Security systems can be extremely multi-functional. They can protect you while you are home or while you are away. They can provide additional fire protection, sump pump alarms, temperature fluctuation alarms and so much more. Below the most commonly used features of a home security system are described.

Secure your home while you are away
Function: This is a pretty common one, everyone knows that a security system is meant to secure your home and protect from intruders while you are away.
How to use: When you leave, you would arm the system by pressing the “Away” button on your keypad. The system then gives you a predetermined time to leave the house before it arms and all sensors are activated. When you come home you will trigger one of the sensors and hear a beeping at which point you have a predetermined time to enter your code before an alarm sounds or the monitoring station is called depending on the set up of your system.

Secure your home while you are there
Function: Also common knowledge is that a security system secures your home while you are there.
How to use: When you are in for the night you can press the “Stay” button on the keypad. The doors, windows and glass break detectors will be set but the motion detectors will be off so you can still walk about your house. If one of these perimeter sensors is triggered, a siren will sound immediately. There is no time delay on the stay mode, but you will still have the ability to enter your code before the monitoring station is alerted to first rule out false alarms.

Fire and Carbon Monoxide Protection
Function: Your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector are paramount to you safety. But what if you are asleep or you just don’t hear it? Connecting these items into the alarm system will not only alert you of the problem but it can also alert the monitoring station so help can be sent.
How to Use: The smoke detector and/or carbon monoxide detector can be connected to the alarm system so that emergency services are immediately dispatched or for smoke alarms there can be a small window of time where you can go to the keypad and enter your code in order to shut it off and prevent emergency services from being dispatched. I know this would be handy in our home in case Dad decides to cook… or use a blow torch. Your technician can further explain the pros and cons and timing of the alarms for these detectors.

Sump Pump Alarm
Function: This was covered briefly in the Snow Bird Security post on December 14, 2016. A sump pump alarm connected into your security system can give you that valuable time to find a solution to your water woes before your basement becomes overrun.
How to Use: A sump pump detector can be connected to your alarm system and alert you or a pre-selected list of people in the event that your sump pump is malfunctioning. This could be the case if you are away for a few days at a time and there is a big rain storm or if the power goes out and you are simply away for the night.

Temperature Sensing Alarm
Function: This can certainly be helpful in a home in the winter to alert if the pipes are close to freezing but it can also be useful in a farm setting. Many livestock are very sensitive to temperature change whether it is warmer or cooler.
How to Use: Similar to the sump pump alarm, a temperature sensor alarm will send a signal to the alarm panel and alert pre-selected people if the temperature gets too low or too high. A temperature sensor can monitor the fluctuation of temperatures in a very small range, so even if the temperature rises 1 or 2 degrees it can alert of the change and it can be corrected before it becomes a problem.

Medical Alarm
Function: Medical alarms have many ways to monitor them, one of those ways is through an existing alarm system.
How to Use: A person in the home can wear a pendant and press it if they are in distress. Your alarm system would then alert the pre-selected list of people to call and come to the persons aid.

Anything with an output signal can be monitored and added to an alarm system. Have more questions? Give the guys at First Line Security a call at 519-881-1103 and they would be happy to answer any and all of your questions.