once a month. But we have a security guard, gated parking, lock on elevator and are in a courtyard configuration where 90 units face one another. So I don't have an alarm.

We are getting ready to move to the country. I'm sure we will have an alarm there and one of those big safes.

 

[lucyem]

We have had a security system for years. Mostly for fire monitoring. At our old house the system was through a local company. Presently we have Frontpoint. I was able to buy only the items I wanted & install it myself, easy peasy. Once again I care mostly about fire and my pets. I have a 100lb dog.

What I like the most about my present system is that I can modify it online & change codes for different users. I can set up text message alerts. When we are on vacation I know when the pet sitter arrives, when she opens the door to take the dogs out, when she brings them in and when she leaves. If I am late getting home I know exactly when my son gets home and he does not have to remember to call me.

There are lots of other options we do not have. Like carbon monoxide detection, adjusting the thermostat, turing on and off lights. Its pretty neat what is available now.

Oh and I forgot to mention we do get a discount on our home insurance. I am not sure how much, I would have a system either way.

 

[jessiesue]

Yes, we have one. It's the best money I ever spent for peace of mind.

 

[js]

I use it everyday, and it cost's about $100 a month, not including treats and grooming. I figure if a 130 lb dog doesnt stop anyone, nothing else will.

My dh is retired NYPD and said he never went to a home or apartment that had a break-in that also had a dog.

My dog is under 10 lbs and is a nervous nelly and just ran upstairs since we are cooking and the smoke alarm just went off. We have an alarm too lol and we also get a discount on our insurance.

 

[dawnhaze]

Just off the top of my head, I know three dog owners whose homes have been robbed, with both dog and owners home... I've also seen situations where computerized alarms were disabled by the robbers. Nothing's foolproof regardless of anecdotal evidence.

 

[si-am]

Yes, we just got one after our house was burglarized a few weeks ago. Hindsight is 20/20.

 

[rosiebean]

I use it everyday, and it cost's about $100 a month, not including treats and grooming.

I figure if a 130 lb dog doesnt stop anyone, nothing else will.

One of our neighbors (that has an electronic security system as well) recently came home from a quick trip out...to find a window open and blood all over their floor. They called the police, who were worried that their dog had been injured, but, nope, not the dog. Turns out their dog (who is not really a barker and who is really friendly usually) but the %!*^($!%$( out of whoever tried to break into their house. They might have regretted not turning on their alarm for the 30 minutes they were out, but they had awesome backup!

We have an alarm system my husband installed. It's set up to call us if there's a break in while we're out. We're not necessarily interested in having a call go to a call center, we just want the alarm to make noise if someone tries to break in (which will also alert neighbors, as both on either side of our rather narrow lot work from home during the day). That said, we also have a *very* territorial dog who is called "cujo" by the local UPS guy and "killer" by our mail man...since we got him, I leave screen doors open and windows open etc. during days/nights before we go to bed without blinking an eye, as he lets us know when anyone steps on our sidewalk much less walks up to the house.

Edited to add: Still, one of my BFF's in college was burglarized while their 80 pound boxer was at home (they did not have an alarm system). The dog looked mean but was a sweetheart, and the dog probably followed the burglars around asking for pets while they took the tv and other electronics. Nothing is full proof, but it's probably better to make it harder to commit a crime than easier. Outside of their boxer, my friend's house was a rather easy target. No curtains/shades down (so the people that broke in could see the electronics inside) in a house that was on a quiet street (i.e., no one was around during the day) in a part of town not known for it's safety. The house was old, with flimsy doors and windows that we could break into easily if keys were left somewhere else. Their only protection was the dog, which, in the end, was a non-issue. That taught me a lesson about trying to cover all bases when I bought my own home.

 

[melissalee]

Absolutely! My house was broken into ( guess he didn't see the sign in my yard) he heard the alarm and basically ran off.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Yes, and its worth every penny! Admittedly i am nervous because I was a victim of a home invasion in my 20's- I was alone, guy was wasted but easy to outsmart- I was very lucky. Anyway, I got it when my kids were little and my husband started traveling. He said get whatever would make me feel safe & I did lol. Every window & door, long windows near doors are glass break and in the basement near the big fire egress window, zero motion due to pets & kids. Carbon monoxide and smoke on top floor in hallway & outside the bedrooms and in the basement, some kind of heat sensor in the kitchen, cellular backup, battery backup and control panels both upstairs & down.

I know where I live crime is low but IMO if you are on the wrong side of a statistic and that 1 in a thousand is me then 1 is too many. So I am always grateful when i am alone or one of my kids is alone. I liked the door chime feature when my childern were little because it would announce exactly where the breach was 'back bedroom window second floor' great safety feature for anyone trying to manage cognitively disabled individuals who might be a flight risk. I dont use that feature these days but it would chime if a teenager tried to get out or let someone in during the night. I also bought mobile panic buttons that were useful when the kids were too young to call 911 and which i like for me since stroke runs in the family.

I used the USAA affiliated discount so although my big system was a bit $ when i got it all equipment and maintainence ( including batteries) is covered and they come within 24 hrs. Also, in addition to the homeowners discount/ if there is a power outage apparently having an alarm dependant on power get me a priority if I call and tell them my alarm isnt working. Its got to be 15 years old and I still have never regretted it a second, never minded the payments because they replace everything when it goes.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

I use it everyday, and it cost's about $100 a month, not including treats and grooming.

I figure if a 130 lb dog doesnt stop anyone, nothing else will.

yeah the 100+ pound big black dog that not only barks but jumps on the front door aggressively scares off 'normal' people (no problem with door to door sales people at our house) - I rather suspect he would scare off any intruders too - luckily we haven't had to find that out (and hopefully never will)