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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CLICK ON THE QUESTION TO LINK TO THE ANSWER
Q. Can I have my system turned on when I'm at home?
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Q. Who sets industry standards?
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Q. What is active versus passive monitoring?
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Q. I already have a battery-operated smoke detector, why would I need one on a security system?
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Q. Will pets trigger my motion detectors?
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Q. Are alarm companies required to have liability insurance?
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Q. How do I know that my alarm system is operating properly?
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Q. What does "arm" and "disarm" mean?
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Q. Can you tell who was the last person who armed or disarmed the system?
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Q. What does third party monitoring mean?
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Q. Why is Carbon Monoxide a concern in residential housing and workplaces?
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Q. How does the security system communicate with the monitoring station?
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ANSWERS
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Q. Can I have my system turned on when I'm at home?
A. Yes, your alarm system can be designed in many ways to accommodate your lifestyle. You can customize different levels of protection that fit with your daily routine - for example, when you are away you can have all door and motion sensors activated. When you are home at night you can set just your door sensors to be armed, and not your motion sensors so you can feel safe in your home. Smoke detectors are always active. Your Security ONE sales representative can help you design a custom system that works for you.
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Q. Who sets industry standards?
A. There are no industry standards governing the Alarm Industry.
Security ONE is a member of CANASA (Canadian Alarm and Security Association). All of our service technicians are required to be CANASA certified.
Security ONE also operates an Insurance Industry Approved Monitoring Station (Underwriter's Laboratories of Canada Certified) and is authorized to install and / or monitor ULC approved Security Systems.
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Q. What is active versus passive monitoring?
A. Many alarm companies connect their customers to an alarm monitoring contractor that monitors hundreds of thousands of alarm systems. Most of these offer what is called "passive monitoring". Passive monitoring (otherwise known as "Alarm Only") means that only when your alarm is set off does an alarm signal go to the monitoring station. If you do not have an alarm for several months or years, your alarm system has not communicated with the monitoring station in that time. There are changes that may have occurrd to your phone line or number, or alarm system itself that could prevent the notification of your emergency from reaching the monitoring station.Security ONE provides all customers with "Active Monitoring" for no extra charge. This means that your alarm system sends our monitoring station a signal every time you arm or disarm your alarm. Your system also communicates a daily test signal to our local monitoring station.
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Q. I already have a battery-operated smoke detector, why would I need one on a security system?
A. A smoke detector that is built in to your alarm provides more protection for your home or business than a "stand-alone" smoke detector simply because it is monitored by our staff. When smoke is detected, an alarm is sounded and a signal is sent to our monitoring station, even when your alarm is not armed. One of our staff members will then get in touch with you and the fire department to ensure prompt response in the event of a fire.
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Q. Will pets trigger my motion detectors?
A. Security ONE offers "Pet Immune" Passive Infrared Motion Detectors which can be installed in homes with pets. We also offer a product known as "Pet Alley" - can I get more info on this please to post here? asking a customer to contact a sales rep kind of negates the purpose of FAQs. Mention your pets to your Security ONE sales associate when discussing your security needs.<
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Q. Are alarm companies required to have liability insurance?
A. Security ONE carries "Failure to Perform" (error and omission liability) Insurance.
Many other alarm companies do not carry this insurance. A single lawsuit could put them out of business, leaving all their customer unprotected. If you are shopping around for an alarm system, ask for proof of this type of liability insurance to ensure you're protected.
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Q. How do I know that my alarm system is operating properly?
A. If you are shopping around for an alarm system, this is an important question to ask. Unlike most alarm companies, Security ONE's monitoring station sends a daily test signal to your alarm to ensure it is working correctly. Most other companies operate their Security Systems on an alarm-only basis, which means if your alarm has not gone off in months or years you have no way of knowing for sure that it is working properly. For more information on this, please see "Active vs. Passive Monitoring"
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Q. What does "arm" and "disarm" mean?
A. Arm / Open / or Activate are common terms used to describe turning your alarm system on, whereas Disarm / Close or Deactivate are common terms used to describe turing your alarm system off. For example, when you leave your house or business, you would arm your alarm, but when you return, you would disarm your system.
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Q. Can you tell who was the last person who armed or disarmed the system?
A. Yes. Each person who will use your alarm system will be assigned a unique alarm code. Security ONE can tell you which user armed or disarmed your system by date and time. You can also receive notifications on your email or cell phone when your system is armed and disarmed and by which user. It is a beneficial feature for business owners monitoring their staff or parents wanting to know when their children arrive and leave home.
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Q. What does third party monitoring mean?
A. "Third party monitoring" is used by a lot of smaller alarm companies and means that the alarm company subcontracts its monitoring to another company. The disadvantage of this is that the monitoring station may be located in another province or country. This can result in poor customer service because they may not be familiar with your type of equipment, there is usually no verification of the alarm signal used to prevent false alarms, and they have a limited knowledge of your local police and emergency officials' policies and procedures when notifying them of an alarm.
Security owns and operates their own monitoring station based locally out of Leamington, Ontario. |
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Q. Why is Carbon Monoxide a concern in residential housing and workplaces?
A. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odorless and tasteless gas that is very toxic to humans and animals. It is produced when there is not enough oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, such as when a stove or other gas appliance is operated without the proper ventilation needed. Carbon Monoxide combines with hemoglobin in blood to produce carboxhemoglobin, which is ineffective in delivering oxygen to bodily tissues. Symptoms of this include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lethargy, a feeling of weakness, confusion, disorientation, visual disturbances and seizures.
In closed environments such as the home, the concentration of carbon monoxide can easily rise to lethal levels. On average, 170 people in North America die every year from CO produced by their home appliances and other consumer products. These are usually malfunctioning fuel-burning items such as furnaces, fireplaces, ranges, water heaters, and room heaters. Carbon Monoxide detectors can easily prevent these deaths. Carbon Monoxide detectors attached to your security system can be monitored, and you, and the fire department can be alerted promptly if there is Carbon Monoxide building up in your home.
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Q. How does the security system communicate with the monitoring station?
A. The alarm system communicates with the monitoring system over a phone line or cellular transmitter via Digital Dialer. The Digital Dialer connects into the existing telephone network. |
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