Sandy Springs To Host Alarm Expo Monday Before Ordinance Starts

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Before a new City of Sandy Springs ordinance starts in June, the city is hosting an Alarm Provider Expo on Monday, May 20 to help answer questions. The Expo is intended to provide users of monitored alarm systems the opportunity to talk with providers regarding compliance with the City’s False Alarm Ordinance.

On June 19, the City will begin enforcing its 2018 ordinance requiring True Verification on Intrusion Alarm Activations before public safety dispatch is requested.

The Expo will take place at City Hall, 1 Galambos Way, from 6 – 8 p.m.

There will not be any formal presentation at the Expo. Attendees will be able to discuss with participating Alarm Companies services offered to help customers be compliant with the City’s ordinance.

According to the ordinance, “verified” means visual or audible confirmation of an attempted or actual crime or other emergency situation at the alarm site by means of:

• a. Confirmation by the alarm user at the alarm site or via self-monitored audio/visual equipment;
• b. Confirmation by a private guard responder at the alarm site;
• c. Audible and/or visual evidence provided by a monitored alarm system.

The City invited the 266 alarm companies registered with the City to participate.

The City adopted its first alarm ordinance in 2012, with the goal of reducing the large number of false alarm calls into the 911 Center, using valuable public safety resources both in the 911 Center and Public Safety personnel required to follow up on false alarm calls. The original ordinance fined alarm customers for false alarms. While there was a decrease during the first year of the ordinance, subsequent years did not show any substantial decline in call volume.

In 2017, with false alarm calls still averaging 10,000 per year, the City Council revised the alarm ordinance, placing fines on the alarm companies as it is the alarm company which is placing the call to 911 requesting public safety dispatch. The trend of high call volume with 99.5 percent of alarm calls false alarms continued.

Research into cities with success at reducing false alarms showed that True Verification provided substantial reductions in false alarm calls. In June 2018, the Council revised the ordinance, requiring True Verification, providing the alarm industry with a full year to prepare for the change.

Details about the alarm ordinance and frequently asked questions regarding True Verification can be found on the City’s website at www.sandyspringsga.gov/alarm.