Lately, authorities in jurisdictions across the country have begun to crack down on local companies by charging fines for false alarms in order to recoup some of the costs associated with responding to these calls. These new practices only add to the overall costs of security for an organization and compile unnecessary stress onto the shoulders of the business owners.
As a leading integrator in the commercial security industry, Invision Security Group strives to provide our customers with a customized system that will greatly minimize, if not eliminate, false alarms completely, giving them back their peace of mind.
There are a lot of ways that your security system could throw off a false alarm causing confusion during the workday or waking you or your employees up in the middle of the night. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways that business owners can avoid these inconveniences by implementing some simple modifications to their company’s day-to-day policies & procedures.
We asked our experienced and dedicated staff of installers, service technicians, salespeople and customer support specialists for their best tips for avoiding false alarms and were inspired by their responses to share the wealth with our loyal customers.
- Ensure that the designated employees have the proper access codes to disarm the system if necessary. Those that do not have access should not be trying to disarm the system.
- Be sure that individuals that are on your call list are aware that they have been designated as such and are responsive to phone calls or alerts during off-hours. They should also be aware of what factors related to the business could trigger a false alarm so they are prepared. I.e. construction, animals on the perimeter, etc.
- You should be training your staff monthly or quarterly on your own protocols. Having more than one person attend the post-installation training is key.
- If you are using motion sensors, ensure that they are placed in an area that has minimal background motion and/or noise. Placement is very important.
- After having your windows and doors cleaned, be sure to check any connections that are a part of your system.
- It is important to have sufficient delays on doors for employees and/or patrons that walk slower than the average person, i.e. retirement communities, hospitals, doctor’s offices, etc.
- Refrain from hanging signs and banners from the ceiling. Also, remember to turn off ceiling fans and remove any balloons after a party. These could set off motion sensors after the system is armed while the air is circulating.
- Make sure that the batteries in any motion sensors and all door and window contacts are in good working order.
- Maintain & test your entire system monthly or quarterly to ensure all devices are functioning properly.
- Always advise your alarm monitoring provider of construction projects taking place at your facility or in the area or if something is damaged.
- If you suspect trouble, call your security provider as soon as possible. Do not wait until the end of the day. If something seems off, it probably is; trust your instincts.
If you and your staff follow this handy list of guidelines to administer your own security system in-house, you will greatly lessen the chance of having a costly false alarm inconveniencing you while you are busy running your business.
If you found this article useful or would like to add other suggestions, feel free to reach out to us and give us your feedback. We love hearing from our customers.