Advice On Avoiding False Alarms

by luxy32

posted on 10/03/2009

What are False Alarms?
In many cities across the country, ordinances are being passed to reduce the amount of false alarms that the police and/or fire department respond to. An alarm call is considered false if there is no evidence of foul play or emergency.

What is the Big Deal?
To those of us not in an emergency services field, it may seem like no big deal to accidentally set off your home/work security system. You just give the code when the alarm company calls, apologize to the police if they show up and continue on. Most people don't realize that approximately 80% of all alarm dispatches are false. That creates a huge drain on public resources. Think about this: the police in a certain area receive two dispatches of two separate alarms. They respond to the first one and it was a mistake. "Little Johnny" accidentally hit the panic button on the alarm panel. The second alarm dispatch was an actual emergency that the police weren't able to get to in time because the first call wasted their time. I will let you imagine the possible consequences.

Preventing False Alarms
There are a few things that can be done to minimize or eliminate false alarms at your location. Make sure that you understand how to operate your equipment and teach the rest of the family or employees (if a business). Make sure that your equipment is functioning as intended and have it serviced when needed. It is also a good idea to make sure that the batteries are good. Alarms can be triggered by bad batteries. Education and equipment upkeep are the key to avoiding the most common causes of false alarms.

Here are a few other things to check. If you have motion sensors, make sure to keep them dusted and clean. You won't believe how often a little insect crawling around on the sensor sets off alarms. Make sure that the contact numbers your monitoring company has are current and that you provide two numbers. Some alarm systems seize the phone line in your house, so a cell phone is a good choice for a contact number. Contact your local law enforcement to see if your location has a false alarm reduction ordinance and how to comply.

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