Commercial: Burglary Alarm Systems

If you're concerned about having your office burglarized, your fears may not be completely unfounded. FBI studies have found that an unprotected office is roughly three times more likely to be robbed than one protected by an electronic security system. Arming your office with an alarm system can provide a powerful message of discouragement to a would-be burglar for far less money than you might expect.

The majority of small offices can be adequately protected with a fairly basic system. Doors and windows are fitted with contacts to detect unauthorized openings. Motion detectors sense movement after hours and keypads allow the system to be armed or disarmed by authorized personnel. The system is controlled by a master control panel which, in addition to triggering an alarm, usually provides a record of who has been arming & disarming.

A prime consideration in choosing an alarm system is convenience. Unless you want to restrict after-hours access to just one door, it may make sense to have a keypad installed at each regularly used egress point. Moreover, if different areas of your business are occupied at different times of day, those areas can be set up to arm and disarm independently.

You'll also need to consider how you want your office to be protected & what type of response you want when a violation is detected. The most important response is the one from our central station office where alarms are received, authorities are dispatched, and then, additional contacts you provide are notified to keep you informed about what has occurred. You can even choose whether the alarm is silent or, more commonly, sounds a siren &/or flashes a strobe light – inside your space or outside where others might be more likely to notice.

Your total costs will actually be lower since a professionally installed alarm system typically results in a 10% to 20% discount on business insurance premiums.

One way to keep costs low is by avoiding over-buying. For instance, installing magnetic contacts in every window of a conference room may be superfluous when a single motion detector is capable of securing the area. But keep in mind that a building alarm is only a partial defense. Well-lit entrance-ways and parking lots, and secure door and window locks also help make your office more secure.