| Central station monitoring is the most valuable part of | | | | Phone Hookup- Most alarm's report over your existing |
| your alarm system for both you and the Alarm | | | | phone line. You don't need another phone line for the |
| Company that has the pleasure of providing you with | | | | alarm. People that have DSL (Digital Subscriber Lines) |
| this service. For the alarm user the peace of mind that | | | | can still use their line for alarm reporting but a filter will |
| comes with knowing that help is on the way when | | | | need to be installed on your DSL line. If you do not |
| needed is always welcome and often insisted upon. | | | | have a phone line you will have to have one installed |
| For the alarm dealer, the recurring revenue that comes | | | | for alarm monitoring service, or consider one of the |
| from this side of the business is what sustains them. | | | | alternative methods of transmitting your signals made |
| Monitoring firms come in all sizes. The largest are UL | | | | available to you by your alarm dealer. |
| (Underwriters Laboratory) listed facilities with Fort | | | | Line Fault Monitor- Many of the high- end alarm |
| Knox like security. These facilities have large backup | | | | systems have a line fault monitor built in to them. The |
| generators as well as the ability to instantly switch | | | | mid-range systems have the ability to have one added |
| your signals to the closest available station in the case | | | | and the low-end systems are often too simple to even |
| of a natural or man made disaster. There is great | | | | consider this device. The line fault monitor is always on |
| stability in doing business with these firms due to the | | | | the lookout for an available phone line. If your line goes |
| fact that your account will rarely be sold to another | | | | down while your alarm is armed it will cause an alarm. |
| company, who would constantly raise your monitoring | | | | This way if a burglar cuts your phone line outside of |
| rates. Small alarm dealers use monitoring agreements | | | | the house or business they will hopefully run, due to all |
| as a way of infusing cash into their business as often | | | | the noise drawing attention to their intentions. If your |
| as needed, To them your account is like stock. | | | | alarm is not armed, there will be no sirens but the |
| The largest National and International companies are at | | | | keypad will beep rapidly and let you know that your |
| an advantage because they have a great number of | | | | communication link is down. |
| facilities, and are able to provide local monitoring for | | | | Many people think that if the phone line is cut and the |
| their clients. Local monitoring is preferred because you | | | | line fault monitor goes into alarm there will be a |
| are less likely to loose a signal if it is coming over a | | | | dispatch. This is false because if there is no phone line |
| local phone line. An example of this is as follows. Lets | | | | to carry the signal it has no way of getting to the |
| say you live in the central US and your alarm is being | | | | monitoring station, unless you have an alternative |
| monitored on the east coast over an 800 number | | | | communication system as a backup. Instead this type |
| telephone line. If a storm knocks out the phone lines | | | | of alarm will protect you if you are at home by: |
| between you and the monitoring station, how would | | | | Letting the burglar know that they violated a system |
| they receive your signal for help? | | | | hopefully causing them to flee. |
| The smallest firms could be a couple of people taking | | | | Giving you an opportunity to call 911 from your cell if |
| turns watching a digital receiver in a home office. | | | | one is available. |
| These are undesirable because you may not be able | | | | Allowing you to prepare to defend yourself and your |
| to depend on them when needed. Your personal | | | | loved ones. |
| information is also at risk, due to a potential lack of | | | | Giving you time to see if all that dog food you have |
| security in this type of facility. All of the advantages of | | | | purchased over the years is going to pay off. |
| the large well- funded central stations are reversed | | | | Line Seizure- Any quality alarm installer will take the |
| when your alarm dealer saves money by doing | | | | time to make sure that your phone line is set up for line |
| business with these smallest of companies. | | | | seizure. There is no additional equipment needed to |
| Monitoring stations large and small all have the same | | | | accomplish this feature of phone line protection. The |
| function. When your alarm is violated it sends a digital | | | | phone line is run from your interface jack outside of |
| signal to the monitoring stations receiver. The receiver | | | | your house to one of the closest phone jacks inside. It |
| takes only a few seconds to decipher where the | | | | is then run from that jack to the next and this process |
| signal is coming from and what type of response is | | | | is continued until your electrician during construction or |
| required. This information is than translated by | | | | the Phone Company has wired all of your phone |
| computers and a dispatch screen is shown to the first | | | | jacks. |
| available dispatcher. The dispatcher connects to the | | | | The alarm installer that is in a hurry or doesn't know |
| proper authority and relays your systems request for | | | | any better will tap your alarm into the closest phone |
| a response. | | | | jack. The problem with this is that if a burglar picks up |
| On most non- panic situations the monitoring station | | | | any of the phones that are between the outside |
| should call the house before they dispatch to the | | | | interface jack and the jack your control is tapped into |
| proper authority. If you answer the phone and give the | | | | it will stop the transmission of your alarm signal. |
| correct password they should disregard your signal as | | | | The knowledgeable and concerned installer will run |
| a user error. If you give the wrong password, the | | | | your control phone line directly to the outside phone |
| better monitoring stations will say "Thank You" hang up | | | | interface assuring that it is first on line. They will then |
| and dispatch for a holdup/ hostage situation. This is yet | | | | run from the control to your first phone jack making it |
| another great people protector that is built into your | | | | second on line. When an alarm is violated it will seize |
| monitoring service. | | | | the phone line completely for its own use and return |
| If you are not home to answer the call a dispatch will | | | | service to the house after the signals have been sent |
| be made and the monitoring station will begin at the top | | | | to the receiver in the monitoring station. |
| of your call list in hopes of contacting you or your | | | | Long Range Radio- This is a radio transmitter that is |
| agent with a warning of dispatch. This is not so you will | | | | used by many large monitoring firms to monitor your |
| go check; it is so you will not walk into a dangerous | | | | alarm instead of over a phone line. The Transmitter |
| situation. Looks like another one of those people | | | | sends a radio signal to a repeater much like your cell |
| protection features when used properly doesn't it? | | | | phone does, and the repeater sends your signal to the |
| This process of dispatching and then calling you or the | | | | monitoring stations receivers in a local station. Many |
| people on your call list has come under the | | | | customers that need an increased level of security |
| microscope of late, and many municipalities are | | | | use the radio transmitted signal and the phone line |
| adjusting this process. More about ECV (Enhanced | | | | transmission simultaneously. |
| Call Verification ) is posted on the "Experts Know" | | | | This level of protection obviously costs more than the |
| web-site at the provided link. | | | | average homeowner would care to pay. Even as a |
| Your local authority, based on how the signal is | | | | stand alone system the radio signal is less likely to be |
| reported to them, prioritizes dispatch responses. Your | | | | interrupted than a phone line that is exposed outside |
| monitoring company should also have dispatch protocol | | | | your home or business. |
| based on the signal type. | | | | Cellular Communicators- This is a communicator that is |
| A request for a response to a hold up or distress will | | | | wired to your alarm control and processes the signals |
| usually take precedence over a burglary signal. | | | | over the cellular communication towers. Most |
| A request for an ambulance should be dispatched | | | | applications I have seen for this device have utilized it |
| immediately and a phone call to the house made | | | | as a backup to a phone connection. However I have |
| afterwards. | | | | seen it used as a sole means of communication for |
| A request for a fire dept. response should be | | | | the alarm system in a few cases where long range |
| dispatched immediately and a phone call to the house | | | | radio and a phone lines were not available. You would |
| made afterwards. | | | | have to purchase the usually expensive cellular |
| A distress call made by the use of an ambush code | | | | communicator separately, because it is not built into |
| or panic buttons should trigger an immediate dispatch | | | | your alarm control. |
| with no phone call to the premise. | | | | Alarm owners that use Long- range radio and cellular |
| An alarm signal dispatch that is trailing a burglar through | | | | communicators as a backup reporting device usually |
| a protected area such as: | | | | have to pay an additional monitoring fee. As an added |
| Violation- | | | | measure of security, the alarm companies will often |
| Zone 1 entry, front door. | | | | send these backup signals to a separate monitoring |
| Zone 5 main floor motion detector. | | | | central station. This assures two complete dispatch |
| Zone 3 Upstairs hallway motion detector.should excite | | | | processes from different operators at different |
| your local authorities into a quicker response, as they | | | | locations, thus increasing the level of security. |
| are sure it is most likely not a false alarm. This type of | | | | Opening and Closing Reports- Most of the average to |
| reporting format is called "Extended Reporting" and | | | | high-end systems have the ability to report enough |
| while some cities require it to help prioritize dispatch, | | | | data to create opening and closing reports if desired. |
| most do not. It is always available to you if your control | | | | Opening and closing reports are named as such, |
| is capable of reporting that way and you request it. | | | | because they are mostly used in commercial |
| Now that you know about it you should ask for it by | | | | applications to log the times and users that are opening |
| name. | | | | and closing the business. |
| The alternative dispatch that would just say "Burglary | | | | There are different levels of opening and closing |
| signal coming from the Jones residence 123 any | | | | reports. Some of the most common are listed below |
| street" and would most likely become a lower priority | | | | as examples: |
| response. | | | | (Supervised) This type of report lets assigned code |
| A monitoring facility that monitors alarms for other local | | | | users open and close at will, if within the specified |
| dealers as well as their own installed systems needs a | | | | window of normal activity. It will log the event into a |
| way to control the quality of the systems it monitors, if | | | | report that can be forwarded to a report manager at |
| it is going to have its dispatch requests trusted by the | | | | a pre- determined frequency or upon request. If a |
| authorities. Some large facilities will monitor only the | | | | code user opens or closes outside of a pre-assigned |
| systems that are capable of sending the most | | | | schedule of normalcy it will trigger a supervisory phone |
| sophisticated signals. When a company such as this | | | | call to a manager. |
| limits the amount of false alarms it reports, it will earn a | | | | (unsupervised) This type of report lets assigned code |
| better response record. | | | | users enter and exit at will. It will log these events and |
| If there are many signals coming into a monitoring | | | | can be checked by a supervisor upon request. |
| station at the same time, the signals can only be | | | | I have seen supervised opening and closing reports |
| handled as fast as an operator can get to them. The | | | | used in a residential situation on a few occasions. You |
| number of trained employees it has on duty will limit the | | | | can for example contact an elderly relative's |
| small to medium size companies. The largest firms | | | | refrigerator door and have a phone call made to you if |
| have the ability of employing many dispatchers at the | | | | it does not open within a predetermined amount of |
| same time. One such company that I have worked | | | | time. Or you can set it to have you notified if the kids |
| with has over 700 on duty every day, every shift. | | | | come home early from school. You can imagine how |
| (TID-BIT!) | | | | many creative ideas you can come up with if you |
| The National average for an alarm dispatch is 13 | | | | want to. |
| minutes. The largest firms can boast a 60- second or | | | | (INSIDE SCOOP!) |
| less average. | | | | The Alpha Keypads and controls of many high-end |
| Monitoring your alarm is not only its greatest feature, | | | | systems allow you to scroll through and read the last |
| but is also one of the few services of which I can say | | | | 100+ events. By having one of these systems you can |
| with confidence " You will most likely get what you | | | | create your own opening and closing controls and |
| pay for." The smallest dealers will monitor your alarm | | | | reports without having to bear the monthly expense of |
| for sometimes half the monthly fee of the largest | | | | this service. The small amount of dollars spent on this |
| dealers. Now that you know a few of the differences | | | | upgrade will pay for itself in a hurry. |
| of this end of the business, I would hope you make the | | | | Paging- Many of the alarm systems have an onboard |
| proper decision based on your understanding how | | | | paging device so you can receive the time and code |
| important this service is to the protection of you, your | | | | user of each event such as arming and disarming |
| loved ones, and your other irreplaceable belongings as | | | | when opening and closing reports are programmed to |
| well. | | | | the on position in your alarm control. You will also |
| I implore you not to cut corners on your choice of | | | | receive a code for alarm violations and the zone or |
| monitoring services! | | | | zone numbers that are violated during an alarm breach. |
| (HOT TIP!) | | | | You would have to have a digital pager for this to |
| Many municipalities require an alarm permit to be | | | | work and once again your teenagers are going to |
| purchased by the alarm user. If a dispatch is made | | | | hate how much you now know about alarms! |
| without a permit on file you could receive a hefty fine | | | | Other articles you should read when considering who |
| or worse yet a failure to respond. Some permit | | | | will monitor your Alarm System are: |
| holders are charged a one- time fee and others have | | | | Alarm Systems and VoIP |
| to renew annually. Check with your alarm company if | | | | Alarm System ECV Will Effect All Alarm Users in |
| there is a permit requirement in your town. This way | | | | 2006 |
| you can avoid being surprised by an unexpected | | | | These articles are posted on The Experts Know! |
| expense. | | | | |