Without access to a central station, the police and other services are only made aware of an emergency (and will only respond) if someone calls them to notify them of the emergency.įor a monthly fee, central alarm systems are monitored by a central monitoring station 24/7. However, a local alarm system will not send out a signal to a security company (central station) if the alarm goes off. These systems alert homeowners/business owners of potential burglary, fires and CO detection by sounding a very loud alarm and/or sending notifications to your smart device. Ī majority of homes and even some businesses have local alarm systems installed. Ready to install an alarm system in your home or business? We’re happy to help! Learn more about the services we offer by visiting our home security monitoring page and our business security monitoring page. In this blog, we’ll examine both types of alarm systems and the differences in how they work if/when an emergency occurs.

Central (monitored) alarm systems - These systems alert both home/business owners and the proper authorities in the case of true emergencies.

However, these systems do not contact authorities.

Local alarm systems - These systems sound an alarm to alert home and business owners of emergencies.

The truth is, the way your alarm system responds in emergencies depends on the specific type you have. Homeowners and business owners typically assume that all alarm systems operate and react in the same way.

One of the most important aspects of your security system is what happens after the alarm goes off.

Central station alarm monitoring