Safety Tips: False Alarm Reduction

False alarm fees can cost you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Additionally, police resources across the country are limited, and should never be wasted. Thousands of police and fire patrol hours are spent investigating alarm reports that turn out to be false.

USAlarm wants to help reduce false alarms. You can help by knowing the main causes, which include:

• Using incorrect keypad codes
• Failing to train authorized users
• Failure to secure doors and windows once the alarm is turned on
• Wandering pets
• Re-entering the home just after leaving without disarming (assuming the exit delay is long enough to compensate)
• Objects hanging by or around motion detectors
• Weak system batteries

The single largest cause of false alarms is human error.

• Once the causes are identified, these basic steps should help reduce false alarms
• Properly train all users (e.g., babysitters, relatives, children, visitors, etc.)
• Secure doors and windows before turning on alarm
• Inform the monitoring center of new pass codes and arming codes, and new or removed authorized users
• Service and maintain the system (including batteries) properly
• If there is a question as to whether or not the system is working properly, immediately contact your security provider to check the status of the system and devices.