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THE LIMITATIONS OF YOUR ALARM SYSTEM
While your alarm system is reliable and sophisticated, it does not offer guaranteed protection against burglary or fire. Any alarm system, whether
commercial or residential, is subject to compromise or failure-to-warn for a variety of reasons. These include:
Intruders may gain access through unprotected openings or have the technical sophistication to bypass an alarm sensor or disconnect an alarm
warning device.
Intrusion detectors, smoke detectors, and many other detection devices will not operate without power. Devices powered by AC will not work if
their AC power supply is off for any reason and their back-up batteries are missing, dead, or improperly installed.
Alarm warning devices such as sirens, bells, and horns may not alert people or wake up sleepers if they are located on the other side of closed
or partly closed doors. If warning devices are on a different level of the residence from the bedrooms, they are less likely to waken or alert
people inside the bedrooms.
Telephone lines needed to transmit alarm signals from a premises to a central monitoring station may be out of service, and are subject to
compromise by sophisticated means of attack.
Smoke detectors used in conjunction with the alarm system may not sense fires that start where smoke cannot reach the detectors, such as in
chimneys, walls or roofs, or on the other side of closed doors. Smoke detectors also may not sense a fire on another level of the residence or
building. A second floor detector, for example, may not sense a first floor or basement fire. Finally, smoke detectors have sensing limitations.
No smoke detector can sense every kind of fire every time. In general, detectors may not always warn you about fires caused by carelessness
and safety hazards, like smoking in bed, violent explosions, escaping gas, improper storage of flammable materials, overloaded electrical
circuits, children playing with matches, arson, etc.
The most common cause of an alarm system not functioning properly when an intrusion or fire occurs is
inadequate maintenance
. Your alarm
system should be tested weekly to make sure all detection devices are operating properly. Your control panel and keypads should be tested as
well.
Installing an alarm system may make you eligible for lower insurance rates, but an alarm system is not a substitute for insurance.
Homeowners, property owners, and renters should continue to insure their lives and property.
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