Life-Safety Posts

As usual, the Alarm Grid office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day so that our employees can enjoy the holiday with their families. This year, Thanksgiving is celebrated on November 28. Though our office will be closed, our monitoring station operators are ready to respond to any signals.

In addition to Thanksgiving Day, our office will be open half-days on Wednesday, November 27th, and Friday, November 29th, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. We will resume our regular schedule on Monday, December 2nd at 9:00 AM. All times are Eastern Standard Time.

During the holiday, our central station partners CMS and Rapid Response will be hard at work, monitoring Alarm Grid customer systems and helping to keep you, your loved ones, and your property safe and secure. We appreciate their dedication, sacrifice, and hard work!

Alarm Grid central station monitored accounts located inside the United States report to Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS). If you need to contact the monitoring station, to report a false alarm or to put your system on test, you can call (888) 818-7728 and choose Option [9]. Once an operator answers, you'll need to supply your name, address, and false alarm password.

Our Canadian customers can contact Rapid Response for central station inquiries. They can be reached at (800) 932-3822. Remember, when you call either monitoring station you will be asked for your name and address, and to verify your false alarm password or phrase. Providing the wrong information, or providing the Duress password, will result in a police dispatch.

For routine questions or to make changes to your account you'll need to speak to our support team. The monitoring station can't assist you with technical support or with changes to your zone list or call list. For those support needs you can email us at support@alarmgrid.com and we'll handle your request as quickly as possible once we're back in the office. Please bear with us as we clear any backlog of requests once we resume normal hours.

If you'll be traveling this Thanksgiving, be sure to secure your home and arm your system before you leave. Let your system work for you! If you're unsure of your false alarm password, take the time to confirm what it is before you leave. In the event of an alarm, providing the wrong false alarm password is the same as not providing a password at all. It will result in a dispatch.

If you'll be cooking this year, be prepared in the event of a smoke alarm. If you have smoke detectors tied to your alarm system and the alarm goes off due to steam or cooking smoke in the kitchen, silence the alarm. For all-in-one panels this usually means responding to a prompt on the panel screen. For older panels like the VISTA series, it means entering your User Code + Off at the keypad as you do when you disarm the system.

Be prepared, because a smoke alarm on a central station monitored system will result in a call from the monitoring station. For residential Alarm Grid customers, the monitoring station usually calls the user/residence prior to dispatching the fire department. An exception is when you request an immediate dispatch during account setup. If the alarm is the result of a cooking mishap, provide your false alarm password and speak with the operator. Based on the situation, you can determine whether a fire response is necessary.

If a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm is triggered, you should evacuate immediately and allow the responding agency to determine if it is safe for you to re-enter. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that can kill very quickly. Pets and children are at particular risk, due to their smaller size.

Understand that the monitoring station must dispatch on a CO alarm report, regardless of whether you provide the false alarm password or not. This is for your safety and protection. The fire department has special equipment that can test for the presence of carbon monoxide, and determine its concentration. They also have ventilation equipment to help remove it. Follow their instructions and recommendations once they arrive.

Alarm Grid wishes you and your family a happy Thanksgiving with lots of great food, family, and friends. Whether you're the one traveling, or the one whose home everyone else is traveling to, we wish you a happy, safe, and secure holiday this year!

Our monitoring station partner CMS has a proven track record of providing reliable service, even during challenging conditions. With three facilities located in Florida, California, and New Jersey, they are well-equipped to handle the potential impacts of Hurricane Helene, as you'll see here.

Hurricane Helene, now a Category 3 storm with winds reaching 120 MPH, is expected to make landfall tonight on Florida's west coast near the panhandle. This powerful storm will likely impact residents in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee in the coming days. If you live in the affected area, please prepare accordingly and follow the evacuation orders issued by local officials.

If you are an Alarm Grid monitored customer located outside the area affected by Hurricane Helene you should notice no change in the way your alarm signals are treated. Although CMS has a location in Florida, its system routes incoming alarm reports to eliminate any negative impact on customers in unaffected areas.

If you are in the affected area, you can expect that low-priority signals (residential or commercial power failures, low batteries, supervisory and trouble signals) will be disregarded during the storm. Disregarding these signals frees operators up to concentrate on emergencies.

During the storm, the CMS Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system will initially handle all burglary alarms. The IVR uses Natural Language Speech Recognition (NLSR) to handle Burglary Alarms (except dispatch), and notifications on low-priority calls. This will be the case for any accounts in the affected areas while the storm is ongoing.

The IVR system provides immediate response to thousands of signals simultaneously, allowing Alarm Specialists to focus on responding to emergency conditions, i.e., Fire, Panic/Holdup, and Medical. In areas hit by Hurricane Helene, emergency personnel will likely cease responding to non-emergency calls for service, including burglary alarms.

For our customers who are in the path of this storm, please heed the advice of local officials and weather professionals. Do what you need to do to keep yourself and your family safe. When all is said and done, that's all that matters.

Rogers has set a date of March 31, 2025 for its 2G/3G network sunset. If you are a Canadian customer with a Rogers 2G/3G communicator, your system will cease to communicate via cellular upon shutdown. At best, you will see a trouble condition. At worst, communication will be cease completely.

Rogers is a large cellular provider in Canada. When AT&T and Verizon announced their respective 2G/3G network sunsets a few years back, Rogers made the decision to keep the portion of their network that is used by alarm communicators active. In the intervening years, it has been working to beef up its infrastructure. The time has now come to sunset the remainder of the older network.

If you have an alarm system with a Rogers cellular communicator you should begin planning an upgrade. This may require that you upgrade your whole system, or just your cellular communicator. Whichever the case, now is the time to begin planning. If your system uses cellular as its only means of communication, and you have one of these Rogers 2G/3G communicators, your system will be left unable to communicate once the shutdown takes place. In addition, you will see a trouble condition displayed on your system that you will be unable to clear.

If you have a dual-path system with a Rogers 2G/3G cellular communicator, then your system will still be able to communicate after the shutdown, but you will have a trouble condition on the system that won't clear until you either disable cellular communication, or correct the problem. In this case, correcting the problem means replacing the cellular communicator. Depending on your alarm panel, this may or may not be possible without replacing the entire panel.

Alarm.com customers who are affected by this sunset will soon begin seeing prompts telling them to upgrade. Starting in October, Alarm.com customers who still have a 2G/3G Rogers cellular communicator will see a trouble message when they log into the customer app or website. The message will instruct them to upgrade their communicator soon in order to avoid a service interruption.

This news may seem dire, but don't worry, Alarm Grid is here to help you through the transition. In future posts, we'll be providing additional information, including special promotional pricing to help you upgrade in the least painful way possible. We'll also be here with plenty of information on how best to upgrade. In the meantime, if you have questions you can send us an email to support@alarmgrid.com.

What 2GIG brought to the table at ISC West this year is a lineup of new sensors for the Edge panel. These sensors use the 900 MHz frequency band for extended wireless range. They also offer encryption for secure transmission. 2GIG boasts they will have a 2km or 1.2 mile transmitting range!

The new 2GIG E+ extended range sensors are not yet available, and we don't have an ETA yet on when they will be released. In addition, 2GIG Edge panels require a firmware update to version 1.3 (3.1.3.xxx) in order to support the new lineup. When the firmware is released, we'll update our 2GIG Edge Firmware Update Page with the new information. Hopefully, the firmware will be available just before, or simultaneously with the sensors.

We don't have all the details on this new sensor lineup, but what we do know we'll share with you here:

2GIG DW10E-900 Door Window Sensor:

With a two-way transmitting range comparable to that of the DSC PowerG sensors, these E+ extended range transmitters are sure to be a hit. The DW10E-900 is the redesigned door/window sensor in the lineup. The exterior lines are rounded while the interior lines, where the magnet and sensor come together are squared. With a built-in spacer, the DW10E-900 is meant to fit in more diverse locations. Dimensions: 2.42" x 1.07" x 0.58" (6.14cm x 2.71cm x 1.47cm). Expected battery life: eight (8) years. Data Sheet.

2GIG PIR1E-900 Motion Sensor:

The 2GIG PIR1E-900 has a coverage area of 30' x 50' (9.14m x 15.24m). It has an attractive and low profile appearance and is pet-friendly for pets up to 85 lbs (38.55kg). The PIR1E-900 boasts a quad sensing element and has a 100° maximum horizontal sensing angle. Dimensions: 3.53″ x 2.35″ x 1.63″ (8.96cm x 5.96cm x 4.14cm). Expected battery life: three (3) years. Data Sheet.

2GIG GB1E-900 Glass Break Detector:

The 2GIG GB1E-900 glass break detector can pick up the sound of breaking glass within a 15' (4.57m) diameter. It offers intelligent detection of different glass types, including plate, tempered, laminated or coated. Like some other glass break sensors, it requires both the low frequency sound of someone striking glass, followed by the high frequency sound of glass shattering in order to activate, reducing false alarms. Dimensions: 4.57" x 1.57" (11.60cm x 3.98cm). Expected battery life: five (5) years. Data Sheet.

2GIG DW30E-900 Outdoor Door/Window Sensor:

The 2GIG DW30E-900 is an outdoor rated door/window transmitter. It would also make an excellent gate sensor. And with its extended range, it can protect openings that may have once been considered too far away for protection by the alarm system. It can handle extreme temperatures of -40°F - +140°F (-40°C - +60°C) and is IP56 rated, meaning it is protected against dust accumulation that would interfere with its operation, and powerful water jets. It supports an external Normally Open or Normally Closed contact and is made to easily mount to gates, garages, or poles. Dimensions: 4.6" x 2.1" x 1.5" (11.68cm x 5.33cm x 3.81cm). Expected battery life: five (5) years. Data Sheet.

2GIG SMKT-900 Smoke/Heat/Freeze Detector:

the 2GIG SMKT900 is a triple threat. It offers detection for smoke, both high heat and rate-of-rise protection, and as an added bonus, it can also be programmed to monitor for low temperature conditions. The fixed heat temperature threshold is 134°F +/-4°F (56°C +/-2.22°C). The rate-of-rise detector activates if the temperature is 104°F (40°C) and increases by 15° in one (1) minute. The low temperature threshold is 40°F (4.44°C) for a minute or more. It restores when the temperature is 45°F (7.22°C) for a minute or more. Dimensions: 4.7" x 2.3" (11.93cm x 5.84cm). Expected battery life: three (3) years. Data Sheet.

All of these new sensors work with the 2GIG Edge. 2GIG has admittedly had some issues with firmware and compatibility, but one thing I can say about the Edge is that it is rock solid from a hardware perspective. It is very solid and feels substantial in a way that some of the other all-in-one panels do not. We're excited to see how this sensor lineup affects folks choosing the 2GIG Edge. You can see a feature comparison between the 2GIG Edge and the Resideo PROA7PLUS here.

02/14/24 1:09 PM UPDATE: Per Resideo, these two issues are unrelated. However, the second issue, involving AT&T communicators appears to have been resolved.

02/13/24 4:15 PM UPDATE: Resideo has an update on the AlarmNet360 site currently:

"A small percentage of ProSeries and LTEMP LTE AT&T communicators may experience signaling issues that could result in a communication failure message being generated to the monitoring Central Station.

This issue is being worked with AT&T for immediate resolution.

We appreciate your patience while we work to quickly resolve this issue."

It is not clear whether this is a separate issue, or is related to the Pro Series issue originally reported in this post. When we get that information, we will either update here or in a new post with details of the new issue. Keep watching this space for updates.

02/13/24 Original Post:

Recently, Resideo identified an issue with select PROA7 and PROA7PLUS panels: screens become dark/unresponsive, losing connection to AlarmNet. A hard reboot is required for a reset. Resideo plans a firmware upgrade to address this, which will be applied automatically to all Pro Series panels.

This alert applies to all Resideo and Honeywell Home Pro Series panels. This includes the PROA7, PROA7C, PROA7PLUS, and PROA7PLUSC. While they say the number of affected panels is very small, we don't yet have an actual number or a date code range to confirm those details.

In response to this issue, Resideo has a firmware update, 03.1872.18.0 which they will begin pushing to all registered Pro Series panels this week. The update will also be available to dealers to push manually beginning on 02/13/24. This is a critical update and will be pushed over WIFI, if available, or Cell if WIFI is unavailable. It is important to note that only registered panels can receive this firmware update. Registered means that there is an account associated with the panel.

An affected panel will be dark, with no status LEDs illuminated. Along with these visible symptoms, the panel will stop communicating with the AlarmNet servers. This will eventually generate a report to the monitoring station of E359, which indicates the panel failed a regularly scheduled check-in.

If you have a Pro Series panel and believe your panel is affected, we recommend you power cycle it as soon as possible. Remove the set screw in the bottom of the panel and pull the front and back of the panel apart. Doing this will automatically remove the primary DC power.

Next, find the panel's battery and unplug it from the main board. Leave it disconnected for about 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Now carefully put the panel back together. Doing so will reconnect the primary power and the panel should begin to boot up. Replace the set screw, if installed and allow the panel to boot. This should return the panel to normal operation and allow it to receive the firmware update.

Panels that receive the firmware update will reboot as a part of the update process. This will generate a signal to the monitoring station of E-339-Exp. Module Power On / Reset, or possibly E-305-System reset, or possibly both.

If we receive further details on this issue, we'll post them here, so stay tuned. Updates will be posted near the top of this page and will be highlighted with a bold date and wording to indicate new information. We have yet to receive an official MWT Technical Bulletin on this issue, but I believe one is likely coming soon. Hopefully, it will contain the details that are, so far, notably missing.

The year 2022 is quickly drawing to a close, with about 30 shopping days left until Christmas. But before we jump ahead to the next holiday, we wanted to take a moment to reflect and give thanks in honor of Thanksgiving. It's one of our favorite holidays, with a simple goal of togetherness.

If you'll be traveling this Thanksgiving, be sure to lock your doors and arm your alarm system. Your system can't do its job until you do your part. If you have smoke detectors connected to your system you should definitely test them regularly. Whether your system is armed or disarmed, smoke detectors are always active when properly configured.

So that our dedicated support and planner staff can celebrate with their families, Alarm Grid will be closed all day on Thursday, November 24, 2022, for Thanksgiving. We'll be back bright and early on Friday, November 25 at 9:00 am. Of course, our monitoring station operates 24/7/365, so for those customers who have chosen full central station monitoring, your system will be continuously monitored by trained operators who stand ready to respond to any alarm you may have.

If you need to contact the monitoring station, either to report a false alarm or to put your system on test, you can call Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS) at (888) 818-7728 and choose Option [9]. This is the process for Alarm Grid customers who reside within the United States. Once an operator answers, you'll need to supply your name, address, and false alarm password.

For our Canadian customers, our monitoring partner in Canada is Rapid Response. They can be reached at (800) 932-3822. Remember, when you call either monitoring station you will be asked for your name and address, and to verify your false alarm password or phrase. Providing the wrong information, or providing the Duress password, will result in a police dispatch.

If you have a support question or need to make adjustments to your account, the monitoring station won't be able to assist you with that. In that case, send an email to support@alarmgrid.com with your request and we'll get back to you as soon as possible when we return to the office on Friday. There can be a bit of a backlog, so please be patient while we catch up.

2022 has been a year for reacquiring a solid footing in the post-COVID-shutdown era. We've dealt with supply chain issues, sudden discontinuation of some products, and name or model number changes in others while manufacturers struggle to meet the demands of their customers, and by extension, our customers. The waters are choppy, and we're navigating them to the best of our ability. We appreciate you staying in the boat with us. We will arrive at the dock together, safely.

Resideo and Honeywell Home have just released Firmware Version 03.592.107.0 for the PROA7 and PROA7PLUS panels. This update allows the PROTAKEOVER module to support 5800 Series life-safety sensors like the 5808W3, 5800CO, and more. In addition, it offers some other features and improvements.

There are four (4) different panels in the Resideo and Honeywell Home ProSeries lineup. The Honeywell Home PROA7, and Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS, and the Resideo PROA7C and Resideo PROA7PLUSC. The 03.592.107.0 Firmware Version applies to all of them. The differences between the Resideo versions and the Honeywell Home versions are purely cosmetic. You can find details about that in a previous post.

The biggest news in this firmware release is the addition of life-safety support when using the PROTAKEOVER module. For the Honeywell 5800 Series legacy RF sensors, the use of life-safety sensors such as the 5808W3, 5806W3, 5800CO, and others has actually been ETL tested and passed to the UL Residential Fire standard. When taking over a CO detector, be sure to check the expiration date. CO detectors are usually good anywhere from six (6) to ten (10) years. Life-safety sensors from any of the other manufacturers supported by the PROTAKEOVER, including DSC (433 MHz), Bosch (433 MHz), 2GIG (345 MHz), Qolsys, and Interlogix (319.5 MHz), can be used, but they will not meet the ETL listing requirement.

When life-safety devices are used with the PROTAKEOVER the functionality for Loop 2 becomes automatic. For sensors programmed for Fire, Loop 2 automatically becomes the Maintenance (Clean Me) input. For those programmed as Carbon Monoxide, Loop 2 automatically becomes the End-of-Life input. For this reason, if you use a 5817CB or 5817CBXT, for something such as a wired heat detector input, you MUST strap out the loop 2 input, either with a wire jumper or a resistor, depending on which 5817 you're using, and you cannot use that input for a zone on the system.

Although the addition of life-safety support for legacy RF sensors is the big news in this firmware release, it is by no means the only news. This revision adds the ability to enable or disable on-screen panic alarms. It also adds the ability to program scenes via Total Connect 2.0 that pertain to alarm panel arming and disarming events only. Even if the panel itself doesn't have a PROWIFIZW module installed (Smart Home monitoring plan is still required). Prior to this release, if you had no intention of using Z-Wave devices, but you still wanted to program your system to arm or disarm based on a schedule, you couldn't do so unless you installed a Z-Wave controller in the panel.

Below, we'll list all the added or updated features with an explanation of each:

• Zone Response Type Enhancement: The Device Type "Other" now offers the option to enable Chime. The PROSIXC2W now supports 24-Hour panic response types including 24-hour Silent, 24-Hour Audible, 24-Hour Medical, & 24-Hour Auxiliary. All Device and Response Types are now available when enrolling wireless zones using the PROTAKEOVER module.
• LCD Keypad (PROSIXLCDKP) Enhancement: Now, when a Duress Code is entered at the wireless LCD keypad, only the 4-digit code is required. Previously, users would have to enter the 4-digit code + OFF [1].
• Quiet Time Feature Added: The PROWLTOUCH Keypad now participates in Quiet Time (10:00 pm - 8:00 am). This means that non-emergency Trouble conditions, and Low Battery troubles will not sound the keypad during this time, though they will display. Included in this list are Communicator Trouble, System Low Battery, RF Transmitter Low Battery, RF Jam Trouble, AC Loss, and PROWLTOUCH Supervision Trouble. Sensor Tamper, and RF Supervision will sound. At 8:00 am, if the non-emergency trouble condition still exists, it will sound. This feature is automatic. It cannot be disabled, and the times cannot currently be changed, though that may change in future revisions.
• Additional PROWLTOUCH Enhancements: While in backlight timeout, if the keypad reconnects to WIFI for any reason, the keypad will not illuminate. Keypad supervision is now defaulted as "Disabled". If a system has PROWLTOUCH keypad supervision enabled, updating to this version will NOT disable it. The Wireless Touchscreen keypad can now only be enrolled when the main panel is not in program mode. This prevents conflicts with the PROSIXLCD which MUST be added through panel programming. An issue has been corrected where, if the keypad locked up, the battery had to be removed and re-installed in order to reset the keypad. The Indoor MotionViewer (PROINDMV) clips can now be played back on the PROWLTOUCH as well as on the main panel.
• End-user Can Push User Codes to Z-Wave Locks From TC2: Whew, that was a mouthful! Any Total Connect 2.0 Admin user can now create a user code and send it to a Z-Wave lock via either the Mobile App, or the Website. They have the option to both Push the User to the Lock, and allow the Lock Disarm by that User to automatically Disarm the system.
  
  
• Improved TC2 Behavior During a Z-Wave Lock Jam: Previously, when a lock jam condition was displayed, the only option available was to physically go to the lock and toggle the lock position. Total Connect 2.0 now gives you the option to attempt to Lock or Unlock through the app or website.
• Z-Wave Lock User Code Sync Improvement: In the past, setting the panel user code to match the Yale lock user code would cause issues. This is still not recommended, but the behavior should be improved.
• Security Scenes Available in TC2 Without PROWIFIZW: There is no longer a hardware requirement that the panel have the Z-Wave Controller installed in order to create TC2 Scenes pertaining to security panel-only scenes. Currently, the security system scheduling is only available for Partition 1, and a plan that includes automation (Smart Home) is still required.
• Improved Skybell and TC2 Syncing: Some doorbell cameras were having issues syncing with TC2 after the previous firmware update. Those issues should be resolved.
• Improved PROSIX RF Signal Level Indication: The system now refreshes signal level for PROSIX devices immediately upon entering walk-test mode.
• Improved TC2 Camera List Sync: In the past, it was sometimes necessary to Sync the panel twice to get an accurate camera list. This has been improved.
• Partition Master User Enhancements: A Partition Master User can now only see event logs for the partition(s) they are authorized for.
• Language Corrections: Improvements in translations for both French and Spanish.
• Cyber Security Updates: Ongoing Cyber Security maintenance, as well as other bug fixes.

This firmware update can currently only be installed via WIFI. Any account communicating via cellular only will need to be connected to a mobile hotspot or other "WIFI" option before it can be updated. The size of this update is approximately 8MB.

This is a huge update with a lot of feature additions and some user-recommended improvements. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about the ProSeries panel and the 3.5 update. As always, we look forward to hearing from you!

One of the good things about an alarm system is the fact that there are redundancies built-in. This prevents a single point of failure. To be certain that everything is working as it should, proper testing is required. Life-safety devices should be functionally tested on a regular basis.

There are numerous aspects to an alarm, that's why it's called a system. The senors are its eyes and ears, the keypad and sirens are its mouth, the alarm panel is its brain, and the communicator is how it calls for help. Whether that's by an old-fashioned POTS line, or cellular, or IP. It is recommended that all the basic aspects of the system be tested once a month. That means putting the system on test with the monitoring station, if necessary, then setting off an alarm and making sure that it both shows up locally at the keypad, causes the siren to sound if applicable, and communicates successfully to the monitoring station.

When an alarm system is first installed, it should be tested in such a way that every single facet of the system is verified to be working properly. That means every zone should be tested, and verified to have performed as programmed, including sending a report to the monitoring station, if central station monitoring is in use. It is important to do this properly because it sets a starting point. When you know that everything was working on a particular date, then later tests may be spot tests, without having to test every single zone. If you keep good records, then if a problem does arise, you'll be able to look back and know when was the last time this particular portion of the system was known to be working, and begin troubleshooting from there.

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are considered life-safety devices. They can be wired to the alarm system, but they are often battery powered and some may be wireless, but still connected to the alarm system. There may be others that are battery powered, stand-alone devices that only sound locally, and are not tied to the alarm system. When moving into a home where an alarm system is already installed, it's very important to determine what life-safety sensors are present, whether they are stand-alone or tied to the system, and if possible, get any testing records, and any information you can on battery maintenance. If there are no life-safety sensors, or if there are none that are tied into the system, make it a priority to change this as soon as you can. Always follow the recommended guidelines when laying out the life-safety portion of your system.

Smoke and CO detectors can be tested in two ways. Each device usually has a push-button on the device itself. Depending on the device, pressing this button will cause the detector to sound locally and test its own battery. With newer devices, testing one smoke or CO detector in this way will cause all of the associated life-safety devices on the system to sound. This is called one-go-all-go by some manufacturers. There is usually an LED that provides feedback with this test, with some detectors actually speaking their status. If this happens to be a life-safety sensor that is tied into an alarm system, then pressing the test button should also cause an alarm condition to show up on the system keypad, and if the system is being monitored by a central station, a signal will be sent. If a low battery condition exists, it should be displayed via LEDs, or spoken, on the detector itself, and will show up on the alarm keypad if the detector is tied to the alarm system.

The above test is fine for the monthly system test, but at least twice per year, life-safety devices should undergo a functional test. A functional test is where you actually cause a smoke or a CO alarm. With smoke detectors, you can sometimes do this by lighting a 3-wick candle then blowing it out right under the smoke detector. Functional testing of a CO detector is more difficult, but still possible. We offer both canned CO for testing, and canned smoke. When testing, it may be helpful to hold a bowl upside-down over the detector to be tested. Make the bowl only as large as is necessary to cover the detector completely. Spray the canned smoke or canned CO into the area covered by the bowl. This should result in an alarm with a minimum of the canned product being wasted. It will also prevent you from possibly breathing it in. It is recommended to perform the functional test during the Spring and Fall, at the same time that the clocks are changed for Daylight Saving's Time. This Fall, that's going to happen on November 7, 2021.

Once you've caused an alarm to occur either with actual smoke, or with canned smoke or canned carbon monoxide, you can perform a disarm at the panel keypad to silence the system. It is possible that the system will begin sounding again if there is still smoke in the sensing chamber of the smoke detector, or canned CO in the sensing chamber of the CO detector. To stop the alarm, you need to clear the chamber. That means removing the bowl or other covering you used during the functional test, and blowing out the chamber. Be careful not to breathe in the canned test product. It is noxious! It may be helpful to have a fan handy, or possibly some canned air but be careful not to damage the sensing chamber. If using canned air, hold it at a distance of eight (8) inches or more from the detector.

Testing CO detectors is particularly important at this time of year. Carbon Monoxide buildup is caused by the inefficient burning of certain types of fuel. Natural gas, oil, kerosene, gasoline, wood, and charcoal are all fuel sources that can cause CO poisoning when not burned efficiently. As we head into the colder months, the use of all of these types of fuel for heating and recreation will be on the rise. If you're interested in how carbon monoxide detectors work, you can learn more here.

Above is a general guideline for how to functionally test smoke detectors and CO detectors. Follow the instructions found with the product literature for proper testing and be sure, if your system is monitored by a central station, that you call and put the system on test with them prior to causing an alarm. There are a number of ways that you can accomplish this. You can call the monitoring station, provide verification of your identity, then ask the operator to put your system on test. If you are an Alarm Grid customer, you can use the myalarms.com feature to put your system on test and take it off. If you are an Alarm.com subscriber, you may be able to put your system on test, or take it off, through the Alarm.com app. Alarm Grid has many guides, both written and video, to various specific smoke detectors and CO detectors. Check out our Youtube channel, or search the site for information on your devices. If we don't have information on a device you need to test, if it's one we sell leave us a comment below and we'll be happy to create content for that specific device.

Last week, we featured a list of the Top 5 Worst US States for Fire Safety. We received some positive feedback from the post, so we decided to present you with the five safest states in that same category. By doing this, we hope to make everyone to be a little bit more aware of fire safety.

Before we present our list, we have a few things that we want you to keep in mind. Living in one of these states does not make you or your family immune to fires. You must have a plan in place for dealing with a fire in the event that one occurs in your household. The best time to take action is before any serious damage or loss of life occurs. A good place to start is by getting a monitored security system with programmed smoke and heat detectors for fire-safety. Make sure that your system and sensors are working correctly, and remember to test them regularly. Always put your system on test mode before testing to prevent any false alarms and potential fines.

Also, work with all members of your household to ensure that everyone follows proper fire safety practices. This includes any children in your household, as well as anyone who is elderly, hard of hearing, or may have trouble moving. Put a proper fire-safety plan into place, and make sure that everyone in your household is aware of that plan and how to follow it. You may even want to hold regular fire drills in your household or enlist help from your local fire department by contacting them on their non-emergency phone number for additional ideas and support. And make sure to check out our post on the top ten (10) causes for house fires so that you can understand how most fires occur and what actions can be taken to prevent them.

If you saw our previous post on the five (5) worst states for fire safety, then you will already understand our methodology. Our list represents the average number of fire-related deaths per million people per year across the years 2013 thru 2017. The statistics we are using were reported by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). This represents the newest NFPA data that we were able to find. We believe that this data presents a pretty accurate picture of current fire safety, even though it is technically a few years old at this point.

The table below shows the five (5) US states that have the lowest average number of fire-related death per million people per year for 2013 thru 2017. Just like last time, we have included earlier groupings of years in the graph. While it is interesting to look at how these statistics have changed over time, please understand that these five states made this lists exclusively because of their 2013 thru 2017 statistics. With that out of the way, let's take a look.

Based on this information, the five best states for fire safety are:

• 5. Massachusetts
• 4. Colorado
• 3. Hawaii
• 2. California
• 1. Utah

Before breaking down this list in fine detail, it's very good to see that fire-related casualties do indeed suggest a downward trend over time. Four of these five states have seen their average annual rate of fire-related deaths be reduced by at least half their NFPA-reported statistic since 1981. And when looking at Massachusetts, the figure has been cut down to less than one-third!

Massachusetts was the only state in the Top 5 to not get its average annual fire-related death rate under six (6) deaths per one million people. The state came very close with its rate of 6.1. Still, keeping the average number of fire-related deaths to just 6.1 for every one million legal residents is pretty remarkable. And what's more promising is that the figure has the potential to go further down.

The only state without a clear downward trend on this list is Hawaii. The Aloha State posted the lowest figure in the entire study, with just 2.8 deaths per million people on average from 2008 to 2012, only to see that figure nearly double to 5.3 deaths per million people on average from 2013 to 2017. Still, that 5.3 figure is good enough for third place in the entire country.

Some observers might be surprised to see California anywhere on this list, let alone being landing second place for fire safety. The state has a notorious reputation for its wildfires, and they seem to be an annual occurrence for the region. It's important to consider that this list is strictly measuring loss of human life in determining these rankings. While California certainly has its ongoing issues with wildfires, it's clear that the state has done an excellent job of ensuring the safety of its citizens when dealing with these natural disasters, at least when covering the years 2013 thru 2017.

Congratulations to Utah for having the lowest average rate of fire-related deaths per million people for 2013 thru 2017. The state had just 4.6 fire-related deaths per million people on average for these years. However, Utah has reported lower fire-related deaths in the past, so it's anyone's guess whether the figure will go up or down the next time this information is collected.

Remember, these states made this list not because fires don't occur in their areas, but because its residents know how to take proper action when fires do occur. Knowing what to do in the event of a fire is equally as important as preventing fires in the first place. And never forget that while most of your possessions and your home can be replaced, the lives of those around you cannot.

If you are looking for top-quality residential fire monitoring, then Alarm Grid is happy to help you get started. We encourage you to reach out to us for more information by emailing support@alarmgrid.com, or by calling (888) 818-7728. Keep in mind that our support hours run from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. Our experts can help you determine the perfect system for your household, and we can work with you to choose the best life-safety accessories for your needs. We look forward to working with you and your family to help you remain fire safe.

At Alarm Grid, one thing we take very seriously is fire safety. Our security systems integrate with smoke and heat detectors that trigger fire alarms when activated. Most residential users can use central station monitoring to receive automatic dispatch in the event of a fire alarm.

Although fire safety is important no matter where you live, statistics show that some areas experience higher rates of serious fires than others. We decided to look into this a little bit further to determine the five (5) worst US states for fire safety. Not only are these statistics rather interesting, they can also be quite eye-opening if you live in one of these states.

Our method for determining the worst US states for fire safety was quite simple. We just took a look at the average number of fire-related deaths per million people per year for the years 2013 thru 2017, as reported by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). This is the newest NFPA data we were able to find. Although this data is a few years old, it should still be quite accurate in determining the biggest offenders for fire safety.

In the table below, you will see the five (5) US states that have the highest average number of fire-related deaths per million people per year for 2013 thru 2017. You will also see earlier groupings of years in the graph. We won't focus too much on the earlier years, but it is good to see that fire-related deaths are generally decreasing. All of these states have experienced at least 11 fewer fire-related deaths per million people per year on average when comparing the years 1981 to 1985 with the years 2013 to 2017. That in itself is a good sign that these states are improving their fire safety.

Based on this information, the five worst states for fire safety are:

• 5. Alabama
• 4. Alaska
• 3. Arkansas
• 2. Mississippi
• 1. West Virginia

We understand that this is an overly-simple ideology for ranking states based on fire safety, but it is still interesting nonetheless. And just because your state is on this list doesn't mean that you should get discouraged. Whether or not your household or business practices proper fire safety techniques is up to you, not the rest of your state. Therefore, you should do your part to prevent yourself and those around you from becoming another unfortunate statistic in this dataset.

To keep your home or business as safe as possible, you should start by making sure that the building is properly outfitted with smoke detectors. It is recommended that you have at least one smoke detector on each floor. There should also be a smoke detector inside of every sleeping area and inside any large central area. Great locations for smoke detectors include bedrooms, hallways, living rooms, and any big room in a business. You may also use standalone heat detectors in areas that are not suitable for traditional smoke detectors. These include bathrooms, garages, kitchens, and basements. Remember to test your smoke and heat detectors at least once per month and change their batteries regularly. If your smoke and heat detectors are enrolled with a monitored alarm panel, then make sure to place your system on test mode first to avoid false alarms.

We also strongly advise viewing this post we made last year about the top ten (10) causes for house fires. Understand how fires are caused, and take the proper actions to prevent them. Make sure that every member of your household or business is as fire safety conscious as you are. You should hold regularly scheduled fire drills in your home or business. Get everyone involved, and make it a group activity. It is crucial that you have an action plan and that everyone else in your home or business understands and follows that plan. You may even want to reach out to your local fire department on their non-emergency number to see if they can help you maintain fire safety.

Remember, fire-related deaths are something that you and those around you can prevent. But you need to take action beforehand. Once you lose someone to a fire, you can't bring them back. Let's work together to make this decade the safest yet. If you want to learn more about fire-safety or our residential fire monitoring services, then you can always reach out to us by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. Remember that our support hours run from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to helping you remain fire safe!