Bruce Mandelblit
Friday, Aug. 30, 2002

It’s absolutely astonishing that up to 98 percent – yes, 98 percent! – of all alarms are false.

Millions upon millions of dollars’ worth of precious law enforcement time and resources are squandered annually responding to erroneous alarm calls.

And, even more tragic, over the years numerous police officers have been severely injured, and indeed killed, answering false alarms.

The good news, however, is this: The great bulk of all false alarms can be prevented by simply selecting a proper alarm company, combined with the education of the alarm system’s user.

Here are some noteworthy false alarm reduction tips according to the Montgomery County (Md.) Department of Police.

What Your Alarm Company Should Do for You

1. Your alarm/monitoring company must attempt to verify every alarm signal, except duress or hold-up, before requesting police dispatch.

2. If it is determined that an alarm signal is false, your alarm/monitoring company must immediately attempt to cancel the police dispatch. Don't let your alarm company tell you that this cannot be done. You cannot personally cancel a police dispatch unless you initiated the call.

3. Your alarm company must notify you, in writing, within 72 hours, if it has requested a police dispatch to your alarm location.

4. Your alarm company must not request police dispatch to an alarm activation until the alarm system is properly registered.

5. When you have a new alarm system installed in your home or business, your alarm company must provide you with a completed, signed Installation Certificate. This certificate affirms that:

   • The system meets or exceeds installation standards.

   • All persons responsible for operating the system have been fully trained on its proper use.

   • The alarm business has explained the requirements for registration and has completed and provided the alarm user with a copy of the registration form.

Here are some things you can do, as the alarm system user, to help reduce false alarms:

1. Fully educate every person to whom you have given authority to enter your home or business on the precise operation of your alarm system. This may include domestic/cleaning crews, children, neighbors, caretakers, employees, temporary staff.

2. Check for drafts that may move curtains, plants or hanging objects, such as Mylar balloons, which would activate motion detectors.

3. Before selecting an alarm system, consult several licensed alarm representatives about cost, the types of equipment with proven low false alarm rates, and exactly what type of equipment would be appropriate for your environment.

4. Be sure that all individuals with authority to operate your system have been given the appropriate pass code. If you change your pass code, be sure to inform all affected persons.

5. If you have pets, take special care to purchase an alarm system that is tolerant of pets. You may not want to purchase motion detectors if your pets have free run of the house when the alarm is on. Also, some dog barks may activate glass-break detectors.
6. Always keep doors and windows locked when the alarm is in an "ON" mode to reduce the chance that friends, neighbors or customers enter and cause the alarm to activate.

7. Be aware that cleaning and repair crews do cause false alarms, for which you will be responsible. Review with your alarm company the procedures you expect them to follow when an alarm activates.

   Do you want them to attempt to call more than one person on your contact list before requesting police dispatch? Do you only want the police notified if an exterior and interior alarm activate?

   Put your instructions in writing! Door and window frames must be kept in good condition, as loose joints could cause false alarms.

8. Regularly replace batteries in your system as per manufacturer's specifications.

A Final Thought: In my years of working as a reserve Law Enforcement Officer, I can tell you firsthand that the vast majority of all the alarm calls I have responded to, both residential and commercial, were false. In my experience, all things, from cleaning crews and pets, to just about everything in between, have caused these false alarms.

Please take the time to select the appropriate alarm company and to properly educate yourself on how to operate your specific alarm system. This small effort now will prevent most false alarms.

Not only will repeated false alarms cost you, in many communities, expensive fines – but even more significantly, they will imprudently waste the invaluable time of your local police department.

Copyright 2002 by Bruce Mandelblit.

"Staying Safe” with Bruce Mandelblit is a regular column for the readers of NewsMax.com and NewsMax.com magazine.

Bruce welcomes your security, safety and crime prevention questions. He will answer questions of general interest in his column. Bruce’s e-mail address is: CrimePrevention123@yahoo.com.

Bruce welcomes your security, safety and crime prevention questions. He will answer questions of general interest in his column. Bruce's e-mail address is CrimePrevention123@yahoo.com.

Bruce is a nationally known security specialist, as well as a highly decorated reserve Law Enforcement Officer.

Bruce was recently commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel – the state's highest honor – by Gov. Paul E. Patton for his public service.

This column is provided for general information purposes only. Please check with your local law enforcement agency and legal professional for information specific to you and your jurisdiction.