Security systems

We also live 15-20 minutes from police, ambulance, fire dept., etc. We have had no problems where we are, have a 130lb dog to help watch the place. But a few years ago I took a job where I was traveling alot, I looked into security systems for my piece of mind while my wife was home alone with two small children (one of the reasons loaded guns around the house were not something I wanted to do).

Talked to the three larger companies in the area that offer security system installs and monitoring in our area. Discovered that these companies are hungry and was able to bargin and negotiate until on of the companies offered a package I couldn't pass up. Here's our deal in a nutshell: $375 for master unit and installation, including 8 zones with glass break protectors, door monitors and motion detectors. It also has a cell phone backup if the land lines are cut. $15.95/mnth monitoring (calling police or fire when alarm goes off, etc. + service plan to cover all maintenance charges over the 3 year contract period.

How do I like it? ... First of all we got a very nice reduction on our home owners insurance do to the smoke/fire monitoring, being that we live in a rural area. Second, I like having it, it's just one more way to deter someone from your proerty and hopefully find an easier mark. You can see the keypads if you look through the windows, we put the little "protected by" stickers on our doors. You can set the system to watch all the doors and windows at night while you can still move around the house. Like I said, just one more link in the chain. Do we have false alarms, yea, a couple a year - always our fault. But the sheriffs dept. is great about checking it out (even though they make no pretence of residential alarms being super high priority to them. I once left the back door ajar, it blew open during the day and set off the alram. When the police got there they saw the back door open and check EVERY INCH of the house! They were nice aobut it when they found out I didn't get the door shut completely that morning. And even though they don't charge us for false alarm response, I gladly pay for that kind of service.

Sorry it got so long, but to summarize: I like having the system (in addition to a dog and a few outside motion detection lights). It's a bit expensive, but gives me piece of mind. If a fire breaks out while at work or vaction, or a door gets opend or a window broken, etc. The system calls the station and someone is informed. Not too bad a deal.

I love dogs....and have a great watchdog myself who's also my best friend.(O-K...I dont have a life!)

But: Crook with gun=dead dog. Crook with steak=Dogs' new best friend!

The only real protection for any home....city or country, is a large firearm. I had the displeasure of knowing some "former" criminals when I lived (and worked) in NY., and most of them could handle/weren't afraid of dogs- but ALL would run from a shotgun! (Hopefully not so fast that you couldn't riddle their stinkin' carcasses with lead a few times though!)

Just look at how the criminal-lovin' liberals want to take away us innocent peoples' guns- they know that's the only way we can win against the scumbags.

I would seriously consider teaching her how to shoot. Most women take to shooting much more than they thought they would after the initial apprehention wears off.

Hope she did not open the door.

A simple alarm is a motion detector activated light. Crime likes a darkened stage.

Mountainman...CA

1. Big, loud dogs
2. Alarms

I expect a .357 magnum would have been on the "to be avoided" list as well, but it's hard to tell that from outside the house.

You're on the right track, though. It's not a good security system that you wife is actually looking for, it's something that will make her -feel- safer.

I haven't met my future ex-wife yet, but I've dated girls that are comfy around guns, and those that treat guns like spiders. I doubt that a woman that's uncomfortable with a gun would be happy with an alarm either...since it just confirms that someone is banging on the door late at night.

But, there may be hope! I've turned two girls from being completely afraid to touch a gun, to wanting to shoot skeet on weekends.

All women like puppies, tho.

(The mileage between two points does not vary.)

I personally think that a noisy dog is the rural dweller's best and cheapest security system. That dog is going to consider your house and buildings his turf and he will defend it, even if that just means alerting the rest of his pack (you and your wife) that he thinks something out of the ordinary is going on there. Yes dogs can be neutralized by killing them or bribing them with goodies, but most dogs that bark will say something long before the crooks get that close.

This gives you time to give yourself an advantage. I think a shotgun is best for the average homeowner, because it does not need much practice to be brutally effective, rounds will not carry very far, and the open end of the barrel looks absolutely huge. But few people leave a loaded shotgun by their bed. You need the time a dog's alert can give you.

But if someone uses a gun, they better be absolutely right and totally sure of the target. Deadly force must be justified or the shooter ends up being the one that goes to jail, or worse.

Security systems cost a lot of money and generate false alarms. My area has a false alarm ordinance that charges the homeowner for more that a couple of false alarms per year.