The Truth About Wireless Alarm System False Alarms

Many homeowners who currently have a wireless alarm system installed or are looking to install a wireless alarm system often have questions about false alarms and any subsequent fees associated. In this blog post we’ll discuss what alarm system false alarms are, how they occur, and what happens if you encounter one.

What Are Wireless Alarm System False Alarms?

False alarms from a wireless alarm system, or any alarm system for that matter, occur when the system is triggered accidentally. There are many ways a false alarm can occur. Most commonly a false alarm occurs when you forget to disarm your wireless alarm system when you enter the house. When the alarm is triggered the monitoring station will usually call you to ask if the alarm is real. If you’re unable to answer the phone or miss the call the police will be on their way. Of course, the alarm is not a real alarm due to a burglary, so this is considered a “false alarm”. There are other ways this can occur, but most often is due to forgetfulness or a mistake.

What Happens If You Have A False Alarm?

Having a false alarm is not the end of the world. Most jurisdictions around the country allow homeowners to have one or two false alarms a year without any penalty or fee. They realize that accidents do happen and that a false alarm here or there is not a big deal. However, if you continue to have false alarms and the police are sent to the home on a consistent basis for essentially no reason you could incur a small fee each time.

How Do You Prevent False Alarms?

Preventing false alarms from your wireless alarm system is a fairly simple task, and many wireless alarm system companies have figured out ways to help you as well. For instance, when your alarm system is triggered the monitoring station will make a “verification call” to you or other family members (you set up these phone numbers when purchasing your alarm system). This call is to make sure the alarm is “real”, or that you are actually having an emergency. If you do not answer this call (sometimes two calls) the police will be sent to your home. You can curb false alarms by answering the phone and letting the dispatcher know that you triggered the wireless alarm system accidentally. The monitoring station will then cease from dispatching police to your residence.

Another way to curb false alarms is to be diligent, remembering to disarm your system each time you come home. This is helped by newer technology such as keyfobs and smartphone applications that allow you to disarm your alarm system from outside the home.

How Much Are Wireless Alarm System False Alarm Fees?

If you do get charged a false alarm fee at some point, it’s likely the fee will be about $25. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less – depending on where you live. If you continually have false alarms, the fee could rise, so it’s important to follow our tips above to make sure you don’t have more than one or a couple false alarms in a given year.

False alarms should not scare you from purchasing a wireless home alarm system though. Most alarm system owners only incur one or less false alarm per year on average. This means it’s unlikely you’ll have very many, if any at all. However, it’s important to know a little bit about false alarms and what the consequences could be.

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