Alarm Management
Registration fees for alarm systems have been eliminated from the Ottawa Police Service False Alarm Reduction By-Law effective September 29, 2009. The registration of your alarm system is now voluntary and we do strongly encourage this to be done. The registration provides the following benefits to the police and the alarm holder:
1) gives the police an accurate database of alarm systems with the region. This allows for the prediction of alarm response requests (which take up to 10%) of our total calls for service or about 24,000 calls per year) and permits informed decisions to be made on staffing levels.
2) allows quicker handling of alarm calls by our dispatch centre. Alarm companies only need to quote a registration number which when entered into our computer system will automatically pre-fill an alarm dispatch screen.
3) provides a greater degree of officer safety and protection of your property. Alarm calls are inherently more dangerous for police due to the fact that no information is provided by the reporting individual as to the circumstances surrounding the call. This is true in the case of monitored and non-monitored systems.
The By-Law was passed by the Police Services Board on April 26, 2010. The following recommendations were approved by the Board:
1) The September 28, 2009 decision was confirmed to increase the fee for police response to a false alarm, to the actual cost of servicing the call, which in 2010 will be $130 (plus any applicable taxes) per false alarm;
2) For repeat occurrences of false alarms, the Policy and Governance Committee’s recommendation was approved to maintain the false alarm fee at the established rate with no escalating fee structure.
If you have not registered your alarm system, we encourage you to do so.
· Please complete the Alarm Registration Form
· You can also call the Alarm Management Section at 613-236-1222, ext 2531, or e-mail us at alarms@ottawapolice.ca to obtain a copy.
The Ottawa Police is committed to working together for a safer community. A properly installed and functional alarm system will enhance a residential or commercial property’s security. By reducing the numbers of unnecessary calls for service such as false alarms, it will enable police officers to focus on higher priority calls for service.
FALSE ALARM PREVENTION
Before activating your system: lock all doors and windows; keep pets, balloons, fans, heaters, plants, curtains, seasonal decorations, etc, away from motion sensor areas; know how to cancel the alarm if the system activates.
Before activating your system: lock all doors and windows; keep pets, balloons, fans, heaters, plants, curtains, seasonal decorations, etc, away from motion sensor areas; know how to cancel the alarm if the system activates.
Educate alarm system users: all users, key holders or any person with legal access to your property must be thoroughly trained in how to operate your system, including knowledge of procedures for cancelling accidental alarm activations.
Have your security company check and service your system regularly. Routine maintenance can help prevent many false alarms.
Notify your security company if you plan any remodeling, including replacing doors or windows, changing phone systems, hiring domestic help or adding a pet to the family.
Alarm owners and alarm companies must be responsible for the use and maintenance of alarm systems. Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.
Questions and Answers - False Alarms
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A false alarm is an alarm that prompts a police response to a premise where an EMERGENCY does not exist.
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All monies collected are used to offset the costs of Police response to alarms within the Ottawa Police Service Budget.
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The Ottawa Police Service received a request for dispatch from your alarm company. Our dispatch computers record the time the call was received, dispatched to the officers, the time they arrived and the time that they cleared from the premise. Your alarm company can verify a dispatch to police.
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If you return home or to your business and discover that in fact the premise was broken into you must immediately contact Ottawa Police. The call taker will create a call for service and have an officer attend to assess the situation and submit a break and enter report if required. Once the break and enter report has been taken, contact the Alarm Management Section and advise them of the report number.
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Ottawa Police will not recommend any specific alarm company. We will advise however to obtain three quotes from three different companies. Once you have met with each of the three you will have a better understanding of what each has to offer and something to compare one to another.
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You need to determine why the false alarm occurred. If it is a user error, make sure that all users are properly trained on how to operate the system. You should contact your alarm company after every false alarm whether the police attended or not. Your alarm company should be able to supply you with the detailed information about the alarm, how many zones were activated and what zones they were.
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Appeals are submitted through the Ottawa Police Service Alarm Management Section where determination is made on the facts presented. Responses to appeals are generally provided within five days of receipt. If the alarm holder is not satisfied with the decision of the Alarm Administrator, they can submit in writing why and request the decision be reviewed by the Alarm Appeal Committee which meets once a quarter.