Treatment of Alarms

[andrew85031]

In the thousands of alarms I've been to in my career I can count the number on my hands that have been actual burglaries. The only apprehensions that were made were through follow-up investigation. I don't know of any apprehensions at my agency that were onscene of an alarm. In the tens of thousands of alarms that occur daily in this country a few apprehensions is still a miniscule amount an a tiny percentage of the total.

I fully agree! Thats why I said the number of apprehensions compared to the number of alarms/dispatches is a whole 'nother story.

However, we usually have two - three instances a week where there are actual apprehensions on site. Rare, and in comparison to the number of alarms, absolutely minuscule, agreed. Some burglars just aren't very smart.

[halyzmom]

Our priority is a 2 or 3. Of course, we have higher crime areas where the alarms are more than likely a burglary. Personally, we have so many false alarms that it is frustrating to go out and check a home where we are greeted by the homeowner who says "Yeah, I set off the alarm". COME ON DUDE!!! Call your alarm company if you accidentally set it off and let me do the job that I am here for!

[oscarmitre]

Hi all.

I was just wondering what priority you put on dispatches when alarm companies call them in. I work in a central station right now, and dispatch on alarms all the time. I have noticed that some dispatch centers will state "we will get an officer en route right now." I had one last night that stated "We will dispatch on it between 10-15 minutes" and it was a bank alarm with multiple interior activations. I was kind of surprised. Others, for example, we call back for results, and it will have been a half hour or so and they aren't en route yet.

I am not complaining by any means, but just curious how dispatches treat alarms, lets assume burglary alarms. Is there a priority arrangement for how these are done, or not?

And also, how do dispatchers feel about the alarm companies? Do you find the high volume of false alarms irritating, and the volume of calls that come in?

I personally almost always have good experiences with dispatchers, but occasionally get that one lol.

Thanks all, and keep doing a good job.

Here the situation is complex but it works. We have a two-level response which depends on the type of alarm and the alarmco. This is a bit rough but I hope it make sense.

Where there is a holdup alarm from a registered (registered with us) alarmco it will be given a Priority A designation which means it is dispatched immediately and will be responded to urgently and patrols responding are permitted to use urgent duty driving responses (lights and sirens).

Where we get an intruder alarm from a registered (see above) alarmco it will be given Priority B designation which means it will be attended to immediately, again udd response.

Where we get a duress alarm from a registered alarmco we will assign it B2 which means it's important but if there's an A or B1 they get priority.

If any of the above come from an unregistered alarmco then we will still respond but we will contact the control room to ascertain their bona fides and we urge them to register with us. Registration with us helps us to deal with accidental activations or technical problems, we follow up with the alarmco to make sure the problem is sorted out.

[andrew85031]

I hear ya about the people that are waiting for you to arrive.

I can't stand getting an alarm activation, and then calling a keyholder, or the homeowners cell, and having us cancel the dispatch, only to have it go off again ten minutes later and forcing us to redispatch. I always get grumpier with the homeowners and advise them to get their arse in gear and fix it. :mad:

Theres nothing more that I hate then having to call in an alarm every night for the same place, same area of activation, same response. Or the ones that go off all night long.

Thats why I love the ones that require a 2 call verification, call the premise, then a cell or secondary number, and only dispatch if requested or unable to reach either party, which is rare.

I also would have to say, my favorite place to dispatch to is NYC. I don't know why, but I just like the speed of it. The friggin phone doesn't even ring! They just are there as soon as you dial it haha. Threw me off big time in training.

[bighead]

How many alarms have you dispatched that have been actual burglaries? The error/false alarm rate is the main reason that most are treated as mid-level priority. Many of the large alarm companies will have a significant delay before ever contacting the police because they process a customer call list first. So a delay in reporting combined with a false alarm rate that my experience shows is probably over 90% results in no exigency.

My agency does upgrade to the highest priority alarms where the homeowner is present, as well as panic/holdup alarms where someone had to push a button or key an "ambush" code into the panel.

[andrew85031]

How many alarms have you dispatched that have been actual burglaries? The error/false alarm rate is the main reason that most are treated as mid-level priority. Many of the large alarm companies will have a significant delay before ever contacting the police because they process a customer call list first. So a delay in reporting combined with a false alarm rate that my experience shows is probably over 90% results in no exigency.

My agency does upgrade to the highest priority alarms where the homeowner is present, as well as panic/holdup alarms where someone had to push a button or key an "ambush" code into the panel.

That was my point in earlier posts. The false alarm rate to the actual number we dispatched is unbelievalble.

However, there have been a few apprehensions. As well as a few actual fires, etc.

We are a big station, but due to our systems, we have a really low response time. We will on most areas either go over a two-way system in the home, or attempt to verify the premise phone number. If no answer there, we dispatch. Most of the time we have the premise called and dispatch completed within 3 minutes.

However, I just took my leave of absence from there while I focus more on school.

Either way, I hear ya on the alarms almost being a nuisance.

[precept]

We do not assign priorities to calls.

become available off higher priority calls.

Pick a side and stick with it.

[canuckofapeach]

Having reviewed all your posts, I strongly suggest you lose your prickly attitude, Precept. Shape up or ship out.