How Alarm Systems Work
An alarm system is a collection of sensors connected to a central panel. When a sensor is triggered, it sends a message to the central hub that something is wrong. The panel then alerts your monitoring service. The alarm will also sound loudly in hopes of scaring off anyone who’s not authorized to be on the property. If all goes as it should, law enforcement will be at your building within minutes of the initial alarm.
The problem is that alarms are often triggered for no reason. The most common reason for a false alarm is a user forgetting the passcode and not disarming the system in time. Sometimes, low batteries cause sensors to operate incorrectly, and motion detectors can also be set off accidentally. The consequences are plenty. For one, you’ll be stressed thinking someone may be burglarizing your property. It also takes law enforcement away from handling actual crimes.
The Advantages of a Modern System
Given the inconvenience of false alarms, you may wonder how to best protect yourself and your business. Upgrading your alarm system is one of the easiest ways to reduce your risk. Technologically advanced systems have safeguards that make false alarms significantly less likely to occur. These systems rely on artificial intelligence, which can process what it sees before sending alerts. Unlike an older system that may send out an alert if a car or tree branch sets off a motion detector, these systems determine whether a disturbance is legitimate.
Older motion detectors rely on infrared changes, meaning a change in temperature could inadvertently set off an alarm. Current systems instead use dual sensors that only sound an alarm if both detectors sense something. Modern security systems can also integrate video and audio feeds with a monitoring service, allowing them to quickly determine whether there’s someone in the building. Lastly, newer security alarms often give users a grace period of 30 to 60 seconds, giving them extra time to disarm an alarm if needed.
Finding A Security Partner