Getting Out Front of the False Alarm Issue

Every year in preparation for the January issue of SDM, I gather a panel of security dealers and integrators to discuss their predictions for the coming year, as part of our annual Industry Forecast article. This year, one of the panelists, Chuck Petrusha, president and CEO of Advanced Security Systems, commented, “The one thing that I do have a concern with is our false alarm rate and how as an industry we should be better prepared to verify our signals. … I just hope our industry can get out in front of that rather than get run over by that.”

He is far from alone in that assessment. For many years the security alarm monitoring industry has grappled with this issue, devoting whole conferences, legislative efforts and countless technology solutions to trying to fix the problem. With police departments experiencing historic shortages and stories like the one featured in this month’s Monitoring Today News on Seattle’s recent verified response initiative, the issue is not likely to go away any time soon.

The one thing that I do have a concern with is our false alarm rate and how as an industry we should be better prepared to verify our signals. … I just hope our industry can get out in front of that rather than get run over by that.

But that doesn’t mean it is a hopeless quest. On the contrary, there are many productive things the security industry is doing to take on this issue and get in front of it, as Petrusha suggested.

Which is why I am pleased to present this year’s Monitoring Today Supplement, with its cover story, “New Technologies & Collaboration Key to Tackling False Alarms.”

In this story you will hear from several wholesale central stations and others about the cutting-edge technologies, industry initiatives and best practices that are helping to reshape the false alarm management landscape for the better.

In addition to this story, you will find a Q&A video with this year’s TMA Monitoring Center Manager of the Year, as well as a selection of columns from some of the top industry voices.

I hope you enjoy this supplement, and wish you a happy and healthy new year!

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KEYWORDS: fire alarm monitoring

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Karyn Hodgson is a veteran security industry journalist.. As the Editor-in-Chief of SDM, Karyn is responsible for the overall editorial direction of the magazine, its supplements, newsletters and website. She works with the SDM editorial staff to develop content that helps security dealers and systems integrators operate successful businesses. Karyn represents SDM at trade shows and conferences, and directs exclusive research such as the SDM Industry Forecast, the SDM 100 and The Top Systems Integrators Report. She also manages SDM’s Dealer of the Year and Systems Integrator of the Year Award programs. Karyn has an MSJ in Journalism (magazine publishing) degree from Northwestern University, and more than 30 years’ experience writing for and about the security industry. Contact Karyn with article ideas.