Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the things I should do to secure my building (home of office)?
Everything you can do to make your building more difficult and time consuming for an intruder acts as a deterrent. Make sure all doors and windows are in good condition and work properly. All doors should be equipped with quality deadbolt locks properly installed with re-enforced strikes.
Sliding glass doors should be fitted with; screws above the track to reduce the possibility of lifting the doors out of their tracks, bars behind the moveable portion, and pins at the top that either screw in or have a detent ball (to prevent the pins from being shaken or jimmied out).
Single or double hung windows should have some kind of latch or clamp, in addition to flip latch in the middle of the window.
Plants should not obscure the building, or provide a place for someone to hide. The building should be well lit (motion sensor lights will help).
Do as much as you can to make your building as strong as possible. Do it as soon as you can. Take nothing for granted. And, address every single area of possible entry.
How do I know how to select an Alarm company?
Check the Alarm Association of Florida's website www.fla-alarms.org. Ask your neighbors. Consult the local Yellow Pages. Find out how long the company has been in business. Above all, make sure that the company you choose is licensed!
READ THE CONTRACT before you sign it. Know what you are signing. Some companies have MULTI YEAR contracts (Amsafe's contract is 1 year) that automatically renew for a "LIKE TERM" (all alarm contracts automatically renew, some for the same term as the original, 2,3, or even 5 years).
If you are purchasing your panel outright, insist your dealer be willing to "unlock" (reset the installer code to the manufactures default) your panel in the event you need to change alarm companies. Your company should change the installer code from the default to reduce the possibility that someone could tamper with the system programming.
Do not be fooled by a "free system". There is no such thing as a free lunch. The Florida State Attorney has ruled that the term "free system" is not legal.
Although, we readily admit to a certain amount of bias on this point, it is our experience that you generally get better overall service if you deal with a small to medium sized local dealer who actually cares about you as a customer, rather than one of the brand name, larger national alarm companies. Size and market presence don't automatically equate to value, price, or quality of service!
Should I lease or buy my system?
Generally, it is better to purchase the system outright. However, if you are installing in a business, and/or don't plan to be at that location for a long time, it may be more beneficial to lease. There may be a tax advantage to leasing the system as well. However, if you do lease, find out exactly what the lease will cost.
Some legislation has been passed, since 11 September 2001, that allows for significant corporate tax benefits if security equipment is purchased outright (consult your tax advisor or accountant).
All my neighbors have alarms. If I don't have one, am I more likely to be targeted?
Thieves are generally not targeting specific houses; they are looking for the easiest target. If your home is physically difficult to break into, and has an alarm, they will likely pass you by for "easier pickings". The presence of alarm system decals simply tells them they have less time to work in the home should they decide to break into it. One big problem that occurs with alarms is that once the consumer puts one in, he then relaxes his guard, thinking he is totally safe! Proper use of your alarm system is one of the keys to security.
One of the other things you can do is to form a "neighborhood watch" (talk to your police). These programs let the world know you are watching out for your neighbors. Word gets around to the thieves very quickly who generally tend to avoid such neighborhoods provided it is evident to them that it is being done properly!! Bottom line, though, common sense would dictate that a thief seeing a home equipped with an alarm system would probably pass it by in favor of another home without an alarm system (all things being equal).
In the world of security, there are no absolutes, because you are dealing with people!! What will scare off one thief might be largely ignored by another.
Should I buy a hardwired system or a wireless system?
For most commercial applications, hardwire is usually better (some municipalities will not accept wireless equipment in commercial buildings).
ALL of the employes at Amsafe uses wireless systems in their homes! For good reason? in Florida lighting and power surges are a constant problem. Wireless systems are much less likely to be damaged by these occurrences. Wireless systems are more flexible and versatile. With today's wireless systems battery life is not an issue (we offer some transmitters that use standard alkaline AA or AAA batteries that last 3-5 years).
Should I have my system monitored? Won't the horn and the decals scare them away?
There are three (3) compelling reasons to have your system monitored:

Life safety. Smoke kills! Smoke can overcome you so that you are not capable of responding to noise and or flashing lights. If smoke gets in your house don't you want some one on the way to drag you out?! NOW?! Smoke and fire have no fear of anything, even a loud siren!
If someone is in your house doing bad things, do you want to walk in and be surprised by their presence? Or worse, surprise the bad guy? Or even worse, have someone in your family supprise them?
If someone breaks into a window, reaches in and takes one thing, would you want an opportunist (most all thieves fall into this category) to see the broken window, come in and take whatever is left?

Finally in most areas of the country, insurance companies offer discounts on home insurance for monitored systems. They require monitoring for a reason!
Can I expect superior monitoring service if I go with an established large alarm company rather than a small company who subcontracts their monitoring to a third party monitoring firm?
Absolutely not! This is another myth the large national companies would have you believe! Provided both central stations are UL approved, there is NO difference. This may well be the most regulated part of this industry (in fact, many large companies, like ADT, often offer subcontract monitoring to independent dealers, like Amsafe). Overall, the industry standards for monitoring services from professional monitoring companies are excellent, virtually without exception.
Is it better to have monitoring done locally in the city, because some companies monitor long distance?
Although there is some disagreement on this even among experts, today with all of the telephone redundancy it makes little difference if your panel is monitored locally or long distance. This might be difficult for consumers to appreciate at first glance, but experience shows no difference in the end result. (In Florida all monitoring companies, even if they are out of state, must be licensed in Florida)