Sandy Springs False Alarm Fines Upheld in Court Ruling

The jurisdiction of Sandy Springs, GA will continue imposing monetary fines against monitoring providers for false alarms that occur on the properties they service. The controversial decision to uphold the prior ruling was recently made by the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

According to the court, false alarm fines imposed by the jurisdiction of Sandy Springs, GA against monitoring providers are justified. The decision to uphold the prior ruling was based on the grounds of preventing false alarms and reducing the waste of city resources. Sandy Springs, GA will continue to maintain its existing ordinance of escalating false alarm fines.

Based upon the current ordinance, the following false alarm fines in Sandy Springs, GA are enforced by the jurisdiction:

• $25 for the 1st False Alarm
• $250 for the 2nd and 3rd False Alarms
• $500 for the 4th and Every Subsequent False Alarm

These fines are to be imposed against monitoring service providers, not actual end users. In addition, the public safety departments for Sandy Springs, GA will not respond to any alarm from a property that has had its fourth (4th) false alarm event within a two (2) year period. This no response period will last for one year after 4th false alarm event in the 2 year period.

Imposing fines for false alarms from security systems is nothing new. However, charging the monitoring company for a false alarm is rather unusual. Last year, the state of Tennessee outlawed fines against security companies for false alarms. The signed bill in Tennessee only allows actual end users to be charged for excessive false alarms, not monitoring providers.

At Alarm Grid, false alarm prevention is something we take very seriously. We strive to provide our customers with all the tools and resources they need to prevent false alarms. Some of the practices designed to prevent false alarms include setting appropriate Entry and Exit Delay periods, using panel Arm-Confirm features, and enabling Alarm Report Delay if needed. Alarm Grid also supports various security panels that meet the standards mandated by CO-01 of the Security Industry Association (SIA) for false alarm prevention.

However, charging monitoring providers fees for false alarms only makes it more difficult for companies like us to do business. We do our part to empower customers and help them fully understand their system so that they can prevent false alarms on their own. From there, it's up to the end user to implement these advised best practices so that false alarms can be avoided. Ultimately, rulings like this can punish Alarm Grid for mistakes that are not our own.

Alarm Grid believes that preventing false alarms and unnecessary emergency dispatch is the shared responsibility of both the monitoring provider and the end user. The last thing we want is to waste the time and resources of local police departments. Our technicians are trained to set up systems so that false alarms are kept to an absolute minimum. And we are more than happy to provide assistance to any monitored customer in false alarm prevention.

Preventing false alarms entirely is the best solution for everyone involved. It prevents local authorities from wasting time and resources. And it prevents Alarm Grid and end users from receiving unwanted fines and penalties. We understand that mistakes are occasionally made. But it is our goal to minimize any false alarms. As a home and/or business owner using an alarm system, that should be your goal as well. It takes a committed effort from all parties.

But strict false alarm policies like those enforced by Sandy Springs, GA do not help in the matter. The vast majority of end users are not looking to cause false alarms or intentionally create inconvenience for their local authorities. Almost every false alarm or unnecessary dispatch is an innocent mistake that can be prevented with more careful planning and better attention to detail. Punishing alarm providers like us is an ineffective solution to the issue.

If you have central station monitoring service through Alarm Grid, then we invite you to reach out to us for false alarm prevention tips to prevent unwanted fines and wasted resources. You can also view this guide on false alarm prevention. We have many tips to share, so please reach out to us by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!