When the economy is down, crime can spike. People are desperate, need money, and will go to extremes to procure it. At the top of this year, NJ Spotlight released a report detailing that violence is up in many areas, with homicides rising as much as 23% in certain towns. Our locksmithing business, Pop-A-Lock of Northern NJ, has seen a significant increase in calls for rekeying and replacing locks because of burglaries that have occurred. Given this, there’s never been a more crucial time to look into a burglar alarm system for your business. There are three general types of burglar alarm systems you may be considering.
DIY System
The first is a DIY system, one where you would do the work to install the sensors and program the system. While many people take this route for cost reasons, the old adage “you don’t know what you don’t know” is applicable here when understanding what sensors should be used and where the proper placement of a particular type of sensor is for your unique situation. When your business (and lively hood) is at stake, electing the second system type we discuss below may be prudent.
Professionally Installed
The second type is a professionally installed system, installed by a NJ licensed security technician. You can expect a security technician to visit your business to assess your needs while doing a free security audit. If you are required to have a monitored fire alarm system in your company, a combination fire alarm and burglar alarm system may be suggested. The security technician will then provide a quote for an installed and monitored system after the site visit.
Important: A licensed security technician must have a minimum of 3 years of experience installing these systems. They also must have passed a set of 3 exams, ensuring that they are qualified before being granted a license. Additionally, the licensed technician must continually take approved educational courses to maintain their license.
UL-Certified System
The third system type is a UL-certified burglar alarm system installed by certified UL installers to abide by specific standards. These systems are far more expensive but sometimes require insurance companies insuring very high-value assets – think of a diamond broker with $10 Million in stock. If your business has a large amount of high-value portable inventory, this may be a requirement you must meet.
Your business is likely one of your most considerable assets, so it pays to be sure it’s protected well. The potential for fire, theft, and flood should be mitigated as part of your business continuity plan and areas continually monitored to help prevent catastrophic losses.
The market for burglar alarm systems is continually growing. The Security Professionals can help you discern which security system is best for your business — get in touch to learn more today.
