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False Alarms
The Smiths Falls Police Service responds to hundreds of false alarms every year. False alarms waste valuable police time that may be needed for other life-threatening emergencies. In addition, false alarms endanger police officers. After responding to countless false alarms, police officers may begin to expect all alarms to be false. This may ill-prepare police officers for the real alarm in the future. To prevent false alarms, observe the following tips:
- Make sure that all people in your house or business are familiar with the use of the alarm system, and have entry codes based on their required level of access (i.e. a store manager would have full arm / disarm access, while a supervisor may only be able to arm / disarm interior motion detectors and the main entrance).
- If you will be having cleaners in your building overnight, carefully instruct them about where they can and can not go inside your business without activating the alarm. Walk them through the facility showing them which doors and areas which are absolutely off-limits.
- Notify your alarm company if you have overnight cleaners.
- Immediately call your alarm company if you notice or suspect any defects in the alarm system components or wiring (ie. exposed or cut wires)
- Call your alarm company if you have high speed DSL internet installed in your home, such as Bell / Sympatico High Speed Edition. The installation of DSL often requires the alarm company to adjust the settings on the phone line which connects your alarm to the central monitoring station. Failure to do so may result in lost or erroneous communications between your alarm system and the central monitoring station.
- Call your alarm company, and advise them if you will be going away for an extended period of time.
- Call your alarm company to advise them of any irregularities that may occur in the opening or closing of your business, or if you will be expecting a false alarm.
- Provide your alarm company with an updated phone list every 3-6 months with at least 3 persons, one of whom will ALWAYS be available. Cellular phone and pager numbers should be included.
Fortunately, the Smiths Falls Police Service has not had to resort to charging alarm customers a fee for responding to false alarms. Hopefully, with common sense, we can reduce the number of false alarms.
77 Beckwith Street North, Smiths Falls, Ontario, K7A 2B8