The term "alarm pre-test" can mean different things. On the one hand, it can be the checking of a Alarm system for their functionality. On the other hand, a preliminary check can be carried out each time an alarm is triggered. This verification procedure follows an alarm plan. The verification is intended to rule out false alarms. Checking the situation saves costs for pointless deployments.
In more than 90 % of cases, smoke alarms or alarm systems go off for no recognisable reason. Each time, employees or the Security service be checked to see whether an emergency actually exists. If this is not done, genuine emergencies could be overlooked. Simply assuming that it is a false alarm is not enough. The security company commissioned with the monitoring must carry out a preliminary check to ensure that there is no false alarm. Instead of immediately alerting the police, the alarm plan is worked through. Once it has been established that it is an emergency, further measures are initiated.
It is well known that alarm systems and smoke detectors often malfunction. Alarm plans have therefore been developed. They describe how to proceed in the event of an alarm. Checking the situation immediately prevents police or fire engines from rushing to the scene of the alarm in vain. A false alarm that is not recognised as such in good time incurs high costs. In the worst case, it can mean that a flat is robbed elsewhere because no one rushes to help. Many federal states have now made it compulsory to check every alarm.
In the event of an alarm, the contracted security company follows the company-related Alarm plan. This specifies exactly how to proceed. The sequence of individual steps must be adhered to. Actionism is out of place. Instead, level-headed action makes sense. Thanks to such plans, the contracted security service or the security control centre know what procedure has been drawn up for the company concerned. As soon as an alarm is triggered, the verification process begins. Alarm verification determines whether the situation is actually dangerous. If this is the case, the police and fire brigade must intervene. If it is a false alarm, the verification is terminated. The incident is logged.
There are two ways to check whether it is a false or a real alarm. The first is to check directly on site. In this case, the security service drives past the company to switch off the alarm system. The reason for the alarm being triggered is communicated by an on-site inspection. If attempted break-ins or other dangerous situations are detected, the alarm is considered verified. Further measures can be initiated. However, long journeys are problematic for on-site verification.
Another option is real-time remote monitoring. In this case, a direct connection is automatically established with an emergency call and service control centre. Video surveillance and an audio connection enable those present at the control centre to record the situation on site. The situation can be assessed relatively accurately using technical aids. It may then be possible to refrain from further inspection. If dead camera angles are known or a surveillance camera appears to be defective, on-site inspections are necessary. Further measures may then be necessary. The alarm plans contain all telephone numbers of persons to be notified. All incidents and measures are carefully recorded in the security logbook.
Frequent malfunctions in alarm systems are a reason to replace them. However, this can also be due to negligence on the part of personnel, operating errors or installation faults. Even climatic conditions, cigarette smoke or vibrations on the ground can sometimes trigger false alarms. Such malfunctions should be ruled out wherever possible. Nowadays, it is possible to arm an alarm system only when it is fully functional. Modern alarm systems can also be made more secure by means of software monitoring. Nevertheless, programme errors are also possible here. They may require a separate alarm pre-test.
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