What is an Alarm Monitoring Service?

An alarm monitoring service is an additional security feature many people choose to purchase when they have burglar alarm systems installed in their homes. This type of service monitors a person’s home or business for alarms, usually 24 hours a day. In the event that an alarm sounds on a property that has an alarm monitoring service, the company that provides the monitoring usually calls the residence or business to rule out the possibility of a false alarm. If the service determines that the alarm is valid, it usually calls for emergency help, such as the police or fire department.

When a property has an alarm monitoring service and an alarm sounds, a signal is typically sent to the monitoring company. This signal is often sent through a telephone line or via the Internet. Some even use cellular towers to transmit the signal. When the monitoring company receives this signal, it knows it is time to determine whether it’s a false alarm, and if not, call for emergency help.

Often, people sign up for alarm monitoring service for added peace of mind; the general idea is that having a burglar alarm may help to scare criminals away. For example, if a criminal opens a window and an alarm sounds, he may run away rather than continuing into the home or business. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, however. It is possible that some criminals may continue into a property despite the sound of an alarm or may attempt to disable it. In such a case, an alarm monitoring service can help ensure that help is on the way.

Alarm monitoring services are often helpful for when a resident is away from home or a business owner is away from his property. If a burglar attempts to enter the property in such a case, the alarm monitoring service will usually attempt to call the property. When no one answers the phone to say it is a false alarm, the monitoring company will usually call the police and send them to the property. The same sort of process may occur if the home's fire alarm sounds, except the service will usually call the fire department.

This type of service may prove helpful in the event of a home invasion as well. A home invasion occurs when a criminal breaks into a residence while the resident is at home. In such a case, the monitoring company may phone the residence, and the resident may answer the phone in distress or not answer at all. Either way, the monitoring service would call the police. Some alarm systems also have panic alarms, which allow users to start the alarm with a touch of a button; these alarms may cause loud sirens to sound, but some panic buttons activate silent alarms.