Safe at Home

By Gwen Rockwood, Motherlode mama of 3

Most of us have experienced “bump in the night syndrome.” You’re home alone with your kids, it gets dark outside, and suddenly you hear a noise. Not a big, scary noise. Just a noise – a tap at the window. Part of your brain says “It’s probably just a big moth hitting the window. No big deal.” But another part of your brain can’t let it go. That part of your brain hears the noise, and soon you’re imagining some guy in a ski mask lurking outside your house looking for a way in. Then you’re figuring out how you’ll defend yourself and the kids from this imagined invasion. Then you’re completely on edge, your night is shot, and you lie there for hours trying to fall asleep.

The reason why “bump in the night syndrome” bothers us is because we know the possibility of home invasion is real. It can and does happen, even to women who think it’ll never happen to them.

When I get edgy about bumps and creaks, I hit two buttons on a keypad by the door, and a little red light appears, letting me know the doors and windows are all being monitored by my security service – Guardtronic. Then I settle down and get on with my night. As you know, our aim is to partner with sponsors who provide a great service to area moms. I’ve been using a Guardtronic security system for more than three years now. I pay a small monthly fee, and my peace of mind is worth far more than that.

Even more priceless is life itself, and that’s exactly what another local mom and grandmother saved by having a security system in her home. On January 11, Norma Patterson and her husband were sound asleep when the security system (which includes smoke alarms) went off in her Springdale home around 2 a.m. and woke them up. Her husband got up to investigate and realized the door leading into their garage was hot to the touch. Within seconds, someone from Guardtronic called. Norma answered and had just enough time to say “It’s fire,” before the phone went dead. But that second was all they needed, and the fire department was immediately dispatched while Norma and her husband got out of the burning home. The fire started in the garage, only 20 feet from where they lay sleeping.

“By the time we got up to go outside, smoke was already coming in,” Norma said. “Had it not been for God and that alarm, we wouldn’t be alive.”

The fire department arrived within four minutes of the alarm. But in that short period of time, one-third of the Patterson home was destroyed, including the bedroom their granddaughter often sleeps in during visits. (Thankfully, she wasn’t there that night.) The partially destroyed home, not to mention the extensive water and smoke damage, is evidence of how quickly fire can attack a home and the family inside.

“If it hadn’t been for the alarm, we would have been overcome by the smoke,” Norma said. “It saved our lives. It’s a simple fact.”

When you’re shopping for a security system for your home, be sure you’re asking the right questions about how the system works. Guardtronic is the only local security company with a monitoring station in the state of Arkansas. Its systems work through a proprietary “Fast Linq” radio network that bypasses normal dial-up time required by older, slower telephone or cell-phone systems. Other systems can take up to 5 to 10 minutes to dispatch help to a homeowner, which might not be a big deal – unless your life depends on a faster response time.

Another reason I chose Guardtronic is because they’ve been in the security industry since 1959. They know their stuff, and I think you’ll be as impressed as I’ve been. For Motherlode readers, Guardtronic is offering a free smoke alarm with your system. Just print this page and give it to the installation crew. Welcome to nwaMotherlode, Guardtronic. Thanks for helping keep Northwest Arkansas families safe.