Santa Cruz is a great place for a vacation with all the beaches, world-class waves for surfers, parks, and amusing attractions such as the ‘mystery spot’ where gravity may actually be malfunctioning.
However, living in Santa Cruz is a different experience. Santa Cruz has the highest property crime rate in California. It also has a high overall violent crime rate. So if you live in Santa Cruz, a home alarm system is a must. We’ll help find the best home alarm company for you.
Best National Home Alarm Companies in Santa Cruz
There are so many national home alarm companies in the US, which makes it hard to choose. We have ranked many national alarm companies and for Santa Cruz we recommend Frontpoint.
Frontpoint is our top home alarm company. It has an excellent record of customer satisfaction, an Angie’s List Super Service Award, and it holds an A+ BBB rating. All of these factors play into our recommendation not to mention the fact that we’ve actually tested Frontpoint and gave it our stamp of approval.
More importantly, Frontpoint’s security system works. It uses top-of-the-line technology from the top manufacturers. The equipment they use is wireless and relies upon cellular signals, which is a good thing in many ways. First, no ugly holes drilled into your wall. Second, you can easily move or repurpose your alarm system to fit your changing needs. Third, no wires to cut for burglars. And finally, no landline and power disruptions.
Frontpoint has all the equipment you need to protect your home from various dangers. It has intrusion sensors (entry-sensor, glass break sensor, etc), fire and carbon monoxide sensors, environment sensors (freeze and flood sensors), and life safety. All systems comes with a 30-day risk-free trial period and 3 years warranty which is way more than other companies offer. It shows Frontpoint’s confidence in their service and equipment.
Another reason why I like Frontpoint is their transparent pricing on monitoring plans. No hidden charges and deceiving marketing techniques. What you see is what you get.
They offer 3 monitoring options- Basic Protection, Interactive, and Ultimate.
Basic Protection offers 24/7 monitoring for burglaries and intrusions, fire and CO, environmental emergencies such as freezing temperatures, and medical emergencies. Monitoring is provided by a UL listed monitoring center.
The Interactive Plan is similar to the Basic Protection plan but with the added bonus of Alarm.com’s patented technology called Crash and Smash. If somehow an intruder finds your control panel and manages to smash it, this technology will know. A signal will be sent to the central monitoring agency and help will be dispatch. There are also other additional features packaged into Interactive such as email/text alerts, remote access and control of your system, light control, image sensor compatibility, and geo-location services.
Finally, the Ultimate Plan combines home security and home automation. Security is improved with the addition of security cameras that can stream live videos and record when motion is sensed. Home automation is added in the form of automated door locks and smart plugs. An energy management solution is also included.
Local Home Alarm Companies in Santa Cruz, CA
There are pros and cons to going local and national. National is better if you plan to move as you can move your system without penalty and at times national is less expensive. On the other hand, local means localized service and fewer customers which means more attention for you. For instance, if your system is broken, a local company can send a repair technician within hours to your home where a national company like Frontpoint will simply ship you a new piece of equipment.
First Alarm Security Services
Santa Cruz County branch:
1111 Estates Drive
Aptos, CA 95003
831-476-1111
First Alarm is a security-focused company which started more than 40 years ago in Santa Cruz County. They offer residential and commercial security and protection against intrusion, fire, and medical emergencies.
First Alarm manages their own in-house monitoring center. The monitoring center is UL certified and runs in accordance with National Fire Protection Agency requirements. The operators are all trained and certified dispatchers.
First Alarm’s alarm system includes motion sensors, entry sensors, glass break sensors, and emergency buttons- all monitored by the monitoring center. If you are looking for a home automation solution, First Alarm isn’t for you.
First Alarm requires you to give them a call or contact them through email so that they can send a representative to visit your house and provide a free quote.
The Alarm Company
529 Forman
Campbell, CA 95008
408-358-1500
The Alarm Company is a dealer of Honeywell equipment. They offer various types of devices to cover the needs of different customers. They offer a touch screen control panel as well as a digital panel that communicates either through landline or cellular. Like Frontpoint, they use wireless sensors which most prefer due to convenience and ease of use.
Alarm Company is able to provide remote access and control of systems through Honeywell’s TotalConnect app which allows remote arm/disarm and live video feeds if you have a connected camera.
For monitoring, Alarm Company has partnered with National Monitoring Center(NMC) which is responsible for providing 24/7 protection 365 days a year.
Like First Alarm, the Alarm Company requires you to call them and request a free quote to get equipment and services.
Do You Really Need A Home Alarm System?
You need a home alarm system no matter where you live. It has turned into a necessity as intrusions and robbery is everywhere but mostly because new school security systems provide value beyond monitoring for burglaries. Having a system that can monitor and alert you of fires or one that can help you lower the energy consumption of your home is invaluable.
Here’s what Neighborhood Scout says about Santa Cruz’s crime statistics:
- There’s a 1 in 18 chance of becoming a property crime victim in Santa Cruz.
- For every 1,000 residents, there are 56.93 property crimes. To put that in context, on average, there are 27.3 property crimes per 1,000 people in the US. Santa Cruz’s is twice the US average.
- There are 253 crimes per square mile, that’s a lot!
So what do you think? Which of the alarm companies sounds like the best option for you?