GRAND BLANC, Mich. — The event of a security system’s alarm being inadvertently activated, or a false alarm being triggered, is a growing issue in the metro Detroit and Flint areas that extends far beyond inconvenience, according to the security experts at Sonitrol Great Lakes.
A professionally installed security system is designed to provide its users protection from loss of property, physical damage and even personal injury. However, when local authorities are constantly dispatched in response to false alarms, this results in losses of both taxpayer-funded work time and money, but also cultivates a potentially dangerous habit of hesitation among law enforcement officials when a real alarm signal is received.
“False alarms continue to be an ongoing problem in the security industry, as 95 percent of all reported alarm calls into law enforcement are reported as false,” said Mike Wanstreet, president of Sonitrol Great Lakes. He added, that of these false alarms, at least 80 percent are caused by a preventable error, with the rest attributed to weather-related circumstances, equipment malfunction or poor design.
To combat the high volume of unnecessary false alarms, many cities in Southeast Michigan and mid-Michigan are considering or have begun implementing different types of false alarm prevention programs, including false alarm fines for repeat occurrences, and laws requiring alarm verification. How to reduce false alarms:
Sonitrol Great Lakes, with its Verified Electronic Security Solution, has compiled some simple steps to ensure the proper operation and efficiency of an electronic security system. Making sure the security system is used properly and training the users are the easiest and most essential actions to reduce false alarms. By following these basic procedures, false alarms can be greatly reduced or even eliminated from homes and business:
1. Make sure the security system provider’s central monitoring station has current contact information so that the correct and timely notifications can be made.
2. If the security system has motion sensors, keep pets out of the area of protection to prevent unintentional activation of the system. Motion detectors are one of the most problematic devices in security systems today.
3. Make sure that the perimeter security of the protected facility is maintained, such as repairing loose-fitting doors and overhead doors that do not seal properly. Be sure all door and windows are locked when the facility or home is closed.
4. Be sure that all users are trained on how to arm and disarm the system, as well as how to call and cancel an unintentional alarm. This includes neighbors who have keys to a house while the owner is on vacation.
5. Make sure that exit and entry delay times allow enough time to exit the premises when arming the system and enough time to disarm upon entry.
6. Keep the system properly maintained. Sonitrol Great Lakes recommends and provides periodic maintenance service for their systems. Obsolete or malfunctioning equipment will add to the false alarm problem.
7. Strongly consider upgrading to newer technology, if the system is aging, specifically a system that offers a verified solution. Just like PCs and mobile devices, technology in security systems is constantly changing for the better.
8. Make sure that the stand-by batteries are properly charged. In the event of a power failure, if stand-by batteries are not functioning properly, neither will the security system.
9. Make sure that communication lines (phone line, internet, cellular) are in proper working order. Security systems require communication between the premise and central monitoring station to operate properly. Sonitrol Great Lakes verifies an alarm system’s communication path to the central monitor station each and every time it is armed.
10. During any renovations, contact the security provider so that they may assist in the modifications of the security system to avoid any problems associated with construction.