How does Alarm Monitoring work?

So, here’s the process. There are 3 things that you have in conjunction with your alarm monitoring service for it to work.

 

First, you have 4-digit code that you use to arm and disarm the alarm system.

 

Second, you have a password that you use to call off an accidental alarm.

 

Third, you have an emergency notification list that is called if there is a dispatch to the premise.

 

Now, here’s how it all works together with the alarm monitoring. Any time you set your alarm in the alarm mode with your 4-digit code then it is being monitored. If a zone is tripped like a motion detector or door then your loud siren goes off and an alarm signal is immediately sent via your phone line to our 24-hour central alarm monitoring station. Your information pops up on the operator’s screen who then immediately initiates a phone call to your premise phone number or cell phone number. If you or another occupant picks up the phone within 5 rings and knows the password then the the police are not dispatched. If no one answers the phone, doesn’t know the password or sounds like they are under duress then the police are dispatched.

 

After the call to dispatch the police the central monitoring station begins to call the numbers on the emergency notifications list, usually about 2 to 3 numbers. This is usually the occupants cell phones to start and then a friend or family member. After the first person on the list picks up the phone and is notified of potential break-in and police dispatch then then calls to the other numbers on the list would typically stop unless you requested to call the remaining contacts.

 

Now, you can make changes to the dispatch procedures but this would be the standard alarm monitoring dispatch procedures used.

 

It is important to point out here that Alarm Monitoring procedues differ per company as well as per city. The above process is moderately common but differs based upon the central monitoring station, equipment, signaling and local authorities.

 

Additionally, since we first wrote the above basic procedure, many options have been introduced for alarm monitoring.

For Example:

You can now get texts anytime your system is armed or disarmed or is tripped.

You can view cameras from your cell phone anytime there is movement.

You can monitoring via landline or via a cellular device added to your alarm system.

You can also monitor your energy management such as HVAC and lights etc...

 

Don't have a phone line? Click the link below for more information:

Alarm Monitoring without phone line

 

Note: Some alarm systems have what is referred to as an abort signal. That is when you accidentally set off the alarm and turn it off within 30 seconds. In this case an alarm monitoring abort signal is sent in and the signal is essentially ignored by the central station and assumed to be a mistake. This is an industry wide effort in an attempt to greatly reduce false alarms. So, don’t think that your alarm monitoring isn’t working simply because you set off the alarm system and no one called you. You may have had an abort signal sent if you turned off your alarm fast enough.

 

 

Points of Interest:

Home Security

Home Alarm Systems Work!