Alarms

Alarms offer home owners several benefits including ‘peace of mind’ that their property is protected:

• They deter burglars;
• Protect property from theft; and
• Can reduce insurance premiums.

They can also cause distress if they continue to be activated unnecessarily and result in frequent complaints both to the police and local authorities. These complaints can relate to both the level of noise being produced by the alarm and also the duration.

Research has proven that people have become desensitised to the noise from audible alarms to the point that to some people alarm noise is now merely an intrusion into their privacy.

What can I do?

• Property owners who seek to protect their home by installing an audible intruder alarm should also take responsibility to ensure that the system is maintained in proper working order and enter into a maintenance agreement with the alarm company or its representative at intervals not exceeding 12 months;
•  Australian Standards 2201.1 to 2201.5 set out the minimum performance requirements, reliability, construction, installation, operation and maintenance of intruder alarm systems. They apply to intruder alarm systems suitable for private and commercial premises and include specialist installations.;
• Clear and precise operating instructions should be maintained near the control panel to avoid errors in arming or de-activation of the alarm;
• To avoid unnecessary disturbance to nearby residents, one or more detections on a single zone should not cause the audible alarm to sound for longer than 5 minutes. It is important that the owner and/or occupier notify his insurer to ensure this does not result in a potential claim being refused;
• Many systems claim sound levels of 105 dB(A) and when fitted to the external facade of the building the potential for disturbance to many residents is greatly increased. In many circumstances the system can be equally effective if the alarm is installed within the main structure of the premises and volume reduced so as to produce a maximum noise level of 90 dB(A);
• Should you be planning a holiday, consider arranging for a friend, preferably someone that lives close, to disarm and service a faulty alarm should a problem occur whilst you are away from home.

What can I do if I am unduly disturbed by an Intruder Alarm?

• Under Section 99 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, the Police have powers to enter any premises where an alarm has been sounding for 30 minutes. They can enter the premises and arrange for the alarm to be deactivated and the cost can be recovered from the owner of the house or business.

If the alarm is operating intermittently you can contact either the Police or the City of Joondalup Environmental Health Services on 9400 4933 who can assist but will not be able to enter the premises to disarm the unit.