330 Homes Summer 2021

s m a r t t e c h

You might instead consider mo tion detection. This identifies threats by the direction, size and heat of the object moving. Keep in mind pets can sometimes impact accuracy. “Cats, when they’re playing, like to jump up and down,” Gyorki says. “So motion detectors, a lot of times, will see vertical and horizontal movement and mis take that for somebody entering the premise.” Other features include more advanced smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detection with monitoring that contacts emergency services if there’s a fire or leak in your home while you’re not there. They save a lot of time, which can prevent a lot of damage. It can also be useful if you don’t hear your smoke or carbon monoxide detectors go off while you are sleeping or if something is wrong with them, he says. He knows a couple who had a defective carbon monoxide detector that was over 5 years “The light wasn’t saying low battery, but it had a low battery,” he says. “They all survived, and everything’s fine. But after that, they were a big proponent of, Just get the sensors .” Some other features you can get include medical alerts, water de tection, temperature control and home automation systems, which can be used for convenience in controlling your devices or in an emergency situation, such as turning all of the lights on if someone breaks into your home. “It’s one of those, Oh, I didn’t know you can do that. That’s really cool, ” he says. old and had a close call with carbon monoxide poisoning.

READY AND SET

Ask the following questions on the day of your security system installation.

• Can you verify

your manufacturer certification and state licensure?

• Can you provide

footage, and make sure you are mindful of where in your house you place the cameras. Also ensure the company and system are reputable so that the system can’t be easily broken or hacked. Most importantly, you need to be comfortable working your security system when an emergency arises.

PERSONAL SAFETY No matter which features you choose for your home security system, there are some con siderations to take before you buy a system. Gyorki says some older adults prefer systems that have raised buttons as op posed to systems that are touchscreen or are controlled via an app. If you buy a sys tem with cameras, ask the company what the privacy protections are, such as whether the company or the police can have access to the

some basic training on how to work the system?

• Can you teach me about the security system’s app? • Can I have a sign or sticker to put outside my house?

“You need to know how to arm the system, how to disarm the system, and if there is an alarm, what to do,” Gyorki says.

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