So there was a home invasion in Camp Hill this past Saturday. Armed assailants broke into an apartment, pistol-whipped one of the residents, threatened to kill them both, and proceeded to ransack and rob the place. And people wonder why I have a security system.

Residential security systems are inexpensive and easy to install. Modern wireless alarms operate with the same reliability as hardwired alarms and allow you to install the system without tearing up your walls. For an inexpensive-but-reliable solution, check out the Visonic Powermax. I personally use the Ademco Lynx, but it’s a bit more expensive. One of the most popular systems right now is the GE Concord line, which is flexible and robust enough to be used even in commercial applications (in fact, we’re using a Concord Commercial at Frost).

Yeah, you can arm yourself and dispense lethal force, and that’s your constitutional right. I won’t argue that with you one bit; go for the gold. But how exactly do you get your gun when you wake up to a handgun at your head? Do you politely ask the intruder to wait while your get your weapon? And what if they shoot first?

The simple truth is that having a security system not only alerts you when someone violates your property, thus giving you a few seconds of “head start” time to react, it also makes the initial reaction for you. Not only does the siren wake you from whatever manner of slumber or activity you were involved in, but the alarm itself contacts your monitoring station. Suddenly someone else is aware of your plight.

Every night, my system gets armed in “Home” mode. This activates all of my perimeter sensors (doors and window sensors), but ignores my motion detectors so that I’m free to move around within my home. Delay mode is automatically cancelled, so if someone opens a door or breaks / prys a window, the alarm trips instantaneously. About 20 seconds after that initial moment of violation, a human being at my monitoring company is aware that someone has broken into my home. Better yet, they know my panel was armed in “home” mode, and will assume that I’m inside and that my life is in imminent danger.

“But wait,” the gun fetishist says. “They’ll just take you at gunpoint and make you disarm the system and/or call to cancel the alarm!” So be it; my panel has two codes for every user. There’s the everyday arm / disarm code, and then there’s the duress code. Using the duress code disarms the panel, but also informs the monitoring company that the panel was disarmed under force. They inform the police as such, who will now assume that I’m involved in a hostage situation.  The same is true if I call to cancel the alarm (or if they call me). The monitoring station follows a script to the letter: They ask one time, and one time only, for my password. Right or wrong, their response is always “Thank you” and the call ends. If I give the correct password, the alarm is cancelled. If I give an incorrect password, they continue with the alarm. If I give my duress password, it becomes a hostage situation.

Point of this post?  Check out homesecuritystore.com.  Spend $200 - $300 and get yourself an alarm.  The wireless systems are a snap to install, and even the hardwired ones aren’t more than a weekend of work.