Monitoring Your Alarm 24/7

Central station monitoring is the most valuable part of your alarm system for both you and the Alarm Company that has the pleasure of providing you with this service. For the alarm user the peace of mind that comes with knowing that help is on the way when needed is always welcome and often insisted upon. For the alarm dealer, the recurring revenue that comes from this side of the business is what sustains them.

Monitoring firms come in all sizes. The largest are UL (Underwriters Laboratory) listed facilities with Fort Knox like security. These facilities have large backup generators as well as the ability to instantly switch your signals to the closest available station in the case of a natural or man made disaster. There is great stability in doing business with these firms due to the fact that your account will rarely be sold to another company, who would constantly raise your monitoring rates. Small alarm dealers use monitoring agreements as a way of infusing cash into their business as often as needed, To them your account is like stock.

The largest National and International companies are at an advantage because they have a great number of facilities, and are able to provide local monitoring for their clients. Local monitoring is preferred because you are less likely to loose a signal if it is coming over a local phone line. An example of this is as follows. Lets say you live in the central US and your alarm is being monitored on the east coast over an 800 number telephone line. If a storm knocks out the phone lines between you and the monitoring station, how would they receive your signal for help?

The smallest firms could be a couple of people taking turns watching a digital receiver in a home office. These are undesirable because you may not be able to depend on them when needed. Your personal information is also at risk, due to a potential lack of security in this type of facility. All of the advantages of the large well- funded central stations are reversed when your alarm dealer saves money by doing business with these smallest of companies.

Monitoring stations large and small all have the same function. When your alarm is violated it sends a digital signal to the monitoring stations receiver. The receiver takes only a few seconds to decipher where the signal is coming from and what type of response is required. This information is than translated by computers and a dispatch screen is shown to the first available dispatcher. The dispatcher connects to the proper authority and relays your systems request for a response.

On most non- panic situations the monitoring station should call the house before they dispatch to the proper authority. If you answer the phone and give the correct password they should disregard your signal as a user error. If you give the wrong password, the better monitoring stations will say “Thank You” hang up and dispatch for a holdup/ hostage situation. This is yet another great people protector that is built into your monitoring service.

If you are not home to answer the call a dispatch will be made and the monitoring station will begin at the top of your call list in hopes of contacting you or your agent with a warning of dispatch. This is not so you will go check; it is so you will not walk into a dangerous situation. Looks like another one of those people protection features when used properly doesn’t it? This process of dispatching and then calling you or the people on your call list has come under the microscope of late, and many municipalities are adjusting this process. More about ECV (Enhanced Call Verification ) is posted on the "Experts Know" web-site at the provided link.

Your local authority, based on how the signal is reported to them, prioritizes dispatch responses. Your monitoring company should also have dispatch protocol based on the signal type.

A request for a response to a hold up or distress will usually take precedence over a burglary signal.

A request for an ambulance should be dispatched immediately and a phone call to the house made afterwards.

A request for a fire dept. response should be dispatched immediately and a phone call to the house made afterwards.

A distress call made by the use of an ambush code or panic buttons should trigger an immediate dispatch with no phone call to the premise.

An alarm signal dispatch that is trailing a burglar through a protected area such as:

Violation-

Zone 1 entry, front door.

Zone 5 main floor motion detector.

Zone 3 Upstairs hallway motion detector.

should excite your local authorities into a quicker response, as they are sure it is most likely not a false alarm. This type of reporting format is called “Extended Reporting” and while some cities require it to help prioritize dispatch, most do not. It is always available to you if your control is capable of reporting that way and you request it. Now that you know about it you should ask for it by name.

The alternative dispatch that would just say “Burglary signal coming from the Jones residence 123 any street” and would most likely become a lower priority response.

A monitoring facility that monitors alarms for other local dealers as well as their own installed systems needs a way to control the quality of the systems it monitors, if it is going to have its dispatch requests trusted by the authorities. Some large facilities will monitor only the systems that are capable of sending the most sophisticated signals. When a company such as this limits the amount of false alarms it reports, it will earn a better response record.

If there are many signals coming into a monitoring station at the same time, the signals can only be handled as fast as an operator can get to them. The number of trained employees it has on duty will limit the small to medium size companies. The largest firms have the ability of employing many dispatchers at the same time. One such company that I have worked with has over 700 on duty every day, every shift.

(TID-BIT!)

The National average for an alarm dispatch is 13 minutes. The largest firms can boast a 60- second or less average.

Monitoring your alarm is not only its greatest feature, but is also one of the few services of which I can say with confidence “ You will most likely get what you pay for.” The smallest dealers will monitor your alarm for sometimes half the monthly fee of the largest dealers. Now that you know a few of the differences of this end of the business, I would hope you make the proper decision based on your understanding how important this service is to the protection of you, your loved ones, and your other irreplaceable belongings as well.

I implore you not to cut corners on your choice of monitoring services!

(HOT TIP!)

Many municipalities require an alarm permit to be purchased by the alarm user. If a dispatch is made without a permit on file you could receive a hefty fine or worse yet a failure to respond. Some permit holders are charged a one- time fee and others have to renew annually. Check with your alarm company if there is a permit requirement in your town. This way you can avoid being surprised by an unexpected expense.

Phone Hookup- Most alarm’s report over your existing phone line. You don’t need another phone line for the alarm. People that have DSL (Digital Subscriber Lines) can still use their line for alarm reporting but a filter will need to be installed on your DSL line. If you do not have a phone line you will have to have one installed for alarm monitoring service, or consider one of the alternative methods of transmitting your signals made available to you by your alarm dealer.

Line Fault Monitor- Many of the high- end alarm systems have a line fault monitor built in to them. The mid-range systems have the ability to have one added and the low-end systems are often too simple to even consider this device. The line fault monitor is always on the lookout for an available phone line. If your line goes down while your alarm is armed it will cause an alarm. This way if a burglar cuts your phone line outside of the house or business they will hopefully run, due to all the noise drawing attention to their intentions. If your alarm is not armed, there will be no sirens but the keypad will beep rapidly and let you know that your communication link is down.

Many people think that if the phone line is cut and the line fault monitor goes into alarm there will be a dispatch. This is false because if there is no phone line to carry the signal it has no way of getting to the monitoring station, unless you have an alternative communication system as a backup. Instead this type of alarm will protect you if you are at home by:

Letting the burglar know that they violated a system hopefully causing them to flee.

Giving you an opportunity to call 911 from your cell if one is available.

Allowing you to prepare to defend yourself and your loved ones.

Giving you time to see if all that dog food you have purchased over the years is going to pay off.

Line Seizure- Any quality alarm installer will take the time to make sure that your phone line is set up for line seizure. There is no additional equipment needed to accomplish this feature of phone line protection. The phone line is run from your interface jack outside of your house to one of the closest phone jacks inside. It is then run from that jack to the next and this process is continued until your electrician during construction or the Phone Company has wired all of your phone jacks.

The alarm installer that is in a hurry or doesn’t know any better will tap your alarm into the closest phone jack. The problem with this is that if a burglar picks up any of the phones that are between the outside interface jack and the jack your control is tapped into it will stop the transmission of your alarm signal.

The knowledgeable and concerned installer will run your control phone line directly to the outside phone interface assuring that it is first on line. They will then run from the control to your first phone jack making it second on line. When an alarm is violated it will seize the phone line completely for its own use and return service to the house after the signals have been sent to the receiver in the monitoring station.


Long Range Radio- This is a radio transmitter that is used by many large monitoring firms to monitor your alarm instead of over a phone line. The Transmitter sends a radio signal to a repeater much like your cell phone does, and the repeater sends your signal to the monitoring stations receivers in a local station. Many customers that need an increased level of security use the radio transmitted signal and the phone line transmission simultaneously.

This level of protection obviously costs more than the average homeowner would care to pay. Even as a stand alone system the radio signal is less likely to be interrupted than a phone line that is exposed outside your home or business.

Cellular Communicators- This is a communicator that is wired to your alarm control and processes the signals over the cellular communication towers. Most applications I have seen for this device have utilized it as a backup to a phone connection. However I have seen it used as a sole means of communication for the alarm system in a few cases where long range radio and a phone lines were not available. You would have to purchase the usually expensive cellular communicator separately, because it is not built into your alarm control.

Alarm owners that use Long- range radio and cellular communicators as a backup reporting device usually have to pay an additional monitoring fee. As an added measure of security, the alarm companies will often send these backup signals to a separate monitoring central station. This assures two complete dispatch processes from different operators at different locations, thus increasing the level of security.

Opening and Closing Reports- Most of the average to high-end systems have the ability to report enough data to create opening and closing reports if desired. Opening and closing reports are named as such, because they are mostly used in commercial applications to log the times and users that are opening and closing the business.

There are different levels of opening and closing reports. Some of the most common are listed below as examples:

(Supervised) This type of report lets assigned code users open and close at will, if within the specified window of normal activity. It will log the event into a report that can be forwarded to a report manager at a pre- determined frequency or upon request. If a code user opens or closes outside of a pre-assigned schedule of normalcy it will trigger a supervisory phone call to a manager.

(unsupervised) This type of report lets assigned code users enter and exit at will. It will log these events and can be checked by a supervisor upon request.

I have seen supervised opening and closing reports used in a residential situation on a few occasions. You can for example contact an elderly relative’s refrigerator door and have a phone call made to you if it does not open within a predetermined amount of time. Or you can set it to have you notified if the kids come home early from school. You can imagine how many creative ideas you can come up with if you want to.

(INSIDE SCOOP!)

The Alpha Keypads and controls of many high-end systems allow you to scroll through and read the last 100+ events. By having one of these systems you can create your own opening and closing controls and reports without having to bear the monthly expense of this service. The small amount of dollars spent on this upgrade will pay for itself in a hurry.

Paging- Many of the alarm systems have an onboard paging device so you can receive the time and code user of each event such as arming and disarming when opening and closing reports are programmed to the on position in your alarm control. You will also receive a code for alarm violations and the zone or zone numbers that are violated during an alarm breach. You would have to have a digital pager for this to work and once again your teenagers are going to hate how much you now know about alarms!


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Changes

Alarm System Industry Changes Will Effect All Alarm Users in 2006

I have made it my business to watch out for subtle security alarm industry changes over the years. Each and every year I can see these changes slowly take shape and take hold on the Alarm Companies that provide systems for consumers like you and me.

The majority of these changes in the past went unnoticed by the average Alarm System protected household and business. They were slight adjustments made by the Alarm Dealers, Manufactures and Service Providers and unless you were looking, you missed most of them

The changes that I have seen take place in late 2005 and early 2006 will definitely effect you, and if you don’t know about them could cause you great hardship.

The first big change is the fact that more and more consumers are switching from regular phone lines to VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) phone lines. These phone lines are tied to your PC and cost a fraction of what the Bells are getting for local and long distance phone services.

As the majority of security alarm systems report over the phone lines, any changes in your phone service after install could effect the reliability of your monitoring service. You could and should send a test signal often, but the problem is that your signal may transfer perfectly over VoIP this time, and not work when you need it most.

The larger Alarm Companies are refusing to monitor these VoIP signals at all, until the phone companies can prove reliability in signals transferred over these types of lines. Many of the smaller companies are taking a chance that it will work, in a way gambling with your life safety.

There are alternatives available for you if you have VoIP as I do, and you can read more about VoIP and alarm systems at the following link:Article posted below this one

The next change that you need to know about is ECV (Enhanced Call Verification).

ECV has been a topic of discussion for years between the alarm dealers, their governing agencies and the local authorities such as Police, Fire and Ambulance. Did you know that the majority of alarms are false alarms? Burglars have plenty of victims without security alarm systems to choose from, so dispatches during actual burglaries are a small portion of them.

The largest numbers of alarm dispatches from the monitoring companies are due to user error. Home and business owners might set their security system off on accident and if the phone lines were tied up because they are trying to call in, the monitoring companies would dispatch the authorities. Or maybe they took too much time leaving and the system went off as they drove away.

In defense of the people who had actual emergencies, many police departments around the world STOPPED RESPONDING to alarm systems. After many legal battles between the alarm industry and local governments, they agreed to test ECV for a few years in certain markets and make a decision in the last quarter of 2005

The reduction in false alarms across the board was astounding!

Here’s how ECV works

When your alarm goes off your alarm company will have to:

Call the premise first and get a pass-code.

If there is no contact with a pass-code holder they must call each person on your call list, until a live person says “Please send the police" or "this is not a false alarm”. Very often they will reach the alarm owner on a cell and they will say "I just left there and must have set it off" preventing a false dispatch.

If there is no contact, there is a good possibility that no dispatch will be made.

If a dispatch is made without this ECV, the authorities will probably not respond! if they do, it will most likely be a response with low priority.


Heres what you can do to help insure a dispatch is made when you need it

Many alarm companies will be switching to 2-way voice systems as the only type alarm system they will install. This means that as an alarm is triggered, a microphone opens up allowing the monitoring station to talk to you without a phone call. If they hear any activity in the house or business, this will be considered a verified response and a dispatch will be authorized.

2-way voice can be added to many existing systems. I would be wary of the Alarm Dealer that does not notify you of these changes, or at the very least be willing to have a knowledgeable discussion with you when you call to talk to them about it.

Another way to ensure verified response is to have perimeter and interior devices on seperate zones. If your alarm system reports in "Extended Reporting" it will show the motions of a burglar with multiple signals, and justify a high priority dispatch.

It is important for you to know that ECV will not effect your panic buttons and distress code. These signals will be handled as they always were.

I would also advise that you take a few moments to call your local authorities and discuss their alarm response policies with them. This way you are hearing it from the person’s that will make the decision that may safe a life.

There is no doubt that your Alarm System is a very important part of your security plan. However it is only as good as the consumer that depends on it, being educated on its use and limitations.


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Alarms & VoIP

Alarm Systems & VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Phone Lines
By Matthew Francis

An astounding and unexpected number of people are dropping their (POTS) plain old telephone system, for the latest trends in phone service, VoIP. According to Frost & Sullivan there were 100,000 VoIP users at the end of 2003. Just halfway through 2004 the number jumped to more than 500,000.

The draw to such a change is most often cost related. Traditional phone companies charge use fees and by the minute charges, coupled with long distance fees. VoIP companies are charging a flat fee somewhere between $15.00 to $30.00 US per month, for unlimited calls to anywhere in the US and Canada.

VoIP works by digitizing voice signals from your phone and sending them over the Internet via your home or business computer. While people are scrambling to make the switch and begin to count the money they are saving, they may not realize that there is a good possibility that they are cutting the link between their alarm system and the monitoring station. Another link that is lost in most cases is traditional 911 services, as VoIP does not capture data for emergency response.

When your alarm goes off due to an attempted break in, is no time to find out that the monitoring response that you have been faithfully paying for is not available for you. The Alarm Company has no way of knowing that you switched services. You should be sending a test signal monthly, to assure yourself that the system is working properly, no matter who you are connected through. Be advised that if you are using VoIP and the signal goes through, it does not mean that it will always be as clear. The volume of traffic on the Internet can and will vary the quality of the digitized signal it sends.

If you find yourself intrigued by this revolution in phone services and are dependent on alarm system dispatch as part of your security plan, you should consider the pitfalls and options.

* If power fails to the premise it is likely that your VoIP will fail also, unless your PC has a backup power source.

* You may not be able to use 911 services.

* Your signal may go through giving you a false sense of security, as it may not work next time.

* You may have already switched to VoIP and not realize that your alarm is not being monitored.

I myself have elected to utilize VoIP to save money on long distance. I also maintain a standard limited use phone line to take care of my security communications, 911 and phone backup should power fail. The (limited use) phone line, cost me less than $15.00 per month and is offset by the savings on my long distance bill.

Cellular communicators are available that will make your alarm call over any available cellular network. The device will have to be purchased for about $200.00 to $500.00, and an additional fee of approximately $10.00 per month is added to your monitoring bill.

Some alarm companies offer radio signal transmitted monitoring services, which do not depend on phone lines of any sort to transmit your alarm signal. The availability of such services is limited and depends where you live.

Alarm companies of all sizes are working with manufactures and providers of VoIP services to find ways to properly integrate Alarm Systems with these phone communications industry changes. I would expect many changes in the near future as this does not seem to be a passing fad. Be on the lookout for information on these changes, so that you can always make an informed decision.

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Not Just for the Wealthy

Alarm Systems: Not Just For The Wealthy Anymore!
By Matthew Francis

Over the last 22 years that I have been involved in the security alarm industry, I have seen quite an evolution. Changes have not only taken place in what type of equipment is available, but also in how the consumer buys and use’s the equipment.

When I first started in the business, alarms where used mostly for commercial applications. Businesses had to have them to watch over their product while they were closed. Insurance companies made sure their clients had one installed.

Residential alarm systems were owned mostly by well to do professionals who could afford such a luxury. As the years progressed people in or near big cities were getting burglarized and wanted to send future burglars to the neighbor’s house by installing a system in their home.

In the nineties large alarm companies speculated that the potential of the residential market was not being realized. Homeowners were not willing to layout thousands of dollars to protect their color televisions and stereos because that would be like buying them again anyway. Homeowners would rather gamble on the hope that they would not be victimized anytime soon.

As crime increased almost daily and alarm companies made purchasing a system affordable, the residential market grew considerably. Many more homeowners were realizing the peace of mind they could have by protecting their things while they were out. Many that didn’t purchase a system were getting burglarized and would then of course pay for a high cost system without hesitation, so that they could prevent the inevitable return.

What happened next in my opinion is the biggest change the industry has undergone. As more homes were being burglarized and changes in lifestyles allowed people to come home at different hours of the day, the terrifying prospect of walking in on a burglary in progress became all too possible. Burglars also became so desperate and brazen that they started to invade homes while they were occupied. These types of burglars started to commit crimes of a much worse nature against the homeowners that confronted them. In reaction, alarm consultants began to change their focus: alarm systems should be designed and utilized to protect people first and property second.

These days most anyone can afford an alarm system. Arm yourself with the knowledge of how to get the best deal and most protection for your money. There should be no reason that you allow yourself to become a statistic if you don’t want to be one. The hardest thing you may have to overcome is the feeling that you live in a safe neighborhood. What does a safe neighborhood look like? Is it possible you may be confusing a nice neighborhood with a safe one?

Do you need a system? – Very few people that I have met in my many years of security consulting knew before they were burglarized that they needed a system. For those that did have the unfortunate experience of being victimized, I would actually have to talk them out of buying more than they needed. I took great pride in my ability to calm down the customers enough to learn how to properly protect their family and home from future invasion. This approach always made my clients very appreciative of my services and would generally result in a long term- user of our monitoring service and in many referrals.

For those that had not yet been burglarized, I found that the consultations started with their feeling that security was just a luxury they were considering as a tool to protect their things. I then would show them exactly what was going on in their neighborhoods in the way of burglaries and the always-unexpected number of sexual predators. This would always surprise the homeowners, unless they already knew that they had moved into an area that was not so safe.

Most people believe that the lovely neighborhood they chose to live in is safe. Think about it. If a burglar is going to break into a house, don’t they want to steal the most valuables they can on each invasion? Doesn’t the perpetrator of more violent crimes want to prey on an unsuspecting victim? Please don’t be so naive as to confuse your nice neighborhood with a safe one. Many people in your neighborhood fall into a false sense of security and don’t even lock the front door while they are home during the day. How easy is that for someone to enter through?

After showing a potential client how a home security system would protect their family and themselves from several different types of crimes as well as assisting them in emergency situations, the necessity of having a system would become obvious to them.

If you can afford to install a security system before something happens to you or your loved ones, or before you have to find out what it’s like for some creep to rifle through your personal belongings, do it now! You will get much more out of your system if it prevents these crimes because you are likely to spend whatever you have to after the fact.

Does a free security system really exist? – “YES” there are such things as a free security system on the market these days and they can even be of the highest quality if you know what to ask for. The largest security firms own their own monitoring stations and are looking for the monitoring revenues as their major source of income. The Corporation will usually run the commercial side of the security business and use “Authorized Dealers” to take care of the residential side of the business.

The authorized dealers are independently owned companies that must meet the standards of the main dealership. Many of these authorized dealers are big enough residential security companies to do systems solely for the main corporation. The authorized dealer will purchase the equipment they like to work with and install it for you to their quality standards. After the install is complete the authorized dealer will submit your paperwork and a request for funding to the main corporation. The main corporation applies a sliding pay scale to your installation based on your credit score and your happiness over the install when they call you for a quality assurance call. The best install coupled with the good credit rated customers is funded at the highest dollar amount because the monitoring corporation knows you’re likely to stay with them for many years. The dealer makes plenty of money for the install and the corporation goes to work on keeping you happy so that they can earn your monitoring business well past the agreement period. They are also happy to have their warning sign in your yard, as this is the best kind of advertising.

Because everybody wins when this type of system is offered, the authorized dealer is willing to give you most or all of the equipment you need at no cost to you. And I do mean give it to you because you own the system, it is usually not a lease. You will have to sign up for a period of monitoring to get these free systems, but the monitoring is something that you need and would be paying for even if you already had a system. So the system really is free.

It is with this type of program that the opportunity to work with the best performing dealer in a given authorized dealer program plays to your advantage. The dealers already get a deep discount on the systems they buy because of the volume of business the manufacturers get from the main corporation. The ones that place the most systems will get additional savings on the higher quality systems and components. This means that if you search out the best performing authorized dealer in your area you will have saved hundreds or even thousands of dollars, if you obtain knowledge of how the security industry works.

I have been going off on the benefits and exciting offerings of the large promotional dealer programs. In all fairness to the independent mom and pop companies, I would like you to know there are some benefits to dealing with them if you have a quality company in your town.

For some consumers it is much more important to support their community businesses than saving a buck by dealing with the large corporations. Although I doubt a small Alarm Company will be able to give you a free security system and stay in business very long. I do believe a smart company can make you a great offer by adjusting in different areas. Some of these benefits are as follows:

They can offer you a lower monitoring rate and still use the services of the large UL listed monitoring companies.

They will be more likely to respond rapidly to your future needs as they are relying on local reputation for future business.

They will monitor your alarm on a month to month basis without a long term monitoring agreement.

They will be able to support you and your business, as they will be more likely to spend the money they made in their own community.

All of the things you need to learn about quality of equipment, how the device’s work and agreement negotiations apply to the small mom and pop alarm companies as well as the large security firms. Take time to learn these things, by accessing consumer advocate information sources. Your newly acquired knowledge will go a long way with the local company and the largest dealerships, who if they want to earn your business, will offer you the best quality they have on their shelves.

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Contacts

Alarm Contacts

Contact switches are magnetic switches used to protect doors and windows for the most part. There are three main styles that are used by most alarm companies. They are recessed contacts, surface mount contacts and roller-ball contacts.

Recessed contacts are hidden in the window tracks and door jams so that they can’t be seen when the window or door is closed. The switch is on the fixed or non-movable side of the opening and a magnet is placed on the movable side. When the magnet meets the switch the circuit is complete and the control knows it is closed. Recessed contacts are more complicated to install unless they are placed during the construction phase of your home or business. A good installation technician can install recessed contacts in your home after construction as long as they have an unfinished basement, accessible attic or closet to run the wires in.

Surface mount contacts function the same as recessed ones however they are visible when the doors or windows are closed. They come in three main sizes being large, small and micro. They come in the colors white, gray and brown so they can blend in to the door trim or window- sill they are mounted on.

Roller-ball contacts are in the hinge side of your door jam and the spring- loaded ball is pushed in when the door is closed completing the circuit. These are more likely to need replacement in a few years as they are considered a moving part.

All types of recessed and surface mount contacts can be hardwired directly to your control panel or you can get them in a wireless version. Wireless contacts have a transmitter tied to them or built into them that sends a radio signal to a receiver in the control. The transmitter is surface mounted and comes in two colors, white and brown. If white and brown are not your desired colors, you can paint the switches and transmitters to match your decor.

Doors are the most common point of entry and should be protected by your system. I always recommend contacting every perimeter door in your home or business

Window contacts can add up in a hurry as most homes have many windows. I have always felt that window contacts give the homeowner a false sense of security because of the fact that a window has to be opened in order for them to work. If your window is locked (and it should be) when you are away or sleeping, a burglar has to break the glass or remove the glass to unlock it. If they break the glass and the alarm does not sound, why would they open the window? Instead they would most likely clear the broken glass and climb in. That is why your money is better spent on motion detectors and/or glass- break sound detectors.

If you have children, window contacts can be a valuable tool. They will keep your youngsters from opening the window for a stranger. And they will also make your teenager sorry you ever read this. (If they tell you all they want for the holidays is a magnet, the jigs up!) Window contacts are often better at keeping people in than they are at keeping burglars out. If you do choose to use window contacts you may like the fact that the surface mounted versions can be set up so that you can keep your window open a few inches for ventilation and still be armed.

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DIY


How to Wire and Install a Security Alarm System
(DIY Tips: Door Contacts)

When you are ready to layout your alarm system design, for installation you must first decide where to mount the alarm control. If you have an unfinished basement, you will be drilling down and running your wires in the rafters to the area that you select for the panel. Most often this will be the mechanical or furnace room.

If you are working on a single story building, you will be running your wires up into an unfinished attic and
dropping your wires down to the control.

If you are in a commercial application you will run your wires on top of drop ceilings or along beams or possibly through exposed conduit.

If you are in a place where there is no place to run all these wires and hide them then you are a prime candidate for a wireless system.

You want to make sure that wherever you decide to mount your alarm control panel, that you have a device such as a motion detector or door contact to protect it. Leaving the control panel in an unprotected area could make it easy to circumvent in the event of a break in. Consider running the wires through the basement, and than jumping them up into a closet, in the protected area of the house. If you are wondering "what about the exposed wires in the basement? Don't." Cutting the wires would duplicate opening of the device they are running to, and would cause an alarm condition if the system were armed.

If you elect to go wireless on your system of choice, choose a central location in the home or business that will receive a strong radio signal from all points of protection. Remember that even on wireless system there are some wires that will need to be run. Most often they are the keypad, the siren, the power supply and the phone line. Take these runs into consideration when choosing your central location.

Provide lighting for the chosen area, as this will be where you are doing most of your installation work. Lay out a tarp and place all products and tools and a trash bag in this area. I have learned over the years to come to my central location to get what I need, and return everything I’m not using back to this location when I am done with them, especially tools. If you do not run an organized installation, you will spend ½ of your time searching for a tool, part, spool of wire etc. A tool belt is handy for the tools you will need everywhere, such as fresh drill bits, tape, wire cutters, screwdrivers, B- connects, a small bubble level, stud finder, a clean rag, etc.

You also want to clean as you go. As you finish running each wire and installing the device that will go there, take the time to clean up and bring all trash to the bag at your control zone. Being anal is a good thing, when you are doing a quality installation.

As you run each wire to the control room, measure where the wire is going to come into the control panel hole, and then add about a foot of wire before cutting it with your diagonal cutters. Place a piece of light colored electrical tape around the wire about 5 inches from the end and write on the tape with an indelible sharpie or marker where it is going.

If your home or business is under construction you may elect to pre-wire it for security. Pre-wiring is beneficial in the ability to get every device in the exact location you would want it. Placing wires and gang boxes before construction is complete, is dependent on your ability to read the architects plans and understand where cabinets, appliances and electrical devices will be placed with accuracy. If you do elect to pre-wire be sure to drill your own holes in the wall studs and rafters. Many a lazy alarm technician will run through the electrical and plumbers holes and think they are getting away easy. The problem is that if an electrician or plumber fails inspection they will have to pull wire and pipe out to relocate them to the inspector's specifications. They are not likely to be concerned about your wire, when doing so.

The best time to run your wires on a pre-wire is immediately after the electricians leave and before the insulators arrive.

If you are ready to start running wires, lets start with the front door. If you are going down to the basement you will be working low on the opening side of the door. If you are running your wires up you will be working on the top of the door. Lets use down for our example. What kind of contact will you be using? Surface mount or recessed? If you are running wires anyway, why don't you take the time to install recessed contacts so that they are out of site when the door is closed? Set up your drill with a 3/8-inch standard length drill bit. In the jam of the door, approximately 4 inches from the bottom begin drilling at an angle towards the basement. Switch to your 3/8- inch by 12 to 18 inch long drill bit and continue drilling towards the basement, finally switch to your 5-foot long bell hangers bit and continue drilling till you pop out in the basement. Pull the long bit out of the hole and remove it from the hole. Poke the skinny end of the long bit down the hole. Go down to the basement with a flashlight, diagonal wire cutters, tape, marker, staple gun with staples in it, and a spool or box of 22 gauge 2 conductor wire. Strip the plastic off of the end of your wire about 2 inches. Twist the 2 wires together and thread them through the hole at the end of the skinny side of the long bit and twist it around itself. Go back upstairs and pull the wire up to the hole. Tie a large loose and temporary knot in the wire after you get it there, so that it will not fall back in the hole. Leave at least 12 inches upstairs, so that you can work with the wire.

Go back downstairs and begin to roll out enough wire to make it to your control panel. Staple the wires with an industrial stapler like a T22 along the beams in a neat and orderly manner from the drop hole towards the control panel. Be sure you are not penetrating the wire with each staple, if you do remove it now and re-staple. These mistakes are hard to trace after you walk away. Be sure to make it down the wall stud to where you will poke into the back of your control panel (about chest high) and leave an additional foot or more of wire before cutting it off the spool. Mark your wire with the tape and marker several inches from the end.

Congratulations! You made your first run. Be sure to gather and return all tools to the starting point so that you know where they are when you need them.

Get your 3/8 inch recessed contact and magnet. You will need a drill, (unless you are using a wireless drill) extension cord, electrical tape, and a wire cutter. Split the end of you wire and strip a small amount of plastic cover off of each end. Do the same with your contact unless you have the type that has small screws for the wires to be clamped under. Twist each end of your wire to an end of the contact wire and tape tightly and individually. After you do each one you can wrap a piece of tape around the whole thing tightly. (It does not matter which wire goes to which wire as this is a circuit wire, and has no positive or negative side.) Carefully poke the wire into the hole and press the contact in. Now mark the door in the spot that the magnet will meet the contact, when the door is closed. Stabilize the door and drill a 3/8 " hole just deep enough to put the magnet in. Repeat for each door you want contacted. We always suggest that you contact every perimeter door.

We will post additional device wiring instructions on The Experts Know! Alarms web-site for your access. Check Back Soon! as we will be adding DIY device installation techniques often.

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Screens

Alarm System Window Screens- Window screens are the ultimate perimeter device. The windows in your home look as if they have normal screens on them, however the actual screen mesh is an alarm circuit. The frame also has a contact point in it, so the screen can’t be cut or removed without violating the system if it is armed. The window can be opened for ventilation and protected at the same time. Now that’s a great perimeter device!

(INSIDE SCOOP!)
Have your screens put on a 24- hour zone. (always on even if the system is off) You will not be able to bypass your always on zones from your keypad. You will need to call in with your password when you remove them for cleaning.

Screens are very expensive, (often $125.00 to $200.00 each) for each opening, but you don’t have to do every window. You can do one on each side of the house or in the master bedroom only if you like the concept of ventilating the house with fresh air while your system is armed. More importantly think about putting one in your children’s rooms if you can afford it. The peace of mind you will get from having your most precious concern protected will be well worth the expense.

Some alarm companies will measure your windows and create a brand new screen. More often they will mark your existing screens as to which window they came from and bring them with them to be re-built. This assures a correct fit and saves a step so that you will save time and hopefully money. Screens come in different frame and mesh shades and colors so be sure to review this with your security consultant when you order them.

Screens take some time to have built. Alarm companies will often wait for them to be returned to them before scheduling your install. Be advised that the screens may slow your install start time down by a couple of weeks. If your alarm company is willing to install the rest of your system, and return at a later date with your screens I would do just that. Could you imagine how hard you would be on yourself if you were burglarized while you were waiting for your screens to be built and an alarm to be installed?

(INSIDE SCOOP!)
Hold back a substantial portion of your screen money until the screens are installed. No matter how noble your alarm company’s practices are, nothing seems to put a spring in a for profit company’s step, like money.

When I think of protecting your window with a screen in the same room that is protected by a glass break detector, while a motion detector looks on at the whole thing, I think of an elderly gentleman who wears a belt along with his suspenders. It is not a bad idea to overlap your security layers, but you still want to be aware of where to draw the line. A cunning salesperson can run the register up in a New York minute if you’re not on the studious prowl for redundancies.

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False Alarm or False Dispatch?

I was working on a dealer consultation recently, and John the owner of the dealership mentioned these thought provoking words. Immediately my mind started working on how comfortable we have become packaging all security alarm mishaps into the ”False Alarm” category.

Not too long ago when the alarm industry was just beginning to enter the residential boom, the technologies available were not sophisticated enough to keep up with the volume of users that were installing systems.

The available technology was “Relay Logic” which simply put, was a set of low voltage relays that would open and close when devices were violated. This simple technology had many drawbacks such as opening the relays during power surges and reverting to an open relay position when power outages were restored causing a false alarm.

Due to the many false alarms that were created during these early days of sirens and bells going off for undiscovered reasons, the words “False Alarm” became common.

Today even the least expensive systems rely on central processing units with an array of microchips and artificial intelligence to process the signals from your home or business. It is rare that alarms go off for no particular reason and the majority of alarm users can boast never having experienced a false alarm.

Instead of false alarms what we are experiencing these days, are a much greater number of users depending on today’s alarm systems to protect their family’s and themselves and their homes or business from an abundance of crime. Due to an increase in use, we are also seeing an increase in mistakes made by the system owners. We refer to these mistakes as “User Error” in the industry, and they are a result of poor training on how to use the system or user complacency.

Some examples of these types of errors are:

Not giving a guest code to a domestic helper, realtor or repairman.

Letting your pet out while the system is armed.

Taking too much time to leave the protected area when arming and than driving off.

Taking too much time when entering the protected area to enter your code.

Accidentally pressing a wireless panic button while rummaging through your purse.

Not knowing your password when the monitoring station calls.

These user errors and many more examples that are not listed here will cause a dispatch for an alarm that has not been violated by a burglar. When dispatch is made for these reasons we should not blame the system for doing what it was supposed to do, by calling it a false alarm. Instead we should label it a false dispatch, so that we can begin looking in the proper direction to correct the problem.

As soon as we get use to separating “false alarms” from “false dispatches”, alarm companies will begin to take more time to properly educate the end users on the use of their systems. End users will also begin taking responsibility for their user errors and understand that just as they rely on their systems to help protect themselves and their loved ones, they need to help protect the integrity of the alarm industry so that the authorities will continue to respond rapidly to their calls for help.

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Home Security Tips