Fortress Security offers 100% DIY home security. You choose the equipment you want—generally a control panel, some motion sensors, a few glass break sensors, maybe a siren—and install it yourself. After everything is in, you’re also responsible for monitoring it yourself or finding a company that is willing to monitor it for you.
If something triggers the alarm, your system’s siren will sound and automatically call your programmed phone numbers with a prerecorded message to alert you about the incident. It will not alert the police or other authorities; you’ll have to do that yourself.
While DIY systems like Fortress can save you money, we generally don’t recommend them because they’re less secure. Such systems rely on you to respond to incidents, which means that your home is vulnerable if you don’t get an alert right away (like if you’re on a run, in a meeting, or in a cellular dead spot).
Fortress Security does offer one system—the S6 Titan line—that can be used with third-party monitoring companies to up your security. Of course, you’ll have to do the legwork to find a monitoring company in your area that’s compatible with the S6 Titan.
That’s not the only way you can customize your Fortress system, however. The Fortress Security store lets you build your own system. You choose a main panel, and then you can decide what equipment you want to go with it. That lets you get the exact number of sensors, panic buttons, or key fob remotes you need. Just remember: if you don’t choose the S6 Titan line, your equipment cannot be used with a pro monitoring service.