Brinks/Broadview Monitored Security System

**Bertilak** · 12-31-2009, 03:14 PM

As someone who one had his house broken into I have had monitored home security systems for a long time now. Currently we have Broadview (called Brinks when we installed it).

I saw some comments in another thread recommending against monitored systems in general and Brinks in particular.

Can anyone shed light on what's wrong with the Brinks/Broadview service?

(From their web page: "Broadview Security, Inc. and Broadview Security Canada Limited are subsidiaries of Brink's Home Security Holdings, Inc.")

**Groundhog** · 12-31-2009, 03:27 PM

Any monitored alarm system is only as good as the 7.50 an hour security guard monitoring it (usually with his feet up on the desk reading a Playboy, or else asleep). If you go with a monitored system, use a local company. Less of a chance that there will be a delayed call to your locall 911.

AFAIK, Broadview/Brinks is monitored out of Canada. Great if you're Canadian.

**Rudy Vey** · 12-31-2009, 03:47 PM

We use Monitronics, and they are very responsive - can only recommend them.

**Bertilak** · 12-31-2009, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Any monitored alarm system is only as good as the 7.50 an hour security guard monitoring it (usually with his feet up on the desk reading a Playboy, or else asleep). If you go with a monitored system, use a local company. Less of a chance that there will be a delayed call to your locall 911.

AFAIK, Broadview/Brinks is monitored out of Canada. Great if you're Canadian.

Back when I had ADT I did get a call that the alarm went off. Took me 20 mins to drive home and there was a sheriff's deputy already there. Door from garage into house was open. We had neglected to lock both it and the exterior garage door. I found nothing missing nor disturbed. So it seems to have worked at least once for me.

**azmark** · 12-31-2009, 05:01 PM

Im sure you're speaking of my post:

As a former police officer and wife who is one.

Consider an alarm system but without monitoring. Trust me. The commercials make it sound like the call to police is instantly but it takes quite a bit of time. They have to call you and wait until you pick up, call your cell if you don't pick up, then call the police department on the same line every other non emergency call comes in. Then usually they get put on hold and have to answer questions the dispatchers ask, then depending on the circumstances, it gets prioritized. Then when the officer gets the call, it's not lights and sirens heading over there.

For example, the city my wife works in is a very large city and very busy. She got an alarm call last night to an entire end of the city because the area where the alarm went off did not have any officers available because of a fatal accident and a shooting. And the call was held because there was no K9 unit available because they were being used at the shooting and their (as with most) policy, there must be a K9 dispatched to an alarm call as well.

Of course not every call is going to be the same. Unless you have no neighbors, there is no one going to be trying to take your items from your home while the alarm is wailing. Those breaking in don't know if there is monitoring service.

When we lived in CA, we had Brink's because our home was a custom build and came with installed and we had to have a contract when we moved in. My wife and I were having dinner one night and I get a call that the garage entry to the house went off and they have sent police over. We drove 10-15 minutes and no officer was there yet. It's not every time by any means and Im sure there are many positive stories.