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It is certainly possible to point to claims made by alarm companies to be the best. It is also possible to point to opinions or rankings of the best. But this does not necessarily mean these are the best alarm companies for your personal needs.

If you follow a sound process, the decision will probably make itself in your mind. Here is a popular and logical process to consider.

Decide What You Want and Need

The various alarm companies use different sensor and monitoring equipment. They also offer different services, service options and service packages. The first step in choosing the best company is to decide what you want a system to do, what you need it to do, and how you want it monitored. Next think about whether you want sirens outside your house or notification of the police.

Who or what are you trying to protect, and from what? Are there children, someone with a disability, elderly family members? Are you most concerned about people or possessions?

What do you expect from the alarm companies? Do you want them to create a security barrier around your property? Do you want them to have the right sensors to know when you need emergency services and send them? Do you want sirens and lights to alert your neighbors? Do you want security devices that will help you manage the household?

Decide Which Alarm Companies to Interview

Either make a list of alarm companies recommended by friends, neighbors and other acquaintances or start with a list from the phone book or the internet. Check with your local police to find out who they do or do not recommend. Ask your insurance agent how a security system will affect the cost of your insurance and find out if they recommend any specific companies. You can also get a list of local alarm companies that are members of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association.

Do a sort of background check on the companies you are considering. Check with the police, the Better Business Bureau and the state licensing office to be sure the alarm companies you are considering are properly licensed, certified and insured. Look for any complaints filed against a company. Be fair to the companies, and find out how disputes or complaints were resolved. This information can provide valuable insight into how the company treats customers.

Give some thought to whether you want to deal with a local company or a local franchise of a big home security company. Find out whether home security is the focus of the company or a sideline. Consider the reliability of equipment and monitoring.

Interview the Three to Five Alarm Companies

Ask enough questions to be sure you trust the company. Find out how they can respond to each of your needs. Consider who has the best equipment. Will they require you to buy or rent the equipment? How soon can it be installed? Who offers the best monitoring? Which alarm companies have the systems in place to allow you to monitor from another location?

Next determine which of the specialized equipment (medicine cabinet alarms, for example) and services (when the kids come home from school) are available from each of the alarm companies. Compare the costs for these services.

Ask to see and confirm licensing, certifications, insurance and bonding for each company you interview. Check with the appropriate companies to be sure license and insurance are still in effect. Ask how the company screens employees, especially installers.

Choose the Best Company for Your Needs

Review all of the information you have gathered and compare it with your needs. Narrow down your list of companies.

Compare prices and eliminate any companies that are priced beyond your budget. Also rule out companies priced extremely high or extremely low. Compare the security offered, customer service, your level of trust, and the time until the system can be installed and operative. Ask about warranties on equipment and installation.

Based on this information, choose from the alarm companies you interviewed the one that is the best match for your needs and your budget. Then have the system installed. As soon as the installer leaves your home, change the access code and the password.

Todd Cavanaugh is a 10-year security alarm company business owner. His company installs pre-wired and wireless monitored security systems, 24-hour camera surveillance systems, access control systems and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. See his business web site for his recommendations on how to choose alarm companies.

The recession and rising joblessness are taking a toll in many ways in our society. One of those is the rising burglary rate. If a burglary was happening every twelve seconds before the recession, it is hard to imagine what the rate is now. One way to protect yourself and your property is with a wireless burglar alarm.

You don’t have to live in a high-crime neighborhood or in a gated mansion to be targeted for robbery. With more than 60% of robberies occurring in the daytime by forcible entry, installing a wireless burglar alarm is just smart.

Why a Wireless Burglar Alarm?

The fact that wireless burglar alarms are a good choice for any residence is supported by several facts. First, alarms are a deterrent. Homes that have no security are three times more likely to be targeted.

Second, wireless burglar alarms are ideal for people who rent an apartment or house. Because there are no wires, there is no damage to walls, ceilings and floors. In fact, a portable wireless burglar alarm can be removed and taken with you when you move to another house or apartment.

Third, wireless burglar alarms are quick and easy to install. You can do it yourself in about a hour.

Wireless Burglar Alarm Components

You can pick and choose the components you need for your wireless burglar alarm, just as you would with a hard-wired system. You can get an alarm for a single door or a system for an entire house.

Every system will have a control panel, often combined with a keypad, a siren or alarm, a panic button, a connection to a telephone line, and switches or magnetic sensors for each exterior door and window. More elaborate systems might also include glass-break sensors that respond to the sound of a door or window being broken, motion sensors that detect someone moving around inside the house, exterior motion sensors that either turn on lights of sound an alarm if someone is close to exterior doors and windows.

How Do You Decide What You Need?

The best way to determine your needs in a wireless burglar alarm is to ask a home security specialist. These trained professionals know what to look for to determine your homes vulnerabilities. They will also look at your familys routines, at the neighborhood crime rate, the doors and windows, and more.

Home security professionals can help you evaluate the types of wireless burglar alarms available and choose the best system for your family’s needs. For example, if your home is empty for several days or weeks at a time, your alarm will need to be connected to a telephone line that will alert you and summon the local police. If you live in an apartment or townhouse, a very loud siren or alarm might be enough to alert neighbors. If you have children who are home alone in the afternoon, you might want to be able to notify a neighbor, the police and you.

If all you need is a simple wireless burglar alarm on a single door or a few windows, such as an apartment, you might need merely advice on the best alarm. If you are good at following directions, you can probably take the alarm home and install it yourself.

If the right time to install a wireless burglar alarm in your residence is now, carefully evaluate your needs, find the best system for your security needs, get it properly installed, and relax. You can stop worrying about your home.

About the author: Todd Cavanaugh is the ten-year owner of Protech Security Systems, a wireless burglar alarm company. His company also specializes in home and business monitored security systems, fire alarm systems, access control systems and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. For more information, see his recommendations on wireless burglar alarms.