False alarms cost businesses and local municipalities millions of dollars a year.
That's why ADT is at the forefront of the security industry's push to help reduce false alarms - with dramatic success.
In 1994, we initiated telephone verification of alarm signals, in which ADT makes a second attempt to call one person on the Emergency Call List before calling the police department. This practice was so successful it is now the industry standard.
We created FADE (False Alarm Dispatch Elimination), a program of alarm verification and remote diagnostic technologies. This helps local emergency responders know when, and where they are most needed.
For small business and retail companies, some of the most common are:
Not following daily opening and closing procedures
Employee error
Public and vendor access to your facilities
Working with multiple suppliers and service providers
Janitorial staff not following procedures
Faulty equipment
Acts of nature (strong winds, electrical storms, etc.)
False alarms due to faulty equipment or acts of nature are rare. The vast majority are due to human error.
Once the causes are identified, some basic steps should help reduce false alarms:
Train all employees thoroughly on the alarms system
Hold regularly scheduled training sessions to ensure all employees are aware of any changes to the system (e.g., pass codes)
Be aware of holiday-related false alarms due to untrained seasonal or temporary help, carelessness due to long hours or office parties
Move hanging objects away from motion detectors and sensors
Ensure all doors and windows are secure and locked prior to arming the system
Inform the monitoring center of new pass codes and arming codes, and of new or removed authorized users
If there is a question as to whether or not the anti theft system is working properly, immediately contact the security provider to check the status of the alarm system and devices
Service and maintain the system regularly (including batteries) before false alarms occur
