Courtesy of the Fire Safety Council
Roberta Gates-Roberts of Marietta, Georgia awoke to her clock alarm on the morning of December 3rd and did not feel well. She could hardly move, was nauseated and confused. She felt as if she desperately needed to breathe air. She heard her husband, Robert; call out to her that he could not move. Roberts did not know that the car had been running in their garage with the door closed for 16 hours and what was making them both sick—carbon monoxide.
An Atkins Customer since 2002, Roberts made her way back to the bedroom and found her cellphone and called our Central Station. “I was so confused that I did not know what kind of help 
I needed police, medical or fire, but I knew if I dialed “A” that it would call Atkins [central station] and that they would look after me” Roberts explained. The operator who received her call Christy Emmons, immediately knew something was wrong, “When she told me that they were both sick and could hardly move…I knew it was carbon monoxide.” Emmons knew from her training that she needed to keep calm and reassure her. She told her “’We are here for you and we are going to do everything we can to help you out.’ I just treated her like family.” Emmons asked her to go and open as many doors and windows as she could. Roberts thought she could not get out of bed to do this, and the operator told her, “Ms. Roberts, you have to.” That was just the push she needed. She managed to open the front door and then passed out.
The authorities arrived within minutes to find the front door open and both her and her husband unconscious. They provided them with the medical assistance and after some recovery time at hospital, Roberts and her husband are alive and well. Although they still have some health problems from the exposure, Roberts credits the quick actions of Emmons and Atkins Systems with saving their lives.
The leading cause of accidental poisoning in the United States, Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that you cannot smell, see, or taste. It is produced by all fossil fuels and many household items produce it such as gas powered generators, vehicles, a gas powered oven or clothes dryer, a clogged chimney or a heating system. . Symptoms of poisoning include tiredness, drowsiness, headaches, giddiness, nausea, vomiting, and pains in the chest, breathlessness, stomach pains, erratic behavior, and visual problems. This can often be confused with the flu and tiredness. Should you and another family member experience these symptoms, you should get out of the house immediately and call 911.
Roberts wants others to learn from her experience and get carbon monoxide detectors for their home. “I never thought this would happen to me.” Roberts said. Emmons echoed this, “it is imperative that you get carbon monoxide coverage in case an emergency happens.”
What can you do to protect yourself? The awareness of the carbon monoxide symptoms is extremely important. Have an inspection done yearly by a qualified inspector on all fuel burning appliances, venting systems, and chimneys. Install carbon monoxide detectors in the living areas of your home. Atkins offers carbon monoxide detectors that can be tied into your home security system that will alert you and central station automatically.
By: Ava Wilkey, Marketing Coordinator, Atkins Systems.
The amount of information available about home and business alarm systems and alarm monitoring services can be overwhelming. With the amount of advertising out there, it can be difficult to figure out what really matters. Let us help. A small poll was conducted in our office to determine the most commonly asked about alarm monitoring service:
Q: What is alarm monitoring and how does it work? Monitoring is a service provided by alarm companies. It enables your alarm system to report alarms signals to a central station where an operator is available 24/7. When an alarm is tripped at your home or business, the system sends a signal via a phone line (if standard analog monitoring) to the central station alarm receiver. Operators receive the signal on their computer and call your home or business to verify if the alarm is false. If the operator received no answer, voicemail or an incorrect passcode, they dispatch the appropriate local authority depending on the type of alarm triggered. If a correct passcode is given, the alarm is cancelled. The exceptions are a commercial fire alarm signal where it is required by fire code or a silent distress alarm initiated by an end user where it is required that central station dispatches immediately.
Q: Is your central monitoring station local? Many companies identify their monitoring station as “local” and use this terminology as an advertising benefit. The location of your home or business has no bearing on the central station’s ability to receive signals from your alarm panel. Depending on the alarm company, the alarm receiver at central station is set up to dial an 800#, which can be dialed from anywhere in the U.S. with the same amount of speed and accuracy. What is important is that the central station is UL listed.
Q: What does a UL Listed Central Station mean? Many of us see the little tag on our lamp or night light, but we do not realize that the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) provides certification for more than just lighting. A UL Listed central station has met minimum professional standards to provide alarm communication services. As UL states, “For monitoring stations, UL requirements cover building structure, receiving and monitoring equipment, and staffing,” and the ability to provide this complying service in the event of an alarm without interruption at any time (1). This certification is subject to random audit as well. There are central stations that provide monitoring service that are not UL listed.
Q: Do you need a phone line to be monitored? No. While analog phone lines are the most common method of monitoring alarms, there are options wireless available.
Cellular: The most stable of the wireless monitoring option, cellular monitoring is provided by a third party cellular service to transmit alarm signals via cellular radio to the central station receiver. This service requires the installation of cellular radio and your monitoring rate is usually higher than standard monitoring because the alarm company is required to pay the third party to provide the cellular monitoring service. This wireless alarm monitoring service is now available for fire alarms eliminating the need for two analog phone lines.
Internet Protocol (IP): IP monitoring is provided through your internet connection. Like cellular monitoring, an IP unit must be installed which allows for the alarm panel to transmit signals through your internet connection to the central station receiver. IP monitoring rates are higher than standard monitoring because central station provides additional equipment and supervision with this service. At this time, IP is not the most stable method to monitor an alarm panel because it depends on your internet provider if your internet is down, your alarm will not transmit signals. In addition, in the event of a power outage your internet would be down eliminating your communication method for alarms. To alleviate this an UPS (uninterrupted power supply) can be installed to assure continuous service.
By adding one of these wireless alarm monitoring services to your alarm, you can eliminate the need for phone lines and save money on your phone bill.
Q: What about VOIP lines and how does it affect my alarm system? Voice Over Internet Protocol or VOIP is phone service that is provided through your internet connection. An alarm panel transmits signals over an analog phone line and often cannot covert this analog signal to digital. The result is a distortion of the signal and the inability for your alarm panel to communicate with central station. Either a cellular or IP communicator as described above along with a UPS is recommended. The key is test your alarm system once you make any changes to your phone service and make sure it is communicating properly.
Q: How do I test my alarm system? To assure continuous alarm monitoring service, always test your alarm system monthly by calling your central station to put your alarm in test. Then arm your system, and trip any zone, a door, motion detector, etc. Disarm the system and call central station back to make sure they received the alarm signal. If they are able to read out the zones tripped, than your alarm is communicating properly, if they received nothing, call your alarm company for further assistance.
Q: Why does alarm monitoring matter? Alarm monitoring could not only save your property, but possibly your life. Gone are the days when a neighbor or the local authorities would respond to the sound of a siren. An alarm monitoring operator responds to every alarm every time, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Many security alarms also provide additional features such as a medical panic and/or smoke detectors that are monitored. For some businesses, fire alarm monitoring required by fire code.
REFERENCES:
(1) Underwriters Laboratory, UL information regarding alarm systems can be found at: http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/offerings/industries/lifesafetyandsecurity/alarmsystems
