| Home security systems are vital to the security | | | | plain view where an intruder could discover it. |
| of our home, our family, and our treasured | | | | Pets inside the home can be another source of |
| keepsakes. We've all heard the story about the | | | | false alarms. If you have an old system that you |
| neighbor whose alarm is continually going off | | | | modified to ignore roaming pets it may be time to |
| during your vital hours of sleep or every other | | | | upgrade to the new pet immune motion |
| afternoon. Do we ever stop to think about the | | | | detectors. These detectors use a combination of |
| consequences of false alarms? | | | | light and heat infra-red sensors to distinguish |
| Frequent false alarms can significantly reduce the | | | | between pets and humans such as the PIR |
| effectiveness of our home security systems. Like | | | | Detectors used by ADT Home Security. If you |
| the boy who cried wolf when an alarm continues | | | | have installed pet-immune detectors and they |
| to go off neighbors and local emergency response | | | | continue to cause a false alarm it may be |
| teams are less likely to respond during an actual | | | | necessary for you to have an installation |
| threat. In some areas homeowners could be | | | | professional come out to your home to install the |
| heavily fined for false alarms or denied service by | | | | motion detectors for you. |
| emergency groups. If a denial of service occurs | | | | Another source of false alarms is open doors and |
| law enforcement and other emergency personnel | | | | windows. It is important that you get into the |
| will be told to ignore the alarm. This could leave | | | | habit of checking that all doors and windows are |
| you home unprotected during theft and your | | | | closed and locked before setting the home |
| family unattended during an emergency. | | | | security system. An open window or door not |
| False alarms can be caused by faulty equipment | | | | only can cause a false alarm but is an open |
| or design, acts of nature and error on the part of | | | | invitation to potential intruders. |
| the homeowner. It is important to ensure that all | | | | It does not take long to properly train family |
| family members have been properly trained on | | | | members on the system, check for open |
| how to use the equipment. This will help to | | | | windows and doors, or periodically test the |
| minimize false alarms due to user error. Keep | | | | system. This short amount of time can save you |
| instructions on how to use the system in a place | | | | hundreds of dollars, reduce false alarms, and give |
| that family members can retrieve it easily. Secure | | | | you the peace of mind that help is only moments |
| your password and account information in a place | | | | away during any time of need that may arise |
| that the whole family can get to but it not out in | | | | whether it be intrusion, medical, or fire. |