Your alarm installation is complete and the technician is going through your security system and filling out the final paperwork with you. He brings up the regional police registration and you think “Do I really need to do this?” It’s a question we all ask ourselves when spending money without knowing what it is going towards. Why do you need an annual registration of the system to the police?
The registration of a security system with your local Police Services serves as a reference to the number of alarm systems in their region with an accurate dispatch address for each account number.
When the monitoring station contacts the local police station with an alarm condition, the only information the monitoring station needs to provide to the local police is the account or security system number with a request to dispatch. With this, the police dispatch has an accurate log of information to quickly send out to their on duty officers.
In addition to an accurate address, some regions will even ask for information regarding the contents of your home and other little details. Not only saying that you have a dog, but that the dog is a poodle is important to know when the responding officers stumble across the rottweiler that may have came with your intruder.
It is also important to know if there are hazardous materials (oxygen tanks) as well as weapons or firearms so that they can protect themselves and prevent any unnecessary damage to your home or business. Police may also need the code for your automated gate if you have one.
From the stand point of recovery, police need to be aware if there is/was video surveillance on site so they can recover information quickly and respond accordingly. Some regions even ask if there is a safety deposit box in the home.
The annual fee that you are charged covers the expense of building and maintaining the database as well as offsetting the costs for False Alarm Responses. In some areas if you do not register, you will be billed a higher rate for each false alarm dispatch.
What Are The Policies On A False Alarm Response for Security System
It is extremely important to be aware of your region’s policy on False Alarm Response.
With each region policies can vary on:
1. The cost of registration and/or false alarm response.
2. The number of responses permitted in a 365 day period.
3. The increase in charge for repeated false alarm response.
4. The possibility of a suspended service.
5. The appeals process on false alarms and suspension.
Your alarm company should know the procedure for your region, but if you want to do your own due diligence, search the website for your regional police service. It may be listed under False Alarm Prevention Program or Alarm Registration Program. As always, if you have questions, please contact our office at SecurU where we are working together for a safer community!