Using an alarm system off-line

[Matt]

I just moved into a new house which has a Brink's system already
installed. We haven't decided if we want to activate it with Brinks
yet or not. I don't see the need to pay >$30/month to protect my
household goods. That's what I have insurance for. My main concern is
protecting my family when we are home. Because the equipment is all
purchased, is there a way to use it off-line so that the alarm will go
off, but it just won't be connected to the police/fire department? I
was originally told yes by someone at Brinks, but when I called back to
get instructions on how to do it, I was told that it was impossible to
do.
-Thanks
Matt

 

[FIRETEK]

I just moved into a new house which has a Brink's system already
installed. We haven't decided if we want to activate it with Brinks
yet or not. I don't see the need to pay >$30/month to protect my
household goods. That's what I have insurance for. My main concern is
protecting my family when we are home. Because the equipment is all
purchased, is there a way to use it off-line so that the alarm will go
off, but it just won't be connected to the police/fire department? I
was originally told yes by someone at Brinks, but when I called back to
get instructions on how to do it, I was told that it was impossible to
do.
-Thanks
Matt

If you think the $30.00 a month you're not spending on monitoring is somehow
going to "protect your family", you've obviously never experienced a home
invasion (nor know of someone who has). The monitoring fee has nothing to
do with "protecting your property". If you have a Brinks system, then
expect nothing more than the absolute minimum for protection. The basic
system comes with two door contacts and a motion detector. It would barely
work for your dog's house. If you're thinking of protecting your family,
you have to re-evaluate your entire security system. A perimeter system is
what you want (and I don't care which alarm company you choose to provide
it). I'd suggest you have a look at what Frank's put together at
http://www.yoursecuritysource.com. Click on the "FAQ's" link. Oh, and by
the way... ditch the Brinks system. You probably don't even "own" it.

 

[Stanley Barthfarkle]

I just moved into a new house which has a Brink's system already

installed. We haven't decided if we want to activate it with Brinks
yet or not. I don't see the need to pay >$30/month to protect my
household goods. That's what I have insurance for. My main concern is
protecting my family when we are home. Because the equipment is all
purchased, is there a way to use it off-line so that the alarm will go
off, but it just won't be connected to the police/fire department? I
was originally told yes by someone at Brinks, but when I called back to
get instructions on how to do it, I was told that it was impossible to
do.
-Thanks
Matt

Matt,

The alarm isn't there to protect your property, or to replace insurance
coverage. It is there to detect and report an alarm event, such as intrusion
or fire. It will not prevent an event- it will only report one. If the
occupants are home, this will alert them so they can take proper action. If
the occupants are absent, the alarm's primary function is to notify the
authorities (and you) of the event, be it fire or intrusion, etc.
Secondarily, a sounding alarm can be helpful to minimize the amount of time
an intruder is willing to spend stealing or damaging your property.

I'm sure someone here will have an answer about whether your Brinks system
is programmable by the end user to be local only. Since the Brinks systems
are proprietary, you might be faced with replacing the control (CPU) and
keypad(s).