Security Alarms

New Zealand Security Alarms

Protect your home with a security alarm, ensuring that your family, property and possessions are as safe as possible. Find out how to shop smart for alarm systems and burglar alarms in New Zealand.

• Alarm Systems
• Alarm Monitoring

Having an alarm system installed in your home can decrease the chance of a burglary. Often if a potential burglar sees an alarm system, he or she will choose another, less secure property as a target. If burglars are not deterred from entering, an alarm will encourage them to make a hasty retreat, decreasing the amount of damage caused and lessening the number of things stolen from your home. Find out how to make a good buying decision when shopping for New Zealand security alarms:

What should I look for in a security alarm?
The basics of your home burglar alarm system are:

• Control panel: The hub of your system's wiring and the place at which it is connected to the phoneline if you have a monitored alarm.
• Keypad: You'll be able to arm and disarm your alarm system from the keypad. Some keypads will show you which entry point has been activated. You can also have additional keypads installed, so that you can have keypad access from more than one location within the house.
• Alarm: The sound of the alarm should be loud enough to attract attention to an intruder, at the same time letting the intruder know he has been noticed.
• Motion detectors: Inside your home, motion detectors using infrared, microwave or photoelectric devices will sense a human presence in the room in which they're placed. If you have a pet, make sure you get a motion detector which won't be set off by your moggie or pooch.
• Central monitoring station: If the system is monitored, the activation of the alarm will send a message via the telephone line to the central monitoring station, where a real person will respond to the alert and contact emergency services if needed.

Are there any useful add-ons for security alarms?

Yes, you can improve the overall safety of your home with:

• Door and window contacts: These magnetic devices will activate the alarm when the door or window is opened, if the alarm is set. Ideally, you will have contacts at all points of entry.
• Glass break detectors: These devices recognise the sound the breaking glass and will activate the alarm.
• Panic buttons: These hand-held alarms can be kept beside the bed or in other locations around the house. Pressing the button will send a message to the monitoring station.
• Closed Circuit Television: A CCTV system allows you to monitor and record both inside and outside your home.
• Smoke detectors: These can be wired through the alarm's control panel and act as a more certain means of alarm if there is a fire in your home. When the smoke alarm is activated by smoke, a message is sent to the monitoring station.

How does a monitored alarm work?
When your NZ monitored alarm detects something untoward, it will:

1. Wait 30-60 seconds before going into alarm mode (giving you a chance to deactivate the alarm)

2. If the alarm is not deactivated, the burglar alarm system will enter alarm mode and send a message to the central monitoring station (Note: this will use the phone line, so you will not be able to make a call to 111 while the alarm is in this phase)

3. The monitoring company will receive a message and call your home. If there is no answer or the person who answers is unable to provide the correct password, the monitoring company will call the police.

4. The police will then respond to the alert.

What about an unmonitored system?
An unmonitored burglar alarm system will be sufficient for most suburban homes. This kind of alarm system uses an onsite alarm siren, which must then be noticed by neighbours or passersby, who will notify the police. The benefit of this kind of alarm system is that burglars will often be deterred by the loud noise and flee the scene to avoid any attention. In many cases, this can minimize the number of valuables taken and reduce the amount of damage to your home.

How do I choose an alarm company?
As with many trades and services, one of the best ways to be sure your alarm is reliable and affordable is to get recommendations from friends, family or neighbours. Also, it's worth checking warranty (should be included with all alarms); the company's policy on hiring installers (potential employees should be screened for criminal convictions); and what you're getting for your money (the cost, quality and features of alarm systems vary widely).

Remember!

• A security alarm system won't always deter a burglar, even if there are obvious signs of an alarm on the outside of the house. There are also many neighbourhoods where an alarm will be ignored or remain unseen.
• Your phone line may be cut by burglars to prevent a call being placed by your alarm system to your monitoring company. It's a good idea to have a protected phone line, which runs underground until it reaches the inside of your home.
• Supplement an alarm system with good security practices, such as locking doors at all times, having a neighbourhood watch group and keep an eye out for security threats in your community.

Looking for more information? Find New Zealand security alarms in the NZS.com directory.

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Business images from Flickr: Sky Tower, New Zealand Flag and Wellington Buildings.