Moving / gun storage

[03Lightningrocks]

A security system IS useful in deterring a burglar! If you really believe a security system is useless, why not just leave your doors hanging open? All a locked door is good for is an added expense of repair after the burglars kick it down.

As with all theft "DETERRENT" systems, the idea is to make your target look less promising than the neighbors. A loud alarm screeching through the house as the burglar looks for stuff to grab, puts added pressure on them to get out. Having a monitored alarm system is not so much an effort to catch the thieves as it is to get the cops on the way in case you are in the house and fighting off a thug. All the folks claiming their dogs are somehow equal to an alarm are just wrong. Unless your dog can call a cop. Truth is, your beloved family pet may end up shot or stabbed trying to defend the castle. Yeah, a dog is better than nothing, but NOT equal to a good monitored alarm system. When was the last time any of us saw a dog guarding a bank vault?

Each and every step we take to add extra levels of deterrent, decreases the chances of us being harmed or victimized. That is, after all is said and done, why most of us here carry a concealed weapon.

[Longshot38]

Guys when I'm speaking of alarm systems I'm not pulling that out of thin air. I'm talking from first hand experience. LEOs DO NOT get a big hurry get to your home when they get an call from the alarm company. If you happen to catch them when they are not having a busy day and they happen to be in the neighborhood then you were lucky. But I promise you that a police officer running code 3 across town to answer an intrusion alarm is almost unheard of.

As for the K9s thing. I'm not nor have I ever recommended them as a first or only line of defense. But they are another tool in the kit. Like any other security measure they can be defeated. But given the choices they are a much better option then an ADT sign. If you want to know why they aren't guarding a bank vault it is simple, Liability. The banks do not want to deal with law suits because the cost money, and that is not good for the bottom line. On the other hand a security system and guard are a lower liability and risk option for them.

On the subject of security cameras. They are not a proactive measure and I never said they were. However they do aid in recovery efforts. And my post was point out how easy it was to provide your home with security measure equal to or better then off site storage. And to that end I have more then made my point.

[03Lightningrocks]

Guys when I'm speaking of alarm systems I'm not pulling that out of thin air. I'm talking from first hand experience. LEOs DO NOT get a big hurry get to your home when they get an call from the alarm company. If you happen to catch them when they are not having a busy day and they happen to be in the neighborhood then you were lucky. But I promise you that a police officer running code 3 across town to answer an intrusion alarm is almost unheard of.

A loud alarm screeching through the house as the burglar looks for stuff to grab, puts added pressure on them to get out. Having a monitored alarm system is not so much an effort to catch the thieves as it is to get the cops on the way in case you are in the house and fighting off a thug.

As for LEO's and a response time... In Allen Texas...speaking from personal experience.... the cops show up in about three to five minutes. In Plano, Texas... speaking from personal experience... the cops showed up within five to ten minutes. In a larger city, such as Dallas or Houston, the response time may be longer. If a person lives in an area without a police force, but instead a "Barney Fife" and "Andy Griffith", it may take a couple weeks...LOL. The whole idea is to reduce the available time a thief has to operate. No alarm and no phone call means they will NEVER show up. I prefer eventually to never. But that is just me. I didn't get an alarm system because I thought it would render my home "bullet proof", I got it to reduce the time a burglar has to rummage through my belongings. For these purposes, it does work well.

[Lambda Force]

How about an alarm system that pages you. Then you can call the cops on your cell phone and say, "Someone is breaking into my house!"

[Scott in Houston]

How about an alarm system that pages you. Then you can call the cops on your cell phone and say, "Someone is breaking into my house!"

That's what I have, and from personal experience, when my alarm goes off, it's about 5 minutes until they respond.
When I was in Sugar Land, it was 5 minutes max. In Katy, the same...

The primary benefit of a security system is that it creates a ticking clock for the intruders. Even if the average response time was 30 minutes, the bad guys don't know that, and unless they're on drugs, I can guarantee you they won't test it. They'll most likely bolt ... or grab something expensive then bolt.

The good news is, everything you have in a safe will be safe.
Any safe can be defeated with an unlimited amount of time. Don't give them unlimited time... get a security system. Personally, I think anyone who forgoes this as *part* of their security plan is insane or naive. It's just one more tool in your bag. Why not use it???

[03Lightningrocks]

How about an alarm system that pages you. Then you can call the cops on your cell phone and say, "Someone is breaking into my house!"

That's what I have, and from personal experience, when my alarm goes off, it's about 5 minutes until they respond.
When I was in Sugar Land, it was 5 minutes max. In Katy, the same...

The primary benefit of a security system is that it creates a ticking clock for the intruders. Even if the average response time was 30 minutes, the bad guys don't know that, and unless they're on drugs, I can guarantee you they won't test it. They'll most likely bolt ... or grab something expensive then bolt.

The good news is, everything you have in a safe will be safe.
Any safe can be defeated with an unlimited amount of time. Don't give them unlimited time... get a security system. Personally, I think anyone who forgoes this as *part* of their security plan is insane or naive. It's just one more tool in your bag. Why not use it???

I would be tempted to rush home and with my luck probably get myself shot...LOL. You have the alarm system for the same reason as I. It creates a time limit for the bad guys. I know beyond any doubt, they aren't going to have time to get my safe open!

Does that pager system also call the monitoring company or do you get the pager system in lieu of a monitoring service?

[Scott in Houston]

I would be tempted to rush home and with my luck probably get myself shot...LOL. You have the alarm system for the same reason as I. It creates a time limit for the bad guys. I know beyond any doubt, they aren't going to have time to get my safe open!

Does that pager system also call the monitoring company or do you get the pager system in lieu of a monitoring service?

You and I think alike. It's all about making them scared to stick around. The alarm is LOUD, and they're going to know that their time is limited. I know they may grab a laptop or something and bolt, but I know my safe is going to stay SAFE.

The systems texts me when the alarm goes off, and the monitoring service calls my house. If they can't reach me, they call the police. It's all part of the monitoring. And the information from my house is sent via a cell signal, so we don't rely on a land-line that can be cut. It's pretty cool. Response time has been excellent the one time we needed it too. It also texts me every time the alarm is armed or disarmed. That can get annoying, but I can turn that off and on as I see fit. That feature comes in handy when out of town, because I cans see when our housekeeper enters and re-arms (or fails to re-arm).

[03Lightningrocks]

I would be tempted to rush home and with my luck probably get myself shot...LOL. You have the alarm system for the same reason as I. It creates a time limit for the bad guys. I know beyond any doubt, they aren't going to have time to get my safe open!

Does that pager system also call the monitoring company or do you get the pager system in lieu of a monitoring service?

You and I think alike. It's all about making them scared to stick around. The alarm is LOUD, and they're going to know that their time is limited. I know they may grab a laptop or something and bolt, but I know my safe is going to stay SAFE.

The systems texts me when the alarm goes off, and the monitoring service calls my house. If they can't reach me, they call the police. It's all part of the monitoring. And the information from my house is sent via a cell signal, so we don't rely on a land-line that can be cut. It's pretty cool. Response time has been excellent the one time we needed it too. It also texts me every time the alarm is armed or disarmed. That can get annoying, but I can turn that off and on as I see fit. That feature comes in handy when out of town, because I cans see when our housekeeper enters and re-arms (or fails to re-arm).

I need to get the cell phone set up for mine. i have it on a land line. I don't even have the phone plugged into the wall. I make and receive all my calls on the cell phone. I am paying for a land line so my alrm can be monitored... . Now that I am thinking about it, I will probably call them tomorrow and see what it will take to set it up like yours. I know they offer it. I just don't know the cost. thanks for the information!

[tbrown]

If you're betting on it scaring burglars off before the police arrive, a local alarm works just as well and is a lot cheaper.

[Scott in Houston]

I need to get the cell phone set up for mine. i have it on a land line. I don't even have the phone plugged into the wall. I make and receive all my calls on the cell phone. I am paying for a land line so my alrm can be monitored... . Now that I am thinking about it, I will probably call them tomorrow and see what it will take to set it up like yours. I know they offer it. I just don't know the cost. thanks for the information!

Nice. I think it's worth it. The one possible down-side is that if there's true civil unrest, the cell service dies. I experienced that during hurricanes Rita and Ike. That being said, during those times, you can't really rely on police response at all, but you will still have the loud alarm and, again, the bad guys don't know when the police are coming.

In a previous home, our security system was hooked up to the land line. We had a "fun" experience one night when we were awakened to an alarm screaming in our house. It was the first time, and made us realize we had no real plan if that happened... total chaos.

When the police arrived, we searched for the source of the alarm and found nothing wrong, but when I picked up my phone, it was dead. No dial tone. So we went to the phone box and found the largest hornets nest I've ever seen. It had cut the line, which caused the alarm.
(Side note... funniest thing I've ever seen... the cop, a very very large man (the kind you're glad "he's on your side") was with me. He was the one who opened the phone box, and when he saw that nest, he screamed at a pitch I've only heard from my 6 year old daughter. It was the highest, loudest, most feminine scream I've ever heard. I was dying laughing. He was afraid of "bees". Had we found a prowler, I'm convinced this guy would have pulverized him without a second thought, but these "bees" freaked him out! haha I only wish I had it on video.)

[sugar land dave]

Is there some reason that you could not locate and use a local FFL to hold your firearms for you?

[03Lightningrocks]

I need to get the cell phone set up for mine. i have it on a land line. I don't even have the phone plugged into the wall. I make and receive all my calls on the cell phone. I am paying for a land line so my alrm can be monitored... . Now that I am thinking about it, I will probably call them tomorrow and see what it will take to set it up like yours. I know they offer it. I just don't know the cost. thanks for the information!

Nice. I think it's worth it. The one possible down-side is that if there's true civil unrest, the cell service dies. I experienced that during hurricanes Rita and Ike. That being said, during those times, you can't really rely on police response at all, but you will still have the loud alarm and, again, the bad guys don't know when the police are coming.

In a previous home, our security system was hooked up to the land line. We had a "fun" experience one night when we were awakened to an alarm screaming in our house. It was the first time, and made us realize we had no real plan if that happened... total chaos.

When the police arrived, we searched for the source of the alarm and found nothing wrong, but when I picked up my phone, it was dead. No dial tone. So we went to the phone box and found the largest hornets nest I've ever seen. It had cut the line, which caused the alarm.
(Side note... funniest thing I've ever seen... the cop, a very very large man (the kind you're glad "he's on your side") was with me. He was the one who opened the phone box, and when he saw that nest, he screamed at a pitch I've only heard from my 6 year old daughter. It was the highest, loudest, most feminine scream I've ever heard. I was dying laughing. He was afraid of "bees". Had we found a prowler, I'm convinced this guy would have pulverized him without a second thought, but these "bees" freaked him out! haha I only wish I had it on video.)

That is a great story... LOL. My present setup notifies me by beeping if the connection drops. It also notifies the alarm company and they try to call me. if I don't answer, they send the cops.

If you're betting on it scaring burglars off before the police arrive, a local alarm works just as well and is a lot cheaper.

More than once, I have considered doing just this but then I thought about the added security of knowing the police will eventually show up if I am beat down and can't respond or defend myself for some reason.

I have heard of bad response times before but in my area it is pretty good. it sure beats laying on the floor bleeding while trying to figure out how to get help on the way.

[markthenewf]

I have heard of bad response times before but in my area it is pretty good. it sure beats laying on the floor bleeding while trying to figure out how to get help on the way.

Good point. I also included fire/smoke detection to my system at no extra monitoring cost. I am actually more worried about the house burning down than being robbed.

[RECIT]

I would think a private FFL (not gun store) would be able to accommodate you in some form with a reasonable amount of security/reassurance. If a storage unit prohibits firearms it will make filing a police report in the instance of a break in a little more difficult. Also more than likely voiding your contract with the storage facility/possibly making you pay out the rest of the lease(unless its a month to month type deal) due to a violation.

Just like getting evicted from an apartment for violating a lease agreement, you will have to pay a breach of contract fee and the remainder of your lease.

In any instance shopping a form of private insurance and proper documentation in needed to be as thorough as possible.

[sugar land dave]

Is there some reason that you could not locate and use a local FFL to hold your firearms for you?