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Items to consider:
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CU Security
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Competition
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A Maine State Alarm License number
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Yes
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???
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Lifetime warranty on parts and labor
(with Maintenance Agreement)
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Yes
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???
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Full time service department on call 24 hours a day
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Yes
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???
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After hours direct contact with the company (not an answering machine)
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Yes
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???
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Minimum 5 years in business
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Yes
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???
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Does NOT re-sell accounts
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Yes
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???
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U.L. certified central monitoring station for fire dispatch
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Yes
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???
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One million dollars worth of liability insurance
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Yes
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???
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Factory trained and a certified installer of Ademco Systems
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Yes
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???
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Hardwired and Supervised Wireless available
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Yes
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???
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Locally involved with community and civic organizations
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Yes
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???
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Stable monitoring fees
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Yes
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???
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Follow these steps to find a reputable and experienced electronic systems company.
- Contact the your state alarm association for a list of member companies in your area. The association's members agree to maintain a high level of conduct under its National Code of Ethics and render services at the highest level of quality.
- Call several companies. Ask them if their employees are trained and/or certified to a local state association.
- Ask the companies if they have appropriate state and/or local licenses.
- Ask the companies if they conduct any pre-employment screening, and what that consists of.
- Contact your local police department's Crime Prevention Department, state licensing agencies, Consumer Protection Agencies, and the Better Business Bureau.
- Ask your insurance agent, friends, family or neighbors for referrals.
- After you've narrowed the field to three or four companies, ask for the name of the person who will call on you.
Consider planning the appoi
ntment time when all members of your household are present.
- When he/she visits, ask to see some company identification.
- Ask each alarm company representative for an inspection, recommendation and a quote in writing. Ask them for references.
Easy Steps to a More Secure Home
Here are a few things you can do to make your home more secure...
- Keep your doors locked. It sounds simple, but in nearly half of all home burglaries, intruders enter through an unlocked door or patio!
Lock your doors even if you are only "running to the store or neighbor's house".
- Get to know your neighbors. Watch out for suspicious activity in your neighborhood. Join a Neighborhood Watch group if it's available.
Start one if necessary.
- Keep trees and hedges trimmed. This gives intruders fewer places to hide while they plot to break into your home.
- Replace burned-out outdoor lights immediately. Using the cover of night, thieves generally target homes with poor outdoor lighting. Consider upgrading outdoor light fixtures with devices that have built-in motion detectors which turn on the lights whenever anyone walks past.
- Don't be predictable. Once inside, thieves do just what you do when you come home: They head for the bedroom. That's where most of us keep our valuables. A jewelry box on top of the dresser is practically a homing signal. But, they also know your "clever" hiding places: dresser drawers, the freezer, under the mattress, and the cookie jar!
- Avoid keeping large amounts of cash and jewelry in your house. Thieves are looking for cash and easy to carry things they can turn into cash quickly: jewelry, silver, cameras and other electronic devices. Keep small "luxury" items locked in a safe or well hidden. Large items don't scare crooks off either -- TVs, VCRs, computers, and stereos get their attention too. Invest in a simple table/desk bolt for stereos, computers and VCRs. If it's too difficult to steal most thieves, looking to get in and out quickly, won't bother.
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