All Articles Tagged Alarm

Jason Knott | 08/23 01:18 PM, 5 Comments

Don't complain about your local alarm response ordinance until you've heard about the new, super-tough law in Detroit. As of August 15, the Detroit police department will not respond to an electronic alarm signal unless one of the following three scenarios has occurred: 1. Visual verification from someone on the scene (either the homeowner or the alarm company) that a burglary has occurred or is in progress and that police department response is warranted. 2. There has been remote video or audio verification by the central station that a crime… View this story

Jason Knott | 05/31 08:12 AM, 0 Comments

The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) has issued a warning for its 35.7 million members against buying an alarm system - and even an integrated system that includes "upgrades" such as cameras, HVAC, smartphone apps and lighting control - from a door-to-door salesperson. AARP says these tactics prey on the elderly who often don't understand there are monthly monitoring fees when they get an alarm system. Even worse, AARP says the door-to-door security salesmen are often just burglars impersonating salesmen so they can case the home for a burglary.… View this story

Jason Knott | 04/07 09:07 AM, 0 Comments

Several bills in Congress could “seriously harm” wireless long-range radio monitoring for alarm signals and be trouble for certain shorter-range wireless sensors in homes. The bills call for the auctioning off of the 450 MHz to 470 MHz wireless spectrum to the highest commercial bidder. Currently this block is reserved for “public safety” use. Related: The Benefits of Wireless Alarm Monitoring The House bill is H.R. 607 and the Senate bills are S.28 and S.455. The House bill actually calls for a “spectrum swap” that would require central stations, HAM… View this story

Jason Knott | 04/04 06:36 AM, 0 Comments

Mace Security International in Horsham, Pa. has acquired the entire stock of The Command Center Inc. (TCCI), a 20,000-account central station based in Corona, Calif. The purchase price was not disclosed. It is the first expansion of Mace's Central Station (Mace CS) located in Anaheim, Calif, which Mace acquired in 2009. TCCI operates a wholesale central station and handles approximately 20,000 accounts from over 70 dealers. For the immediate future, operations will continue in the Corona central station facility. TCCI has been in business for over 20 years, servicing quality… View this story

Jason Knott | 02/24 07:06 AM, 0 Comments

According to a survey of the nation's 10 largest insurance companies, the average premium discount for a home equipped with an alarm system is 20 percent. The study was conducted by the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice and provides a compelling benefit that can aid CE pros who are selling security systems. "A survey of the 10 largest insurance companies offering homeowners coverage found premium discounts up to 20 percent if a home is equipped with a monitored alarm system," says Dom D'Ascoli, president of the Electronic Security Association… View this story

Jason Knott | 12/16 09:21 AM, 1 Comment

When you sell a client a monitored security system, it is coming with the assurance that police or firefighters will respond quickly to an alarm activation. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. The El Paso Times reports the response time in El Paso, Texas is a mind-boggling six hours. A few years ago, the police department in El Paso said it had a response time averaging 22 minutes to the highest priority calls. The reason for the delays: too much crime and extreme cutbacks in law enforcement manpower. If… View this story