I am rapidly approaching the 40-year mark of my employment and involvement in the electronic security industry. As I look back through those decades, one issue that has always baffled me and troubled our industry is “random” (i.e., not end-user caused) false alarms. A burglar or fire alarm activates for no apparent reason, and in many cases the cause of the false trigger cannot be solved even by experienced technicians.
After a brief stay at an installation company in 1977 I started working for Aritech in Atlanta which was both a manufacturer and distributor of alarm products. This company was noted for manufacturing ultrasonic motion detectors and systems, which at the time were the only reasonably priced devices that could provide volumetric motion detection.