Fire alarm monitoring means that when your fire alarm goes into alarm it will automatically call the fire department without any further action from you. The best thing about a monitored fire alarm system is that it will expedite the response time by the fire department and will also give you peace of mind that your building and property are protected when you are not there.

     Fire alarms do not actually call the fire department. The way it works is the fire alarm calls a central station monitoring center and talks to a receiver (a computer that understands fire alarm language).  The receiver is connected to a computer system that pops up a message on a computer screen with a live person or operator sitting in front of it. The message will contain a detailed set of instruction for the operator. All the operator does is follow instructions on the screen. For example the message will read something like “Alarm received at:  ABC location and address, Alarm=Smoke detector second floor., Call ABC fire department at 555-555-5555. Then call building owner John Doe at 555-555-5555.

Despite what you might see on television, all central station monitoring centers are required to meet a certain set of laws and rules governing monitoring of life safety equipment.

The main and most significant difference in central station monitoring centers is the price they charge you, the customer per month.

Be careful when selecting a company for monitoring, ask these questions first.

• How much does the service cost per month?
• Is there an additional charge to change my monitoring to your company, and if so how much? *If you have an existing system.
• Can I subscribe month to month, or do I have to sign a long term contract?
• What happens if I relocate my business, do I have to continue paying for service at a location I no longer occupy?
• Can I get discounts on multiple locations if I expand? *Or if you already occupy multiple locations.
• What kind of discounts can I get on my insurance if my system is monitored?
• How long would it take for you to get my service up and online if I choose to subscribe to your service?
• If I send you these questions via e-mail, or fax will you send me these answers in writing so I can go over them with my business partners and associates?

     If you can get your answers in writing you will have the upper hand when you receive a contract that does not match what you were told in the beginning. A sad truth about a lot of companies that offer monitoring service is that the representative who would be selling you your monitoring service in many cases doesn’t know the first thing about fire alarm systems or how they work.  These salespeople are trained to go over talking points to boast how superior their monitoring is to any other company. Their main objective however is to nail down that sale. To make matters worse they are trained to go for the long term contract (three to five years in most cases) and tack on as many upsells (addition equipment, or unnecessary equipment) as possible.

     If you ask the questions above there is a very good chance that the sales representative you are speaking to will wind up bumbling because you will throw off their talking points and possibly expose their lack of knowledge.

   You have successfully made a good first step by educating yourself.

 Finally if you would like a good honest quote in writing for monitoring of your fire alarm system, give us a call.  We would do everything in our power to earn your business.

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