Nice security measures. For a very long time, I didn't want to install a home security system. It seemed to me that this was a waste of time. But recently there was a very unpleasant situation, my neighbors were robbed. And I realized that it was time to install a security system. A friend recommended Vivint, a company offering good CCTV cameras and alarm systems. But I was very interested in the article you shared. Now, I am 100 percent sure I did the right thing. And I recommend that you install protection and protect yourself and your home.
Home Security
- Thread starter VenomJockey
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I had Vivint, for exactly 2 days. They lied and said their cameras were 1080, in fact they were 720. I asked for a full second keypad, but they installed a 10 button keypad. Everything they offered was junk, their contract was 5 years long, 2 years more than allowed by law. Yeah, it was free, but that free price was amortized for 60 months, making that free system costing about $1800.
I switched back to ADT. They lowered my price. All repairs and replacements are covered, never paid a penny for any extra work. Since I'm out of contract, they don;t want to lose me. I have 24 hour monitoring, with cameras front and back, and the local cops come to my door to get video of any bad guy walking past the house.
I installed a SimpliSafe system. It's a DIY system that is very easy to install. NO wires, all Wi-Fi and the base station has a cell phone connection built it.
I pay $25 a month for them to monitor it but you do not have to have that.
They also have a $14.99 a month plan.
NO contracts.
All doors and windows are monitored, smoke, water, and Co2 detectors.
They have cameras but at the time my wifi was to slow to use them. It needs 5 Mb upload speed and mine was .3 Meg.
They have called me 4 times when they were alerted to a problem.
All 4 time was because my wife spilt water by the dishwasher and got the sensor wet.
They are having a sale right now so you can get 40% off. A complete system will cost you less than $400.
SimpliSafe Home Security Systems | Wireless Home Security Alarms
I pay $25 a month for them to monitor it but you do not have to have that.
They also have a $14.99 a month plan.
NO contracts.
All doors and windows are monitored, smoke, water, and Co2 detectors.
They have cameras but at the time my wifi was to slow to use them. It needs 5 Mb upload speed and mine was .3 Meg.
They have called me 4 times when they were alerted to a problem.
All 4 time was because my wife spilt water by the dishwasher and got the sensor wet.
They are having a sale right now so you can get 40% off. A complete system will cost you less than $400.
SimpliSafe Home Security Systems | Wireless Home Security Alarms
If my dream of a remote home ever comes true, I intend to breed timber wolves.
Problem solved.
Every real man needs a wolf pit!
Problem solved.
Every real man needs a wolf pit!
We used ADT, after we moved and the contract was cancelled we kept getting calls about a door unlocked. They could not seem to grasp the idea that we no longer owned the property and did not care if a door was open or not
Long ago, the house alarm was an X-10 system. A few years back, it got upgraded to Ring. The downside to ring is all the cameras need internet access, but the house alarm doesn't. Back up is Teddy Ruxpin, a 68 lb Austrailian Shepard, he takes a dim view of unknown people. and has learned the tones on the Ring Alarm. Frustrating, but useful 
Here, it depends on what you call in. Call in an actual emergency, it take 3-5 minutes. A "nuisance" call takes hours.
Its not bad here, the round casings are still warm when they get here.
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- Sep 4, 2020
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No shots fired except the fun club around here.
Police and paramedics show up fast enough to do narcan occasionally.
Ben
I'm not sure I'd want the police showing up in the middle of an emergency, when the perps are still inside my house. Our plans include family protection first, police second. I worry about having police with weapons drawn show up in the middle of an uncontrolled situation where I myself will be armed (so will my wife and my kids), with the police not knowing who is the good guy and who is the bad guy.
Last time I needed a deputy it was 48min before he got here. The ambulance is usually quicker unless they have to send one from the next county. So cops play no part of my home security arrangements other than bringing crime scene tape.
I really need a simple stand alone system, wifi is fine, need cameras and motion sensors. I'd like to access it from a desktop too.
I really need a simple stand alone system, wifi is fine, need cameras and motion sensors. I'd like to access it from a desktop too.
Back when I used to be an ambulance paramedic, it was pretty typical for the police to get to a scene first, followed by a tie between our ambulance and the fire department. That's suburban living for you. We all responded to many a scene together, to make sure there was adequate manpower to handle whatever was going on.
One night, I was training some new people. A driver and what we called "a third" - the third person on the ambulance that did whatever, usually the least senior of the bunch. Anyway, I'm sitting in the passenger seat and we pull up in front of the house we were called to. No police in sight, no fire department yet. We beat them all. But the house was pitch dark. Not a light on in the place. And as we pulled up to the curb, I saw one of the front curtains moving. I instructed the driver to get us out of there, and quickly. I radioed the police telling them what I saw. They were only about 30 seconds behind us it turned out. We watched them surround the house from our safe parking place down the block. They radioed back in not too long canceling us. No medical emergency. I don't know what the deal was with that 911 call for an ambulance. The curtain could have been moved by a cat for all I know. But I wasn't about to be the first one into the house to figure it out. Not many people call an ambulance with no lights on in the house. It does happen, but an experienced paramedic will approach that situation with caution and suspicion. It was a busy night and we went on to other calls, as did the police. I forgot to follow up with them later to see what the deal was.
Bottom line: You can't help anybody if you end up injured or dead. So as a responder, your safety has to come first. The police will go into situations that I wouldn't. They are better trained and equipped for that. But they will be on alert and watching out for their own safety as they come to assist you. If you suddenly hop out into a hallway with a gun in your hand - even if you're the good guy - they aren't going to know that initially and you are putting yourself in potential danger from their response. I have thought about this a lot over the years, and that is why I'm not inclined to want the police entering my house, armed and full of adrenaline, in the middle of an uncontrolled situation. If I have been able to implement my protection as pre-planned, and I am in one of my "barricade rooms" behind concealment/cover with a loaded shotgun pointing at the only door into the room (ideally with the door being closed), then I might consider calling the police even though the situation is not totally controlled. I would give the dispatcher I'm talking to on the phone details of where the room I was barricaded in is located, and tell them NOT to allow their officers to attempt to open the door prior to negotiating the exact process to safely do that with me on-scene. Probably would involve the officers on scene cranking up their radio volume, holding the radio up against the door, and let me talk to the dispatcher over my phone and hear the dispatchers response come back over the radio. "Two factor authentication" as it were.
Good call. Take care of yourself first, your partner second, and the patient third.
I had a stabbing call. This particular time my ambulance was a twin Otter. My response times started at about 2 hours. We responded with one medic and the pilot. Pilots and planes were chartered so it was the luck of the draw as to what I got. When we got to the village I stabilized my patient and and got her ready for transport. The Health Aide wanted to get the perp out of the village. I had plenty of room so I transported the patient, the perp, and the Health Aide, for added security. The Troopers met us at the airport and took custody of the perp.
As with so many stories, I enjoy the telling far more than the experience.
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Best 2 watch dogs I ever had! Give me plenty of time to get a hold of a social worker!
I had a buddy back in the 90's that had one of these as a pet. If it knew you, or liked you. it would scream and jump on your shoulder to lick your face. if it didn't know you, you never saw it. One night some homeboy decided to break into my buddy's place to take part in free stuff night...
He stepped on his tail. the ensuing mess looked like somebody had been run through a wood chipper, it was still trying to rip him apart as the guy was trying to get out the window!
He stepped on his tail. the ensuing mess looked like somebody had been run through a wood chipper, it was still trying to rip him apart as the guy was trying to get out the window!
Attachments
It's important to let 911 know about this when calling. They will likely tell you to put firearms away. To which I respond, "I will put it away as soon as I see a badge outside".
I actually did this once, they weren't happy about it but, oh well, I'm not making myself vulnerable while they take at least 20 minutes to get here, maybe as much as 30.
