New Iowa Law Stops False Alarm Fines for Monitoring Companies

We have some important security news out of Iowa. A new statewide law now prevents local jurisdictions from fining alarm monitoring companies for false alarms caused by end users. Only end users can now be fined. The legislation was signed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on June 30, 2020.

According key language within the newly enacted law, a local jurisdiction can no longer fine or penalize a monitoring company for any of the following occurrences:

• False Alarms
• Emergency Dispatch Resulting from a False Alarm
• Permits Relating to Monitoring Service and/or System Installation

Regular readers of the Alarm Grid Blog may recall a very similar law being put into place last year for the state of Tennessee. Alarm Grid approves of these protection laws, as we provide all our central station customers with the resources and tools they need to prevent false alarms. As long as end users operate their systems carefully, false alarms should not occur.

Unfortunately, not every jurisdiction agrees with the principle of protecting alarm companies against false alarm fines. Sandy Springs, GA was recently in the headlines for the decision of the US Appeals Court to uphold the city's policy of fining monitoring companies. At Alarm Grid, we find laws that punish monitoring providers to be an ineffective solution in stopping false alarms. Most false alarms are innocent mistakes, and they are not intentionally caused by end users. So when we see protection laws like those that have been put into place by the states of Iowa and Tennessee, it's certainly some well-appreciated good news.

As an alarm monitoring company, preventing false alarms is always one of our top concerns. We never want our customers and end users to inconvenience or waste the resources of their local authorities. That is why we put together some handy content in the prevention of false alarms. We strongly recommend reviewing and following this guide to help ensure that false alarms do not occur on your security system.

If you have any questions about alarm monitoring service or false alarm prevention, please reach out to us! We are happy to answer any questions or concerns that you might have. Remember, preventing false alarms is a team effort that involves both the alarm company and the end user. We take responsibility by doing our part to provide you with the all of resources and tips you need to stop false alarms. The best way to contact us is to email support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!