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Central Station
Central Station Disaster Recovery Information
Do you have DSL?if you do read this warning.
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What "YOU" can do to prevent
False Alarms
and can be easily prevented
WHY ARE FALSE ALARMS A PROBLEM?
First of all, a definition. We are all human and we all make mistakes. Anyone who has never accidentally set off their alarm system probably is not using it very much. Even those of us who work as technicians on alarm systems every day still come home and once in a while forget to turn the system off before opening a door or window. The safety net offered by the Central Station is that we are not going to send the Police until we have made an effort to contact you to see if you want to cancel the alarm. When we speak about preventing false alarms, we are not talking about these incidents. In this context, a false alarm is an accidental alarm that results in the Police making a visit to your home or business. In other words, it wasn't canceled. Really, there is no reason this has to happen.
So, why does it happen?.
When the Central Station operator calls you to confirm the alarm and they hear either a busy signal or a continual ringing, indicating no one is at home. They must send the Police. Anytime you hear your siren come on - even if you get it shut off within seconds - you must assume that the Central Station will receive an alarm signal and there is a chance the Police will be sent. Remember in the event of an alarm the Central Station will attempt to contact you and verify the alarm before dispatching the police or calling other emergency departments. We request that you "Do Not Call the Certified Alarm, Central Station" to cancel the alarm. Please be ready to answer the phone and know your password or All Clear code to verify the alarm, we request that you do not use the phone unless necessary. If you have not heard from us within two minutes, by all means, pick up the phone and call (256) 383-1225 *. You want to make sure that we received the signal and that we know you want it canceled. LEAVING THE PREMISES You're in a hurry, late for an appointment. You've set off the alarm accidentally, waited two or three minutes and haven't heard the phone ring. You feel you can't wait any longer, so you leave. That's a big NO-NO. Again If you have not heard from us within two minutes, by all means, pick up the phone and call. You want to make sure that we received the signal and that we know you want it canceled. and that your System is working properly. GUESTS IN THE HOME If you have guests staying in your home or kids home for school vacation, you have to decide whether you will grant them access to your security system. This is a judgment call for you. But you must feel very confident that they not only understand how to use the system, but also know how to properly cancel an alarm when the Central Station Calls. This means they must have your password. If they don't know your password, the Police will still be sent. Think twice before authorizing others to use your security system. Infrequent users are one of the biggest causes of unnecessary Police dispatches. Make sure that everyone that has access to your security system is shown how to properly use it. This includes children, neighbors, friends and everyone that you have on your call list. That brings up another good point. If you want to be false alarm free, the best way to do it is to use your system every day. We find that the customers who are having problems are those who use their systems only infrequently, perhaps only when they go out of town. At the least you should turn your system on every time you are leaving an empty house behind (no one else is left at home) and every time the family goes to bed. Ideally, it should also be used during the daytime when you are home, unless there's a lot of movement indoor and outdoor by children or others. Why did we leave this category for last? Believe it or not, faulty equipment accounts for less than five percent of all false alarms with Police dispatch. If you are not sure why your system has activated, you should call the Service Dispatcher at (256) 383-1225 *, without delay, so that we can correct the problem before it causes any more unnecessary Police dispatches. This includes problems during power failures and storms. The standby battery in your system should last 2-4 hours and be replaced every 4 years. In the meantime you can instruct the Central Station in writing to ignore any further signals from that sensor. USING CANCELLATION SIGNALS The only way your alarm can be cancelled is by giving the Central Station operator the correct codes when we call you. Without the correct codes the operator will, Thank You, politely terminate the call and immediately call the proper agency and report the alarm, informing them that an unauthorized person is there. If this happens, you need to meet the responding agency in a highly visible location with proper ID. Remember they do not know who you are and what you are doing there. TESTING YOUR ALARM SYSTEM Certified Alarm recommends that you test your alarm system once per month. Regular testing of your Security System can help insure proper operation and help prevent false alarms. You Must Notify the Certified Alarm Central Station at (256) 383-1225 * before you begin testing, to avoid false alarms. Please Call Certified Alarm at (256) 383-1225 if you have any questions about how to test your System. and one of our Sales team will be glad to help. Some are very concerned that they will have to pay heavy false alarm fees because they set off their alarm system accidentally from time to time. However, by following the simple guidelines discussed above and having your system checked once a year by a technician, you should never have to pay a false alarm fee. And the Police will be happier too.
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