FAQ
Frequently asked questions
General · Alarm Systems · Video Cameras · Medical Alert · Investigations
General
When can I call?
The monitoring center answers alarms around the clock, nights and weekends included. Officers work overnight when the contract says they should. Email is info@GittingsSecurity.com.
Where are you licensed?
Pennsylvania license PA 071548. If the property sits on a state line, ask. We will tell you yes or no.
Can a township or school buy through COSTARS?
How fast is a quote?
Give us the address, the hours, and whether you need officers, electronics, or investigations. We aim to get a number back the same day.
How do I apply?
Use the buttons in Careers. Tell us the job, any licenses or Act 235, and the counties you can work.
Alarm Systems
Do you watch alarms overnight?
Homes and businesses. We quote the equipment, the install, and the monitoring together.
Does my business need a commercial fire alarm, or are Alarm.com smoke detectors enough?
Monitored wireless smoke and heat detectors on an Alarm.com panel are a strong choice for homes and small businesses that are not required to have a fire alarm system. The building code decides when a business must have one. That depends on the building's use, size, and occupant load, under the International Building Code and International Fire Code section 907 and the NFPA 72 installation standard. Pennsylvania enforces these through the Uniform Construction Code. If your building needs a code-compliant system, we quote it and handle the plans, not the online shop. Call and we will tell you which one fits.
Do I need a permit or have to register my alarm?
A wireless home burglar alarm usually needs no permit. Commercial fire alarm work falls under the building code and needs plans and a permit from the local code office. Some municipalities also require alarm registration or bill for repeat false alarms, and the rules differ from town to town in Cambria County and nearby. We set up verification and testing to keep false alarms down.
Do monitored smoke detectors meet landlord or rental requirements?
Monitored detectors add a call for help when nobody is home. They do not replace the detectors the law requires. In Pennsylvania, requirements come from the construction and property maintenance codes your municipality adopted, and from the carbon monoxide alarm law for homes with fuel-burning appliances. We will design your system to match the rules where your property is.
How long is the contract, and can I cancel?
Monitoring starts with a 5-year initial term. If you cancel during the initial term, a fee of 75% of the remaining monitoring for that term applies. After the initial term, you can cancel any time with no cancellation fee, and you pay monitoring only through your cancel date. Pennsylvania home improvement contracts also come with a three-business-day right to cancel after signing.
Are you licensed?
Gittings Protective Security is registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General as a home improvement contractor (PA071548). You can look up any contractor's registration on the Attorney General's website.
Who can see my alarm codes, passwords, and cameras?
You choose your own keypad codes and your Alarm.com app password, and you can change them any time from the app. We do not need your app password to service your system. Your video is stored on your Alarm.com account and only people you add as users can view it. Our monitoring center uses your verbal passcode only to confirm it is really you when an alarm comes in. You can add or remove family members and employees, give each their own code, and see who armed or disarmed the system and when.
More about Electronic Security →
Video Cameras
Can my cameras record audio?
Pennsylvania requires everyone in a private conversation to consent before it is recorded. Video of your own property is generally lawful, but never point cameras into bathrooms, bedrooms of guests, or other places where people expect privacy, or onto a neighbor's private areas. Businesses should post a notice and usually keep camera audio off. We can turn audio recording off on any Alarm.com camera.
Medical Alert
Do I need a landline or cell phone for the Belle X2?
What happens when the button is pressed?
What if they fall and can't press the button?
Can I order it for a parent or loved one?
Can they wear it in the shower?
How long does the battery last?
What does the Belle X2 cost?
More about Belle X2 medical alert →
Investigations
What does investigations actually do?
Surveillance, backgrounds, insurance and workers’ compensation files, employer and attorney support. Case questions go to info@GittingsSecurity.com. We do not talk about open cases on the website.
These answers are general information, not legal advice. Codes and local rules change from place to place.