Free Alarm Monitoring

[A.J.]

https://nextalarm.com/pr/2006110801.jsp

Great for the DIY type . . . . . . . .

 

[Robert L Bass]

https://nextalarm.com/pr/2006110801.jsp

Great for the DIY type . . . . . . . .

They're nice people. Also, check out www.911alarm.com

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

=============================>
Bass Home Electronics
941-866-1100
4883 Fallcrest Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
=============================>

 

[FIRETEK]

https://nextalarm.com/pr/2006110801.jsp

Great for the DIY type . . . . . . . .

I spoke to the alarm rep from the Vancouver Police Department about this.
I'm given to understand (from reading this page) that the customer will
receive a text message on his cell phone that gives him the details of the
alarm (intrusion, fire, water, etc.) and then he's required to contact the
appropriate emergency services from there. My experience with Telus and
Rogers text messaging is that there is often a lag between when the message
is sent and when it's received that could be up to thirty minutes or more
depending on your location (I'm often working in parkades and the basements
of buildings where the sprinkler rooms and electrical vaults are located).
The VPD rep told me that a call from a monitoring station has a much higher
priority in the response queue than a homeowner who's calling in an alarm
that could be 30 to 150 minutes old. In addition, an annual permit _is_
required for every alarm system in the City of Vancouver. It's not
expensive (on the order of $15.00 or so per year). Before someone decides
to employ the services of an agency such as "NextAlarm", "911Monitoring" or
any alarm monitoring service, you should check with the AHJ. "Free
monitoring" usually means "no monitoring" unless, of course, you decide to
also employ an independent guard service (where you have to pay a monthly
standby charge as well as a "per visit" fee).

Before Bass gets his nickers in a knot, this isn't a slam against DIY. The
fastest police response to a professionally monitored alarm is gained when a
concerned neighbours calls who's in a position to actually verify the fact
that the premise is being burglarized and the perps are still on site. That
individual is also in the best position to not only identify the culprits,
but can probably provide the authorities with a description and license
number of the vehicle they happen to be driving. This is also why it's a
good idea to ensure you have an outdoor mounted siren on a monitored alarm
system and that you get together with your neighbours to form a "Block
Watch" community.

My two cents.

 

[Jen...tel]

So let me get this right,
NextAlarm raises their rates for current customers, and gives away free
monitoring to everyone else? It's free to the one who signs up but
it's paid for by the current customers who rates went up to pay for
this.

I've used NextAlarm, I've dealt with them in Nevada and let me tell you
this:
I Know Central Stations
Central Station owners were friends of mine,
and, You NextAlarm are NO Central Station.

They also lied about the permits. Maybe you don't need it, but there
are places you may need them. To tell people absolutely that NO PERMIT
is required is a bold Face LIE by NextAlarm.

Just a thought, could they plan on making money by selling your email
address to interested parties?

 

[Bob Worthy]

So let me get this right,
NextAlarm raises their rates for current customers, and gives away free
monitoring to everyone else? It's free to the one who signs up but
it's paid for by the current customers who rates went up to pay for
this.

OPM I can understand, but it is actually their money and they are investing
it into something with no return. Am I missing something?

They also lied about the permits. Maybe you don't need it, but there
are places you may need them. To tell people absolutely that NO PERMIT
is required is a bold Face LIE by NextAlarm.

Good catch Jen...tel. Alarm users permits, by most ordinances, are not tied
to monitoring. They are required, again in most ordinances, to the physical
presense and not whether it is monitored or not.

Just a thought, could they plan on making money by selling your email
address to interested parties?

Conspiratist! ]

 

[coord]

So let me get this right,
NextAlarm raises their rates for current customers, and gives away free
monitoring to everyone else? It's free to the one who signs up but
it's paid for by the current customers who rates went up to pay for
this.

OPM I can understand, but it is actually their money and they are investing
it into something with no return. Am I missing something?

They also lied about the permits. Maybe you don't need it, but there
are places you may need them. To tell people absolutely that NO PERMIT
is required is a bold Face LIE by NextAlarm.

Good catch Jen...tel. Alarm users permits, by most ordinances, are not tied
to monitoring. They are required, again in most ordinances, to the physical
presense and not whether it is monitored or not.

Just a thought, could they plan on making money by selling your email
address to interested parties?

Conspiratist! ]

Just checked in my town...an alarm permit is required if it has an audible warning device that
can be heard outside the premises...monitoring has no bearing!!

 

[A.J.]

Just a follow up to my original post.

I attempted to sign up for a free account a couple of days ago and got a
reply from them stating that I have to purchase a ABN adapter from them,
which I believe is a generic Linksys PAP2T-NA ATA programmed to their very
own Asterisk server. May be that is where they will make their money by
selling the ATA at a higher mark up to those interested in free monitoring.

 

[Crash Gordon]

Yep..same here permit required in most cities, monitored & local alarm
systems.


|
| | >
| > | >> So let me get this right,
| >> NextAlarm raises their rates for current customers, and gives away free
| >> monitoring to everyone else? It's free to the one who signs up but
| >> it's paid for by the current customers who rates went up to pay for
| >> this.
| >
| > OPM I can understand, but it is actually their money and they are
investing
| > it into something with no return. Am I missing something?
| >
| >> They also lied about the permits. Maybe you don't need it, but there
| >> are places you may need them. To tell people absolutely that NO PERMIT
| >> is required is a bold Face LIE by NextAlarm.
| >
| > Good catch Jen...tel. Alarm users permits, by most ordinances, are not
tied
| > to monitoring. They are required, again in most ordinances, to the
physical
| > presense and not whether it is monitored or not.
| >
| >> Just a thought, could they plan on making money by selling your email
| >> address to interested parties?
| >
| > Conspiratist! ]
|
| Just checked in my town...an alarm permit is required if it has an audible
warning device that
| can be heard outside the premises...monitoring has no bearing!!
|
|

 

[Robert L Bass]

Yep..same here permit required in

most cities, monitored & local alarm
systems.

This varies somewhat from place to place. In CT where I worked for 24 years most towns required a permit for wired installations.
We mainly did wired systems so we pulled permits. A few towns did not require a permit though. The interesting thing was the
reaction from electrical inspectors while submitting the permit application. They were often surprised that I bothered because most
alarm companies didn't pull permits on a residential installation unless it was new construction.

It's the same with homeowners doing DIY jobs. If it's not new construction most never pull a permit. Where there's an alarm
licensing rule in effect, usually you must pull a permit and these laws are starting to proliferate due to the deluge of false
alarms. Note: The vast majority of false alarms come from professionally installed systems because the vast majority of systems are
professionally installed. To the best of my knowledge no one keeps track of how many systems are professionally installed versus
DIY.

Some towns require an alarm permit (different from an electrical installation permit) only if the alarm is monitored. Others
require that all audible or silent alarms have a permit. Note 2: I'm using the term, "permit" interchangeably with "license" though
the two are distinct. Technically, you get a permit to do the installation and/or a license to use the alarm.

In virtually every place in the country (except St Louis County, Mo), you do not need a trade license to install a burglar alarm
system in your own home or business. The same is true of commercial fire alarms with certain exceptions. If it's a place of public
assembly, some communities require a licensed tech do the fire alarm. Likewise, a professional engineer or a licensed fire alarm
technician may be required to perform routine inspections of a commercial fire alarm in many locations. But for the typical
residential installation, including combined burglary / fire alarm systems, no license is required to DIY the installation. Where
an alarm *use* license is required, this also does not require a license -- only some paperwork and usually a small, annual fee.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

=============================>
Bass Home Electronics
941-866-1100
4883 Fallcrest Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
=============================>

 

[FIRETEK]

This varies somewhat from place to place. In CT where I worked for 24 years
most towns required a permit for wired installations. We mainly did wired
systems so we pulled permits. A few towns did not require a permit though.
The interesting thing was the reaction from electrical inspectors while submitting
the permit application. They were often surprised that I bothered because most
alarm companies didn't pull permits on a residential installation unless it was new
construction.

Interesting. 1979 to 1999 is only 20 years. Where'd you pick up the other
four? In a quick search of "Google" I found this:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt....obert+L+Bass+L6&rnum=2&hl=en#ccd72ed70a8a0f32

Here's a "snippet" from the above referenced link:

"ALL properly licensed?? Hmm, where's the sales tax? Don't squirrel on this
Bass, we're talking your own state and your own town.
The 'city clerk' of West Hartford didn't have any alarm companies listed at
80 Brentwood Road, but then this could have been an oversite. So you and
your many techs are licensed at different locations?

But she did say that her understanding was that ALL advertising MUST
included contractor's license numbers.
So how does this work?

You display a Connecticut address and advertise on the Web, I still don't
see the contractor license number- is it the ICQ that is disabled?
I didn't call the state, unlike you, but your local building office had no
'current' records of any alarm permits either? What's this-

Don't have the time at the present to check this other out, but where is the
permit number and tax number for your CS? You advertise that also.

-and- you have stated you keep 'some' stock! Now if you keep stock then how
can you claim to be only a virtual business?

I've encluded just some of your much earlier B.S. about your 'employees.' "



I don't know who this "Jake" character is, but it appears to me that he'd
done some "checking around". Care to explain, Bass?

It's the same with homeowners doing DIY jobs. If it's not new construction most
never pull a permit. Where there's an alarm licensing rule in effect, usually you
must pull a permit and these laws are starting to proliferate due to the deluge of false
alarms.

I agree that false alarms are an issue. I hardly think they represent a
"deluge" though.

Note: The vast majority of false alarms come from professionally installed
systems because the vast majority of systems are professionally installed.

That's like saying the "vast majority of vehicles in accidents are
professionally manufactured". This hardly qualifies "home built" or "kit
cars" as "safer".

To the best of my knowledge no one keeps track of how many systems are
professionally installed versus DIY.

Why do you suppose that is? Is it because the DIY alarm market is such a
small segment of the industry that it's really not garnered a good deal of
attention? Or perhaps it's because the majority of DIY systems aren't
"professionally monitored"?

Some towns require an alarm permit (different from an electrical installation permit)
only if the alarm is monitored. Others require that all audible or silent alarms have a
permit. Note 2: I'm using the term, "permit" interchangeably with "license" though
the two are distinct. Technically, you get a permit to do the installation and/or a
license to use the alarm.

No, technically you get a permit to do the installation and another permit
to use the alarm. You need a LICENSE in most states and provinces to
INSTALL an alarm (professionally).

In virtually every place in the country (except St Louis County, Mo), you do not need
a trade license to install a burglar alarm system in your own home or business.
The same is true of commercial fire alarms with certain exceptions. If it's a place of
public assembly, some communities require a licensed tech do the fire alarm. Likewise,
a professional engineer or a licensed fire alarm technician may be required to perform
routine inspections of a commercial fire alarm in many locations. But for the typical
residential installation, including combined burglary / fire alarm systems, no license is
required to DIY the installation. Where an alarm *use* license is required, this also
does not require a license -- only some paperwork and usually a small,

annual fee.

In Vancouver, you can get a permit for a "DIY" system. In order to have it
registered as a monitored alarm, however, you have to list the
installing/servicing agency and the name of the licensed technician who
inspected it.

 

[Crash Gordon]

I was refering to a user permit, not a permit like a building installation
permit...those are not required anywhere here, except commercial fire

|> Yep..same here permit required in
| > most cities, monitored & local alarm
| > systems.
|
| This varies somewhat from place to place. In CT where I worked for 24
years most towns required a permit for wired installations.
| We mainly did wired systems so we pulled permits. A few towns did not
require a permit though. The interesting thing was the
| reaction from electrical inspectors while submitting the permit
application. They were often surprised that I bothered because most
| alarm companies didn't pull permits on a residential installation unless
it was new construction.
|
| It's the same with homeowners doing DIY jobs. If it's not new
construction most never pull a permit. Where there's an alarm
| licensing rule in effect, usually you must pull a permit and these laws
are starting to proliferate due to the deluge of false
| alarms. Note: The vast majority of false alarms come from professionally
installed systems because the vast majority of systems are
| professionally installed. To the best of my knowledge no one keeps track
of how many systems are professionally installed versus
| DIY.
|
| Some towns require an alarm permit (different from an electrical
installation permit) only if the alarm is monitored. Others
| require that all audible or silent alarms have a permit. Note 2: I'm
using the term, "permit" interchangeably with "license" though
| the two are distinct. Technically, you get a permit to do the
installation and/or a license to use the alarm.
|
| In virtually every place in the country (except St Louis County, Mo), you
do not need a trade license to install a burglar alarm
| system in your own home or business. The same is true of commercial fire
alarms with certain exceptions. If it's a place of public
| assembly, some communities require a licensed tech do the fire alarm.
Likewise, a professional engineer or a licensed fire alarm
| technician may be required to perform routine inspections of a commercial
fire alarm in many locations. But for the typical
| residential installation, including combined burglary / fire alarm
systems, no license is required to DIY the installation. Where
| an alarm *use* license is required, this also does not require a
license -- only some paperwork and usually a small, annual fee.
|
| --
|
| Regards,
| Robert L Bass
|
| =============================>
| Bass Home Electronics
| 941-866-1100
| 4883 Fallcrest Circle
| Sarasota · Florida · 34233
| http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
| =============================>
|
|

 

[news.comcast.net]

I was refering to a user permit, not a permit like a building installation

permit...those are not required anywhere here, except commercial fire

I was referring to both. In CT where I installed for many years most towns
required a permit to install anything wired. Some towns also required an
alarm user permit.

--
Regards,
Robert L Bass

========================>
Bass Home Electronics
Online DIY Alarm & Automation Store
941-866-1100
www.BassBurglarAlarms.com
=========================>

 

[FIRETEK]

I was referring to both. In CT where I installed for many years most towns
required a permit to install anything wired. Some towns also required an
alarm user permit.

And your ability to pull a permit only came into effect in 1989 (according
to some of the "research" that I've read about you). So, from 1979 (when
you first "opened" your business) until 1989, you were installing alarm
systems WITHOUT a permit, yet you have the temerity to post your bullshit in
a thread about exactly that... Your "stories" about "hitting the ground
running" in 1979 are really quite funny. You "start" a monitoring station
and installation business with no training, no customer base, and no clue.
You really are a first class bullshit artist!

 

[FIRETEK]

Just a follow up to my original post.

I attempted to sign up for a free account a couple of days ago and got a
reply from them stating that I have to purchase a ABN adapter from them,
which I believe is a generic Linksys PAP2T-NA ATA programmed to their very
own Asterisk server. May be that is where they will make their money by
selling the ATA at a higher mark up to those interested in free

monitoring.

If you're in the trade, talk to your employer about having your system
monitored. Most will do that free of charge. If that's not an option, drop
me an email.

 

[FIRETEK]

So let me get this right,
NextAlarm raises their rates for current customers, and gives away free
monitoring to everyone else? It's free to the one who signs up but
it's paid for by the current customers who rates went up to pay for
this.

I've used NextAlarm, I've dealt with them in Nevada and let me tell you
this:
I Know Central Stations
Central Station owners were friends of mine,
and, You NextAlarm are NO Central Station.

They don't say they are either. They make use of some rather interesting
wording in their "FAQ":

"Our central stations are UL-Listed, ..."
"...security systems monitored by NextAlarm.com utilize the customer's
pre-existing telephone line or broadband Internet connection as the primary
communication link to one of our central stations."
"NextAlarm.com uses fully UL-listed central stations, ..."

It's pretty clear to me that all they are is simply a monitoring reseller.
They don't operate their own CS at all.

Their "Terms of Service Agreement" looks pretty "hokey" as well. Everything
is on the shoulders of the DIYer.

They also lied about the permits. Maybe you don't need it, but there
are places you may need them. To tell people absolutely that NO PERMIT
is required is a bold Face LIE by NextAlarm.

Providing this kind of false information is completely unprofessional. It's
also contrary to the BBB Online Reliability Program. This is just a
thought, but has anyone bothered to contact NextAlarm to advise them of
their error?

Just a thought, could they plan on making money by selling your email
address to interested parties?

You'd have to review their privacy policy to be sure.

 

[A.J.]

I have free monitoring from our CS alright, my originally post was just for
the DIY people coming here looking for info.

 

[Everywhere Man]

I am officially confuzzled!
Your first post you plugged the NextAlarm service offering free
monitoring. Your next post you acted as if you were a customer curious
about the adapter they are selling. Your final post you say you were
trying to help DIY folks by posting information about "OUR" CS.
Are you a customer of NextAlarm or an employee shilling the service?

 

[A.J.]

A number of people here know who I am and where I am located and I have
nothing to do with Nextalarm.

 

[FIRETEK]

A number of people here know who I am and where I am located and I have
nothing to do with Nextalarm.

I'd suggest you stay out of "suggestions" like this. From the things I've
read, there isn't a reputable CS that would actually compromise their
station's UL (or ULC) listing and allow an end-user to program their own
panel to transmit alarms.

 

[Mark Leuck]

1. You stated they would be a good service for DIY'er on the 16th

2. For some reason you tried to sign up with them on the 17th

3. You claim you have nothing to do with them on the 20th

4.

Tom has valid questions and why would you have considered them great for
anybody when you have nothing to do with them?