How do I reduce the number of false alarms transmitted by my system?
What good is an alarm system if it doesn't work?
What good is an alarm system if the authorities are slow to respond to its calls?
In a nutshell: not much.
Excessive false alarms are constant source of grief to alarm owners, monitoring stations, and police departments all over the United States and elsewhere. False alarms have become enough of a problem that fines and lack of response have become commonplace.
What can you do about it?
Here are some suggestions:
Test your alarms, clean your sensors, and check batteries regularly. If you're testing your alarms the central monitoring station will have been informed, and will know not to call the authorities; what you get in return for the minor investment of time is the knowledge that if you have an emergency, the alarms will do the job that they were designed to do.
Make sure that your household and/or employees are properly trained to use the alarm panels to which they have access. Many false alarms come about as a result of improper codes being sent, or alarms that signal before they are disarmed due to the forgetfulness or carelessness of the person who was supposed to disarm them upon entry.
Communicate regularly with your central monitoring station and those you have designated as Responsible Parties. Your monitoring station will be able to tell you if there are any odd signal patterns that might result in a false alarm, and a Responsible Party who's "in the dark" can't communicate effectively with the central station if (or when) they get a call.
Work with your sales representative to ensure that you're getting the best system for your requirements. While the cheapest hardware may appear to be the best to buy, it may not properly detect the threats to the safety of your premises that you're trying to avoid. Your sales representative will be the best source of information if you're looking to build a system that minimizes the risk of false alarms.
Last updated: 6 September 2001
