Security & Fraud

Alarm Companies Suffer At The Hands Of The User

With all the buzz about commercial false alarms lately and stats being thrown around like a rookie in the WWF, it about time people learn the real reason false alarms occur in homes and businesses.

Alarm companies shouldn't be so quick to use the media as a soapbox to slam competitors products. All this does is create confusion for the end user. Confusion that may ultimately put a potential customer in danger by deciding not to install a burglar alarm.

So why are there so many false alarms? The answer is quite simple, there are three main causes, technological errors caused by faulty products or inexpensive equipment, poor installations usually lead by poor placement or wrong sensitivity settings and of course the absolute worst culprit, the user.

Numerous surveys have attributed 40 to 60 percent of false alarms being attributed to user error. If we want to gain the confidence of our police force and save tax dollars, we have to prove to them we can cut the false alarm rates substantially. Then and only then will we possibly see changes to commercial alarm attendance by our local police department.

If you find yourself in a position where you have an older less reliable alarm system and your business has had numerous false alarms, it's time to react by calling your security company and arranging for a new updated system to be installed.

Teach your employees and family members the proper procedures in operating your security system. Improper or incomplete training is costing tax payers thousands of dollars not to mention draining police departments of  their much needed resources. 

Alarm companies may have to work with police departments in setting up Alarm User Awareness Classes where users can become familiar with how to operate their alarm system. Users include all employees, relatives, children, baby sitters and visitors, virtually anybody who has access to your home or business alarm. 

These classes could also discuss stats on false alarms and how they effect our valuable police resources as well as teach users the how's and why's of their particular alarm system. Tips on choosing alarm companies and alarm systems may also be incorporated into the program.

In the mean time, it's never too late to react to high false alarm statistics. Here are some easy tips to help prevent a false alarm to your home or business.

• Stop all drafts that may move plants or curtains, both of which may cause an alarm to sound.

• Insist that the alarm keypad be easily accessible from the entry door and that the arming delay is set for a reasonable period.

• Ensure that everyone with a key to your home or business knows how to manually operate the system and knows what to do if it is accidentally set off. These authorized people should also know the 24-hour service number and pass code for the monitoring company.

• Remember that user error is the single largest cause of false alarms, so have your user's manual accessible to all users.

• Make sure you replace the backup battery every three to five years.

• Insist your system have a simple method for testing that will not result in a false dispatch 

• Make sure your burglar alarm system has a cancel code which can be entered in the event of a false alarm

Please check out my new Web site at www.yourhomesecurity.ca or e-mail me at .