After years of contracting for security systems at his home and business, lifetime Northwest DC resident Miles Fawcett became frustrated with the lack of responsiveness and quality of service he received. After shopping around and not being impressed with what he found, Fawcett started his own security company. Five years later the team at Urban Alarm is redefining what a security company can be.

"Buying security services from a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Bermuda was not appealing... I wanted a security company that I felt was invested in my community," Fawcett commented about buying an alarm system and alarm monitoring for his home and business in Woodley Park.

In 2003 Fawcett set up Urban Alarm. At the time most of his attention was on a business he started in 1994. It provided technology and website development services for nonprofit organizations. There, he worked with high profile national nonprofit organizations like Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Annenberg Foundation, and the Packard Foundation. But Urban Alarm gained momentum and in 2005 he sold his technology business and shifted his focus to defining and creating a different kind of security business. "I wanted to build a company that has a similar impact on the community that my previous business had on the nonprofit sector."

To start, he created Urban Alarm for the community he knows. Fawcett has lived in DC all his life starting off in Georgetown, then moving to Kalorama, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, Woodley Park, and now AU Park where he lives with his family.

Urban Alarm is very geographically focused so is able to provide added services that other security companies don't. Some of those services, like same day guaranteed service calls are extensions of the alarm services. But others redefine what a security company is. An alarm system is important to security a home. It is also a deterrent, but Urban Alarm goes well beyond this by chauffeuring its customers to the airport so that potential burglary networks are not tipped off someone is out of town. Security and convenience meet with their "Urban Watch" concierge service that takes care of customers' homes when they are away, watering plants, feeding cats, moving their car, and other steps to make sure a home is well taken care of, secure and appears occupied as a further deterrent. Customers moving to a new home might get a gift basket with a fire extinguisher and a book on home safety.

"We are invested in these neighborhoods. We want to have a strong daily presence, not just with our customers, but with the overall community." Fawcett adds.

Urban Alarm works with residential and commercial customers. They install and manage alarms, access control, and video security systems. Their pricing is generally on par or a little less then the national alarm companies with monthly alarm system monitoring and dispatching costing $28 per month. They also offer advanced technologies to control your security system over the Internet, connect to a central station over wireless to be compatible with Voice Over IP providers (VOIP) and households with cell phones only. They do not require long term contracts, a rarity with alarm monitoring companies. "We want customers to be with us because they are thrilled with the service we provide not because they are locked in. We know we need to earn our customer's business every day."

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