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Chapter 15

15.0 Installer Warning

Warning Please Read Carefully

Note To Installers:

Thiswarningcontainsvitalinformation.Astheonlyindividualincontactwithsystemusers,itisyourresponsibilitytobringeachiteminthiswarningtotheattentionoftheusersofthissystem.

System Failures

Thissystemhasbeencarefullydesignedtobeaseffectiveaspossible.Therearecircumstances,however,involvingfire,burglary,orothertypesofemergencieswhereitmaynotprovideprotection.Anyalarm

systemofanytypemaybecompromiseddeliberatelyormayfailtooperateasexpectedforavarietyofreasons.Somebutnotallofthesereasonsmaybe:

Inadequate Installation

Asecuritysystemmustbeinstalledproperlyinordertoprovideadequateprotection.Everyinstallationshouldbeevaluatedbyasecurityprofessionaltoensurethatallaccesspointsandareasarecovered.Locks

andlatchesonwindowsanddoorsmustbesecureandoperateasintended.Windows,doors,walls,ceilingsandotherbuildingmaterialsmustbeofsufficientstrengthandconstructiontoprovidethelevelofpro-

tectionexpected.Areevaluationmustbedoneduringandafteranyconstructionactivity.Anevaluationbythefireand/orpolicedepartmentishighlyrecommendedifthisserviceisavailable.

Criminal Knowledge

Thissystemcontainssecurityfeatureswhichwereknowntobeeffectiveatthetimeofmanufacture.Itispossibleforpersonswithcriminalintenttodeveloptechniqueswhichreducetheeffectivenessofthese

features.Itisimportantthatasecuritysystembereviewedperiodicallytoensurethatitsfeaturesremaineffectiveandthatitbeupdatedorreplacedifitisfoundthatitdoesnotprovidetheprotectionexpected.

Access by Intruders

Intrudersmayenterthroughanunprotectedaccesspoint,circumventasensingdevice,evadedetectionbymovingthroughanareaofinsufficientcoverage,disconnectawarningdevice,orinterferewithorprevent

theproperoperationofthesystem.

Power Failure

Controlunits,intrusiondetectors,smokedetectorsandmanyothersecuritydevicesrequireanadequatepowersupplyforproperoperation.Ifadeviceoperatesfrombatteries,itispossibleforthebatteriestofail.

Evenifthebatterieshavenotfailed,theymustbecharged,ingoodconditionandinstalledcorrectly.IfadeviceoperatesonlybyACpower,anyinterruption,howeverbrief,willrenderthatdeviceinoperative

whileitdoesnothavepower.Powerinterruptionsofanylengthareoftenaccompaniedbyvoltagefluctuationswhichmaydamageelectronicequipmentsuchasasecuritysystem.Afterapowerinterruptionhas

occurred,immediatelyconductacompletesystemtesttoensurethatthesystemoperatesasintended.

Failure of Replaceable Batteries

Thissystem’swirelesstransmittershavebeendesignedtoprovideseveralyearsofbatterylifeundernormalconditions.Theexpectedbatterylifeisafunctionofthedeviceenvironment,usageandtype.Ambient

conditionssuchashighhumidity,highorlowtemperatures,orlargetemperaturefluctuationsmayreducetheexpectedbatterylife.Whileeachtransmittingdevicehasalowbatterymonitorwhichidentifieswhen

thebatteriesneedtobereplaced,thismonitormayfailtooperateasexpected.Regulartestingandmaintenancewillkeepthesystemingoodoperatingcondition.

Compromise of Radio Frequency (Wireless) Devices

Signalsmaynotreachthereceiverunderallcircumstanceswhichcouldincludemetalobjectsplacedonorneartheradiopathordeliberatejammingorotherinadvertentradiosignalinterference.

System Users

Ausermaynotbeabletooperateapanicoremergencyswitchpossiblyduetopermanentortemporaryphysicaldisability,inabilitytoreachthedeviceintime,orunfamiliaritywiththecorrectoperation.Itis

importantthatallsystemusersbetrainedinthecorrectoperationofthealarmsystemandthattheyknowhowtorespondwhenthesystemindicatesanalarm.

Smoke Detectors

Smokedetectorsthatareapartofthissystemmaynotproperlyalertoccupantsofafireforanumberofreasons,someofwhichfollow.Thesmokedetectorsmayhavebeenimproperlyinstalledorpositioned.

Smokemaynotbeabletoreachthesmokedetectors,suchaswhenthefireisinachimney,wallsorroofs,orontheothersideofcloseddoors.Smokedetectorsmaynotdetectsmokefromfiresonanotherlevel

oftheresidenceorbuilding.

Everyfireisdifferentintheamountofsmokeproducedandtherateofburning.Smokedetectorscannotsensealltypesoffiresequallywell.Smokedetectorsmaynotprovidetimelywarningoffirescausedby

carelessnessorsafetyhazardssuchassmokinginbed,violentexplosions,escapinggas,improperstorageofflammablematerials,overloadedelectricalcircuits,childrenplayingwithmatchesorarson.

Evenifthesmokedetectoroperatesasintended,theremaybecircumstanceswhenthereisinsufficientwarningtoallowalloccupantstoescapeintimetoavoidinjuryordeath.

Motion Detectors

Motiondetectorscanonlydetectmotionwithinthedesignatedareasasshownintheirrespectiveinstallationinstructions.Theycannotdiscriminatebetweenintrudersandintendedoccupants.Motiondetectorsdo

notprovidevolumetricareaprotection.Theyhavemultiplebeamsofdetectionandmotioncanonlybedetectedinunobstructedareascoveredbythesebeams.Theycannotdetectmotionwhichoccursbehindwalls,

ceilings,floor,closeddoors,glasspartitions,glassdoorsorwindows.Anytypeoftamperingwhetherintentionalorunintentionalsuchasmasking,painting,orsprayingofanymaterialonthelenses,mirrors,win-

dowsoranyotherpartofthedetectionsystemwillimpairitsproperoperation.

Passiveinfraredmotiondetectorsoperatebysensingchangesintemperature.Howevertheireffectivenesscanbereducedwhentheambienttemperaturerisesnearorabovebodytemperatureorifthereareinten-

tionalorunintentionalsourcesofheatinornearthedetectionarea.Someoftheseheatsourcescouldbeheaters,radiators,stoves,barbeques,fireplaces,sunlight,steamvents,lightingandsoon.

Warning Devices

Warningdevicessuchassirens,bells,horns,orstrobesmaynotwarnpeopleorwakensomeonesleepingifthereisaninterveningwallordoor.Ifwarningdevicesarelocatedonadifferentleveloftheresidence

orpremise,thenitislesslikelythattheoccupantswillbealertedorawakened.Audiblewarningdevicesmaybeinterferedwithbyothernoisesourcessuchasstereos,radios,televisions,airconditionersor

otherappliances,orpassingtraffic.Audiblewarningdevices,howeverloud,maynotbeheardbyahearing-impairedperson.

Telephone Lines

Iftelephonelinesareusedtotransmitalarms,theymaybeoutofserviceorbusyforcertainperiodsoftime.Alsoanintrudermaycutthetelephonelineordefeatitsoperationbymoresophisticatedmeanswhich

maybedifficulttodetect.

Insufficient Time

Theremaybecircumstanceswhenthesystemwilloperateasintended,yettheoccupantswillnotbeprotectedfromtheemergencyduetotheirinabilitytorespondtothewarningsinatimelymanner.Ifthesys-

temismonitored,theresponsemaynotoccurintimetoprotecttheoccupantsortheirbelongings.

Component Failure

Althougheveryefforthasbeenmadetomakethissystemasreliableaspossible,thesystemmayfailtofunctionasintendedduetothefailureofacomponent.

Inadequate Testing

Mostproblemsthatwouldpreventanalarmsystemfromoperatingasintendedcanbefoundbyregulartestingandmaintenance.Thecompletesystemshouldbetestedweeklyandimmediatelyafterabreak-in,an

attemptedbreak-in,afire,astorm,anearthquake,anaccident,oranykindofconstructionactivityinsideoroutsidethepremises.Thetestingshouldincludeallsensingdevices,keypads,consoles,alarmindic-

atingdevicesandanyotheroperationaldevicesthatarepartofthesystem.

Security and Insurance

Regardlessofitscapabilities,analarmsystemisnotasubstituteforpropertyorlifeinsurance.Analarmsystemalsoisnotasubstituteforpropertyowners,renters,orotheroccupantstoactprudentlytoprevent

orminimizetheharmfuleffectsofanemergencysituation.

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