Hurricane proof your alarm system
During a hurricane, false alarms on commercial buildings increase drastically. Doors moving in the wind, rattling of overhead doors and sirens can cause false alarms and create unnecessary work for law enforcement. Response time is drastically reduced on unverified alarm systems during a hurricane if no one can see or hear someone in the building. Here are three ways to build a proper security alarm system:
1> Securing doors
When building a security system, each door should be checked to ensure that there is no movement in the door. If the wind blows, a door sensor that is improperly installed will separate and cause a false alarm. If there is movement in the door of any kind, a dead bolt lock, or simple hook and anchor locking device should be used during a hurricane to prevent such movement.
2> Use video surveillance
If there is a great amount of noise in the building like rattling overhead doors or close proximity to a fire station or police station, video surveillance can be used to look at the property before police are sent. Video surveillance on an alarm system will allow a central station operator to see inside and/or outside the building to confirm that illegal entry is not the cause of the alarm. The alarm can then be reset without notifying law enforcement.
3> Using a proper power source
Due to cost, some alarm systems are set up on internet communication only. During a power outage, the router can go down and the alarm system will no longer communicate alarms. If this is the only form of communication, plugging your internet router into an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), will allow the internet to continue to communicate. However, if the internet is also down, the alarm system will be down. For a business owner, investing in a backup cellular communication is ideal! If the power goes down, the cellular communicator will continue to operate on a battery backup for as long as there is battery power. If the power is out for a long period of time and the battery power is drained, an alert or phone call should be made to the business owner to address the low battery power before the system is completely down.
Putting thought into properly building your commercial alarm system will save money in false alarms fines and, more importantly, prevent missing a break in!