Your phone buzzes. Your alarm is going off at home. You are twenty minutes away. What now? Here is a calm, sensible order of things to do.
Do not race home
The instinct is to jump in the car and speed back. Do not. If someone is inside your house, walking in on them is the worst thing you can do. Take a breath.
Check the app or camera first
If you have a smart alarm, doorbell, or camera, look at it. Nine times out of ten the trigger is a pet, a delivery, or the wind slamming a door. That check saves you a wasted drive.
Ring 999 if you think someone is inside
If you can see a person, a broken window, or a door that should be shut standing open, call 999. Do not go in. Tell them what you can see and where you are.
Ring a neighbour, not a friend across town
A trusted neighbour can be at your house in minutes and can look from outside without going in. That is much more useful than someone half an hour away.
Have an alarm response set up in advance
The stress is much lower when you know someone else will already be on the way. That is what alarm response is for. With Phoenix Patrol, if your alarm goes off, an SIA licensed officer heads over, checks the perimeter, and lets you know what they find. You can stay where you are until it is safe.
False alarms happen, that is fine
Nobody minds a false alarm. It is much better than ignoring a real one. Set it up, use it, and do not feel bad when a cat sets it off.
Want a visible patrol on your street?
Phoenix Patrol is just £10 a month, that is £2.50 a week. SIA licensed officers, marked vehicles, no contract, cancel any time.
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