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Are False Security Alarms Becoming an Expensive Problem?

Security system false alarms are inconvenient for everyone and can result in huge unnecessary costs for your business. If you’re experiencing a lot of problems with false alarms in your workplace, now is the time to take action. Don’t just put up with it – you could be throwing money away. Instead, identify what is causing the false alarms in the first place and take the necessary steps to reduce their frequency. Over the long-term, you’ll be saving your business a great deal of expense and inconvenience.

Burglar alarm false alarm causes

There are a number of reasons why a false alarm from your security system may occur.

  1. One of the most common reasons is that the burglar alarm system is not properly installed or maintained.
  2. Another common reason is that the alarm system is triggered by something other than an intruder, such as a pet or weather such as wind or rain.
  3. Yet another frequent cause is user error. This can happen if the user does not understand how to use the system properly.
  4. Environmental factors are another culprit. For example, if there is a lot of dust in the air, this can trigger the burglar system. In addition, changes in temperature and humidity can also cause false alarms.
  5. Finally, another common cause of burglar false alarms is equipment failure. This can happen if the system’s sensors are not working properly or if the system itself is not working properly.

Prevention better than cure!

1. Train your staff. Staff who are trained to properly use access control and alarm systems are less likely to unwittingly fall foul of them. Common problems include entering prohibited areas (because employees haven’t been informed that an area has now become restricted), leaving doors ajar or trying to force locked doors, and failing to set/unset alarm systems correctly. Employees who are fully informed of how systems work are more able to use them properly and avoid accidentally triggering false alarms.

2. Get real-time access to CCTV images. There are lots of advanced security systems available that allow you real-time access to images of areas where burglar alarms have been triggered. Examples include Risco Wicomm wireless alarms and Texecom Ricochet premier elite solutions. Either using your computer or an app on your smartphone, you can view images and information from a trigger event – so you can verify instantly whether there has been an intrusion or not. You can then take the appropriate action, quickly and without any fuss or extra cost.

3. Upgrade your security system. The key thing you should be looking for from a CCTV or alarm system is accuracy. The technology needs to be able to recognise programmed triggers such as unusual behaviour and movement, forced access, missing items and intrusions into restricted zones, and ignore everything else. If it doesn’t and keeps triggering alarms for no reason, it might be time for an upgrade.

4. Take a closer look at opening and closing procedures. If your staff are not following proper opening and closing procedures, or there are no clear procedures in place, then this could be the cause of your problems with false alarms. Take another look at your procedures and train your staff to follow them properly.

5. Make sure you understand your system inside out. A good security solution should be user-friendly and integrate well with other CCTV and access control technology you already have. However, it’s crucial for you – as the business owner – to fully understand its functions and benefits in order to get the most value from the system, and of course to prevent false alarms. Once you are confident using the system, you can then train others to use it properly.

6. Do not allow anyone who is not authorised to use your burglar alarm system to have access to it.

7. Be aware of the surroundings.  Keep an eye out for unusual or suspicious activities in and around your property that could trigger a false alarm, such as construction work, bad weather or unusual behaviour from persons or animals.

8. Contact the supplier immediately. If you do experience a false alarm, it is important to contact the security provider or supplier immediately so that they can investigate the cause of the false alarm. Keep your alarm company’s contact information in a safe place so that you can easily reach them in case of an emergency as trying to find the information once the burglar alarms have gone off can be difficult and puts an unnecessary delay on things.

Obviously, you can’t prevent every security system false alarm, but eliminating the vast majority of them will help you not to waste money and time as well as giving you a lot less stress.