Panic Alarms - When You Are Alone and Afriad
by: Owen Walcher
If an emergency situation arises, having a panic alarm near at hand can be reassuring. These alarms can be installed in homes and can signal for help from emergency services in case of a life-threatening medical crisis, an attempted robbery or other dangerous situation. There are many businesses where the staff sometimes is in vulnerable circumstances, and panic alarms can bring an added measure of security and allow for assistance to be called quickly. Regardless of whether a panic alarm is in a place of business, a residence or a public venue, they are very useful when crisis conditions call for fast response.
Panic alarms, and similar emergency communications devices, enable people to activate an alarm signal which in turn initiates a response from a monitoring service or local emergency services in the event of a crisis. Among the many choices available for such an emergency device are small hidden, or silent alarms, that send a signal to on-site security personnel or to a centrally located monitoring center, all without making the perpetrator aware of the alert. Panic alarms can also come in the form of wall-mounted boxes with fixed signal activation buttons, such as might be seen in airports or other public locations where there are security concerns. They can also be portable alarms conveniently carried in a pocket or purse triggered by the individual pushing the alarm button.
While panic alarms are convenient to have in case of emergency and can be comforting to individuals in situations of being alone or in possible dangerous situations, there are some important guidelines to keep in mind. First, it should be understood that it can take several minutes before the police are notified of your emergency situation because of the way the alarms are routed. Most panic alarms are monitored by a private monitoring agency associated with the service contract for the alarm. These monitoring services will attempt to verify that there is not a false alarm situation and that there is a genuine crisis condition before contacting the local police or other emergency services.
Responding to false panic alarms is a great drain on public services and in most jurisdictions you will receive a fine from the city or county if a false alarm results in the police responding and making a trip to the site, either or your home or business location. Because of this disruption to police service it can be said that any false alarm is one too many but they sometimes do occur even with the most conscientious user. Even so, false alarms can be easily avoided by keeping your alarm system maintained properly and by operating it carefully and with proper instruction of all family members. You should also know how to quickly cancel false alarms as this is one of the easiest ways to avoid any false alarm fees.
When you are considering installing panic alarms, either for your home or office or one of the portable alarms you can carry with you, you will want to be sure that the company that does the installation and the monitoring is reliable and their instruction are straightforward and user-friendly. It is also important that they make the effort to clearly explain what your responsibilities are as the owner of the panic alarm and that you understand your relationship to the alarm company and to the police in regard to how real alarms and false alarms are handled.
Owen Walcher is an Intrepreneur writing articles on subjects such as Panic Alarms.
|
Home Alarm Home
Compare
Monitored
Alarm Systems
Home Security Resources
Home Security Articles
Wireless Driveway Alarms
home security wireless systems
Monitored Alarm Systems
camera system home security
|