Alarm Monitoring Services: How They Work
An ear-piercing siren and flashing strobe lights create an immediate sense of emergency and indicate an alarm of some sort has been triggered. Now that the alarm has been triggered and the warning sirens have sounded, what happens next?
If you have a monitored security system, it won’t just be the neighbors or passerby alerted to the commotion, but also highly trained technicians in a central monitoring facility. Through special telephone or mobile lines, radio channels or computer software, alarm signals are received by the central monitoring station and, depending on the type of signal received and the municipality in which your building is located, the staff take the appropriate next steps.
In some cases, the reaction may be immediate notification of police other emergency response personnel such as firefighters if a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is going off, or paramedics if it’s a medical alert pendant signaling. In some cases, the central monitoring company may first try to contact the home or business owner to ensure a false alarm hasn’t been triggered.
Not all central monitoring facilities provide the same type or quality of service. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is the largest and most well-known independent, not-for-profit testing laboratory in the world. For nearly a century, UL’s Alarm Certificate Services Program has been the leader in the security industry’s safety standard, setting and verifying minimum requirements for alarm service.
Always make sure the central monitoring station providing your service is on the UL Certified List. You have peace of mind knowing your security system must be installed, maintained, tested, and monitored in accordance with the most up-to-date applicable codes and standards.
If the central monitoring service needs to contact you prior to dispatching authorities, there will generally be at least two phone numbers they will try to reach you on. If they don’t reach you on either of these two numbers, emergency personnel will be called. If they do reach you, there is usually a password you must convey. If you are incapable of answering for any reason and cannot relay the password, authorities will be dispatched.
Monitoring isn’t required for your security system, but it’s highly recommended. The noise and commotion caused by the sirens and lights might scare off a thief in the night, but that’s not the only protection a security system provides. What if there is a fire or carbon monoxide leak? What if the occupants of the home or business are incapacitated? Making sure emergency personnel arrive on the scene as quickly as possible is paramount. Monitoring adds an important extra layer of security to your investment.
At FSS Technologies, we can monitor alarm systems of nearly any make or model, including 2GIG, ADT, Protection 1, Stanley, DMP, DSC, Ademco, Napco, Honeywell, G.E., FBII, Safewatch and many more.
If you would like to learn more about monitoring with our team of experts, contact our pros!
Explore Our Other Blogs
Has My Home Security System Been Hacked?
With more DIY security systems than ever available with the touch of a button, families around the world are choosing to protect their homes with easy to install cameras and alarms. The expert team at FSS Technologies aims to help homeowners make the right choice for their families when selecting a home security system. A…
8 Home Security Tips
With more than 45 years of experience in the home and business security industry, here are our top eight tips for discouraging intruders and burglars from targeting your home. 1. Create the illusion that someone is at your house. If you are going to be gone for an extended time, leave a light or TV…
Why Cheaper Isn’t Better When It Comes to Security
What is DIY Security? The development of home security technology using wireless transmission connections and battery power has made it possible for DIY options to enter the home security market. One of the biggest misconceptions about DIY home security is that it is so easy that a person with absolutely zero background on audiovisual equipment…
Advantages of Having an Alarm System
There are a lot of advantages to having an alarm system. For starters, the National Council for Home Safety and Security says that homes without an alarm system are three times as likely to get burglarized. 3 Benefits of Alarm Systems Peace of mind Protecting your home from intruders is one of the most common…
Where Should Smoke Detectors Be Placed?
Smoke Detector Placement Fire can spread extremely fast. In just minutes, a building can be fully engulfed in flames. Smoke detectors are critical to give people inside homes and commercial buildings early warnings so they have time to get out. Proper smoke detector placement is also key when it comes to keeping your home or business safe. Residential Smoke Detector Placements At a minimum, The National Fire Protection…
Video Doorbell Privacy Issues
Video Doorbells In the News Video doorbells are one of the hottest home security tools on the market today. We agree. Once you have a video doorbell, you’ll probably wonder how you ever lived without it. Check out our blog on How a Video Doorbell Works to learn more. However, like any technology on the…
The Safest Neighborhoods in Detroit
Low-Crime Neighborhoods of Detroit SafeWise released its rankings of Michigan’s 20 Safest Cities of 2021. On the 2021 list, 9 of the 20 cities are considered suburbs of Detroit. They include: Gross Ile Township #3 Oakland Township #4 Huntington Woods #9 South Lyon #13 Addison Township #16 Highland Township #17 Rochester #18 Berkley #19 Brandon Township…
Fire Systems for the Healthcare Industry
Healthcare facilities face uniquely complex life safety challenges and fire hazards. Unlike other commercial properties, hospitals, clinics, and long-term care centers must safeguard patients and protect equipment that’s both expensive and essential to life safety, and maintain 24/7 operations with no downtime. With vulnerable lives at stake, the healthcare industry must adhere to strict fire…
What the POTS Line Phase-Out Means for Life Safety Systems
When businesses hear about the POTS line phase-out, they often think only of desk phones. In reality, traditional copper phone lines have supported a much wider range of building systems, including fire alarms, security systems, elevator phones, and more. As carriers continue moving away from copper infrastructure, those connections may become more expensive, less reliable,…
How Much Data Does a Wifi Security Camera Use?
Internet Speed Bandwidth Internet bandwidth is a significant issue nowadays. Everything is tapping into the internet— from our phones to our refrigerators. If you’re installing internet protocol (IP) security cameras, they will inevitably use some of the bandwidth from your network. The question is, how much? When you purchase home internet service, you typically get…