For as long as people have been around, we have wanted to protect ourselves and our property, we have evolved somewhat in the field of technology to help us do this much more effectively and efficiently today, here as a brief history on the progression of the alarm system.
Early 1700's:
Mr Tidesley, an English inventor, was credited to have created the first acceptable model for an intrusion alarm.
This model involved mechanically linking a set of chimes to a door lock, this meant that if an intruder were to open the door, the chimes would sound.
This system, whilst very basic, served the perfect foundation for the concept of how a security system should work.
1853:
Augustus Pope created the next step in alarm systems by discovering how to use electricity, magnets and a bell to create an early version of the modern alarm system that we use today.
The way this system worked was to run an electrical wire through the door or window that you wanted to monitor and if the door/window was opened, the magnet would move, completing a circuit and allowing the electricity to run through a bell, causing vibrations and an unmistakable noise.
Pope was issued a patent for his burglar alarm on the 21st June, 1853.
1857:
Just a few years after Pope received his patent for the alarm system he created, he sold the patent to Edwin Holmes; the man who is credited for the commercialisation of the burglar system.
Homes began manufacturing and developing the system on a large scale, though initially the systems were quite expensive, meaning that sales were only particularly successful in the more affluent neighbourhoods.
Early 1900's:
It was at this time that the alarm system went beyond alerting just the homeowner or people nearby, with the use of phone lines now in play.
By this point cities had phone lines set up that were dedicated to fire and police stations.
If an alarm was tripped, a phone call was automatically placed to the police. Although they could not hear anything through the phone, they were able to see which phone line the call had been received from and respond to the appropriate address.
1970's and 80s:
Although throughout the century many innovations were made to the alarm system, making them more affordable and much more widely used, the 70's and 80's saw a huge technological leap from the initial system. With the introduction of motion sensors, implementing the technology of ultrasound waves in the 70's. This was as simple as ultrasound waves being emitted from the sensors and then reflected back. If an intruder entered, and tripped one of the sensors, it would cause a change in the sound which would trigger the alarm.
Further advancements in the 80's brought in the use of infra-red technology, so that sensors could avoid false positives and avoid setting off false alarms.
Today:
Alarm systems have seen a dramatic increase of the technology behind them. The early systems definitely created the principles still used in systems today, just more advanced.
In the early 2010's, smart home automation was starting to take off, the security industry were among the first to really take advantage of this and started embracing it.
Now, homeowners or business owners can know almost instantly what is going on at their premises, no matter where they are, you can know exactly what alarm was triggered and when, you can remotely view your premises on your smart device with the greatest of ease and it is more affordable than ever.
Call us today to see how we can bring your system up to date and take advantage of the technology that is out there.