1.   Burglar alarm companies claim they work in close co-operation with the police.

2.   -- Make sure the alarm company uses people, rather than computers, to monitor alarm signals.

3.   -- Most alarm systems depend on telephone lines to send a warning message to the alarm company.

4.   A coalition representing security alarm companies has asked a federal appeals court to stop Ameritech Corp. from future acquisitions of alarm-monitoring assets.

5.   Alarm companies said an overlay would cause them far less disruption than a split.

6.   Elizabeth Holtzman, a former city comptroller and congresswoman, spoke on behalf of the Firecom alarm company, based in New York.

7.   He started an insurance company, then an aluminum siding company, a burglar alarm company, a storm window company and a business that made parking meters.

8.   Independent alarm companies say the law also forbids Ameritech from expanding its SecurityLink monitoring subsidiary through acquisitions of equipment and customer contracts from existing firms.

9.   James W. Lees, chief executive of Sentry Protective Systems in Malden, said alarm companies need six to nine months to convert all the systems.

10.   Most alarm companies have already started charging their customers more to pay for the reprogramming effort.