How to prevent false alarm call-outs

When an alarm goes off out-of-hours on business premises, there are usually two courses of action that will follow; it will be managed internally by a member of staff, or in the case of businesses who use the services of an external security company such as our own, a professional security officer will respond.

If the alarm is handled by a member of staff, they will need to drop whatever they are doing (or get out of bed if it’s at night) to go to the site, establish what has happened and secure the premises. It is important that this individual is contactable and refrains from drinking alcohol or doing anything that may inhibit their ability to go to the site.

If a professional security company is being used, an officer should be able to reach the premises within 20 minutes. They will typically be trained in both crime scene preservation and conflict management, meaning they are prepared to deal with whatever they may find.

In some cases, an alarm may be triggered by a break-in. Others may end up being false-alarms, caused by a problem in the system itself or human error, and that is what we are going to focus on here.

What can cause a false alarm call-out?

At Venture, we deal with hundreds of alarms every year. A percentage of these incidents are false alarms and the good news is many are totally preventable. While our customers can have complete peace of mind that we will deal with the situation on their behalf, preventing false alarms can save time and anxiety all round.

With this in mind, here we’ve pulled together a list of the most common causes of a false alarm call-out and ways to lower the risk of one happening.

1. Check the alarm is set correctly

If any errors are displaying, contact your alarm provider for more assistance. It’s also worth keeping the manual in a designated place within the property in case of a problem.

2. Perform regular alarm maintenance and checks

Ensure that everything is working as it should. It is well worth factoring this in to a routine series of checks, which should also include your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

3. Check windows and doors are securely shut

Not only will this help prevent an actual burglary, it will also stop the weather from affecting your alarm. Wind, rain and air conditioning have all been known to create movements which can trigger an alarm. This should include securing chains on roller doors.

4. Perform pest control

If you have a pest problem, not only is it worth dealing with in the interests of hygiene and safety, but rodents and birds can also set off alarms as they scurry or fly about.

5. Use animal-friendly alarms

If your business premises has assets outside that may be accessed by wildlife, for example if you have a solar farm or agricultural land, then use animal-friendly alarms that are designed not to be triggered by birds or small wildlife, only by people and vehicles.

6. Inform your guests

If you have visitors on site, then avoid them accidentally activating the alarm by giving them a quick run-through of how it works.

7. Regularly dust and clean around alarm sensors

Spiders and other small insects can set off an alarm sensor. While you may not appreciate this kind of intruder, at least they’re unlikely to steal your laptop!

8. And finally, check everyone is out of the building

Before setting the alarm system, make sure everyone has left the building. A last minute trip to the toilet, or quickly grabbing a file from another department before leaving, need not be cause for alarm!

 

Free security review

Venture Security is ranked among the top 1% of security companies in the UK. From manned guarding to mobile patrols and key holding services, we help our customers keep their premises, assets and people safe.

Our specialist team works with businesses big and small, based across Winchester, Andover, Salisbury, Basingstoke, Fareham and the wider central-southern region. For more information, or to book a free security review, please call us on 01264 391538.

 

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