False Burglar Alarm Prevention Checklist
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While a home security system serves as great protection from property crime, false alarms can be a headache for all parties, including residents, monitoring centers, and local authorities. Multiple occasions can even dissuade many customers from using the security system or push them to discontinuing service. But there are measures any customer can take in preventing false alarm triggers. Here’s a checklist that will help:
Do Your Homework
- Select a security system that’s easy to use, and easy to disarm.
- Work with your installer to make sure there’s sufficient time to disarm the security system from any point of access on the property.
- Ask your security provider how frequent false alarms are, and how many are due to system malfunction.
- Find out if there’s an appeal process if a false alarm occurs as a result of system malfunction.
Train Residents in Operating the Security System
- Everyone should know how much time can elapse between entry and security disarming.
- Make sure everyone in the home is trained in operating the home security system. Have everyone go through trial runs multiple times when first installed.
- Have a summary sheet for operating the system handy for reference, in a spot that’s easily accessible to occupants, but not obvious to strangers.
- Make sure everyone knows where the master control panel is located.
- All residents should know how to immediately cancel a false alarm.
- Everyone should know how to deactivate specific motion sensors.
- Notify all residents of any changes to the system codes or features.
- Contact security providers before doing any home renovations to avoid unnecessarily triggering alarms, especially for hard-wired systems.
Unfortunately, a large percentage of burglar alarms are a result of a false trigger. False alarms can decrease the urgency of local authorities in responding to calls in the future, pull resources from real emergencies, and even result in fines and penalties for residents. Precautionary measures should be taken to avoid false alarms, and ensure that security systems are working properly and operated properly.
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