Security systems
that verify before anyone responds.

Homes or businesses: which page do you need?

Pick the page that matches the property, because the equipment and the monitoring rules differ. Home security covers a wireless Ajax system for a finished house. That means hub, door and motion detectors, MotionCam photo detectors, keypad, sirens, and cameras or a video doorbell if you want them. Our own team installs it.

Business security covers cameras, access control, intrusion detection and Akuvox intercoms for restaurants, retail, offices and warehouses. We design it and install it with licensed trade partners under our supervision where the job calls for it. Both run on the same Ajax platform and report to the same central station. An owner with a shop in Kent and a house in Gig Harbor manages both from one app. Kent addresses, home or business, are covered on the Kent security systems page. Camera-only projects start on the security cameras page. Water damage is the claim that actually happens; the water leak detection page covers Ajax sensors and the automatic shutoff valve on the same hub.

How does a verified alarm work?

A verified alarm sends the operator a photo of what tripped it, not a bare siren signal. The sequence runs in five steps:

1. The hub watches every detector. The Ajax hub polls each device over the encrypted Jeweller radio every 12 to 300 seconds, 36 by default (Hub 2 manual). A silent detector is reported before it becomes a gap.
2. A detector trips. A MotionCam reads a human-sized heat signature and signals the hub.
3. The first photo lands within 9 seconds. MotionCam delivers its first image in up to 9 seconds, followed by a short series (Ajax MotionCam).
4. The hub keeps reporting. Hub 2 Plus runs Ethernet, Wi-Fi and two cellular SIM channels, so a cut internet line does not stop the report (Hub 2 Plus).
5. An operator looks, then acts. With professional monitoring, the central station reviews the photos, calls you, and relays the photo to dispatch. That is what turns a sensor trip into a verified alarm. Without it, the same photos reach your phone and the decision is yours.

That is the difference between a monitored system and a self-monitored one: self-monitoring alerts you; a central station can dispatch when you cannot be reached. Why we build around Ajax covers the encryption, tamper detection and battery life behind those five steps.

What drives the cost?

Four things set the price: openings and rooms to cover, how many detectors take photos, whether cameras and a doorbell are in the job, and whether you add monitoring. A two-bedroom house in Kent with a hub, keypad, four door contacts and two MotionCams is one job. A Tehaleh home with a detached shop and perimeter cameras is another. A restaurant with three doors on access control is a third.

Labor is the other variable: a wireless home is usually finished in one visit, while a commercial site with camera cabling takes days and a permit. You own every device from the day it goes on the wall, monitoring is month to month with no contract, and self-monitoring through the app has no fee. The instant quote gives you a starting number in a few minutes, no visit required; the walk-through turns it into a fixed proposal. Current monthly rates are on the Ajax alarm system cost page.

Who monitors it?

Professional monitoring runs through Becklar, a UL-listed central station, staffed 24 hours a day, that receives the alarm and the photo series together. UL 827 is the standard central stations are certified against (UL Solutions). The station verifies the event, calls your contact list in order, and dispatches when the event is real. A delivery driver at the wrong door gets a phone call, not a patrol car.

Where a city requires alarm registration, we handle it: in Tacoma the alarm company pays the annual device fee for each customer (City of Tacoma). Kent's camera registry is voluntary, and the police department states it will not have remote access to your cameras (City of Kent). None of that changes what you own: the hub, detectors and cameras are yours whether monitoring is on or off.

Where do we work?

We install from our office at 415 Railroad Ave S in Kent. We cover south King County and Pierce County: Kent, Renton, Tukwila, Federal Way, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Tehaleh, University Place and Gig Harbor. The Olympic Peninsula is by appointment. Tacoma is 25 to 30 minutes from the shop, Gig Harbor about 45. For a site with no power or internet, such as a construction yard or a farm gate, see the solar security tower. Cameras and the hub ride on your network, so a weak network gets fixed first (Wi-Fi and networking).

Why Rivas Technology Group?

Every claim on this page can be checked. Rivas Group, LLC dba Rivas Technology Group holds WA electrical contractor license RIVASGL799DR, active, bonded and insured (L&I lookup). We are BBB accredited with an A+ rating (BBB profile) and rated 5.0 from 49 Google reviews. Our listings:

• Ajax Systems dealer. Listed on ajax.systems for wireless intrusion protection, outdoor solutions and video surveillance.
• Control4 Authorized Dealer, listed on Control4's integrator map.
• Akuvox certified intercom installer (ACIA and ACII).
• CEDIA member, 2022 to 2026.

Founded in 2020. In a house, the people who design the system are the people who install it; on a commercial site, licensed trade partners work under our design and supervision. Ajax hardware carries a 24-month warranty from date of sale, batteries excluded (Ajax warranty), on top of our 90-day workmanship warranty. Read more about us, see support for what happens after the install, or contact us with a question that is not on this page.