Reducing False Alarms

False alarms occur when the triggering of an alarm signals an emergency response, but no emergency has occurred. There are lots of problems associated with false alarms, so if you have a security or alarm system in your home or business it’s important to do what you can to help stop them from happening.

What many people don’t know is that false alarms can cost you money; false security alarms that happen at commercial and residential properties are slapped with a fine from the Calgary Police Service, and total costs can be around $100. In addition, the cost for security service providers, users and taxpayers can increase if additional personnel are required to respond to the volume of calls. False alarms can also use up valuable fire, police and emergency workers when they could be responding to real emergencies.

In addition, it’s important to think about the reaction your family may have to regular false alarms. If security systems are seen as unreliable gauges of threats then people could begin to ignore them, which may be bad news if an actual emergency occurs. For all these reasons it’s important to ensure you’re doing what you can to help prevent the false activation of your security system.

Some common causes of false alarms include:

• Objects hanging or moving around motion sensors
• Not locking or securing doors and windows before setting the alarm
• Not properly training those who are authorized to use the system, including children, babysitters, relatives etc.
• After leaving, re-entering the home shortly after without disarming the system (thinking the exit delay is long enough to allow you to re-enter)
• Using the wrong keypad codes
• System batteries that are dying

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to give us a call - we’re here to help! In addition to Calgary Alarms, Frontline Security offers Calgary Alarm Monitors, Calgary Alarm Automation, and Calgary Security Systems to provide the best security for your home and business.