Home security

If you saw me in a store, you probably would never guess that I have trouble leaving my house. When I am in a public place such as a store or library I am open and friendly, I talk to people and offer assistance where needed. At home, however, I worry. I have always worried, since I was a little girl.

As far back as I can remember, only one creature has ever truly scared me. Another human being. Animals are fairly predictable. They will react based on specific triggers that control their behavior. Hunger, fear, prior training or treatment... A mother will protect her offspring if she feels they are threatened, a feral cat will scratch to remain free... animals are predictable. Humans are not. You can never know what might motivate a human to do something. If a dog is going to bite you then it will often growl first, the bite being a means of last resort. A rattlesnake will warn with a rattle of its tail. A human will smile and act friendly until it is too late to know it is an act.

That is why I have been seriously considering getting an alarm system. It is not a passing fancy with me, rather it is something I have put considerable thought into over the years. I had never got a security system in the past because my mom was my security. Whenever I went somewhere I would call her to let her know I had arrives safely and when to expect me back home. If I left the house, even just to step out onto the porch, I would tell her I was gong out and where and when I would be back in the house. Now, after her passing, I feel... vulnerable.

A home security system for me would be a good night's sleep. A way to lay down at night and not worry myself to sleep over possible 'what if's that could happen while I am sleeping. While it has always been a problem trying to leave my house, it is just as hard being home alone.

That is what makes the ADT Essential Plus package look so good to me. The package offers 24-hour burglary monitoring for a low monthly fee, and with their current Internet special the Essential Plus home security systems are affordable enough for anyone to have installed.

The ADT Essential Plus package comes with a hardwired control panel, a touchpad to allow you to check the status of the system, two hardwired door and window sensors, a motion detector, an indoor sounder to alert you to trouble, 1 24-hour battery to assure that a loss of power does not mean a loss of protection, and an ATD window decal and yard sign to give warning to intruders that they need to turn back now.

Another system that caught my attention is the ATD Companion Service, which offers in home security for the elderly. I was particularly interested in the high / low temperature sensors that the system includes. Sensors that can alert the ADT monitors to dangerously high or low temperatures within the home. Living in Alaska, particularly in the winter time, I am very aware of what can happen if the power goes out. This feature, if it can be combined with the 24-hour battery backup, would be invaluable in an area where we suffer from frequent winter power outages. Even without the power outage and battery backup, I am struggling to keep the house warm now, it would be peace of mind to know that should I fall asleep at night I would have someone else monitoring the house to be on the alert for the inside temperature to drop to dangerous levels. That is a life saving feature I had never considered a home security system could offer, and one which makes me think all the more about the importance of such a system as I care for my dad.