You can't read through one newspaper or watch one television newscast without being alerted to the crime wave invading all areas of the country. One of the best ways to prevent your family from becoming another statistic is by installing a 24-hour electronic home security system. But how do you go about selecting a security system and professional installer? There are several things to consider before making this important purchase.

One of your primary concerns should be the reputation of the security systems dealer. Electronic security isn't a short term investment. You must look for one who is reliable and will be around years from now when you need to upgrade or expand. You also want to be sure that the company's employees are all professional and experienced. Installers should have pride in their work and be neat and efficient when installing the equipment. Service appointments should be kept and telephone calls returned promptly. At Solartron we can even handle problems over the phone by servicing your system remotely from a computer. This gets the job accomplished without being bothered by a service call and can be a great savings by eliminating unneeded visits.

You should also consider the type of equipment the company is using. Make sure that your dealer uses products from a manufacturer that has a brand name you can trust such as Ademco. Products should meet or exceed industry standards such as an Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listing. A solid warranty package is another thing to contemplate. If your installation company uses a reputable security manufacturer then the chances that the equipment will fail are minimal. In the rare occurrence that something does go wrong, there will be no hassles in getting a replacement product.

In today's economic times, price may also be a concern. When getting quotes, be sure to compare apples to apples. Many companies advertise entry level systems that provide minimal protection as a come-on. This may be fine for a studio apartment. However, a system for a home requires more. be prepared to purchase additional items that will customize the system for your home. This may mean adding additional burglary protection, fire protection and convenience such as a second or third keypad.

Customizing a System:

Solartron can help you select a system tailored to your specific security needs. To determine what is best for your family, it is important to discuss what type of protection will best blend into your lifestyle.

Are there particular areas of your home that will need additional security? If so, you may want a system that offers partitioning capability. This means that the system can be set up so security in certain special areas can be different from the rest of the house. For example, if you have valuable jewelry in your bedroom or a gun room that needs to be protected, the system can keep these areas armed, even when the rest of the house is disarmed.

Choose a System that is Easy to Operate:

If you customize a system, that does not mean it has to be difficult to use. You want to combine the most advanced technology with the simplest operation. What good is a system if it's so complicated you find it hard to use. The easiest systems to use report the status of each zone in plain English, requiring no blinking lights or numbered codes. For instance, if your son left a window open, the keypad would signal, "Fault - Pete's Bedroom Window," eliminating the guesswork.

This issue of simplicity is especially important if younger children are going to use the system. Some products can be programmed so that a child can press just one button instead of a four digit code to operate some functions of the security system.

How It Works:

Once you have selected the features you would like, you should be familiar with how a security system operates. The brains and communications of the system are contained in the control panel. This panel is a metal box housing the electronics and is often hidden from sight, in a closet for example. Various kinds of sensors are connected to the control panel from their locations around the home.

There are sensors for two basic types of protection: perimeter and interior. Perimeter protection sensors are located at the vulnerable entry points of the home, such as doors and accessible windows. These would include magnetic contacts and glassbreak sensors.

Interior sensors detect motion inside your home. One example would be a Passive Infrared Detector (PIR) which detects motion through body heat. There are also devices called dual technology detectors. In order for these to sound an alarm, two technologies have to be tripped such as PIR and microwave. These are traditionally used in harsh environments. Smoke and fire detectors are other types of interior protection since they are located inside, usually high on walls or ceilings.

When a sensor reports a "catch" to the control panel, it analyzes the report to determine which sensor it came from and whether the problem is an intruder, fire or an emergency. After this quick analysis, the control panel can sound a siren or activate lights, and can alert a 24-hour monitoring service, such as Amcest Corp.,  which in turn can verify the alarm and dispatch police, fire or medical help as necessary.  Typically, the monitoring service is notified by a digital message sent over regular telephone lines.  To protect against phone line failures or line cuts, a radio service known as AlarmNet provides additional security and will permit a signal to be transmitted even if the phone line is cut.

To operate the alarm system, you use the security keypad. From the keypad you give commands to the control panel to activate or deactivate the system. The most traditional form of a security console is the keypad. This is often located near frequently used entrance doors.

Today, people are accustomed to using remote control devices and Ademco is reacting to this trend. With Ademco's Vista Plus Security, your system can be controlled by wireless portable keypads or transmitters the size of key chains. These devices allow you to activate the system from inside or outside the home. This is particularly useful if you spend a lot of time in the backyard or by the pool. By adding a wireless control to your package, you have extra mobility while still maintaining a great sense of security.

If you are still not comfortable with using any type of keypad, Ademco offers a system that uses a very familiar interface: the telephone. If an installer includes a telephone voice module in your package, you will be able to access information from any on-site or remote TouchTone phone. This is especially convenient when you have already reached work and are unsure if you've armed the system. All you do is call from any TouchTone phone to check the status. The system responds with a digitized voice message.

When you select Solartron Security Systems as your alarm company, you can be confident that you have selected the very best where second best is never good enough.