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    Storm Procedures                                  Bulletin 2050  9/20/02  
    Copyright (C) 1996, Coastal Security Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.  
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    When a severe thunderstorm passes through our region the central station
is inundated with false alarms.  Most of these false alarms are either burglary
or trouble signals.  If the number of alarm signals waiting for operator
response reaches a level that causes the general response time to alarm signals
to be too long the following special storm procedures are followed:

1.  The central station supervisor decides whether or not to require the
on call dispatchers to come in.  This decision is based upon the number of
signals being received and a best estimate of how long the storm will last.

2.  Burglary signals originating where the storm is that normally have the
procedure verify, dispatch, then reach a call out are handled differently.
If the alarm cannot be cancelled on the verify call the dispatcher will call
the first call out instead of dispatching.  The operator will advise the first
call out that there is a storm and will ask the call out whether we should
dispatch.  If the call out says dispatch, the operator will do so and complete
the event since the call out has already been reached.  If the call out says
not to dispatch, the operator will cancel the event.  If the first call out
cannot be reached the alarm will be dispatched.  Calls to the remainder of the
call out list will be delayed until the storm passes and the central station
catches up.

3.  Trouble signals that are not dispatchable to an agency or runner that
originated in the area where the storm is happening will be logged without
operator action.  All dealers should carefully check their trouble signal
report (not the subscriber trouble report but an alarm log report that
shows all trouble signals received).  There may be some trouble signals that
were logged due to the storm but that require some type of follow-up action.

There are several things which dealers can do to prevent storm related false
alarms:

1.  Keep a record of the date the standby battery was replaced in each account.
    When the battery is four years old, replace it automatically.  Don't wait
    for a momentary power failure during a storm to cause a false alarm.

2.  Never program a system to send A.C. power failure signals with less than a
    sixty second delay.  If possible, program a five minute minimum delay.

3.  Allow the central station to log trouble signals.  You can print and review
    these signals the following business day and take whatever action is really
    necessary.  Subscribers and call outs usually do not know what to do when
    the central station calls to report a trouble signal so they ask for a
    service call.  The central station operator must spend additional time on
    the phone to handle the service request.  All of this could be avoided if
    the signal was auto-logged and the dealer reviewed trouble signals from a
    report on the next business day.  Subscribers who really need service
    could get it.  Troubles that have restored or do not really require
    service could be disregarded without subscriber involvement.

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Hurricanes

    During an actual Yes all alarm signals from area of the storm will
be logged.  This procedure is consistent with the reality that police and
fire departments will not respond under these conditions and that it is not
safe for subscribers or callouts to respond.  Everyone who is responsible for
property affected by a hurricane must check the property when the storm is
over regardless of whether the alarm was activated.

    From the inception of a hurricane warning Central One may discontinue
answering services (by referring all calls to the dealer's office telephone
number) for dealers located in the area affected by the storm.  It is imperative
that dealers do not forward their office lines to Central One when a hurricane
warning is imminent.  If a dealer does leave the office line forwarded to us
we may, in our discretion, forward that line to a recording that is appropriate
under the circumstances.  The recording will indicate that the office is not
open due to the storm and that the caller should call back the next day.