The first commercial burglar alarms were relatively simple things it has to be said. These usually worked by simply hoping that the intruder would trip one of the wires which would then set a bell ringing.

Clearly things have moved on since then and security websites like ADT will open your eyes to the wealth of different models around now. It shouldn’t really be a surprise to see such modern technology but if you haven’t ever studied the subject then you will be a little taken aback.

Different Detection Methods

For example, if you have never thought about it then it can be interesting to see how many different method of detecting intruders there now are. Did you know that heat detection is one of the most popular types around? They work by sensing that the presence of a person has increased the temperature around the detector. This is just one of the ways in which modern security alarms can note the presence of a burglar. Others use equally interesting techniques such as emitting microwaves or sending out an invisible beam of light. When the box is in use in your home you probably never think about how it works. These methods are certainly less obvious and far more obvious than wires with bells on the ends but they are also vastly more effective.

Wireless Signals

Perhaps the biggest single step forward in home security in recent years has been the advent of wireless alarms which use broadband to send out their signals. This has at a stroke eliminated the risk of thieves cutting the wires or the service being affected by a problem relating to the wires. The owners of those very first home alarms surely wouldn’t believe their eyes if they saw that we haven’t only lost the bells from them now; the wires have gone as well. This move forward has made the entire home security issue a lot more reliable than before.

Fewer False Alarms

There are no statistics to be found on the matter but it is safe to assume the early alarms suffered from a high rate of false alarms. Pets, children and possibly even strong winds could have acted to get those bells ringing and everyone in a panic. Another strong point of current alarm systems is that false alarms have been reduced greatly. This is due to a number of different advances and ideas. The idea of video verification is one which is certainly worth highlighting. In this case an operator from the security firm will look at live video footage of the property when then alarm is activated. Another process involves the operator making calls to 2 different numbers to verify whether or not the alarm is genuine.

This post is authored in association with www.adt.co.uk, the home security alarm and CCTV systems specialist.