Whether it’s caused by the family cat or an employee who has not been trained properly, any number of things can trigger a false alarm in your home or business security system. Both law enforcement and the alarm industry have been looking for ways to reduce false alarm responses, but one of the most impactful solutions starts with you, the alarm system client. Bomar Security has put together some useful information to help our community address this pesky problem.
A loss of resources
False alarms from your home or business alarm system not only have a jarring effect on your day, they also impact your finances; fees incurred by false alarms can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars for repeated incidents. They can have a detrimental impact on the efficiency, safety and effectiveness of your security provider, the local law enforcement and your entire community.
A pattern of false alarms can cause you to feel dissatisfied with your alarm system and the security provider despite the fact that it isn’t usually their fault. In addition, since police and law enforcement resources tend to be tight around the country, it could actually be dangerous to your community to have them wasted on a false alarm. Untold thousands of hours of police and fire patrol manpower are squandered through investigating alarms that end up being false.
Doing your part
Bomar Security Mobile Patrols respond to thousands of alarms every year and has put together a list of the simple and easy ways to avoid false alarms. As an alarm system owner, there are steps you can take to reduce occurrences of false alarms. Start by identifying the most common or likely causes. Some of them could include:
• Forgetting the correct keypad code
• Not training authorized users well
• The failure to fully secure entryways and windows once the system is armed
• Re-entering right after leaving without disarming and assuming there will be enough time to re-exit without triggering the alarm
• Roaming pets that trigger motion sensors
• Objects triggering motion sensors
• Faulty equipment
• Weak system batteries
• Strong winds, storms, or other acts of nature
False alarms from acts of nature or faulty equipment are quite rare; the truth is that the biggest cause of false alarms is human error. Once the most likely false alarm causes are identified, take the appropriate steps to reduce their likelihood of occurring:
• Choose a passcode that is relatively easy to remember (but not 1234)
• Train all authorized users properly and adequately
• Make sure to secure all doors and windows before turning on the alarm
• Service and maintain your security system regularly and properly
• Check batteries regularly
• Inform the security monitoring center about any changes to passcodes/arming codes and new or removed users
Security alarms are an effective deterrent for the residential sector but too often businesses require more protection. For more information on additional security services offered to businesses contact Bomar Security and Investigation or click here.