Crime Definitions
Burglary. The unlawful
entry of any building, structure, vehicle or vessel, with or
without force, with the intent to commit a felony or larceny.
Robbery. The unlawful
taking or attempted taking of property that is in the immediate
possession of another by force or threat of force.
Arson. The intentional
damaging or destruction or attempted damaging or destruction of
property by means of fire or explosion without the consent of
the owner, or of one's own property or that of another by fire
or explosion with or without the intent to defraud.
Larceny-Theft.
The unlawful taking or attempted taking of property other than a
motor vehicle from the possession of another, by stealth,
without force and without deceit, with intent to permanently
deprive the owner of the property.
Alarm System Categories
Alarm System. A detection
signaling system that is considered to be the combination of
interrelated signal initiating devices, signal indicating
devices, control equipment, and interconnecting wiring installed
for a particular application.
Monitored Alarm System.
An alarm system which reports detected conditions to a
monitoring facility. Monitoring facilities are usually
located off-site from the protected premises. When a
monitoring facility is located within the building or complex
that includes the protected premises, the alarm system is called
a Proprietary
system.
Protected Premises. The
physical site at which an alarm system is installed and
operational.
Monitoring Facilities and
Alarm Service Companies
Monitoring Facility.
Any organization or agency that watches over alarm receiving
equipment and follows up with appropriate actions when alarm and
other signals are received.
Central Station. Another
generic name for a monitoring facility. However this term, as
broadly and traditionally used in the alarm and insurance
industry, refers to a monitoring facility that is physically
remote from the building or building complex in which the alarm
system it monitors is located.
Monitoring Facility Structure.
The physical structure of the monitoring facility includes the
room and associated areas in which the monitoring equipment and
monitoring operations personnel are located, and general
offices and other support facilities.
Monitoring Operations Room.
The physical room or rooms that house alarm monitoring
equipment, monitoring operations personnel, directly-related
equipment and personnel support rooms. This is often referred
to as "the central station."
Satellite Station. A
structure, remote from the primary monitoring facility, housing
equipment used to gather signals to be forwarded to the primary
monitoring facility for processing and response.
Backup Monitoring Facility.
A support monitoring facility in addition to the primary
monitoring facility, which can take over monitoring operations
in the event the primary monitoring facility is disabled. A
backup monitoring facility may double as a satellite station,
and may be staffed and regularly used as a monitoring facility
during certain periods.
Types of Alarm
Systems.
Alarm systems are divided into
several broad categories, as listed below. The terms used to
identify each type may vary, depending on who is using the
term; however, the system descriptions that follow describe the
meaning of the terms used.
Burglar Alarm. An alarm
system that, while armed, is designed to detect and report (1)
the presence of one or more unauthorized persons on the
protected premises, or (2) an illegal attempt made to enter or
to move within the protected premises at one or more points
equipped with a sensor.
Business Burglar Alarm,
Audible. A system in a business, institution, or
government facility with one or more exterior or interior
sounding devices.
Business Burglar Alarm, Silent.
A system in a business, institution, or government facility
that has no sounding devices. A distinctive signaling device
intended to provide an early warning signal to the system
operator is not considered a sounding device for the purpose of
this definition, and the presence of one or more of these
signaling devices does not make the system an audible alarm
system.
Residential Burglar Alarm,
Audible. An audible system in a house, apartment,
condominium or other dwelling with an interior or exterior
sounding device.
Residential Burglar Alarm,
Silent. A system in a house, apartment, condominium or
other dwelling without any sounding de-vices. A
distinctive signaling device intended to provide an early
warning signal to the system operator is not considered a sounding device for
purposes of this definition, and the presence of one or more of
these signaling devices does not make the system an audible
alarm system.
Fire Alarm.
A system that detects and reports a fire in the protected premises, detects
and reports water flowing in a sprinkler system, or detects and
reports dangerous conditions such as smoke or overheated
materials that may combust spontaneously.
Household Fire Alarm.
A fire alarm system that protects a household, as opposed to any
other type of occupancy.
Hold-Up Alarm. A system
that reports the presence of one or more criminals attempting to
take goods or funds with implied or actual threat of force.
Duress Alarm. A system
that reports the presence of one or more persons trying to force
an individual to enter, or re-enter, a facility against the
individual's will.
Note: Although the triggering
devices for hold-up, duress, and panic alarms are often the same
or similar, police response may differ. A duress alarm,
for example, may be designed to detect and silently report an
employee being forced back into a protected facility to provide
access to a safe, vault, drug storage area, or area containing
confidential records. The intent is generally not to make the
criminal aware that a call for help is being triggered to the
monitoring facility. In a residential environment, a duress
alarm could signal an abduction or rape attempt.
Panic Alarm.
A system that reports a more general type of perceived emergency, including
the presence of one or more unruly or inebriated individuals,
unwanted persons trying to gain entry, ob-served intruders in a
private yard or garden area, or a medical emergency. Provides
police with little specific information, but is often the only
way a user can call for assistance under abnormal conditions.
Medical Emergency (Service)
Alarm. A system that reports a medical problem for response
by relatives, friends, neighbors, or by a community's EMS
personnel, paramedics, or ambulance, depending on arrangements
made with the monitoring facility.
Heating, Ventilation, Air
Conditioning (HVAC) Alarm. A system that reports heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning system problems, rather than
life-threatening emergencies. Public emergency response or
dispatch personnel are not normally contacted when these alarm
systems detect a problem; protected property maintenance
personnel tend to be notified by the monitoring facility.
Industrial Process Alarm.
A system that provides supervision for a wide variety of
commercial and industrial processes, including sump-pump
operations, water levels, pressures and temperatures, chemical
processes, and special furnace operations, to name but a few.
Normally, user employees or sub-contractors are notified when
these systems report problems.
Line Security Alarm. A
system that monitors the integrity of the communication link
between the alarm system and the monitoring facility, or between
the alarm system and the serving telephone company's nearest
switching center.
Certificated UL Line Security.
A line security alarm that is listed by UL. These systems were
formerly referred to as grade "AA", "BB" and "CC" systems in
early UL standards documents. See Line Security Alarm.
AA Alarm System. See
Certificated UL Line Security.
Event Types
Alarm.
An electronic signal, transmitted to the monitoring facility.
Indicates that an emergency requiring follow-up has been detected. When an
alarm system is not monitored, the alarm condition activates
one or more sounding or visual indicating devices.
Event. One or more related
alarm or trouble signals.
Dispatchable Event. An
unexpected alarm that triggers an event. An alarm does not
become a dispatchable event until the monitoring facility has
followed its established procedures such as verification or
other confirmation that the alarm requires further action.
Subsequent signals from the same type of alarm system are part
of the original dispatchable event until the event is resolved
and the system has been reset. When an alarm is determined to
be a dispatchable event, a request for response is made to
the appropriate response agency or agencies.
False Alarm. An alarm
event indicating the presence of an emergency condition when
none exists. Please visit our False
Alarm Information page for more information.
Single Sensor Alarm. A
sensor detects the emergency condition and causes an alarm to be
transmitted to the monitoring facility or to be indicated
audibly or visually. Some sensors use single switches to
trigger the alarm; other sensors require that two switches
activate before the alarm is triggered. Some sensors use two or
more detection technologies and require that two or more
technologies sense the emergency condition before the alarm is
triggered. All of these are single sensors.
Multiple Sensor Alarm.
An alarm generated when at least two separate sensors detect the
condition before the alarm is triggered. In some instances,
redundant sensors in different system zones must trip before the
alarm is triggered. However, activation of one sensor may
trigger a trouble or pre-alarm signal.
Example:
Smoke detectors that are cross-zone-wired so that two
or more zones must detect the smoke before an alarm condition is
created.
Sequential Alarm. When
two or more sensors sequentially detect a condition and each
triggers an alarm. When this happens, there is a high
probability that a real emergency exists.
Test. The act of
activating one or more sensors, devices, controls, communicating
devices, or other components of an alarm system in an effort to
confirm proper operation of the equipment.
Transmission Test.
Verification of the ability of a system control to send signals
to the monitoring facility which it is intended to notify.
Scheduled Test.
Activation of one or more sensors (flow switches, motion
detectors, door switches, alarm buttons, etc.), controls and
communicators, according to a formal arrangement between the
user and the testing organization (monitoring facility, serving
alarm company, or organization that specializes in system
testing), or according to some published requirement of NFPA,
AHJ, FMRC, or UL.
Comprehensive Test. A test
of a system that includes (1) an inspection of the installation,
(2) tests to verify that all devices, including sensors,
controls, communication equipment, and associated devices
function properly, (3) one or more signal transmissions to the
monitoring facility, if the system is designed to send such
signals, (4) confirmation that the system can operate under
designed-for fault conditions, and (5) that the batteries are
charged and capable of holding their charge.
Inspection. A visual
survey of the appearance of an alarm installation intended to
discover any obvious problems. Typically these might be
alarm system wires that have been covered up during building
construction or remodeling, loose doors or windows that may
cause false alarms during storms, sprinkler risers and controls
that may be blocked by merchandise making fire department access
difficult or impossible during emergencies, etc. An inspection
may include actual tests of alarm system sensors, controls, or
transmitters.
Trouble. A non-emergency
condition indicating that the alarm system is inoperative or
functioning at less than optimum capability. Trouble
conditions may include sensors that have become less sensitive
or more susceptible to causing false alarms, or batteries that
have deteriorated or are inoperative.
Reset. A
return to normal operation for an alarm system that has been in
a trouble condition, out of service, or in an alarm condition.
When a system has been "reset" it is back in full operation and
subsequent signals received from the system will be treated normally.
A reset is more than merely the restoration-to-normal of a
sensor, or an abort message or call from the user. With a reset
event, the system is back in full and normal operation.
Restore. A system, zone,
or sensor that is returned to normal status. This does not
necessarily mean that the alarm system is considered to be back
to full operating status by the monitoring facility. However,
the term tends to be used interchangeably with Reset, and there
is no formal or generally-accepted distinction between them.
Restore-to-Normal. See
Restore.
Abort. A telephoned voice
call or an electronically transmitted message, with appropriate
safeguards as to authenticity, that indicates a
just-transmitted alarm event is not to be reacted to as an
emergency. An abort is also a procedure to prevent an alarm
signal from being sent to the monitoring facility.
Alarm Abort. See Abort.
Cancellation. An action,
or series of actions, taken by an appropriately authorized
system operator in order (1) to prevent the monitoring facility
from sending an RFR to the PSAP, or (2) to ask the monitoring
facility to cancel PSAP follow-up if the RFR has already been
sent to the PSAP.
Alarm Cancellation. See
Cancellation.
Arm, Set, Turn On. A
procedure followed by a system user or the monitoring facility
to turn on an alarm system so the system is able to detect the
conditions it is designed to protect against. A system may be
partially armed even before the arming sequence is followed.
For example, permanently wired and connected sensors, and glass
break detectors, may report the conditions they are de-signed to
detect even while the rest of the system is disarmed.
Arm, Home.
Arming a residential burglar alarm system while remaining at home. In
this condition, interior protection is removed from being active
to permit those who are inside to have free movement within the
protected premises without causing an alarm.
Arm, Occupied.
Same as Arm, Home status, but for non-residential premises.
Permits persons to remain within the protected premises while perimeter
security remains active.
Arm, Away. The condition
of a burglar alarm system in an armed state when no one remains
on site within the protected premises. In this condition, all
interior and perimeter sensors are active.
Disarm, Turn Off. A
procedure followed by a system user to turn off an alarm system
so that no alarm signals will be transmitted to the monitoring
facility, nor will any audible or visual signal be generated at
the alarm system location. If a system is disarmed within
a pre-determined time period after a sensor has been triggered
(typically referred to as a delay period), it may be possible to
abort the alarm and prevent it from being transmitted to the
monitoring facility.
Associated System Down.
The equipment or system to which the alarm installation is
attached is shut down, is inoperative, or is disconnected.
Example: A sprinkler system that has been shut off by a
sprinkler contractor for repairs or sprinkler system
modifications, or an industrial operation that has been shut
down.
The alarm system itself is not shut down and continues to
perform its functions during the shut-down.
Associated System Up. The
reverse of the Associated System Down indication. The equipment
or system to which the alarm installation is attached has
returned to normal operation, and the alarm system is once again
serving its intended function.
Late-to-Set, Fail-to-Set,
Late-to-Close. The alarm system has not been armed by the
agreed-on time deadline. Follow-up action by the monitoring
facility may be appropriate. Late-to-Set and Fail-to-Set are
generally synonymous terms. Late-to-Set, Fail-to-Set and
Late-to-Close are access control and recording system functions.
Early Opening. The burglar
alarm system has been disarmed earlier than the established
opening time for that alarm system. Early opening is an access
control and recording function.
Late Opening. The alarm
system has not been disarmed, and there is a time deadline
beyond which the user wants to be sure that the premises are
occupied. Late opening is an access control and recording
system function.
Permanent Schedule. A set
of time periods during which the alarm system is scheduled to be
armed or disarmed. Permanent schedules are access control and
recording system functions.
Temporary Schedule.
Temporary changes in times during which the alarm system is
supposed to be armed or disarmed. Temporary schedules are
access control and recording system functions.
Notification Response by
Monitoring Facility
Request
For Response (RFR). A communication from the monitoring
facility to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) or Public
Fire Service Communication Center (PFSCC) in which the
monitoring facility requests that appropriate emergency
personnel be dispatched in response to an alarm. An RFR is more
than merely a retransmission of the received alarm signal at the
monitoring facility. RFRs may be made verbally or
digitally via computer-to-computer, or computer-to-printer data
transmission. An RFR may also be made to a private response
organization.
Alarm Retransmission. See
request For Response (RFR).
Fire Alarm Retransmission.
See Request For Response (RFR).
Notification of Authorities.
See Request For Response (RFR).
Communication
Method between Monitoring Facility and PSAP
Verbal Notification. A
telephone or radio call to the PSAP, to provide RFR information
about a detected emergency, the type of emergency, name of the
alarm user, address, and other relevant information that the
monitoring facility can provide or the PSAP may request.
Data Transmission Notification.
Computer-to-computer or computer-to-printer transmission of an
RFR between a monitoring facility and a terminal at the PSAP.
The receiving terminal may be connected into a PSAP's computer
aided dispatch system.
Communication
Medium between Monitoring Facility and PSAP.
Dial-Up Network. The
public dial-up telephone network used to establish a temporary
link between the monitoring facility and the PSAP. Serves voice
and data communication needs.
Switched Network. See Dial-Up Network.
Public Switched Network.
See Dial-up Network.
Dedicated Circuit. A
direct and permanent link, which does not depend on the public
switched network, between the monitoring facility and the PSAP.
Ring-Down Circuit. See
Dedicated Circuit.
Private Telephone Line.
See Unlisted Telephone Number.
Unlisted Telephone Number.
A non-published dial-up network telephone number used for a
specific purpose.
Tie Line. See Dedicated
Circuit.
Dedicated Tie Line. See
Dedicated Circuit.
Packet Switched Network. A
data transmission network, shared by many users, in which
multiple data transmissions can be sent concurrently. The
communication paths are supervised and man-aged by the
service-providing telephone company and are generally equipped
to provide alternate paths automatically and quickly without
interruption of service.
Radio Transmission.
A voice or data communication path between the monitoring
facility and a PSAP using an FCC-licensed radio frequency.
Verified
Alarm. An alarm that has been confirmed by monitoring
facility contact with the protected premises or an authorized
user agent, an alarm from sequentially detected and reported
events, a multiple-sensor detected event, or an alarm reported
by a system user.
Confirmed Alarm. See
Verified Alarm.
Alarm Verification.
Generic name given to many techniques used to confirm or deny
the validity of alarm signals received at the monitoring
facility.
Audio Alarm Verification.
The transfer of sounds from the protected premises to the
monitoring facility as a result of activation of one or more
non-audio sensors, to confirm or deny the validity of the alarm
signal. The audio link may be one-way or two-way.
Visual Alarm Verification.
The transfer to the monitoring facility of visual conditions
existing at the protected premises as a result of activation of
one or more non-video sensors, to confirm or deny the validity
of the alarm signal.
Video Alarm Verification.
See Visual Alarm Verification.
Stored Audio. Limited
duration recording of audible sounds at the protected premises
at the time when an alarm signal is generated. Generally, such
recorded audio data can be retrieved immediately after the alarm
signal reaches the monitoring facility while the communication
link between the protected premises and the monitoring facility
remains in place. Stored audio allows the monitoring facility
to recall the sounds occurring at about the time the alarm was
activated, and shortly thereafter.
Stored Video. Limited duration video recording of conditions at
the protected premises at the time when an alarm signal is
generated. Generally, such recorded data can be retrieved
immediately after the alarm signal reaches the monitoring
facility while the communication link between the protected
premises and the monitoring facility remains in place. Stored
video allows the monitoring facility to view events occurring at
about the time the alarm was activated, and shortly thereafter.
Follow-up Notification. Monitoring facility provides
information to the PSAP, after an initial RFR, about (1)
additional sensors at the protected premises reporting emergency
conditions, (2) when a key holder is expected to arrive, (3)
cancellation of an RFR, (4) the arrival of an alarm investigator
or guard company representative, or (5) the confirmed alarm
emergency reported by an alarm investigator or guard company
representative from the user's premises.
Follow-Up Call. See
Follow-Up Notification.
Cancellation of RFR. A
communication in which the monitoring facility notifies the PSAP
that a previously-reported emergency no longer exists.
Alarm RFR Cancellation.
Cancellation of RFR.
Update. See Follow-up
Notification.
User
Representative Notification. Notification provided to
authorized user agents upon receipt of, or failure to receive,
certain signals, whether or not one or more PSAPs have been
notified.
Call List.
List of user-authorized agents and their telephone numbers, in the
order in which the monitoring facility is to follow in
attempting to reach someone for notification purposes. Unless
otherwise instructed, the notification process stops when one
per-son has been notified.
Emergency Notification List.
See Call List.
Key Holder Notification List.
See Call List.
Other
Notifications. Notification provided by the monitoring
facility to guard services, serving alarm companies, AHJs, and
non-alarm equipment service vendors.
Physical Response to
Alarm Site.
Physical response to receipt of a
signal from a protected premises is initiated by the monitoring
facility when it causes someone to travel to the alarm site.
Such a person may be an employee of the monitoring facility, a
contract guard or maintenance service organization, or a
representative of the alarm user. If appropriate, the
monitoring facility may also request response from police, fire,
or EMS personnel.
Emergency Response Personnel.
Employees of public agencies or private organizations which
train their employees to respond to alarms. These include
police, fire, EMS, and ambulance personnel, private security
agency employees, and alarm company or monitoring facility alarm
investigators.
Emergency Response Support
Personnel. Persons who provide support or assistance to the
first person to arrive at the location from which an alarm
signal has been received. Such personnel are employees of
public agencies or private organizations which train their
employees to respond to alarms. These include police,
fire, EMS, and ambulance personnel, private security agency
employees, and
alarm company or monitoring facility alarm investigators.
Response Statistics.
Statistical records of alarms received by monitoring facilities,
times of various follow-up actions, and reported causes.
Agent Response,
Public. Follow-up to an RFR to a dispatchable event by
one or more persons trained to investigate alarm events.
Police Department.
Municipal police, sheriff's department, or other law enforcement
personnel who respond to an RFR.
Fire Department. Fire
department personnel who respond to an RFR.
Emergency Medical Services
(EMS). Emergency medical serv-ice personnel who respond to
an RFR.
Ambulance. See Emergency
Medical Services.
ASY. See Alarms per System
per Year.
Alarms per System per Year.
ASY represents an average for the number of times per year that
public emergency response agencies are requested to respond to
received alarms on a "per alarm system" basis. An ASY of 1.0
means that a numerically known group of alarm systems generated
one alarm (RFR) per system during the year. The ASY figure is a
far more meaningful number or index of the performance of alarm
systems in the community, state, or country, than is a "false
alarm percentage" number. The ASY includes only alarm signals
that were passed on to the PSAP as RFRs. It does not include
alarms received by monitoring facilities that were not relayed
to the PSAP.
False Alarm Percentage. A
number that represents false alarms as a percentage of all RFRs
received by a PSAP. This number takes into consideration only
the systems that have careless users or system problems. It
totally ignores the thousands of alarm systems that never
generate a false alarm. A far more significant index of alarm
performance is the ASY.
Agent Response,
Private. Response by non-public agency personnel to
alarm, restore, and trouble signals.
Private Guard Service. A
non-public business organization pro-viding trained, armed or
unarmed response personnel in uniform. A monitoring facility or
a serving alarm company may provide such personnel.
Guard Service. See Private
Guard Service.
Alarm Investigator Service.
A response service provided by a representative of the
monitoring facility or the serving alarm company. Such
representative does not always act as an emergency response
person to apprehend criminals, to fight fires, or to pro-vide
medical services, but acts as a representative of the user.
Also offers assistance and follow-up help to emergency service
providers.
Alarm Investigator. A
person trained to provide runner or alarm investigation
services. See Alarm Investigator Service.
Alarm Agent Service.
Another term widely used to describe alarm investigator, runner,
and private guard services.
Alarm Agent. A person
trained to provide alarm agent response. See Alarm Agent
Service.
Guard. A person trained,
and appropriately licensed if necessary, to provide guard
service.
Runner Service. See Alarm
Investigator Service.
Alarm
Response Records.
Alarm
monitoring facility records of alarm response activity, as
appropriate, including, but not necessarily limited to, the
following to the extent that alarm response services are provided by employees of the monitoring
facility:
(1) Date and time of the original
alarm signal
(2) Date and time the public
response agency was notified
(3) Date and time the alarm agent
was dispatched
(4) Date and time the alarm agent
arrived at the alarmed premises
(5) Date and time the alarm agent
departed the scene after the agent's report was completed
(6) Report of event disposition
reported by the public response agency
(7) All details included in the
alarm agent's report.
Users of Alarm Systems
Owner. See User.
User. The person
responsible for the correct operation of the alarm system (the
boss, the buyer). Not necessarily the person who actually
operates the alarm system.
System Operator. A person
who operates an alarm system. Such person is assumed to have
been taught how to arm, or how to arm and disarm the system, and
how to prevent alarm signals from being transmitted to the
monitoring facility unnecessarily or by mistake. A system
operator may, or may not, be an authorized user agent.
Authorized User Agent. A
person who is authorized by the user to cancel alarm signals and
to ask the monitoring facility to try to cancel follow-up
activities by a PSAP if it has already been notified of the
alarm. Also a representative of a user who is to be notified of
alarm or trouble conditions instead of, or in addition to, the
PSAP.
Identification of Alarm System Users.
Means used to reliably identify
users or alarm systems to monitoring facilities.
Pass Word. See Pass Code.
Pass Card. Issued to
users, system operators, and authorized user agents. The card
generally lists a pass word or number.
Pass Code. A word or
number, issued at the user's request, to identify the user, a
system operator, and an authorized user agent to the monitoring
facility. The code may be used as part of the arming or
disarming procedure.
Biometric Identification.
A method using a person's physical or chemical attributes for
identification to the alarm system or the monitoring facility.
Key Holder.
A user, system operator, or authorized user agent who has a key
or some other means to access the protected premises in the
event that an alarm is received by the monitoring facility, and
someone needs to provide police, fire, or EMS personnel access to the
protected premises, or to reset the system.
System Number (alarm
system ID).
A number or code that uniquely
identifies an alarm system to the monitoring facility. One
address or location may contain several separate alarm systems,
but each system has its own system number. Also, one control
panel may represent two or more systems.
Instructions and
Training.
Information provided regarding
the correct use of the system, including false alarm prevention
and awareness.
System Manual (owner's
manual). Provides instructions on how a system is to be
armed, disarmed, lists special features, and how to prevent
false alarms. Tells how to obtain additional information and
training for new system operators.
System Operator Instructions.
An abbreviated version of the system manual that tells system
operators how to arm and disarm the system, how to prevent false
alarms, and what they can do if they cause a false alarm.
User Training. Service
offered by the monitoring facility or the serving alarm
company. Trains authorized personnel in the correct use of the
system, including ways to prevent false alarms, and alarm abort
and cancellation procedures.
Control Equipment at
Protected Location.
Equipment and
devices that make the system at the user location function properly.
Arming Station.
The device used to arm, turn on or activate, and to disarm, turn
off or deactivate a burglar alarm system. An arming station may also
display the current status of the burglar alarm system, or
report and display problems. Arming or disarming the burglar
alarm system should not have any effect on the status of fire,
hold-up or other protection.
Keypad. The portion of the
arming station containing numbered pushbuttons similar to those
on telephones or calculators. These control the arming or
disarming of the system. They may also perform other functions.
Keyswitch. An alternate
device used to arm or disarm the alarm system, instead of a
keypad.
Partitioned System. A
burglar alarm system operated from a single control panel which
allows two or more areas to be armed and disarmed independently
of each other.
Signal Indicating Device.
A device that provides an audible or visual indication that an
emergency condition has been detected. Audible devices include
electronic sounders, bells, horns, and sirens. Visual devices
include incandescent or strobe lights. Signal indicating
devices also include panels that provide lamps or schematic
building diagrams to identify the specific location of the
sensor or sensors that detected an emergency, or that are in
other-than-normal status.
Time-Out Device. A
separate device or feature built into alarm system control
equipment that turns off signal indicating devices after a
pre-determined time interval which is deemed adequate to warn
occupants of a detected emergency, to scare criminals, or to
alert neighbors, public safety personnel, or passers-by.
Time-out devices help reduce the nuisance effect of an alarm
system on neighbors. Before signal indicating devices can
operate again, a manual reset procedure is generally required.
Delay Zone. One or more
sensors in an alarm circuit that are wired so that, when
triggered, a specific time delay results before an alarm
condition is generated. Delay zones are often created for the
most frequently used exit and entry doors to allow for
sufficient time for normal entry and exit without causing alarm
conditions.
By-Pass. A means of
removing one or more devices or zones from an alarm system to
enable the remainder of the system to be used and to provide
protection. Many alarm control units send a special signal to
the monitoring facility when any portion of the protection is
by-passed to advise that less-than-complete protection is in
effect. When the by-passed devices or zones are back to normal
and included in the system again, a follow-up advisory signal is
transmitted to the monitoring facility.
Zone. An identifiable
sensor or group of sensors, connected to an alarm control, that
can be addressed and manipulated from the control, from the
monitoring facility, or from an arming station. Zones may also
represent different types of protection such as burglar, fire,
hold-up, etc.
Monitoring
Equipment.
Equipment at a monitoring
facility that receives and displays signals from alarm systems.
Alarm Signal
Communication.
Signal transmission between alarm
system and monitoring equipment, usually to an off-premises
location.
Alarm Signal Transmission.
See Alarm Signal Communication.
Cellular Telephone. The
use of stationary cellular telephone equipment to replace or
supplement other means of alarm signal communication between the
alarm system and the monitoring facility.
Dial-Up Network. The
public dial-up telephone network used to establish a temporary
link between the alarm system and the monitoring facility.
Dedicated Circuit. A
circuit or channel, typically leased from the telephone company,
used to transmit signals between the alarm system and the
monitoring facility. Circuit may be point-to-point or
multi-point.
Dedicated Channel. See
Dedicated Circuit.
Direct Line. See Dedicated
Circuit.
Leased Line. See Dedicated
Circuit.
Long Range Radio. See
Radio Network.
LRR. A synonym for Long
Range Radio.
Multiplex Network. A
multi-point analogue data network providing continuous polling
by the receiving terminal of control panels at multiple
subscriber locations. The polling provides the receiver with
reports on the status or status changes of subscriber alarm
systems.
Packet Switched Network. A
data transmission network, shared by many users, in which
multiple data transmissions can be sent concurrently. The
communication paths are supervised and man-aged by the
service-providing telephone company and are generally equipped
to provide alternate paths automatically and quickly without
interruption of service.
Public Switched Network.
See Dial-up Network.
Radio Alarm Monitoring.
Monitoring alarm systems via the use of Long Range Radio.
Radio Network. A network
of radio transmitters or transceivers capable of sending alarm
status messages to one or more radio receivers or transceivers
which are at, or in communication with, an alarm monitoring
facility or other alarm signal receiving station.
RAM. A synonym for Radio
Alarm Monitoring. See also Radio Network.
Ring-Down Line. A
dedicated circuit used for voice communication between the
monitoring facility and the PSAP, operating so that when the
telephone handset is picked up at either end, the other end
rings.
Service Interruption.
Interruption of alarm system
service or communication to monitoring facility or between the
monitoring facility and the PSAP, or other necessary locations.
Sensors
---------- General
Double-Action Trigger. A
sensor that requires separate simultaneous actions, or
closely-spaced sequential actions before an alarm is transmitted
to the monitoring facility. If only one action is taken, a
trouble signal may be transmitted or logged and annunciated.
Dual-Technology Trigger. A
sensor that uses two or more separate technologies, at least two
of which must sense the designated condition before the device
triggers an alarm signal. If only one technology senses
the condition, a trouble signal may be transmitted or logged
and annunciated.
Multiple-Activation Trigger.
This is not really a special type of sensor. Rather it is a
system-designed feature that requires two or more sequential
activations of the sensor before an alarm signal is transmitted
to the monitoring facility.
Reed Switch. A
magnetically-activated, hermetically sealed sensor.
Mercury Switch. A set of
electrical contacts that are opened or closed as a sphere of
liquid mercury encompasses them or is re-moved from them inside
a hermetically sealed enclosure. Usually the enclosure is
tilted in one direction to close the switch and in the opposite
direction to open it.
---------- Burglar Alarm
Door Switch. A sensor that
detects the open or closed condition of a door or gate.
Window Switch.
A sensor that detects the open or closed position of a window,
or an in-between position in a situation where a window may be set to
a partially open position while the alarm system is armed, to
permit outside air to enter a room without the window open wide
enough for an intruder to enter.
Gate (exterior) Switch. A
door switch designed for the rugged conditions encountered in
the exterior environment of rough use, temperature and moisture
extremes, and the loose nature of many gates operating outside.
Fence Sensor. A seismic,
vibration, shock, taut-wire, or other sensor that detects
attempts to penetrate or climb over a fence. In some instances,
fences are backed up by exterior motion sensors.
Taut-Wire Sensor. A type
of fence sensor using a wire under tension as a sensor. If the
wire is cut, the tension is removed. If someone leans against
the wire, the tension is increased. Either change in the
tension is detected and activates the switch.
Audio Detector. A sensor
that detects specific sound patterns normally present during
attempts to penetrate windows, doors, walls, ceilings and
floors. This sensor differs from a microphone that listens to
all sounds and can be used to remotely "listen in" to events
within its area of sensitivity.
Microphone. A sensor that
hears sound within its area of sensitivity. The microphone, or
its control circuit, can be adjusted to hear a certain frequency
range or require a certain level of sound before sending an
alarm transmission to the monitoring facility which can then
"listen in" remotely.
Sound Detector. See Audio
Detector or Microphone.
Pressure Pad. A sensor
that detects an increase or decrease in pressure (such as a
person standing on the pad or an object being removed from the
pad).
Trip Wire. A string or
wire manually set before the alarm system is armed, that an
unsuspecting intruder will knock out of its receiving socket if
the trip wire is disturbed.
Trap. See Trip Wire.
Floor Trap. See Trip Wire.
Safe Door Switch. A
special sensor that detects the open or closed position of a
safe door.
Capacity Sensor. A sensor
that detects a change in capacitance when a person touches or
comes in close proximity to an object, such as a safe or file
cabinet, insulated from electrical ground potential.
Proximity Sensor. See
Capacity Sensor.
Vault Door Switch. A
special sensor that detects the open or closed position of a
vault door.
Vibration Sensor. A sensor
that detects vibrations generated during forced entry or an
attempted forced entry.
Geophone. See seismic
sensor.
Stress Sensor. An
electronic pressure pad that responds to changes in load.
Tinfoil. A thin
electric-current carrying lead tape, applied to glass or other
surface that breaks when the surface to which it is applied is
violated. (Tinfoil contains no tin.)
Foil. See Tinfoil.
Window Foil. See Tinfoil.
---------- Motion Sensors.
Devices that detect motion within their range of sensitivity.
Passive Infra-Red. A
motion sensor that detects a change in in-fra-red energy that
typically occurs when a person, pet, or other object moves
within the detector's field of sensitivity.
Microwave. A motion sensor
that detects Doppler pattern shifts when a body moves within its
area of sensitivity, using high-frequency microwave energy. The
emitted transmissions may penetrate solid building walls,
partitions, floors or ceilings.
Ultrasonic. A motion
sensor, similar to a microwave sensor, but one that operates in
a lower frequency range in which the emitted transmissions do
not penetrate solid building walls, partitions, floors or
ceilings.
Photo-Electric Beam. A
sensor that detects the blocking of a beam of invisible light
between two or more points.
Seismic Sensor. A sensor
that detects vibrations generated by a person walking or digging
in its area of sensitivity.
---------- Glass Break
Detector. A sensor that detects unique effects of
breaking glass.
Acoustic Glass Break Detector.
A glass break detector that senses unique acoustic frequencies
or frequency profiles that are present when glass breaks.
Seismic Glass Break Detector.
A glass break detector that senses unique seismic shock
frequencies that travel through the glass as it breaks.
---------- Hold-Up Alarm Devices. Hold-up alarms are silent alarm
signals, whose sole purpose is to alert a monitoring facility
that a possibly life threatening situation exists in which the
person who triggers the signal feels it is too dangerous to do
what the criminal requests and to wait to notify the police
until after the criminal has departed. See also Panic Alarm.
Manual Hold-Up Alarm Button.
A fixed-location or portable de-vice that can be manually
activated to initiate a hold-up alarm signal.
Bill Trap. A sensor that
detects the removal of a specific bill in a cash drawer.
Money Clip. See Bill Trap.
Foot Rail. A sensor that
can be activated by a person's foot to trigger a hold-up alarm
signal.
Foot Switch. See Foot
Rail.
Early Morning Switch. A
device, or a combination of devices, arranged to permit an alarm
user, during a normal opening and alarm system disarming
process, to send an emergency signal to a monitoring facility,
indicating that the person is in a duress situation. The
procedures involved in activating the Early Morning Switch are
designed to conceal from the criminal that any procedure other
than the normal and valid one is being followed.
Ambush Device. See
Anti-Ambush Device and Early Morning Switch.
Anti-Ambush Device. A
device or procedure established to let the alarm user send a
silent message requesting assistance to the monitoring facility
without alerting anyone on site at the protected premises. See
also Hold-Up Alarm, Panic Alarm, and Early Morning Switch.
---------- Panic
Alarm Devices. A call for assistance triggered either by an
alarm user manually activating a residential alarm system, or a
user in a business or commercial establishment triggering a call
for assistance that is also an on-site audible alarm. Such
systems are also sometimes referred to in some jurisdictions as
Manual Burglar Alarms. Activating a panic alarm is intended to
alert everyone within hearing distance, including a potential
criminal, that an apparent emergency exists, and that assistance
has been requested. The sound is the prime deterrent.
Police response is only of secondary importance.
Panic Button. A
manually-activated device to trigger a panic alarm.
Arming Station Button. A button or key on an arming station that
can be used to trigger a panic alarm.
Code+1 Trigger. A
procedure involving the entry of a special data-entry code in
which the normal code used to arm or disarm an alarm system is
modified slightly to trigger a panic alarm. Due to the relative
ease with which false alarms can be generated when this
procedure is used, the "Code+1" feature is being used less and
less.
---------- Fire
Alarm Sensors
Flame Detector. A sensor
that "sees" the flicker of light emanating from a fire.
Pull Station. See Manual
Fire Alarm Station.
Manual Fire Alarm Station.
A device that permits a fire alarm signal to be triggered
manually.
---------- Heat Sensor.
A sensor that detects the heat generated by a fire.
Fixed Temperature Sensor.
A heat sensor that is triggered when a pre-determined
temperature has been reached at the sensor.
Rate-of-Rise Sensor. A
heat sensor that detects a specific rate-of-temperature increase
at the sensor.
Pneumatic Tubing, Heat Sensor.
A heat sensor that detects the expansion of air inside the
tubing, resulting from an increase of temperature caused by a
fire. This type of heat detector is ideal for use in areas in
which no electrical devices should be operating.
Twisted Wire, Heat Sensor.
A length of twisted steel wire, separated by thermoplastic
insulation designed to melt at temperatures indicative of fire.
As the plastic insulation melts, the pressure of the twisted
steel wires causes the wires to "short", triggering the fire
alarm signal.
---------- Smoke Detector.
A sensor that detects the presence of smoke resulting
from a fire or a nascent fire.
Ionization Detector. A
smoke sensor that detects the invisible gaseous products of
combustion.
Photo-Electric Detector.
A smoke sensor that detects light reflected off smoke particles
in a tiny chamber within the sensor.
Photo-Electric Beam Detector.
A smoke sensor that detects the loss of light between a
transmitting unit and an accompanying receiving unit, due to the
presence of visible smoke between the units.
---------- Sprinkler System
Water Flow Sensors. A sensor that detects the flow of
water in a sprinkler system.
Water Flow Sensors. See
Sprinkler System Water Flow Sensors.
Wet-Pipe Flow Sensor. A
sensor that detects the flow of water in a wet-pipe sprinkler
system.
Dry-Pipe Flow Sensor. A
sensor that detects the flow of water in a dry-pipe sprinkler
system.
Open-Pipe (Deluge) Flow Sensor.
A sensor that detects the flow of water in an open-pipe
sprinkler system.
---------- Supervisory
Alarm. Sensors that detect conditions which represent
potential problems, and which require attention without
unnecessary delay in order to prevent a possible emergency from
developing.
High Temperature Sensor. A
sensor that detects a higher-than-expected temperature -- often
in an unattended industrial process system.
Low Temperature Sensor. A
sensor that detects a lower-than-expected temperature.
Examples: Unattended industrial process systems, a heated
building subject to damage or whose contents are subject to
damage due to below-freezing temperature, wet-pipe sprinkler
systems, etc.
High Water Level Sensor. A
sensor that detects higher-than-expected water or other liquid
levels.
Example: Rising ground water in the basement of a building.
Low Water Level Sensor. A
sensor that detects lower-than-expected water or other liquid
levels.
Examples: A sprinkler system tank, a building heating system's
boiler, a sprinkler system water reservoir, etc.
Fire-Pump Running Switch.
A sensor that detects the operation of a fire pump in a
sprinkler system.
Note: When a fire pump is running there is often an assumption
of a fire because the fire pump moves large volumes of water
through a limited pipe capacity.
Power Off Sensor. A sensor
that detect loss of power. Often this is provided as part of a
sprinkler supervisory system that monitors the ability of a fire
pump to operate, but is also used to detect loss of power for
many other systems requiring continuous power.
Power Failure Sensor. See
Power Off Sensor.
Furnace Problem Sensor.
A device used to monitor various operations of a heating plant.
Telephone Line Monitor. A
sensor that monitors one or more conditions of a telephone
circuit to detect when such a circuit has become incapable of
reporting alarm-detected problems to the monitoring facility.
---------- Sprinkler
Control Valve Switches. A switch that detects the
off-normal position of a shut-off control valve in a sprinkler
system to warn of a potentially dangerous situation in which
water cannot flow through the pipes in case of fire. Three
common types of switches are:
Gate Switch
Outside Stem & Yoke (OS&Y)
Switch
Post Indicator Valve (PIV)
Switch
---------- Trouble Advisory.
Sensor circuits inside control equip-ment, or devices
outside control equipment that detect electrical or mechanical
problems of the alarm system as opposed to problems relating to
the protected premises.
Swinger Shunt. A method of
by-passing a complete alarm system or a portion of an alarm
system to prevent repeated alarm signals from being transmitted
by the alarm system before it can be reset. The purpose of a
swinger shunt is to prevent false alarms and to prevent unduly
loading a communication channel with unneces-sary signal volume.
Support Services
Emergency Service. Repair
service provided on a non-scheduled basis for the user, as
needed.
Preventive Maintenance.
Routine scheduled service work on an alarm system to detect and
prevent predictable problems from occurring, such as batteries
that lose their ability to retain a charge, smoke detectors that
become dirty or blocked, motion detectors whose sensitivity may
change with time, switches that may become loose, etc.
Contract Repair Service.
Service provided under contractual arrangements with the user.
Time and Material (T&M)
Service. Service provided for a user who does not have a
maintenance agreement or where the service provided is not
included in the service contract.
Inspection Service. A
service to provide visual surveys of the appearance of alarm
installations intended to discover any obvious problems.
Typically these might be alarm system wires that may have been
covered up during building construction or remodeling, loose
doors or windows that may cause false alarms during storms,
sprinkler risers and controls that may be blocked by
merchandise making fire department access difficult or
impossible during emergencies, etc. An inspection may include
actual tests of alarm system sensors, controls, or transmitters.
Test Service. A service to
test the operation of alarm systems. See also Test.
Warranty.
A written document
that defines the alarm com-pany's obligations to correct
identified and reported-to-the-alarm-company problems
experienced by a user. A warranty (1) may include an obligation
to repair or replace defective parts, subas-semblies, or
equipment, (2) may, or may not, include labor to ef-fect such
repairs and replacements, and (3) may be for defined periods of
time. Hardware manufacturers' warranties may, or may not,
extend to the user.
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