Frequently Asked Questions
About Watchdog
After working in the industry for other companies for several years, we decided to start out on our own.
Since 1998
Yes. All of our work is fully guaranteed. We cover all work for 1 year for any defect in materials, equipment and /or workmanship. Any additional manufacture warranties are passed along to the customer.
About Alarm Systems
Yes. It is hard to place a figure on it; however we find that burglars simply move on to the neighbors’ home when they see Alarm Warning Decals on the doors or windows. If they do break in, usually they flee when the siren goes off.
A monitored system communicates any trouble, burglary and /or fire alarms to the ULC listed Watchdog Central Station. An unmonitored system can only sound a local alarm. If no one is home, then the alarm goes unanswered.
The primary source of communication for an alarm system has a telephone land line. That said, many customers today are dropping their “land” lines as cell phones are so abundant. There are other ways to monitor, such as a cellular or internet communicators. Additional monitoring and/or equipment costs may apply.
If the alarm system is monitored by the internet, then no alarm signals will be sent until communications are restored. The local siren will sound in the event of an alarm.
There are 3 main ways an alarm system communicates to the ULC listed Watchdog Central Station:
- Land telephone line
- Internet
- Cellular communicator
Yes. Our systems have standby a battery(s) which provide power in the event of a power outage. For a sustained outage, the system may shut down. When power is restored it will return to normal operation (system time may need to be reset) and the standby battery(s) will recharge.
Most certainly. It is important for your system to be properly designed to mitigate against any potential false alarm causing events.
Yes. We will confirm the existing system's status and advise if any servicing and/or upgrades are necessary.
If you own the system, it is yours to take. Not all items are easily removed such as concealed door and window contacts. Wireless systems are more easily removed
ULC stands for Underwriters Laboratories of Canada Inc. It operates under its own authority as an independent, non-governmental organization. ULC Standards develops and publishes standards and specifications for products having a bearing on fire, life safety and security, crime prevention, energy efficiency, environmental safety, security of assets and facilities, live working and workplace safety and other areas. ULC Standards is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada as a consensus based Standards Development Organization under the National Standards System of Canada. We strive to only use products that have this accreditation.
About Triggered Alarms
The alarm system immediately sends a signal to the ULS listed Watchdog Central Station. The operator then follows the instructions as previously setup on the customers’ account.
- This may be to call the contacts first. If no contacts can be reached for instructions, then the authorities are dispatched.
- Some customers want the authorities dispatched immediately and then for us to call the contacts listed.
- Correctly enter the proper code to turn off the alarm
- Call the ULC listed Watchdog Central Monitoring station at 902-431-4084 and press 1 at the menu. You will be then directed to the central station
- Identify yourself (name and/or account # and/or account password)
- Tell the operator it was an accidental alarm
- If you correctly entered a code to turn off the alarm, the operator will know that and take no further action
Alarm systems send a signal to the Watchdog Central Station the moment the alarm occurs. When the operator receives the alarm signal, they take the appropriate action as laid out in the monitoring agreement. This may require the operator to call the premises first before dispatching the authorities.
About Contracts & Pricing
This depends on many factors. There is "no one size fits all" when it comes to designing a security system. Most standard systems include a mix of motion detectors, door and window contacts and glass break detectors. We give estimates based on many factors, including
- The area to be protected
- The clients personal concerns
- Pets
- Environmental factors
- Options, such as
- Smoke /heat detectors
- Low temperature sensors
- Flood sensors
- Keypads
- Out buildings such as sheds and garages
- Home automation, etc.
Yes. Most insurance providers will give a discount of up to 15% or more for a ULC listed Monitored security system. On each installation we provide a Certificate of Installation for that purpose.
Standard landline monitoring rates are $18.00/month plus applicable taxes.
Watchdog does not enter into long term contracts. Our contracts are simply year to year.
