FALSE ALARM PREVENTION TIPS


 

Human error is responsible for almost 80% of all false alarms. It is important for each of us to do everything possible to help prevent them.  Police and  fire departments have a limited amount of man power. False alarms place  our emergency personnel away from a real emergency and can cause the response time to increase dramatically. They are also costly to tax payers, security service customers and security professionals.  Some towns can eventually deny emergency response to properties with a large amount of false alarms.  Please read over all the information provided on this page so you too can do your part to help the hard working police and firemen do their job more efficiently.

1. Fully Understand your security system

• Read your owners manual

• Make sure everyone in your family knows how to operate the system

• Use a password that everyone can remember easily

• If you have a house sitter when going on vacation properly train them in system operation

2. Know your system

• One very common cause of false alarms is having a device with a low battery. If your keypad displays a low battery condition do not continue to arm the system until the battery has been changed. If you must arm the system then bypass the zone first.

• Regularly check the contacts on your doors and windows for any damage.

• When leaving check all doors and windows have been securely locked and cannot be accidentally opened by a gust of wind

• If using a motion detector, make sure any windows it is facing are closed when leaving as the motion can be triggered   by  a blowing curtain as well as movement outdoors.

• When using a fireplace , any motion facing the flames can be triggered

• Periodically test your system to ensure it is working properly

3. Keep your monitoring station up to date

• If your phone number changes don't forget to let us know. Reaching you by phone is the first thing we do before dispatching the police or fire dept.

• Always update your call list with us. If  your cell phone or work number changes. The same holds true for any person on your contact list.

• Getting a new cat or dog ?  Let us know so we can make the necessary adjustments to your motion detectors to accommodate the new addition to your family

• Planning any interior remodeling?  Make sure you let our monitoring center know beforehand. Excessive dust can set off smoke detectors. Also many of the devices in your home are supervised and may trigger when being temporarily removed.

• Today we have more than one option for our home phone service. Many people are switching from the traditional telephone company service to internet or VOIP phones. It is very important to let us know if you plan to change your service from one type of system to another . To ensure that your alarm can still communicate properly with our monitoring facility  you will need to set up a service appointment.

By following these guidelines you can significantly reduce the possibility of having a false alarm .

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