Public Safety Officials: DIY Alarm Systems Need to Be Regulated

In many cities and towns, DIY alarm systems installed by consumers themselves vs. by a professional security company don’t have to play by the same rules as professionally installed systems. For example, in many municipalities a DIY system does not require a permit, while a professionally installed system does.

The FARA board of directors is trying to rectify some of these inequities by adopting a position on DIY security systems response and issuing a list of recommendations to municipalities for their alarm ordinances.

The group says: “FARA believes that each community has a right to enact whatever false alarm solution best meets its needs. FARA also believes that Do It Yourself Systems should be considered in your alarm ordinance in the following ways”:

• Ordinances should prohibit a DIY alarm system from directly dialing or otherwise contacting public safety.
• Any registration or permitting requirements and fines or fees and/or response limitations that apply to the user for a professionally installed system should apply to the user with a DIY system.
• Municipalities should consider requiring an inspection by a professional alarm technician for systems that have too many alarms. (Editor’s Note: Professionally installed burglar, CCTV and access control systems are not required to be inspected, but fire alarm systems are code-driven and require inspections.)
• If the alarm user calls in a dispatch request to public safety based on a DIY system and it turns out to be a false alarm, the same fees and/or response limitations that apply to professionally installed systems should apply.

According to the association, the position reaffirms its commitment to the involvement of all stakeholders in the development of local solutions to the false alarm problem. It also highlights the significant plague of false alarms that can be caused by DIY systems.

“The position was adopted because of questions about how to apply local alarms ordinances to do it yourself systems,” says Kerri McDonald, FARA president. “Do it Yourself Systems can cause false alarms and localities need to consider regulating them.”