I have spent 6 years with ADT armed response and I am currently selling response contracts and giving away free alarm systems for Safely home with Chubb. Taking this part of my history and stories from friend and family in the other local response companies and SAPS I can tell you quite a few tales of woe and tragedy. Tales of terror however, is not my business. Constructing safer lives is though.

I have a lot of sympathy for the guy that responds to your alarm and jumps your wall to be chased by your dogs. I know its not fun to have your client shooting at you. Lucky for the response officer, that does not happen often. Most of us expect the response officer to arrive and mostly we feel a lot safer when he arrives. What I am wondering is; did you ever wonder how to help this guy keeping you safe.

No, I am not talking about giving him a big Christmas present. I would like to know, did you ever think of what you can do to help him keep you safe. Yes, you do play a roll in how effective he is. It’s not a pivotal roll, still you make a difference to the life of the guy that is keeping you safe.

The very first place where you make the difference in how fast he reaches you or the ones you love starts at the pavement.  Many were the times I have gone up and down past the premises I responded to because it were not clearly numbered. Finding a premises number in the dark while driving is not simple. Especially when not one of the other 20 houses in the street are clearly marked.  In case you are wondering, go outside when it is dark and look at your house like an outsider. Is that number easy to spot?  Most response company’s have a space on your profile where you can ad instructions to help the response officer find you house easier too. That space is there with very good reason. Do not hesitate to a helping hand and update it. It is only to help you.

Once your response officer arrived, there is another obstacle he can have. This one is part of a well designed security system. Anyone with a bit of background in the industry will tell you that a well designed security system is layered.  It consists of many different things working together to keep you safe. One of these things is your perimeter security. This may be a wall, fence or palisades. It may have blade wire or even electrical fencing on top. Whatever the design, the very thing put in place to keep you safe no creates a barrier between you and your response officer. In the times we live in though, you simply cant leave the gate open.