By ROBERTA CANNON
When I think of home security systems, it reminds me of a 1999 Disney movie called “Smart House.” It’s about a teenage computer whiz who wins a computerized house. The house’s virtual assistant—PAT, for Personal Applied Technology—takes on a life of its own after the teenager reprograms it to emulate his deceased mother. Things get out of hand, and PAT becomes controlling and a bit over the top. After a series of events, PAT returns to its original program, though not without some changes.
COURTESY MALFY ALARM
Sarah Malfy at work on a security system
While this might be an unfair comparison, home security systems piqued my interest because I really knew very little about them.
Two Upper Cape companies, Malfy Alarm in Falmouth and Baltic Security Systems LLC in Sandwich, provide these services and have a wealth of knowledge they were willing to share while giving me a bird’s-eye view of home security and what it has to offer today.
As a newbie to the home security world, other than watching companies tout their alarm systems and easy self-installation on TV, my eyes were opened to the reassurance, support and professionalism these two local companies bring to home security and the expanse of options that homeowners can choose from to make their homes secure.
I was even surprised to find out from Sarah Malfy, president of Malfy Alarm, that almost anything can be made secure—including the liquor cabinet that may be left unattended when parents are away for the weekend and the kids are home. If anyone attempts to open the closet, the parents can be notified through an app on their phone.
Ms. Malfy and her husband, Philip, started their security business 10 years ago. While they install home security systems, much of the work they do is focused on fire and carbon monoxide alarm systems.
She explained that most homes have fire and carbon monoxide detectors that alarm within the home and use the standard 110 volts of electricity. In larger homes that require more than 12 detectors, the building codes require a low-voltage system that runs off a keypad. That is where their knowledge and business come in to play.
“Most of our clients are second and third homeowners,” Ms. Malfy said. “While the building codes require the low-voltage systems, we find that the insurance companies are driving the extra equipment.”
The company installs the system, and the homeowner owns it. It comes with a warranty, and if the homeowner chooses for the system to be monitored, that is when a recurring fee will be charged. The fees cover the cost of monitoring that is provided by an Underwriters Laboratories central station in Quincy. The alarm will send a signal to Quincy, and a monitoring operator calls the homeowner to see if the alarm went off accidentally. If not, then central station will go ahead and dispatch police or fire rescue depending on the signal alarm they received.
“The alarm system uses a cellphone system, which has its own dedicated number, to communicate with Quincy, which is now the standard,” Ms. Malfy said. “We use AT&T or Verizon, and the number is not connected to the homeowner’s personal cellphone in any way. The reason it is the industry standard is because, if your internet and telephone are down, your alarm is still powered by battery backup as well as a cellular communicator.”
She said the 3G network sunset is occurring at the end of February, and older cellular communicators will no longer operate. While the company will have to go to the homes to change the communicators, it will not be charging existing clients.
The company also provides security systems that include sensors for low temperature, water leakage, liquor cabinets and other secure locations within the home. The temperature sensor can go off at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and the central station will be notified. Also, water sensors on the floor in various locations will go off when they detect water, and central station will notify the homeowner.
“They are very popular with our seasonal clients,” Ms. Malfy said.
The company does not require any contracts, and clients can cancel at anytime for any reason. They will be refunded for unused monitoring, Ms. Malfi said.
Baltic Security
“We professionally install a quality product, and there are no long-term commitments. We operate our business how we would want to be treated,” she said.
John Bielkus of Baltic Security Systems has been in the business of providing security systems in homes on Cape Cod and Plymouth for the past 37 years. When he first started his business in 1984, security systems were more difficult to install and were specialized because everyone had a particular need.
“It was all wired equipment, and the costs were five times higher,” he said. “Now, the equipment is wireless, and the systems are sold as packages. You can turn on whatever parts of the package you want in the home. For example, a client may want to protect doors but not windows, or they may want a temperature detector but no water detector.”
Baltic Security no longer installs hard-wired systems and installs wireless systems of one product line, DSC (Digital Security Controls) systems. As a dealer for DSC, the company can receive technical support when they need it. One caveat, Mr. Bielkus said, is his technicians train on one product, and they do not have to keep retraining on others.
“DSC provides everything we need,” he said. “The main categories we service are burglary, fire, low temperature, flood, and panic buttons that will call for police or medical assistance.”
Baltic Security
The company also provides 24-hour Underwriters Laboratories alarm monitoring, closed-circuit TV surveillance, certified alarm testing and engineering consulting.
Mr. Bielkus said his company receives the greatest number of requests for burglary protection. Within that need are two levels of protection. The first level involves doors, sliders and motion detectors. That covers entries through normal openings. If someone breaks in through a window, the motion detector will detect them. The second level is for when the client has to shut off the motion detector to move around at night. In addition to protecting doors, Mr. Bielkus said he finds that older clients also want to protect their windows so that they have complete protection around the perimeter.
“One of the biggest changes is that we no longer connect alarm panels to a telephone line,” Mr. Bielkus said. “Everything is connected through cellular radio, which is a two-way portal. When the alarm panel trips, it sends a message to the cellular radio, which relays it to the cellular tower and connects with the central monitoring station, which in turn reaches out to the homeowner or whomever they have designated to be a contact.”
Homeowners have access to their security system by using their keypad or an app on their cellphone. The app allows them to lock and unlock deadbolts on doors and to control the thermostats in the house when they are away.
Baltic Security does not require clients to have a contract for monitoring.
“I want my clients to be happy, and I want a great relationship with them. If they can’t or don’t want a relationship with the company anymore, they can cancel with a 30-day notice,” Mr. Bielkus said.
Now that I’ve spoken with these two companies, I will no longer compare home security systems to PAT from “Smart House,” and I can put that thought to rest. Homeowners can be assured that their home security systems will always be under their control and that help is available with the touch of a keypad, an app or the sound of an alarm.