Do You Have to Pay a Fee if Your Home Security Alarm Goes off Accidentally?

How Alarm Systems Notify Emergency Officials

• Alarm systems generally transmit a signal to the home security office. Many security companies immediately call the homeowner and request a password or code from the individual. If the question is not answered correctly or no one answers, typically the response is to summon emergency officials. In many home security systems, in the event of smoke or fire, emergency officials are dispatched and then the call is made to the homeowner. Make sure that every individual who has access to your home is equipped with a personal password or code and knows how to work the alarm system quickly and efficiently to prevent false alarms.

Security Company Charges

• Various security companies have different rules about the number of false alarms you can trigger without incurring a fine. This is an important question to ask when you are selecting a company to cover your security needs. Also inquire about the cost of the fines, because they tend to be expensive. Different companies also may cease to protect your home in the future if the accidental alarms are too frequent over a certain period.

Law Official Charges

• The policies of different towns and county regulations may assess a fine if emergency officials respond to a false alarm. These fines may be quite expensive. It is best to know the policy of your town government, so you won't be surprised by a costly fine the first time a false alarm occurs. Other detriments of an accidental alarm are that your neighbors may choose to ignore the alarm or become irritated at your negligence. It is also embarrassing to have emergency officials delegated to your home due to a false alarm.

Other Issues

• If the police department in your town receives too many false alarms from your home, they may ban you from assistance. This knowledge leaves you with a helpless feeling and may endanger the safety of you and your family in an emergency. This is often a huge detriment to home safety, since this type of threat may cause the homeowner not to set the alarm at all for fear of setting it off accidentally. Ask the local law-enforcement officials if this is the policy in your county. They can also advise you what to do to prevent accidental alarms and to ensure they never happen or happen rarely. Also, contact the home security office and ask if they have any other ways to respond to the alarm going off.