Burglar Alarm or Security System: Is there a Difference?
That is a question that many burglar alarm system dealers often find themselves answering. After all, many people grew up calling that small panel near the door a home burglar alarm; to them, the term “security system” may sound like an entirely different piece of technology. Years later, when they go shopping for home burglar alarm systems or they are reading home burglar alarm systems reviews online, they may very well get confused about the difference between the two. To help clear things up, here are the actual definitions of both
What are Burglar Alarms?
Burglar alarms are the components of security systems that alert the homeowners to the presence of an intruder. In the security industry, the technical term used for home burglar alarms is “intrusion detection” or “intrusion detection systems.” But the truth is, most homeowners who own alarms do not merely have a burglar alarm; what they actually have is a comprehensive security system, which includes intrusion detection in the form of burglar alarm equipment.
Getting Your Burglar Alarm Monitored
A simple burglar alarm, even a wireless burglar alarm, will sound whether or not the alarm is monitored – but take note, most police departments will not respond to an alarm that is not monitored by an alarm monitoring company. That is why it is so important to have your alarm, whether it is a hard wired or wireless burglar alarm system, monitored by professionals. More on that in a moment, though. For now, let’s address what security systems are; these are the systems that feature burglar alarms in them.
What are Security Systems?
Security systems are electronic systems that contain many different types of detection features: intrusion detection (burglar alarm systems), fire protection (fire alarms), life safety detectors (such as flood detectors, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and more). In some cases, security systems can also incorporate advanced life safety features like temperature monitoring. No matter what features are integrated, a security system can and should be connected to a UL listed monitoring center with trained operators standing by 24 hours a day to respond to alarms activations.
Why Life Safety Features Matter
Life safety detectors may sound like unnecessary features to some people, but they are actually very important security system components that should not be undervalued. Remember: Floods can destroy homes and property, smoke detection is the first step of fire detection, carbon monoxide is a silent killer, and high or low temperatures can be dangerous to both people and pets. Some of the most popular wireless burglar alarms on the market today are full blown security systems that incorporate all these features. They go far over and above the standard home burglar alarm systems of yesterday.
What Else Can a Security System Have?
In some cases, homeowners choose to integrate security cameras; depending on the monitoring company, these cameras may be able to benefit from monitoring services as well. One thing that is highly recommended is purchasing a burglar alarm system that offers online access; this will ensure that the owner can log into the account from any Internet connection and see what times the alarm was armed and disarmed. In fact, he can also view live video of the home, if there are cameras installed.
These systems typically allow the homeowner to program it for notifications of important events throughout the day, such as when family members arrive home or leave for the day. And if desired, some of the home’s most important electronic features can be integrated with the security system: lights, locks, garage doors and others. It’s still a home burglar alarm, but it’s a far superior one that fulfills all kinds of needs.