Cunningham Security · Portsmouth & Southern NH
Alarm monitoring in New Hampshire
24/7 professional monitoring, with local help for the system behind it.
Protect a home, business or commercial fire system with Cunningham. We can assess an alarm you already own, plan a new installation or help you change monitoring providers without replacing equipment that can still do the job.
- Serving New England since 1983
- Monitoring through Affiliated Monitoring
- Installation, takeovers & ongoing service
Start with the property
What do you need monitored?
Home & business alarms
Intrusion protection, compatible smoke and CO detection, and useful app access for the people responsible for the property.
Explore alarm monitoringCommercial fire systems
Signal reporting, communicator assessment and local service for an existing or newly installed fire alarm system.
Review fire monitoringTemperature & water
Alerts for selected conditions in a home, mechanical room or unattended building, with a clear plan for who responds.
Plan environmental alertsMonitored video
Compatible cameras and a defined operator-response service for properties that need more than recording and app viewing.
Understand video optionsAlready have an alarm?
Find out what you can keep when switching providers
A working keypad is a useful starting point. The control panel, communicator, sensors, programming access and existing account determine whether we can take over the system, replace a component or recommend a broader upgrade.
Equipment we assess
Our security-system work includes Qolsys IQ Panel 2/2+, IQ Panel 4 and IQ Panel 5, along with systems such as DSC Neo, Honeywell Vista 20P/21iP, Napco and Bosch. The exact model and installed communicator matter more than the name on the keypad.
On Qolsys systems, we check the installed radio and sensor compatibility before promising reuse. An older panel may need a communicator or panel upgrade even when its door contacts are still serviceable.
Existing provider registration, unavailable programming access or account-transfer arrangements can also affect the changeover. We explain those limits before scheduling activation.
How our alarm takeover assessment worksPlan the handover before cancelling: agree the account-release and activation sequence first. During the planned changeover, verify signal receipt with the new monitoring station and confirm when responsibility transfers. Reusing a communicator may require the existing provider to release it before activation.
Everyday protection
Home and business monitoring with Alarm.com options
Choose the functions you will actually use: remotely checking whether a home is armed, giving employees individual codes, reviewing opening and closing activity, or receiving selected smoke, CO, water and temperature alerts. Available features depend on the equipment and services selected.
Cunningham
We assess, install, configure and service the system, help set up contacts and train the people who use it.
Alarm.com
On compatible systems, Alarm.com supplies the connected platform and app. It is separate from the central monitoring station.
Affiliated Monitoring
Professional operators handle received signals under the account’s response procedures. Affiliated publishes UL Listed and TMA Five Diamond credentials.
For a business, a late closing notification can be useful without being an emergency alarm. For a home, a phone alert is useful only if someone sees it. We identify which events are app notifications, which are professionally monitored and who should be contacted.
Explore Alarm.com monitoring and app features.
Will monitoring work if the internet goes down?
It depends on the reporting equipment and backup power. A compatible cellular communicator can report without the property’s broadband connection. Properly configured dual-path systems can use cellular and internet reporting; connecting a panel to Wi-Fi alone does not prove both paths work.
We check signal receipt and explain the dependencies. The alarm’s reporting, app access, camera streaming and local recording may behave differently during an outage. Before cancelling a telephone line, replacing a router or shutting off seasonal broadband, have the affected systems reviewed.
Commercial properties
Commercial fire alarm monitoring in New Hampshire
A fire alarm monitoring change needs to preserve the building’s approved reporting arrangement. We review the panel, communicator, signal descriptions, existing municipal connections and available records before recommending a takeover or replacement.
Assess the complete reporting path
Cunningham works with commercial fire systems including Potter, Fire-Lite, Silent Knight and Autocall. Monitoring options depend on the exact panel, supported interfaces, programming access and the arrangement accepted by the local fire authority. A familiar brand or an available cellular signal does not settle those questions.
Existing systems may report through telephone, cellular, IP or municipal radio/AES arrangements. Before retiring a line or changing providers, identify every connection and confirm what must remain in service.
Verify signals, contacts and restoration
We check the information the station receives, distinguish alarm, supervisory and trouble conditions, and review responsible contacts. Before scheduled testing, we coordinate the monitoring account and required local notifications, then verify normal reporting when the work is complete.
Monitoring does not replace periodic inspection and testing. An insurance monitoring certificate and a fire alarm test report document different things. See our New Hampshire fire alarm inspection services.
Two local details that can change the job
Manchester: the city’s published rules address municipal radio/AES connections and approved central stations. A takeover must account for the existing reporting arrangement and required approvals; it is not simply a change of billing provider. Manchester fire alarm rules.
Portsmouth: the city’s current rules call for individual-point descriptions for fire and CO signals sent to a UL-listed station. We check device and location information, not just whether a generic alarm arrives. Portsmouth fire protection rules.
Local help when a commercial fire system needs service
Cunningham provides on-site response within four hours for commercial fire alarm systems throughout our service area, with on-call technicians available 24/7. That is our service-attendance commitment; the repair scope depends on the fault, parts and any required approvals. Any required faster attendance or immediate protective measures still apply.
Call (800) 564-8273, option 3 for service help. If required protection or reporting is impaired, call promptly so repairs and necessary local notifications can be coordinated. Our technician response is separate from emergency dispatch.
Know what happens next
An alarm signal, a phone notification and a service call are different
The system reports a condition
The panel identifies an event and uses its configured communication path. Accurate device labels and the correct property address help make that signal useful.
The monitoring station follows the response procedure
The signal type, account instructions and applicable requirements determine notifications and any request for emergency dispatch. The station may call you, but some signals require action before an owner can be reached.
Service addresses the underlying fault
A trouble notification does not automatically book a repair. Contact Cunningham to arrange service, and keep the monitoring station informed when an account needs testing or a change in instructions.
Need to report a known accidental alarm?
Cunningham customers should call (800) 564-8273, option 1 promptly and follow the verification process. If another company monitors your system, contact its monitoring station. Silencing a panel or dismissing an app alert does not reliably cancel a signal already sent. A cancellation request may not stop an emergency response already underway.
For a fire or CO alarm, follow evacuation procedures and call 911 from a safe location. Do not wait for a monitoring call before taking protective action.
Unattended properties
Low-temperature and water alerts need a local response plan
For a seasonal Seacoast home, a closed shop or an unattended mechanical room, we plan both detection and follow-through. Place compatible sensors where a leak or falling temperature would matter, then identify someone who can reach the property.
- Check the equipment’s operating-temperature limits and communication coverage.
- Keep a reachable local keyholder on the contact list.
- Decide which conditions produce app alerts and which require monitoring-station action.
- Review power and internet dependencies before leaving the building unoccupied.
A sensor can reveal a problem; it cannot guarantee that pipes will not freeze or water damage will be avoided. Automatic water shutoff requires compatible valve hardware and a configured response.
Cameras with a defined response
Video monitoring beyond recording
Viewing a camera in an app is different from having an operator review an alarm or respond to activity at a site. We help choose the appropriate scope: recording and alerts, supported video verification, or a monitored-video service with defined response instructions.
Camera placement, lighting, network capacity, event rules and service hours affect what operators can assess. Two-way audio and voice-down depend on compatible equipment and the selected service; they do not guarantee that an intruder will leave or that police will arrive within a particular time.
Local New Hampshire support
Portsmouth, the Seacoast and Southern New Hampshire
Our Portsmouth operations and service office supports properties across the Seacoast and southern tier, including Dover, Rochester, Exeter, Hampton, Seabrook, Manchester, Bedford, Derry, Londonderry and Salem, NH.
Tell us the address and type of system so we can confirm installation, ongoing service and any remote-activation options. For other New Hampshire locations, ask us to confirm availability before making arrangements. View our NH service-area guides.
Portsmouth office visits are by appointment. Call (603) 431-8700 before travelling to the office.
Your monitoring proposal should be clear
We review the equipment to retain, required upgrades, activation or installation work, recurring services and contract terms. App features, cameras and environmental monitoring should be identified rather than assumed included.
At handover, the priorities are tested signal reporting, correct contacts, agreed response instructions and a system you know how to use. Ask for the monitoring certificate your insurer needs once service is active; any discount is the insurer’s decision.
For urgent system trouble, call rather than waiting for an online form response.
Questions about starting or changing monitoring
Can you activate monitoring remotely?
Sometimes. We first check the panel, communicator, account status and the testing needed. A hardware change, unreliable reporting, inaccessible programming or a commercial fire requirement may make an on-site visit necessary. Remote activation is an option we assess, not a substitute for verifying the system.
How much does alarm monitoring cost?
The quote depends on the existing equipment, communication path and selected services, including app features, video or environmental monitoring. We separate any equipment and activation work from recurring charges so you can compare the total scope. Request an equipment-specific quote.
Will you reuse my existing sensors and Alarm.com features?
We assess each system. Compatible working contacts and sensors may be reusable, while other equipment may need an interface, radio or panel change. Existing users, notifications, camera services and automations need review during the transition; do not assume they will transfer unchanged.
Does a residential alarm receive the same four-hour service response?
Our four-hour on-site commitment applies to commercial fire alarm systems within our service area. It does not generally apply to residential systems unless required by code. We can often arrange same-day residential service for a fee; call to discuss the fault and current availability.
Who should I call after hours?
Call (800) 564-8273. Choose option 1 for monitoring and alarm-cancellation requests, or option 3 for the on-call technician after hours. During business hours, option 3 reaches customer service. In an emergency, call 911 from a safe location.
Start with the system and the property
Tell us what you have, what is changing and what you need help with. We will recommend the monitoring and service approach that fits.
