If your fire alarm goes off at 2 a.m., who gets the call?
Most owners honestly don't know. The phone line the panel used was cut years ago. The monitoring company changed hands. Nobody has tested the signal since the last inspection. That's not fair — you paid for a system that's supposed to protect people while you sleep.
Zion monitors your fire alarm for $49.99 a month. Dual-path radio, installation and testing included. And every week you get a one-page report that proves it's working.
Your panel, your devices, your last inspection. No sales call.
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google · UL-listed central station · Texas SFMO ACR-2371654 · Rather talk to a person? 855.ZIONFIRE
An alarm nobody hears is just a very loud light bulb.
Monitoring is the part of your fire alarm that calls the fire department when the building is empty. When it quietly stops working, three things are on the line.
The people inside
A fire at night, on a weekend, or in a vacant suite only gets a response if the signal actually leaves the building and someone picks it up.
Your certificate of occupancy
For most commercial buildings in Texas, monitoring isn't optional. Fire marshals ask for proof. "The panel says normal" is not proof.
Your insurance claim
After a loss, the adjuster asks one question: was the system monitored and tested? A monthly bill from a company you can't reach is a hard answer to defend.
The most common thing we find on takeovers is a panel that shows "comm normal" while the line behind it has been dead for months. It's not your fault. Nobody told you. That's the part we fix first.
Four steps. All online. No one has to visit before you know the price.
You start on your phone. You see the price before you sign. On monthly plans nothing is charged until your monitoring is live.
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1
Take the free 5-minute check.
Panel brand, how many devices, when it was last inspected, who monitors it today. Plain-English questions. You get a readiness score and we get what we need to confirm your plan fits.
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2
Read it. Sign it. Online.
A short, plain agreement arrives by email through DocuSign with your price and your plan already filled in. Read it on your phone. Sign it when you're ready.
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3
Set up auto-pay and pick your install day.
A secure Stripe page saves your card or bank account. We never see your numbers. Monthly plans charge nothing until monitoring is verified live; yearly plans make their first payment at signing. Then you choose when the tech comes.
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4
Watch the tech arrive.
You get a text when your technician is on the way. They install the radio, program the panel, test every signal with the central station, and leave you a report the same day. You'll see the tech coming.
Already know what you have? Skip to enrollment →
Pick the one that matches how much you want to think about this.
Every plan includes a dual-path radio (cellular + internet), the installation and the testing. No install bill, and no Texas sales tax on monitoring. Monthly billing starts the day your monitoring is verified live.
Essential
Monitoring that works, proven every week. For owners who want it handled.
$49.99 /month
or $44.99/month paid yearly ($539.88/yr, 3 payments)
- 24/7 UL-listed central station monitoring with fire department dispatch
- Dual-path alarm radio (cellular + internet, CLSS) installed, programmed and tested — included
- Weekly one-page signal report by email: every test, every signal, every trouble
- Same-day install report and a monitoring certificate for your fire marshal file
- Your call list kept current with the station
- 36-month agreement; no equipment or install charge
Pro
For property managers who want a phone call before the fire marshal does.
$74.99 /month
or $69.99/month paid yearly ($839.88/yr, 3 payments)
- Everything in Essential, plus:
- Trouble and supervisory follow-up: we call you, in plain English, when the panel reports a problem
- Annual communicator and signal test done during your fire alarm inspection, no separate visit
- Priority technician scheduling for service calls
- Owner online training: your staff learn what the panel is telling them (Zion Fire Academy)
- 20% off FireWatchPro when a system is ever down and you need a documented fire watch
Elite
For portfolios and buildings that cannot afford a surprise.
$124.99 /month
or $119.99/month paid yearly ($1,439.88/yr, 3 payments)
- Everything in Pro, plus:
- Same-day radio replacement if your communicator ever fails
- Verified Fire Compliance Score once a year: a Zion technician confirms your score on site
- Quarterly review call: open troubles, upcoming inspections, what the fire marshal will ask for
- Account manager who knows your buildings by name
- FireWatchPro included for your portfolio when you need it
Why there's no install bill
A dual-path alarm radio and a technician visit normally cost more than most owners expect. On a 36-month agreement we cover both, because a building that stays monitored for three years is worth more to us than a one-time invoice. If you leave early, the agreement spells out exactly what the equipment and install are worth. No surprises.
Dual-path alarm radio (CLSS) — included
Technician installation, programming and testing — included
Install bill. Monthly plans charge nothing until monitoring is verified live
Fire alarm monitoring is not subject to Texas sales tax; any separately billed parts or setup charges are taxed. Automatic payment is required and is set up on a secure Stripe page; we never collect card or bank numbers on paper or by email. Yearly pricing is billed as three annual payments over the 36-month term: the first when you sign, then at 12 and 24 months. Annual rate increases are capped at 7.5% with 30 days' notice. Radio compatibility with your panel is confirmed in the free check before you sign. Already monitored by Zion? Move to a 2026 plan here.
You'll know it's working. Every week.
Most monitoring companies send you a bill once a month and nothing else. You find out the line was dead when the fire marshal does.
Every Monday morning you get one page: did the panel check in, did the test signals arrive, were there any troubles, and what we did about them. Forward it to your fire marshal, your insurance agent or your boss. It's the proof they ask for, before they ask.
Weekly monitoring report — example
Frequently asked questions
Is fire alarm monitoring actually required for my building?
For most commercial buildings in Texas, yes. If your building was required to have a fire alarm system, the fire code generally requires that system to be monitored by an approved central station. Your local fire marshal has the final say. The free check tells you where your building stands, and we confirm it before you sign anything.
What is the "radio" and why is it included?
It's a small communicator (a CLSS radio) that sits next to your fire alarm panel and sends signals to the central station two ways at once: over the cell network and over your internet connection. If one path fails, the other keeps reporting. Fire alarm systems are required to have that second path, and phone-line-only accounts are quietly broken all over Texas because of it. We include the dual-path radio and the installation on every plan, on a 36-month agreement, so the cost isn't a reason to leave a building unmonitored.
I already have a monitoring company. Can you take it over?
Yes, and that's most of what we do. Pick a plan, sign, and we handle the switch: we install our radio, re-program the panel to our central station, test every signal, and send you confirmation. You cancel your old provider once we're live, not before, so there's never a gap.
When does billing start, and when am I charged?
Monthly plans: nothing is charged when you sign. Your card or bank account is saved on a secure Stripe page, and the first charge happens on the day your monitoring is verified live with the central station, then monthly from that day. Yearly plans: the first annual payment is made when you sign, the second 12 months later and the third 12 months after that. Monitoring is not subject to Texas sales tax.
What if I sell the building or need to cancel early?
The agreement you sign spells out the early-termination terms, including what the included radio and installation are worth if you leave before 36 months. If the building sells, the new owner can take over the agreement online in a few minutes. You'll read all of this before you sign, not after.
What does the technician actually do on install day?
Install the radio next to your panel, program the panel to report to our central station, put the account on test, trip and confirm every signal type (alarm, trouble, supervisory) with the station, update your call list, and leave you a same-day report. You get a text when they're on the way.
What happens when there's a real alarm?
The UL-listed central station receives the signal, follows your call list and dispatches the fire department according to your local procedures. Trouble and supervisory signals (a low battery, a closed sprinkler valve) are reported to you so they get fixed before they become a problem.
Find out if your alarm would make the call.
Five minutes on your phone. You see where your building stands, and the price before anyone visits.
Start the free 5-minute check →Prefer to enroll directly? Choose a plan and sign online → · Questions? 855.ZIONFIRE
This page is not an emergency service. If there is a fire or immediate danger, call 911. The free check is an online readiness screening, not an inspection. Zion Fire Protection, LLC · Texas SFMO ACR-2371654.