Home Security System Add-Ons

A reliable home security system is just one of the components of a comprehensive plan for protecting your home and your family. Home security systems deter criminals and, in some cases, provide important evidence of a crime after the fact. However, by itself it’s not enough to shield you from all possible threats.

There are some add-on products that can either be integrated into your home security system or that you may want as stand-alone protection. Let’s take a look at some of the most important:

• Smoke alarms. Every home should have adequate smoke detectors and fire alarms. In many cases, these can integrate right with your home security system and provide an alert to central dispatch when the alarm is tripped, insuring that there’s a quick response even when there’s no one around to hear the alarm go off.
• Carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide detectors are similar to smoke alarms in that they’re constantly reading the air for specific elements. Carbon monoxide, unlike smoke, is colorless and odorless, and a leak can lead to illness or death before you even know it’s going on. By placing these throughout the home you can catch a problem before it starts.
• Motion sensitive lighting. Motion sensors that activate a light can be enough to scare off a burglar or other type of home invader. Today’s motion-sensitive lighting options can be set to a specific threshold so as not to be activated by stray cats or squirrels, for example.
• Remote controls. One of the newer trends in home security systems is the remote control. This device lets you arm or disarm your home security system from your vehicle. The key here is to  make sure that the remote isn’t left out where a home invader could get to it, such as on the seat of an unlocked car.

Community involvement. Perhaps the best supplement to a home security system is an active community watch program. If your community doesn’t have one of these in place, consider starting one. Neighborhood watch programs have been shown to thwart break-ins, especially when you’re gone from home for an extended period of time.

At HSS Net, Madison Parker has been researching and evaluating home security companies and their products as well as analyzing hundreds of videos and documents from actual robberies. Her advice and findings are a great way to understand the ways in which you can improve the safety of your home.