Preventing False Alarms
If you have a home security system, you know the pain associated with false alarms. I have set this thing off at least a 100 times and then I have to run like a gazelle to the keypad to shut it off then wait for alarm central to call me so I can give them a PIN.
Many, if not all of us are guilty of setting off our alarms accidentally. Sometimes we open a door or window that sets it off, other times we mess up the secret code. The result of this mishap is usually a very loud siren and the attention of your neighbors. If you don’t call to cancel in time, then it results in law enforcement showing up.
In many counties, towns, cities and states there are laws and ordinances that impose a fine for false alarms.
1. Have your service provider set up your home alarm system to call your mobile phone first, then your home phone second. If you don’t answer the phone, then, they will call the police.
2. Program your mobile phone with your alarm service provider’s number and call them the second you falsely set off your alarm. Memorize your PIN so you aren’t fumbling for it.
3. Don’t carry your PIN in your wallet. If your wallet is lost or stolen, your address and alarm PIN is in the hands of a stranger.
4. Whenever you are setting up any access for anyone to enter your home while you are gone, your risks for false alarms go up dramatically. Provide specific hands on instruction on how to disable and reset the alarm. Telling someone over the phone how to do it is often insufficient.
5. With the new ADT Pulse system there are 5 ways to turn off the system including a wired keypad, touchpad, iPhone app, remote control and a PC. I have different devices strategically placed throughout the house, so I can easily set and deactivate whenever needed.
Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston.
