Q. What is a Monitoring Station?
A. Monitoring is undertaken through a central monitoring station, such as ours, which is a secure facility that receives signals from your alarm system. Your home or business is monitored electronically 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If burglary, fire, or duress alarms activate, MEWA see to it that every step is taken to preserve your well-being and to safeguard the integrity of your property.
Q. How does Alarm Monitoring work?
A. When an alarm system is installed into your property, it reacts to signals it receives from various components (see Q. 3) and goes into an alarm condition. The main control panel of your alarm system sends data signals down the phone line (or via GSM or radio signals, depending on the equipment installed) to the monitoring station. This encoded data includes your personal account number and all the device signals that are being generated. Once the central monitoring station receives these signals they follow the specific procedures and instructions that have been supplied at the time of installation.
Q. What are the main components of a Security System?
A. The Control Panel is the electronic "brain" of the security system. The control panel is located in a locked metal cabinet to protect the electronics and is often hidden from sight (e.g. in a cupboard or the roof-space). The control panel is connected to every aspect of the alarm system and provides power and phone (or other device) connections for monitoring. The control panel cabinet usually has a battery within it in case of a mains-power failure, and it can usually keep the system going for between 24 and 60 hours. The purpose of the battery is mainly to ensure that the system continues to operate during the occasional power outage, or if a criminal switches off the main power switch.
Keypads are usually placed near entrance doors to enable you operate your system. The keypad informs you of the status of the system (e.g. armed, disarmed, etc.), and may also have special buttons for instantaneous alarm generation (Police, Fire, Medical Emergency). The keypad is also used by your alarm installer to program the Control Panel according to your instructions. It is possible to have more than one keypad on a system for user-convenience, depending on the type of alarm panel installed.
Motion Detectors or Passive Infra Red (PIR) motion sensor technology provides one of the most reliable and cost effective methods for protecting spaces in you home or office. PIR detectors trip an alarm by sensing changes in infra red energy levels caused when an intruder moves about the protected area.
Smoke Detectors detect small amounts of smoke and send appropriate signals to the Control Panel.
Beams may be located either externally or internally and send an alarm when broken.
Duress Buttons or concealed switches send a high-level alarm signal indicating emergency events such as armed hold-up or medical distress.
Sirens (Interior and Exterior) alert you to emergency conditions by sounding an alarm. Exterior sirens are normally mounted in a white box and located under the eaves outside, obvious to passers-by. A strobe light is usually attached to underside of the box. During an alarm the intense flashing light and siren attracts attention to the alarm. By law, the siren must stop sounding within 10 minutes, although the strobe will continue to flash until the system is reset. This is designed to be a guide for police, keyholders or security patrols to quickly identify the property in alarm status.
Magnetic Contacts (also known as Reed Switches) A magnetic contact consists of two separate units: a magnetically activated switch and a magnet. Typically, the magnet is attached to a door and the switch to the door frame. When the door opens, separating the two, the system is triggered.
Other Sensors: Glassbreak sensors "hear" the acoustic shock waves created by breaking glass, and then trigger the system. Vibration sensors detect tiny movements on the surfaces they are attached to, and set off the alarm when these exceed a predetermined setting.
Q. Can I have pets in the house and still use the Alarm System?
A. Yes, if the alarm system is initially set up with "pet immune detector" PIRs. These detectors still detect movement from human intruders but do not detect animals under a certain weight. Pet immune detectors are slightly more expensive than normal PIR motion detectors but if you have animals it allows them to be inside without generating alarms. Alternatively, if you have pets, you can allow them only into a portion of premises that have no motion detectors, or the areas that pets roam freely must be "bypassed" out of the alarm system before it is armed.
Q. What are the advantages of a monitored alarm system?
A. The Police and other Emergency Services do respond to multiple alarms reported to them by an accredited monitoring station, such as MEWA. The Police are less likely to respond to a call from the public or a neighbour reporting an audible alarm next door. They have to prioritise their responses, and a call from a monitoring station means they know the alarm is probably genuine. Monitoring may also result in considerable reduction in your building and contents insurance (contact your Insurance Company for details). It will also give you peace of mind, knowing that a professional organisation such as MEWA is quietly watching over your loved-ones and property, 24 hours/7 days a week/365 days a year. There is no substitute for a properly installed, monitored, alarm system when it comes to protecting your precious surroundings.
Q. How does the Monitoring Station know where the alarm is coming from?
A. Our monitoring station has digital alarm receiving equipment, sophisticated computer systems, and very experienced and qualified staff to manage your security needs and give you peace of mind. The equipment receives and identifies all incoming alarm signals within seconds. The computers and software interpret all received alarm signals, and this data is instantly shown on operator screens as:
The time and date the alarm is received.
The account number of the client.
The name of the client.
The location of the property.
The type of alarm generated.
The names and telephone numbers of the nominated response key-holders as provided by the owner.
The appropriate responses depending on the level of emergency, and any special comments or unique needs.
Q. What does the Monitoring Station do after it receives an alarm?
A. As soon as MEWA receives alarm signals, our Control Room Specialists, well-trained to handle such situations, proceed as follows:
Your premises is called if applicable.
Nominated key-holders are contacted according to a priority list provideed.
A nominated Security Response Company will be called if key-holders cannot be contacted (at your expense and only if authorised in advance).
The Police are contacted to attend the premises in the event of multiple zone activations or a duress alarm activation.
Other emergency services (Fire/Ambulance) are called if there is clearly a fire on the premises or a medical emergency.
Q. How much does it cost for MEWA to respond to my alarms?
A. Your system would have been programmed to report its signals to MEWA by your alarm installer, who will have arranged the monitoring fee with you. MEWA does not charge you for actioning to your alarms because that is included in your monitoring fee.
Q. What should I do if my Alarm System is not working properly?
A. First, refer to your Alarm System Owners Manual and see if the problem you are having is described there. If you see a solution to the problem in the manual, please call the monitoring station before trying to correct it, just in case your corrective measures trip the alarm system. If you cannot get the problem resolved please call your alarm installer. If you are unsure who installed your alarm system, please contact us, and we will arrange for the relevant technician to call you. If your system is no longer under warranty, such a call-out will be at your expense.
Q. I have an existing unmonitored Alarm System. Can this be changed to a monitored system?
A. Usually yes! Most systems can be changed from unmonitored to a monitored system very simply. If you wish to have your system monitored, even for temporary periods such as holidays, we can arrange to have your alarm panel programmed to be monitored by MEWA. Usually, it will be your responsibility to pay the small charge for this programming and the appropriate monitoring fees.
Q. Apart from my alarm system, what else can I do that will enhance my security?
A. Contact Neighbourhood Watch, your local Police Station, or your alarm installer. Alternatively, contact us, and we would be pleased to send you a "tips and hints" brochure which will give you plenty of common-sense ideas.
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