Alachua County Sheriff's Office

Reducing False Alarms

Who is to blame for false alarms?

The focus and blame for the false alarm problem in the trade press has jumped from one professional, or one link in the chain, to another. Two years ago the blame was focused almost solely on the end-user. Most seminars and articles from that time express the idea that "end-users had better learn to use those security systems and cut down on those false alarms. It's not a manufacturer problem, it's not a dealer problem, it's an end-user problem."

As the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) focused its efforts increasingly on licensing, the emphasis and blame shifted to the dealer. Dealers weren't installing the systems properly and they weren't training the end-user on how to use them adequately. It then became a dealer problem.

Today, the emphasis and spotlight is shifting to the manufacturer. A column in the May 1997 issue of SDM Magazine recommends an industry approval requirement for control panels, a recommendation intended specifically to address false alarm reduction. The clear implication is that it's now up to the manufacturers to provide the answers and solutions to the false alarm problem.

In reality, no single entity in the community has the ability alone to solve the false alarm problem or, in fact, to provide true security protection.