July 29, 2011
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The email article on this topic was circulated on July 14, 2011. Here are a few comments. Remote access and subscriber self monitoring and remote access has been added to the All In One, the Monitoring Contract, and as a separate contract in the Subscriber Enabled Monitoring Service Contract (this latter one to be used when there is no central station monitoring)
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Ken,
In regards to Tony's comments you can set up some features with the Central Station to avoid some of the issues that he mentions.
Set up a fail to arm feature so the Central Station Dispatchers will call those on the call list if the panel does not arm by say 11:05 PM if the panel is supposed to arm at 11:00 PM. (This feature is on almost all the panels now along with features such as early open or late open or failure to open)
Have the Dispatchers call you or the owner if there is an extended AC failure that could drain your batteries down to the point of loosing the clock. You could then remote connect to your panel and check the status of the points and the time and reset them if need be. This of course could cost the customer extra money which most likely they will not want to pay but at least you can offer some options to them.
I hope this and the additions to the contracts at least gives you some additional options although it may not solve your problem.
Larry G. Love
American Security & Fire, Inc.
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To the here you are with auto arm people and the here you are Mr. Customer with an alarm system with all the features activated including a smoke alarm CROWED wake up all of you extra big RMR money for each and every feature means no features or options supplied or installed . Smart and financially successful alarm companies have learned all long time ago that higher risk must be accompanied by higher RMR monthly charges and hence higher revenue in their pocket. You can spot these successful alarm owner types because you can see them driving Mercedes, have lots of staff and service personnel to do the work, live in big paid for homes and are away vacationing a good portion of the year.
You to will live better and be more financially successful if you gear yourself up to performing any type of work that you do in a manner that results in the MINIMUM liability and exposure to you and maximizes your income.
DOING LESS IS BETTER no stories and ..no exceptions!
Mr. Doing it Right
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We have offered auto arming for years , not worried as the customer knows that they are accountable for arming systems & we log that they are doing it. More of an accountability issue . Back up rather than . Problem solver .
I never gave a second thought as we disclaim that it is only for back up.
PPP
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Hi Ken,
First, thanks again for what your doing for the alarm industry. It's very much appreciated!
I want to address some questions (brought up by Tony Barlow), to Tony Barlow, regarding the auto arm feature.
I have 5 schools that have been using the auto arm and disarm feature for over 10 years now and I can't remember when they had a problem with it!
First, you stated it places a liability on you. Not true. Why would it place liability on you when you only installed the system, and the customer is using one of the features, which happens to be auto arming? They have chosen to operate it in that manner, not you.
Second, if an open zone is auto-bypassed, you should have done your job protecting his facility properly by having enough sensors around that if one or two zones were bypassed that shouldn't matter. They still would have enough protection.
And third, if the power goes out, central station should have called the proper maintenance people and you should have gotten an e-mail so you could call them to check it out. The time should not be lost if you had a big enough backup battery installed. Usually the power has to be out for about 10 to 15 hours before the battery starts going low if the system was designed properly with the correct battery calcs. (which nobody usually does) I have seen jobs that I have taken over from the "big three", using multiple keypads, multiple motions, glassbreaks, long wire runs and other power "hungry" devices, with a 4ah battery! What a joke! Do you think they did the calcs or really care? That's why I always use at least an 8ah battery, so we don't have that problem.
So, Tony, if you have the proper battery and have installed the proper devices in the proper areas, I don't think you should have to worry about anything. I don't!
Greg Cholka
Walworth County Security Alarms
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There is no contract in the world that can address all system features and limitations. It would be called "library". Yes, many books to describe current systems on the market with more books on the way for new systems. Large collection of installation manuals, programming manuals, user manuals. Let's try to put our common knowledge to use and think of descriptive name that the courts would accept - something like "programmable features", "built-in features", etc. to insert into contract to limit our liability. It has to be very easy to understand, but short enough to fit on the contract page. Just about any person understands what "alarm" or "burglar alarm" means and what does it do. Let's think of similar name for the features and limitations. Any creative suggestions anyone?
BTW, do alarm contracts have to be "technical"? Do they have to go into details about the system? Probably not. Contract should say that the user is liable and responsible for proper operation and it is the user's responsibility to call service company if there is problem with the system. That should take any liability away from alarm company, and the user can not sue anyone or claim that the system did not work. The user is required to "test system weekly" - as per manufacturer's instructions.
Dusan
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Regarding the auto arm feature, I would suggest that the alarm company set up the account with open/closing reports being emailed directly through the central station to the customer with the faults or bypasses showing in the report on a daily basis. He can request the central station either send it at a specific time like 7am, on each activation (arming, disarming), etc. That way the customer is fully informed of the problem when it occurs.
Yours for better security,
Steve Sopkin, President
Mijac Alarm