​False alarms are one of the common headaches of having a security system. Generally speaking, they interrupt your dinner (or your sleep). Depending on where you live or work, they might even be an unplanned or unmanageable expense. You already know why your own false alarms are a problem. But what about someone else’s?

​False alarms make law enforcement complacent.

​Law enforcement officers have a tough job. Based on your own experiences with traditional alarm systems, imagine for a moment what it must be like for the police to receive a call from a central station about an activated alarm. They’re thinking the same thing you’re thinking right now. Sure, it’s important, because it might be a break-in. But it’s probably not.

​And so they don’t respond quickly. It’s understandable. They’re spread too thin as it is.

​There’s a better way. 

​To encourage alarm users to choose verified alarm systems that help officers better manage their safety and resources, and to help reduce the cost to the tax-payers, many municipalities have chosen to implement false alarm fines. In our service area alone, these fines can be as much as $100 per occurrence.

​Whether you have a verified alarm system or not, there are things you can do to help reduce false alarms.

​False alarms are a community issue. When it’s time to purchase or upgrade your system, consider a verified system and help reduce this burden on you, your employees and your local law enforcement.

​Access control systems are a huge asset for many businesses, but there are several things to consider when choosing your components. Be sure to articulate your needs to your security adviser. Let’s talk a little about one particular access control component: the access cards.

​Beyond shape and style, cards come in a variety of formats. The two we deal with most often are HID prox and iCLASS cards. 

A standard prox(imity) card holds just one piece of information – an identifying code (which sometimes includes a facility code). A reader sends that information back to a computer that matches the code with an access level and, if the information matches, the user is granted access. 

​An iCLASS (or smart) card carries with it a little more information and they do it more securely. Data transmitted between the card and the reader is encrypted using an algorithm so it changes every time. And while these cards can be used as proximity cards, they can also be used for biometric authentication, cashless vending, ticketing, loyalty programs, and more.

With everything an iCLASS card can do, why would you even want a standard prox card? In short – they’re cost effective and, almost always, suit the needs of the average access control user. Most facilities won’t need the additional functionality of a smart card. But, if you think you might – even in the future – it will definitely be more cost effective to keep that in mind as you’re contemplating your installation. Prox and iCLASS cards use different readers.

​Access control systems have a lot options and there’s no doubt that there are system configurations that are right for you whether you’re a one door user or a multi-facility user. We’ll talk more about the various components of these systems in the future. Keep an eye out for articles tagged access control for more information.

For many of us in business, a new year is an opportunity to regroup and re-imagine. With renewed zest we leap into endeavors and projects we just didn't seem to get to the year before. For many business owners and managers, this is a time to assess strengths and weaknesses in our businesses.

One weakness business owners tend to overlook, or deem too expensive to address, is the physical security of their facility. 

Maybe you haven't had a break in. Maybe an employee has never stolen from you. But waiting until one of these events has happened can end up being much more expensive - in financial or emotional capital - than the security system ever would have been.

You can buy peace of mind.

Considering an integrated security system should be on your to-do list. Security now is so much more than a system that sets off a siren in the event of a break-in. As a matter of fact, a silent alarm system like Sonitrol's is an option that allows for the opportunity to catch the criminals rather than scare them off and give them the change to try again at a later date.

Consider the other components that might be right for your situation as well. Do you need cameras? If the idea of being able to see video attached to an alarm is intriguing, then perhaps you should consider an integrated alarm and camera system. Maybe you only need to be able to pull video when an issue occurs. A stand-alone camera system would be the right product for you. (And there are so many options in that arena!) Do you need to ensure certain areas are only accessed at certain times by specific people? How about access control? 

Maybe you've already had an incident and you feel like it's too late to protect your investment. It's not. Ask us for a FREE Security Assessment. Every business should be examined by a professional security consultant who can design a custom security solution that address all its needs. Find out what we can do for you.