FALSE ALARM REDUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

Currently, in the security industry, a number of verification methods have been in use form some time, including: Listen in (Two Way Audio Communication) Verification, Digital Video (Surveillance) Verification, and Digital Verification (ANSI SIA CP-01 zone input processing).

Two Way Audio Communication Verification: After a security alarm system has triggered and sent an alarm condition, the central station would receive the report and switch to an audio connection between themselves and the site location in question. A trained operator at the central station would listen to the site and may even ask for a false alarm abort code to determine if the alarm is real or not. There is no guarantee that the operator will be able to tell if it is a false alarm or an intelligent quiet burglar. Only if it is a user generated false alarm and an abort code is confirmed will this technology be reliable in reducing that one specific type of false alarm. This technology is reactive and is not a proactive approach to reducing false alarms as the alarm has already been sent. This is a costly verification solution.

Digital Video Verification: After a security alarm system has triggered and sent an alarm condition, the central station would receive the report and switch to a video connection between themselves and the site location in question. A trained operator at the central station would view a live camera feed or still pictures, and then need to make a decision based on their best judgment on whether it is a false alarm or a real break-in. There is no guarantee that the operator can reliably make this decision. It is a reactive technological approach towards solving the false alarm problem as the alarm has already been sent. This is also a costly verification solution.

Digital Verification: This is a proactive technique to reducing false alarms. No human interpretation is required. Before an alarm signal can be sent, alarm control panel zone inputs are processed with more intelligence (cross zone, in accordance with ANSI SIA CP-01 standards) so that a false alarm is never sent to the central station in the first place. The eFAR100 with DVC technology (advanced cross zone, double/triple knock, loop watch, lightning block) uses this digital verification method to achieve false alarm reduction, which is more reliable and less costly a solution then either video or audio. Some newer alarm control panel equipment incorporates this method as the preferred false alarm management solution. The eFAR100 can extend the life of older installed alarm control panel equipment at a cheaper cost with the same reliability as upgrading to new the newer equipment. Adding an eFAR100 requires no jumpers or programming.

Technology Comparisons

Understanding DVC Technology

Study Cases

eFAR History