The purpose of having a security alarm at your home or business is to ensure you AND the local authorities are alerted when there is an intruder, so they can respond.

Did you know that authorities may NOT respond to your home or business if you do not have a VALID alarm permit? Many cities in our area not only require you to have an alarm permit, but will issue fines after a certain number of false alarms. They may also require you to attend a “False Alarm User Awareness” class.

Why is this important? Law Enforcement responds to thousands of false alarm calls every year. These unnecessary responses result in an enormous burden in resources and expense; which in turn reduces emergency unit availability to respond to real emergencies. Imagine law enforcement responding to an alarm in your city at someone else’s premises that ends up being false (accidentally tripped), while your home or business is actually being burglarized, but due to staffing issues, no one is available to respond to your home/business until they ensure the original alarm is indeed false.

Many local cities adopted alarm ordinances in order to help reduce the amount of false alarms. A false alarm is defined as “an alarm signal eliciting a police response when a situation requiring an immediate response does not in fact exist, such as no breach of security has been attempted or committed.”

What can YOU do to help reduce false alarms? Here is a list of a few things you can do:

1. Know your code for arming/disarming your system AND your verbal passcode for when the alarm company calls you (keep both PRIVATE)
2. Make sure your alarm company has current contact information for you and any other responsible persons on your account (keep that list up to date as well)
3. Test your system regularly (we recommend monthly), to ensure it is properly working
4. Make sure you understand the functions of your alarm system (ie. setting it to home VS away and what that means)

When you first have an alarm system installed, you should not only be given instructions for how to use your alarm system, but also be given or mailed a copy of your city’s alarm permit application. You will then have a set amount of days to mail the permit application and a check for the amount your city charges, to the alarm coordinator listed on the permit application. The amount of days and amounts vary by city. Some cities require alarm permits that is renewed each year. Please renew this permit as required to ensure police response when needed. If you switch alarm companies, you must update your city’s alarm coordinator.

This permit notifies your city’s alarm coordinator of who is monitoring your alarm system. You will be issued an alarm permit number, which is kept on file by your alarm company.

Our professionally trained Jade Alarm Co. dispatchers use your address number when they contact police department call takers about your alarm. It is at that time the police call takers will either send your alarm to their dispatchers so authorities can respond OR inform us of your expired, suspended, or revoked alarm permit status and they will not be dispatching. Police Departments WILL dispatch, regardless of alarm permit status, on panic/hold-up alarms and/or IF we also have video cameras at your location and can verify an intruder. Our dispatchers will still attempt to contact you and/or the responsible parties listed on your account. It is IMPORTANT to make sure this list is also up to date with your alarm company.

As Jade Alarm’s President is also the Chairman of the Kansas City Burglar & Fire Alarm Association’s False Alarm Task Force. He is proud of the hard work Kansas City Missouri has done in reducing the number of false alarms! Years ago, the number exceeded 5-false alarms per user per year! With much hard work and training classes (which he was involved with), that number was reduced to 0.5 and Kansas City Missouri’s Alarm Coordinator received a FARA (False Alarm Reduction Association) award from this national organization!

Below is the most current list of local alarm permit coordinators and their contact information we have on file.

If you live in one of these cities and have an alarm system, you may want to contact us and check the status of your alarm permit.

If you are in the market for an alarm system, please reach out to us at 816-333-5233 and ask to speak with one of our knowledgeable Security Consultants for a FREE in-home/office consultation.