Avoiding False Alarm Mishaps

As a result of rising emergency services fees in most states, a lot of municipalities now require that a homeowner secure a permit for any home security system installations.  In addition, some townships and counties even enforce strict fines or penalties for multiple false alarm responses by police or fire officials.  Most false alarms are defined as negligent mishaps, accidently triggered signals by pets or weather, or alarms that have been purposefully activated in non-emergency situations.

Newer home security equipment on the market today has helped to cut down on the risk of false alarm situations.  If you find your alarm has been triggered, you should immediately cancel the alarm and inform authorities before they get dispatched to your home or you may find yourself with a hefty fine depending on where you live.

Being educated on the use of your home security systems will assist you in eliminating false alarms and cutting edge technology can now verify actual emergencies prior to alerting emergency responders.   There are many reasons for an alarm system to be triggered such as low battery voltage, faulty batteries, and just plain lack of common sense when opening doors or windows after your system has been armed.

When your alarm goes off whether it’s in the middle of the day or during the night, it can be a very scary occurrence.  No one wants to experience the horror of being panicked by noisy false alarms.  Newer security systems employ higher sensitivity to motion detectors to eliminate picking up the movement of pets or children that like to roam the house at night.  Some systems even allow you to bypass the motion detectors or set them at lower levels so that pets do not trigger the alarm.  The sound of your alarm can send everyone running; not to mention giving you (the homeowner) a heart attack!

You can prevent false alarms by knowing exactly how your alarm system operates and making sure your door locks are of good quality.  If your doors are not properly secured, violent weather from high winds can blow open unsecured entry doors and set off your home security systems alarm.  Also, let other family members know when you decide to arm your system if you are going out of town or on vacation.  Most false alarms do not have to occur at all, so its best to use common sense and apply a little know how to your specific alarm system.

Photo via Steve Brandon

At HSS Net, Madison Parker has been researching and evaluating home security companies and their products as well as analyzing hundreds of videos and documents from actual robberies. Her advice and findings are a great way to understand the ways in which you can improve the safety of your home.