More than ever business owners in the alarm industry need to pay careful attention to events taking place in Washington DC. While it had been long predicted that President Obama and a Democratically-controlled Congress would bring about significant change to the laws regulating the American workplace, no one anticipated quite how rapidly that change would come. In just over a week after taking office, for example, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Act which changes the laws on pay discrimination. If your firm has 15 or more employees it will apply to your business. This law is named after the plaintiff in a pay discrimination suit whose case was thrown out of court by U.S. Supreme Court last year. Under the proposed EFCA, if the union gets a majority (51%) of the workforce to sign card saying they want a union, the union is in and there would be no election. This process would make much easier for a union organizer to follow the workers in their company marked vehicles and just have them sign a card. This is something that should concern every alarm company owner. Business should soon expect other changes in workplace law. Based on the President’s actions of issuing the new Executive Orders at the exact same time he announced formation of his Task Force on Middle Class Working Families, the President appears to be integrating labor law reform with efforts to stimulate the economy. While it is impossible to accurately predict what will occur, future areas under serious consideration include:

• Expanding federal discrimination laws to protect individuals on the basis of sexual orientation.
• Tightening the rules for classifying individuals as independent contractors or employees. Misclassification exposes companies and workers to liability for withholding taxes, unemployment compensation taxes, workers’ compensation, and various tax deductions.
• Additional efforts to make it easier for unions to organize by narrowing the definition of a supervisor. Supervisors in the private sector have no rights to unionize.

Security Alarm Business owners must closely monitor developments to insure the workplace remains in compliance. To have an effective voice in the formation of all the laws that affect your business contact your representatives in Washington and locally.

Provided by 'The Handshake,' The Official Publication of the Alarm Association of Florida

Glassbreak Detectors

A Glassbreak detector is an electronic device that detects frequencies that accompany the breaking of glass.

Heat Detectors

Heat detectors can determine changes in temperature in your house or building. Heat Detectors can be a standalone fire alarm safety system or can work in conjunction with other safety security systems.

Motion Sensors

Motion sensors are devices that register changes of state in interior or exterior spaces. Motion sensors are highly effective in intrusion detection.

For trouble-shooting an existing system, the absolute minimum is basic hand tools like wire-strippers/crimpers (most of this is very small gauge wire), screwdrivers, and some means to test for continuity on a circuit. This is all 12vdc, except for the 16vac transformer, and you can do a surprising amount with an automotive test light, but having an inexpensive Volt/Ohm/Milliamp Meter, and learning to use it, can save you a world of headaches and frustration. For more than the basics, like installing or modifying a system, you will need drills and bits that can go through aged wood (drilling even a 1/4 inch hole through the thickness of a old door header will push most consumer grade tools to their limit). You may find a few trips to the tool rental store in order.

Source: http://forum.doityourself.com/electronic-alarms-home-security-devices/203784-alarm-forum-faq-please-read-before-posting.html

The Alarm Association of Florida, Inc. (AAF) was founded in 1968 by a group of alarm dealers who knew the time had come to organize their energies and talents and provide a resource to the security industry for services and representation to the public. However, the official date used for "the beginning" of the Association is 1970, since that is the year that the first set of Bylaws was adopted and a Code of Ethics enacted for AAF members.

Source: http://www.fla-alarms.org/default.htm

Security Networks announces the appointment of Jack O’Brien to Vice President of Operations for its Marlin Central Monitoring unit. O’Brien will oversee all operational activities of the central station; direct technology upgrades, integration, and performance of all of the company’s call centers and provide operational support to business development activities. “We are excited to have O’Brien join our senior management team,” said Richard Perry, president of Security Networks. “Jack brings a wealth of experience in helping other organizations in the development of call center certifications, training programs and customer retention programs.” O’Brien has over 25 years of experience in the security industry including 12 years with Wells Fargo as a general manager before joining ADT as general manager of the customer service center for the greater New York region. He has also held positions as director of the Rollins National Center in Atlanta and later director of North American Services at Siemens.

Provided by 'The Handshake,' The Official Publication of the Alarm Association of Florida

Panic Button

A panic button is a remote control device or a button on a security control panel that sends an alarm signal without requiring the use of a security access code.

Panic Pendant

A panic or medical pendant is a portable electronic device that sends a wireless signal to the security control panel. They can be worn around the neck with a neck strap, clipped to a belt, or placed in wall-mounted holders.

Radio Backup

This state of the art technology allows us to install a radio alarm backup system without telephone lines. These cellular backup support systems may also be added to your present alarm protection system as a back-up which send alarm signals by radio to the central surveillance monitoring station.

Sensor

A sensor is a device that detects a change from one state to another.

Smoke Detector

A smoke detector is an electronic device which senses the presence of smoke and sends a smoke alarm signal to the security control panel. A smoke detector conveys early detection of a fire by an audible alarm warning.

Waterflow Alarm

The waterflow alarm is a type of emergency safety alarm which is activated by the flow of water though a fire sprinkler system. This flow alarms the central surveillance monitoring station and alerts the authorities concerned.

On October 1, 2008, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners revised the Palm Beach County Burglar Alarm Ordinance. The revisions to the ordnance were effective October 1, 2008, but the residents and businesses within the Village Royal Palm Beach were granted temporary reprieve in compliance with the ordinance’s revisions and alarm registration. Residents and business owners will now have to register their active burglar alarm with the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office Alarm Unit Enforcement since the ordinance went into effect in the Village on March 1, 2009. For those dealers with customers in Royal Palm Beach Village, please inform alarm system owners that the registration process can be completed by mailing the application and a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) check made payable to: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, c/o Accounting Department, P.O. Box 24681, West Palm Beach, FL, 33416-4681. Should the application and fee not arrive, the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office will discontinue response to alarms that may occur at the premises. However, the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office will continue to respond to all 911 calls, all robbery/panic duress and hold up alarms. These alarm activations require an intentional act by a person on the premises to activate the alarm, even if the alarm user is on “No Response Status.” Last year alone, the deputies in District 9 (the Village) reported responding to over 2,500 false alarms.

 In many circumstances, the alarms were set off due to error, poorly working/installed alarms or other reasons that could have been easily avoided. In each case, deputies responded to the false alarms when they could have been patrolling other areas or responding to high priority calls. The new ordinance was enacted by the County in an attempt to reduce law enforcement response to false alarm activations. False alarms unnecessarily stress law enforcement resources and waste valuable tax dollars. The Alarm Ordinance encourages alarm users to repair defective alarm systems and learn correct system operation. An alarm activation from an alarm system not registered is subject to a civil penalty of $260.00 for each activation. It is imperative that all residents and businesses register their alarm system in compliance with the ordinance.

Provided by 'The Handshake,' The Official Publication of the Alarm Association of Florida

Source: http://forum.doityourself.com/electronic-alarms-home-security-devices/203784-alarm-forum-faq-please-read-before-posting.html

Keypads and controls are designed to match electronically, i.e. keypads are not interchangeable, sometimes not even within the same brand family. There are generally 3 kinds: LED keypads that display zone status and other information by simply turning on and off one or more rows of LEDs. Fixed English displays that provide a limited vocabulary of words and numbers, and full Alphanumeric displays that can be programmed with descriptive words (and often multiple languages). For a do-it-yourself situation, the Alpha keypad is generally the best choice. You spend less time page-flipping to interpret the information on the keypad during programming.

Source: http://forum.doityourself.com/electronic-alarms-home-security-devices/203784-alarm-forum-faq-please-read-before-posting.html

Do not rely on the Keypad model! Many alarm manufacturers use a common set of keypads on multiple models. The first place to start is to look inside the door of the system enclosure. (90% of the time, there will be a diagram with the proper system name on the inside of the door). Some alarms are re-branded to identify the actual alarm hardware, there is usually a model number on the main PC board, usually on the main IC chip, or the edge of the PC board. Similar model numbers do not always program alike; there is a huge difference between a DSC PC1550 and a DSC PC1555, for example.

 Source: http://forum.doityourself.com/electronic-alarms-home-security-devices/203784-alarm-forum-faq-please-read-before-posting.html