In short
An alarm system doesn’t need a patrol for the alarm to reach someone: the GSMvalve hub sends the alarm to all the users you have added at the same time, so if you don’t answer, your family or neighbour sees it. A camera sensor (75 €) sends a series of photos, the outdoor siren (110 dB) alerts the street, and if a crime is in progress you call 112. You can add a patrol through a partner. The price depends on the area.
- The alarm goes to all users at once, not just you
- A photo shows within seconds whether it is a false alarm
- A patrol is an extra option, not a requirement
You are in a meeting and your phone is on silent. At home, the door sensor raises the alarm. Who responds? It is worth thinking about this before installation, not after the first alarm. In 2025, 12,563 thefts were registered in Estonia, the highest number in ten years (Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, crime statistics). An alarm system tells you about a break-in, but a person has to act. Below are all the options side by side.
Who gets the alarm when the system goes off?
All users at once. GSMvalve is not a security company, and the alarm doesn’t go to a control centre. The hub sends the notification straight to the app of everyone added as a user. The app shows which sensor went off and when, so the notification alone tells you whether the front door opened or the living room motion sensor reacted.
The notification goes out even if the power or internet at home is down. The hub has a backup battery and a SIM card, and the mobile connection is included in the monthly fee. If someone pulls the hub’s plug out, the users get a notification about that too.
Can I add a neighbour or family member to receive alarms?
Yes. That way no alarm goes unanswered. The technician sets up the app on site during installation and adds the people you name as users. A typical choice is:
- You and your partner. You see the alarm at the same time and agree who checks.
- A grown-up child or a parent. Someone who lives in the same town and can get there if needed.
- A neighbour. With a house or terraced house, they can check fastest: they can see from their window whether there is a strange car in your yard.
Agree on a simple rule: whoever sees the notification first writes “I’ll check” in the family chat. That way three people don’t call at once and nobody waits for someone else to respond. If you are away for two weeks in summer, let your neighbour know that an alarm may come and what to do then.
How can you tell if an alarm is real?
When an alarm goes off, a motion sensor with camera sends a series of photos straight to the app, even in the dark. There is no continuous video recording: the sensor only takes photos when there is an alarm. So you don’t have to guess whether the cat jumped on the cupboard or someone came through the door. You can see it in the photo.
A motion sensor with camera costs 75 € to buy or 1.86 €/month to rent and is part of the Plus and Premium packages. For outside, there is an outdoor motion sensor with camera, 238 € or 7.44 €/month, which sends a photo as soon as someone is in the yard, before they reach the door.
Tip. Put the camera sensor in the hallway, facing the front door. Almost everyone comes in that way, and the photo shows their face, not their back. If your neighbour is added as a user, they see the same photo and don’t have to wait for your answer.
What does an outdoor siren actually do?
The outdoor siren with flashing light is fixed to the outside wall under the eaves. When an alarm goes off, it gives a 110 dB sound and a flashing light. The intruder knows they have been noticed, and the neighbours hear that something is happening. The indoor siren is also 110 dB and sounds inside the house. The outdoor siren costs 70 € to buy or 3.10 €/month and is already included in the Plus and Premium packages. You can add it to the Start package.
A siren doesn’t replace a person, but it buys time: while you are looking at the photo, the light is already flashing in front of the house and the siren is sounding, which nobody on the street can miss.
When should you call 112?
When the photo or your neighbour’s eyes show that a crime is happening right now: there is a stranger in the house, a window is broken, a door has been forced. Don’t go in yourself and don’t ask your neighbour to go in. Tell 112 the address, which sensor went off and when, and that you have a photo from the moment of the alarm. You have all of this in the app straight away.
An alarm system alerts you and leaves evidence. Going in is a job for the police or a patrol, not for you or your neighbour.
Does an alarm system need a patrol?
For most homes, no. If family or a neighbour is nearby and the alarm comes with a photo, the situation is clear within a couple of minutes. A patrol makes sense when there is nobody nearby who could get there: a summer cottage in another county, a house you are away from for long periods, or a home where all users work far away.
GSMvalve doesn’t send anyone out itself. You can add a patrol through a partner, and the price depends on the area, because call-out conditions differ in town and in the countryside. Tell us during the call that you want a patrol, and you will get a specific price. We reply within one working day and the enquiry doesn’t commit you to anything.
All the options side by side
| Who or what | What it does | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| You in the app | You see which sensor and what time | App is included in the monthly fee | Always |
| Family and neighbour as users | Get the same alarm at the same time | App is included in the monthly fee | When someone lives nearby |
| Motion sensor with camera | Series of photos when an alarm goes off, even in the dark | 75 € or 1.86 €/month | Checking for false alarms, evidence |
| Outdoor motion sensor with camera | Photo already from the yard | 238 € or 7.44 €/month | House, summer cottage |
| Outdoor siren with flashing light | 110 dB and a flashing light on the outside wall | 70 € or 3.10 €/month | House, terraced house |
| 112 | Police, if a crime is in progress | Free | The photo shows a stranger |
| Patrol through a partner | Drives over | Depends on the area, in the quote | Remote summer cottage, nobody nearby |
Prices include VAT. When you buy, there is a monthly fee of 9.18 € (app, mobile connection, customer support), and extra devices don’t raise it. When you rent, the devices, app and customer support are included in the monthly fee.
You don’t need a patrol if
- Family or a neighbour can get there within a few minutes
- There is a camera sensor in the hallway
- There is an outdoor siren on the outside wall
A patrol is worth adding if
- The summer cottage or house is far away with no neighbours
- You are often away for long periods
- All users work far from home
Our advice
Add at least one user who lives nearby, and put a camera sensor in the hallway. These two cover most situations where you can’t answer yourself. For a house, add an outdoor siren. Add a patrol if your home or summer cottage is far away and there is nobody nearby who could go and check.
Frequently asked questions
Does GSMvalve send a patrol when the alarm goes off?
No. GSMvalve is not a security company, and the alarm goes to your phone and the phones of the users you have added. You can add a patrol through a partner. Its price depends on the area and comes in a separate quote.
Can the alarm also be sent to a neighbour?
Yes. Every user of the alarm system gets the alarm at the same time, including a neighbour or a family member who lives elsewhere. The technician adds the users during installation once you tell them who to add.
Does the camera sensor record video?
No. The motion sensor with camera only sends a series of photos to your phone when an alarm goes off, even in the dark. There is no continuous video recording. The sensor costs 75 € or 1.86 €/month incl. VAT.
What happens if the power or internet is down during an alarm?
The alarm still goes out. The GSMvalve hub has a backup battery and a SIM card, so the notification reaches your phone over the mobile network even during a power cut or internet outage.
Read also: how the system works · camera sensor · leave your number and mention the patrol
Written by the GSMvalve team
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