MARIE had always
considered herself safe
in her home, which
had a dead-bolt lock
on the front door.

But when she returned
one evening and learned that
there had been a break-in at
the house next to hers, Marie
(not her real name) became
anxious. Her concern quickly
turned to alarm when she dis-

covered gouges on the side of

her door, indicating that the
burglar had tried to gain
entry to her home. Fearful
that he would be successful
the next time, Marie decided
to have an alarm system
installed.

Bur, as Marie soon found
out, choosing the right alarm
system can be both time-con-
suming and confusing.

First, there are more than
a hundred alarm system sup-
pliers listed in the Yellow
Pages. Should one deal with a
large company or an indepen-
dentiy-owned supplier that
quotes a rock bottom price?

Then there is the question
of whether the company is
reputable. How long has it
been in business? Does it
comply with industry require-
ments. governing installer
qualification, equipment. cer-
tification and - installation

’ standards? .

~_MEts important to remem-
ber that this is 2 buying deci-
“sion that. will’ protect. your
-home and family for at least
10 years; so it pays to do your
-homework and consider the
o three “R’s”: reliability, repu-
tation and references,” says
Steve Millen, director, mar-

Friday, November 26, 1999 - North Shore News -99

ing yourself -

Photo submied

CHOOSING a home alarm system can be time-consuming and confusing — don’t be afraid to ask questions.

keting and public relations for
ADT = Security Services
Canada, Inc.

Before having an alarm
szstem installed, it’s wise to
get at least three estimates
and compare the equipment
— part for part and sensor for
sensor. Ask for a written quo-
tation and always. be wary of
claims that “we can do it for
less.” Make sure you are com-
paring apples to apples.

If you have cighbours,
friends or work colleagues
who already have an alarm
system, ask them what com-

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pany they deal with. Are they
satisfied with the service they
receive? Have they ever had
any problems with the system
and if so, how effectively were
these issues dealt with?
Before vou decide to pur-
chase a particular system,
make sure that the equipment
used is listed and fabciled by
the Underwriters’ Laboratory
of Canada (ULC) and the
Canadian Standards
Association (CSA) and that it
comes with the proper docu-
mentation and instructions.
You should also ask to sign a

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Con?

contract and find out what
the warranty period is and
what it covers.

When you meet with the
security company’s sales rep-
resentative, ask about their
employer’s credentials. How
fong has the company been in
the security alarm business? Is
it a member of the Canadian
Alarm | Sccurity Association
(CANASA}?. Is all of, its
equipment ULC fisted and
does it own and operate a
ULC-registered monitoring
station? If not, who does the
monitoring? Does it use its

own employees or subcon-
tractors to install the system
and what level of after-sales
service and technical support
does it provide?

It’s important to remem-
ber the basics: the purpose of
an alarm system is as a deter-
rent and te reduce the loss in
the event of a burglary. Given
the choice beeween 2 home
with an alarm system and a
home without one, burglars
will almost always chaase the
easiest target.

No ‘system can eliminate
risk, so make. sure that you

HERE are a list of
questions you can take
with you while you're
shopping around for an
alarm system provider, .
How ‘long has. your
company been in business?
& fs your company’ -2
member of CANASA? _
Will you provide. me
with a written quotation?: -
@ Will you provide’ me
with’ a contract once I.
have Parchared the yer
tem?

have the appropriate insur-
ance coverage. However, you
will be pleased to know that if
your alarm system satisfies
insurance requirements, you
will be assessed lower insur-,
ance premiums. Most |
alarm companies carry liabi
ty insurance of ac least $1 mil-
lion and have contracts that
include a “Limit of Liability”:
clause clearly outlining ‘the
relationship. between insur-.
ance and the alarm service.”

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