Security Matters

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Stop False Alarms With Remote Guarding

Stop False Alarms

If you have a security system installed, false alarms are going to happen, but that may not put you on good terms with local emergency services.

Whether it’s the security company’s fault or your own, it’s vital to stop false alarms so emergency services don’t treat a real incident as your company simply crying wolf again.

With remote guarding, false alarms are a thing of the past. Think of remote guards as your first line of defense instead of an alarm system that doesn’t always get it right.

False Alarm Statistics

Sadly, not much has changed when it comes to improving the false alarm rate. In 1998, police were called out for 38 million burglar alarm incidents across the nation. As many as 98% were false alarms.

In 2001 in Los Angeles, 97% of all alarms were false. In three years, nothing improved. You would think over time, false alarm rates would decrease, right?

Nothing’s improved at all. Fast forward to 2014 and you see it’s still the same. In fact, 90% to 99% of all burglar alarms nationwide were still false.

Some areas no longer even respond to alarms because of the high false alarm rates. In fact, the Sandy Springs police force in Georgia actually fines security alarm companies for false alarms and if they don’t pay the fines, the police won’t respond to alarm calls from those systems.

The reason areas like Sandy Springs are trying to crack down is the high cost of responding to all these false calls. Take Brookhaven, GA where false alarms cost the police force over $190,000 in a year. Of course, most areas in Atlanta, GA aren’t following the same policy, but that doesn’t mean they’re not losing money over false alarms.

Check Alarm Reason Immediately

Usually, false alarms go unchecked because no one is able to check the reason for the alarm until police arrive. The security alarm company may be able to check surveillance, but they can’t be sure it’s not a legitimate alarm.

With remote guarding, a guard watches the surveillance in real-time. This means they’re able to check the cause of an alarm immediately. If it’s a real threat, they’ll be able to see the cause right then. If it’s false, they can turn the alarm off before it signals a call to local emergency services.

If it’s an area they can’t see well, you may also want to have on-site security guards to quickly check the area to see if the alarm is false or not and relay this back to the remote guard.

Uncover Causes Of Frequent False Alarms

If false alarms are all too common, remote guards help uncover the reason for them. For instance, maybe you have a door that sticks sometimes and triggers an alarm when it finally closes fully.

A plant that gets turned the wrong direction might trigger a motion alarm when the AC or heat starts up. Often times, it’s something simple that keeps setting off an alarm.

With remote guarding, you’re able to uncover the causes and work with your alarm company to find a better solution. For frequent motion alarms, simply moving the motion detector could eliminate false alarms. Trust us when we say local law enforcement will appreciate it.

Stop Emergency Response If Needed

Instead of having to wait until emergency services respond, remote guards are able to stop them before they even leave. The best option is to send the alert to the guard first so they can investigate. If they don’t find any legitimate concerns, they cancel the alarm and no one else is ever called.

Of course, there would be a time limit in place and if the remote guard didn’t respond for whatever reason, local law enforcement would still be called.

However, your business could help your local police save thousands a year by investing in remote guarding. Plus, it keeps your business safer by uncovering threats that wouldn’t have triggered an alarm to begin with. Thieves and vandals often know how to bypass alarms, so having a remote guard gives you extra security.

Pair this with on-site security and you have the ultimate security trio. After all, extra security is always a good thing.

Contact BOS Security

Contact us today at 404-793-6965 to learn more about how to create the ultimate security strategy for your business. We specialize in security guard services customize to your needs.

Don’t forget to try our free Security Needs Assessment to see what vulnerabilities could be impacting your business.

Image: Keith Dodrill

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