It’s 3 a.m., everyone in the house is asleep, out of the blue your phone starts ringing and wakes you up from your sound slumber. It’s Central Station, and there has been an alarm trip at your building. Is there something wrong? Is someone trying to break in? Or is it just false alarm?

Waking up in the middle of the night, receiving a call from central station, calling to inform you that your burglar alarm is going off, and the Police have been dispatched, is probably the worst way to wake up and certainly something you want to avoid.

A Better Way

What if Central Station knew the answers to those important questions before the police were even called? Using a properly designed IP Video Surveillance system, Central Station operators are now able to use your CCTV cameras to verify visually if there is an actual event at your facility. Some counties have now issued a 2-false-alarm-a-year-rule, which means if police authorities are dispatched to your property more than 2 times a year for a false alarm, you’re going to receive a bill for their troubles. By using video to verify whether an alarm is true or false is a very powerful tool as a business owner to ensure that you are not charged with unnecessary fines.

Additional Uses

Business owners often find this type of system useful to protect exterior parking lots where vehicles and equipment are being stored. Before central station contacts you, they will use your CCTV or IP video surveillance system to visually verify if there is an actual event at your facility. Before the use of video verification, there were few options for protecting the perimeter at an outdoor storage or parking area. Security guards were costly and many times ineffective. Now you can use cameras in combination with outdoor detection sensors and analytics to protect every area in your lot simultaneously. No more situations where a guard was sleeping across the other end of the lot while thieves make off with your valuables.

Ways to Reduce False Alarms

• Inspect the area you’re protecting to make sure nothing is moving during the night that would trip the alarm, such as balloons or even plants when HVAC system turns on.
• Schedule monthly checkups & inspections with your current burglar alarm system integrator.
• Do an intrusion test after hours to see if the system does what it is designed to do.
• Integrate video surveillance cameras with your alarm system to prevent the police from coming when they don’t need to.
• Training for all users of the system to ensure it is being armed properly. Alternatively, set the system to auto arm & disarm or tie the system into your access control system for even better control.

It pays to be proactive when protecting your investments. Digital Provisions has been installing video verified intrusion systems since 2011 and knows what it takes to get it done right. Contact us to find out how this proven new technology can help you sleep better at night.