© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 1

Chapter 10

The Central Station

– 24 hour /7day Operation– Receive Signals– Process Signals– React to Signals– Alert Authorities

Alarms: The First Line of Defense

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 2

Monitoring Options

• Central Stations

• Certified Central Stations

• Proprietary

• Police Department

• Answering Service

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 3

The Central Station

Is a secure location dedicated to the receipt of alarm signals & swift

precise reaction to those signals.

As the term is used in the industry, a Central Station is a professional monitoring station which may or may not

meet all the requirements of a Certified Central Station.

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 4

Central Station

The primary responsibility of the Central Station to its customers is to pass along all signals to the proper authorities and/or the customer representatives.

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 5

Central Station Functions

• Reading & Interpreting Signals– Which Customer?

– What Type?

• Dispatching the Authorities– Police, Fire, Other?

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 6

Central Station Functions

• Customer Notifications

• Documentation & Record Keeping– Accurate Records– Each & Every Action

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 7

What Happens to the Signals at the Central?

Direct Link to Computer Automation System

Handled ManuallyByOperator

Ln 4 1234-5

Alarm SystemReceiving Equipment

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 8

Manual Systems

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 9

Automated or Computerized Systems

Ln 4 1234-5

Alarm SystemReceiving Equipment

Direct Link toComputer Automation

System

Ln 4 1234-5=

Jones ResidenceBurglary

Front Door

1234- Jones ResidenceBurglary Front Door

2345- ACME ValvesOpening Signal

Scroll Screen

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 10

Ln 4 1234-5=

Jones ResidenceBurglary

Front Door

1234- Jones ResidenceBurglary Front Door

2345- ACME ValvesOpening Signal

Scroll Screen

Act 1234- Jones Residence300 Main StreetAnywhere, USA800-123-45671/1/95 - 13:00Burglary Front Door

Processing Terminal

Signal Processing

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 11

General Signal Types

Process orCondition

Fire

Holdup- Emergency

Burglary

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 12

Common Signals

• AC Power Failure

• Communications Failure

• Low Battery

• Restore

• Supervisory

• Test

• Fail to Test

• Trouble

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 13

Opening & Closing Signals

• Opening– System has been disarmed– Site is now OPEN for business– Scheduled Openings

• Closing– System has been armed– Site is now Closed.

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 14

Entry/Exit Alarms

Indicates an alarm that is detected shortly after arming or before disarming the

system

– Used to reduce false dispatches.

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 15

Responses Vary

• Immediate Response– Burglary– Fire– Holdup/Panic/Emergency/Ambush/Duress– Medical

• “Autologged” Signals– Open-Close

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 16CSAA False Alarm Study

Monitored Systems Reduce Police Dispatches!

They filter

unnecessary signals

Activations = 160,925

1783Requests for Police Dispatch

=

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 17

Steps Taken By Operator Prior To Dispatching

• View Previous Activity– Avoid Multiple Dispatching

• Read Comments on file– Permanent– Temporary

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 18

Alarm Verification

• Used to reduce false alarms.– Call premise before dispatch– Audio listen-in feature through control– Check video camera over phone line

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 19

Alarm Verification ChartSignalType

VerifyBefore

Dispatch

DispatchThenVerify

DispatchImmediately,

No VerificationCommon Yours Common Yours Common Yours

Burglary (Commercial) Burglary (Residential) Fire (Commercial) Fire (Residential) Emergency Holdup Panic Medical Other Signals

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 20

Passcard, Codes, & Passwords

• A password, passcode, ID number or secret code to identify who is authorized to cancel alarms, conduct tests, & to arm & disarm the system.

• Could be a card or a customer selected a number or word code.

• Often different from the code used to turn the system on & off.

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 21

Abort or Cancel Signal

• An authorized user has cancelled the alarm.– an authorized user can enter his/her code

to disarm the system & send an abort signal.

– commonly verified by calling– all systems should be programmed to send

abort signals.

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 22

Alarm Notification• The central station operator notifies one or

more of the following:– the first person that can be reached on the

subscribers call list

– guard response

– special conditions notification (e.g. low temperature - heating contractor) Central station calls until someone is reached.

• Responsible parties should meet police officers at the alarm site.

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 23

Voice Recorders

• Nearly all Central Stations record calls that include digital or verifiable time stamps:– Check operators actions

• W/Customer• W/Police

– Can be used to correlate dispatch times

© 2001 National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association 10- 24

Alarms: The First Line of Defense

1- Introduction2- What is an Alarm System3- What is A False Dispatch4- Impact of False Dispatches5- Causes of False Dispatches6- Preventing False Dispatches7- User Controls8- Sensors

9- The Control10- The Central Station11- How Authorities Respond12- What to expect for Alarm

Co.s13- The Alarm Ordinance14- Sources of Information15- Site Survey

5 MinuteBreak

10 MinuteBreak

60 MinuteLunch

30 MinuteLunch

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