Check out our September newsletter!
SEPTEMBER 2025
AMERICAN-ALARMS.COM
(515) 266-9888
I didn’t always plan on running American Alarms. My father started the business back in 1983, literally out of the basement of our house. He’d worked in the industry since he was a teenager, and by the time he left his old company, he’d become its president and part-owner. However, he and the other owners had different ideas about customer service. He believed in doing things the right way, and when that stopped happening, he decided it was time to build something from scratch. At first, it wasn’t about alarm systems at all. He launched what was then called American Electrical Sales and his work was repping electrical products to wholesalers across Iowa and Nebraska. Early on, a contractor asked him to help design a fire alarm system. That was something he knew well, and once he got back into it, he realized that’s where he wanted to focus. He made the shift, intentionally built that part of the business, and it became our entire operation over time. I joined the company in 2009. My background is in insurance and real estate, and I didn’t join the company until my dad asked if I’d consider stepping in to help with succession planning. At that point, the company had three employees, and I was number four. The first few years, I spent a lot of time in the field trying to take in as much of the work as possible. I pulled wire, helped troubleshoot, and learned how to design systems. I eventually earned my NICET certification and began handling more estimating and sales work. It wasn’t long before I started overseeing full projects from design to completion. Many of the systems we worked on weren’t predesigned, so we handled everything from the ground up — designing, estimating, selling, and then ensuring it all came together correctly on site. When my father stepped down and named me president, my responsibilities shifted again. Over the years, we’ve grown carefully and intentionally. We’re still a small company, but we’ve grown our team, expanded our reach, and taken on larger and more complex projects than ever before. Lately, we’ve also started to think more about how we share our story and stay connected with the people we serve. This newsletter is a small step in that direction. The reason this company exists has remained the same. My father built it around the idea that customers deserve to be treated well. That belief still guides us today. We don’t aim to be the biggest. We aim to be the A Foundation Built on Service 40-PLUS YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG
most responsive and trusted. We’ve built long-term relationships with our customers across Iowa by doing what we say we’ll do, following through, and ensuring people are served well from start to finish. With the systems and components we handle, it’s easy to think of our work as purely technical, but at its core, this business has always been about people. Whether we’re working on a small retrofit or a large-scale project, our goal is always to make the process smooth, keep things easy to use, and leave our clients feeling taken care of. I’m proud of the team we’ve built and what customers trust us to do, but what matters most is what people say once the job’s done. We want our clients to feel heard, supported, and confident enough to recommend us to someone else. That’s how we’ve grown over the years, and it’s the standard we hold ourselves to every day. “American Alarms was great to work with for our new spa build out. After a frustrating experience with a large fire alarms company, we were without the parts or labor we needed to complete our project. Owner Adam Jacobs was empathetic and great at communicating with my general contractor and me. American Alarms was able to get the parts that the large contractor couldn’t source, plus they installed them quickly and at a much lower cost. My recommendation to small- business owners is to visit with American Alarms to see if they can handle your project, even if they weren’t the company who installed the system in your building.” -Cassie Sampson Owner, East Village Spa
Thanks for reading our first newsletter and being part of this next chapter with us. No matter how you found your way to American Alarms — whether last month or decades ago — we’re glad you’re here.
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Lazy or Lost? A Work-From-Home Wake-Up Call day. After all, your work laptop is right there — why not sign back on for a second to check your work email after dinner? Failing to give yourself time away from thinking about work may lead to added stress and an eventual feeling of being overwhelmed — a gateway to laziness or burnout. Work is work, and home is home. That fact should never change just because both occur under the same roof. Keep your work and life tasks separate. For your work and home obligations to coexist successfully as a remote employee, you must give each side its own space. If you’re sneaking away from your work computer beyond your approved breaks to wash that pile of laundry in the hallway or put away the dishes, you may need to restructure your to-do list. Reserve your work tasks for the day and your home and life tasks for evenings and weekends — and don’t stray from that plan. Don’t mistake exhaustion for laziness. Above all, it’s essential to recognize the difference between laziness and burnout . Putting your feet up and giving yourself a Netflix weekend is one thing; dragging yourself through your days irritable, depressed, and physically and mentally exhausted is another. If you have more of the latter these days, it may be time to seek support from loved ones or health care professionals who can help get you back on a healthier and more fulfilling path.
A decade ago, most people had a commute to help them mentally unwind from the stress of their in-office workdays. In 2025, many employees have only a short walk from their ad-hoc “home office” to the living room to clear their heads. While there are benefits to working from home, integrating your career and home life under one roof can have downsides, especially when trying to stay happy, fulfilled, and productive in both roles. Here are three helpful thoughts to remember if laziness creeps into your in-house work/life balance. You work to live, not live to work. For every perk that comes with working from home (hint: You’re not the only person wearing pajama bottoms during Zoom calls), there’s an equally detrimental temptation to avoid switching off from work at the end of the
WHO CONTROLS YOUR SAFETY SYSTEM? THE HIDDEN COSTS OF PROPRIETARY EQUIPMENT
One of the most important decisions you make when building or renovating is which life safety or security systems to install. Most people assume their system is just a line item in the project budget, but the choice can lock you into a relationship for years, whether you meant to or not.
Before everything went digital, most systems were straightforward. You could call any qualified electrician or technician to help if something went wrong. But with microprocessors and software-driven components, companies have figured out how to protect their service agreements by restricting who can work on their systems. I encourage clients to ask key questions up front: Is the system proprietary? Will I have service options later? What happens if I want to switch providers? Too often, these questions don’t come up until there’s already a problem. The time to get answers is before anything gets installed, not after you’ve committed to something that limits your flexibility or drives up future costs.
A lot of systems being installed today are proprietary. That often means only one company can service or modify them. And if that company isn’t responsive or you’re not happy with their work, you may not have any other local options. Simply put, you’re stuck with what you’ve got.
I’ve seen this happen too many times. Someone hands off a system decision to an architect, engineer, or general
At American Alarms, we’ve made a conscious choice to keep things simple and user-friendly. We want you to understand your system, manage it easily, and have real choices if your needs change. When you’re investing in life safety, you should be the one in control, not the manufacturer or installer. That’s why our licensed and certified team members prioritize customer education and don’t install systems that box you in.
contractor. They approve the price without asking how flexible the system is or who can service it later. The equipment goes in, and once the project wraps up, they realize they don’t have the access or control they thought they would, but that wasn’t always the case.
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Candy Gourd Haunting Leaves Libra Marigold Moon Opal Pumpkin Soup Teachers Touchdown
Looking for ways to raise apartment rents without major construction? Even better, what if you could also lower insurance costs in the process? There are several ways to boost rent potential. Some updates improve curb appeal, some add value through amenities, and others enhance safety and security. The most attractive improvements, however, don’t require tearing down walls or digging up the property. One option that often checks multiple boxes is upgrading or adding electronic life safety or security systems. You can often do this without cutting into walls or digging underground. We’ve seen firsthand how the right upgrades can make a property more appealing to tenants while lowering long-term costs for owners. It’s the kind of upgrade that can pay off in ways you’ll notice immediately and others you’ll appreciate over time. These systems generally fall into two main categories: Life Safety — These systems typically include fire alarm and detection, specialty call systems for accessible areas, and elevator emergency call systems. Physical Security — This category covers electronic access control, video surveillance, burglar alarm systems, parking gates or arms, visitor call systems, and more. When these systems work properly and a professional central station monitors them, many insurance companies offer discounts on property coverage. Their data shows a significant drop in risk for fire, burglary, and other threats when systems are in place and monitored 24/7. Some clients we’ve interviewed after making changes saw a reduction of 40% in total insurance costs. Discounts can sometimes even “stack” if you have multiple qualifying systems. Raise Rents, Lower Insurance Costs Safety That Pays for Itself
Grandma Linda’s Oatmeal Cookies
INGREDIENTS
• 3/4 cup soft shortening • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar • 1/2 cup white sugar • 1 large egg • 1/4 cup water • 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour • 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda • 3 cups rolled oats • Add chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, etc., if desired (but they’re really good plain)
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a cookie sheet and set aside. 2. In a large bowl, combine shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, egg, water, and vanilla and beat until well combined. 3. Then add flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until well combined. Stir in rolled oats until distributed evenly. If adding other mix-ins, stir into batter. 4. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen large cookies. DIRECTIONS
You can also see other benefits when you upgrade: • Fewer false alarms • Faster response by fire and EMS • Better video quality for security footage • Easier access for residents • Fewer management headaches with integrated systems • Compliance with new accessibility and ADA requirements
If you want to position your property for higher rents and lower insurance premiums, start by looking at the systems that protect your residents and assets. With the right plan, you could add value, reduce risk, and give your residents a safer place to live.
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Complete Fire Alarm Service In Iowa And The Midwest, By A Local Veteran-Owned Company American-Alarms.com (515) 266-9888
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1659 E Euclid Ave, Ste. B Des Moines, Iowa 50313
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. The Story Behind American Alarms
2. The Remote Work Reset 2. What to Know About Proprietary Systems 3. How Safety Boosts Property Value 3. Grandma Linda’s Oatmeal Cookies
4. Weekend Living Room Refresh Tips
SMALL CHANGES, BIG RESULTS A Living Room Refresh Made Simple Sometimes, your home needs more than a quick-fix cleaning. It needs a reset, and the living room is a good place to start because people gather, settle in, and spend time there with each other. But over the years, even a cozy, relaxing space can lose shape. Maybe you’ve had one too many attempts at rearranging your furniture or a mix of styles that never quite clicked. That doesn’t mean you need to tear the whole thing apart. With a solid plan and one weekend, you can bring new life to your space — no contractor required.
Start with what’s working. It could be a sofa worn just right or a wooden table with a storied past. Use those to ground the space. Then, clear the decks: Pull down the shelf clutter, trim back the pillow pile, and give your eyes space to rest. Once the room can breathe again, bring in new touches. Paint if you feel up to it. Even just one wall in a deeper tone can shift the whole feel. If that’s too much, bring in more texture. Think curtains that catch the light, a low-pile rug, or a few new cotton, linen, or velvet pillows. Light also does more than people think. Swapping a fixture or adding a lamp near the reading chair can shift the room’s ambiance. Pulling the furniture closer to the windows can also do the same. Rearranging things to make the most of natural light can brighten the entire space and make it feel more open. And don’t forget about the other sensory elements. Simple things like a new scent or potted plants are an easy way to breathe fresh life into your living room. Once you get started, you’ll see it doesn’t take a complete overhaul to make a space feel better. A throw with some heft, a chair turned toward the light, and a clear table surface can bring back a sense of calm. You know it’s working when the room invites you in without trying too hard.
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