Basic Monitoring Guidelines:

Basic Monitoring Guidelines: American Security and Communications, Inc.((ASC)

In Basic Monitoring Guidelines Our monitoring center(s) receive alarm signals from your security panel moments after an alarm occurs at your premises. The signals are always filtered thru a process that verifies the alarm signal electronically moments before presenting the alarm details to our operators. In all cases, the report is presented to multiple operators at all of our central stations, and the operator that handles the alarm is usually the one at a central station that is closest to your location. Should operators in the region be busy handling alarms at the closest center, the next available operator will handle the call at our redundant center(s). This may happen in areas that are flooded with alarm signals due to weather events within the region, or other conditions that result in unusually high traffic.

What we do when we receive an alarm signal, unless you advise us to do otherwise:

Medical Emergency Alarms

• If we receive an alarm signal that indicates a medical alarm, we will first call the number at the premises, or the first number you provide to us.
• When an individual answers we identify ourselves and the nature of the call. If the person tells us that everything is okay and gives us their PASSCODE (word or number), we will log the call and information and not take any further action.
• If there is a busy or no answer at the first number called, we will call a second or third number if those additional numbers are provided to us. If after making those additional calls there is no answer, then we will call the Authorities (usually a 911 Center) and advise them of the medical alarm condition.
• If after notifying the Authorities of the Medical alarm, we will attempt to call the same numbers we first tried to call, and if answered, we will notify the Authorities that someone was finally reached.
• Because there may be specific reasons for a medical alarm, we will try to relay the information we have on file to the Authorities as per the Guidelines.

Fire, Carbon Monoxide & Combustible Gas Alarms (RESIDENTIAL ONLY)

• If we receive an alarm signal that indicates this type of alarm, we will first call the number at the premises, or the first number you provide to us as per the Guidelines.
• When an individual answers we identify ourselves and the nature of the call. If the person tells us that everything is okay and gives us their PASSCODE (word or number), we will log the call and information and not take any further action.
• If there is a busy or no answer at the first number called, we will call the Authorities (usually a 911 Center) and advise them of the alarm condition.
• If after notifying the Authorities of the alarm, we will attempt to call the same numbers we first tried to call, and if answered, we will notify the Authorities that someone was finally reached.

Fire, Carbon Monoxide & Combustible Das Alarms (ALL COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS)

• By Code, we must call the Authorities IMMEDIATELY if we receive an alarm in this category.
• After calling the Authorities, we will call the first number on the list you provide to us (usually the premises phone number) and report the alarm and the action we have taken.
• If we cannot reach anyone at that first number, we will call other numbers we have on record until we reach a responsible party within a reasonable time.
• We will call back the Authorities we already dispatched and advise them of our attempt to call an authorized user.

Panic Alarms, Hold-up Alarms, Duress Alarms:

• Note: Some municipalities do not allow hold-up alarms in businesses.
• If we receive an alarm signal for these types of alarms, we immediately dispatch the Authorities, usually the 911 center will decide whom they dispatch to the location
• After dispatching the authorities, we will call the premises or the first person on the call list and advise them that the Authorities have been dispatched. At this time a person with a proper PASSCODE may direct us to cancel the alarm if warranted as per the Guidelines.
• If we cancel the alarm, we call the Authorities again and advise them of your intent to cancel the alarm. Many Authorities will continue to send assistance. It is their decision to do so.
• To avoid confusion in these types of alarms, we ask that you specifically inform us what the alarm represents when we receive it. Example: If a tavern or an office presses a silent alarm button, it may be for a disturbance at the location, and NOT for a hold-up.

Burglar/Intrusion Alarms (Residential and Commercial)

• When we receive the alarm signal, we will place a call to the premise number we have on file. In some cases that may be the cellular phone number of the person on file. If we reach someone, we will ask for their PASSWORD and ask if everything is okay. If no password is given or the wrong password is given, we will continue on to notify the Authorities.
• IMPORTANT NOTE – Many Municipalities have ordinances that require us to make at least TWO calls to verify the alarm.
• If we do not reach one (or two people as required) we will call the Authorities and advise them of the alarm.
• After advising the Authorities, we will attempt to call at least one person on the call list provided to us and advise them of the alarm and that the Authorities had been dispatched.
• If we reach a responsible party or we exhaust attempts to reach someone, we will notify the Authorities of our efforts.

Environmental Alarms such as LOW TEMPERATURE, WATER LEAKAGE, or other critical alarms:

• We do not call the Authorities.
• Upon receiving an alarm of this nature, we will attempt to call the premise first, then advance to any other names we may have on file and advise of the situation. We will ask for a PASSWORD to verify whom we are speaking with.
• If we are unable to reach anyone on your list provided, we may try again later unless time does not allow us to make additional calls.

Testing of Alarm Systems:

• As per the Guidelines, all alarm system users/owners are strongly encouraged to test alarm systems frequently, and monthly tests are suggested.
• To test your alarm system, you MUST FIRST CALL the alarm monitoring center associated with your account and advise them that you are about to test your alarm system.
• As per the Guidelines, our operators will ask you for your account number and your password or 4-digit code to further identify yourself.
• Our operators will put your account on test for the time you request so any signals received at our central station are ignored. However, we continue to log all signals as they are received while the system is on the test as per the Guidelines.
• The alarm system can then be armed as usual and then you can violate a secure door or window, violate a motion detector area (note special requirements of wireless motion detectors), or other devices including smoke detectors, panic buttons, or any or all devices that you wish to test.
• As per the Guidelines, your alarm system will sound any warning buzzers, horns, or other notification appliances at your property and your system should then be silenced as you normally would silence any alarm.
• Call our monitoring center back and verify what signals were received by our center. If no signals were received CALL FOR SERVICE ASAP.
• At the end of the test or at the end of the time the test would expire, your system will again be live 24/7, and any alarms after that time will be processed normally.

Updating Information About Your Account

• Periodically you may want to verify the information we have on file about your account including what devices we are monitoring, the codes and call lists of your authorized users, and any other information relating to your account.
• As per the Guidelines, you may view the information we have on file thru direct access to your data via the internet. For security reasons, user codes or passwords are not available online. On some accounts, you may need to speak with an operator if web service is not available.
• For security reasons, and to help keep false alarms at a minimum any changes you wish to make to the information we have on file MUST BE MADE BY OUR OFFICE STAFF. Please call us at 800-821-7370 or email us at admin@secureyou.com to make changes to your account.

Passcodes / Code Words:

• It is important that you select codes or words that are easily remembered. Usually, codes are 4-digit numbers or code words such as “Spardog’s(your dog’s name) or other words.
• IT IS IMPORTANT that a code word or number be given to every person operating your alarm system., In that way, we can identify specifically who operated the alarm system and any records we can derive from that person’s use. Also, when persons are no longer responsible for operating your alarm system, they can be deleted from our database as per the Guidelines.
• To ADD or DELETE users and codes/passwords, please contact us at 800-821-737ator by email to admin@secureyou.com
• If your users have passwords (not 4-digit codes), those passwords should be changed whenever a person is deleted from your system!

TEXTS and EMAILS:

We offer text and email services on any and all alarm signals we receive moments after we receive them at our monitoring centers (some restrictions may apply).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT:

• As per the Guidelines, for many years alarm signals have been transmitted via telephone lines to our central stations. As telephone lines are becoming obsolete or changing with the use of services provided thru internet providers, most alarm systems are affected in some way by the connections at your premises. If you switch telephone providers your alarm system may stop working in that alarm signals can no longer be received by our central monitoring stations. PLEASE CALL US before making ANY changes to your telephone service so we can verify if your alarm system will continue to work as originally installed.
• Most customers have the option of converting their system to send signals via the internet with special communicators, or by the installation of CELLULAR communicators which are the best way to communicate alarm signals.

PLEASE CONTACT us at (800) 821-7370 to discuss the available options at your location.

Basic Monitoring Guidelines: