You’re asleep when your alarm suddenly goes off. Or maybe you’re away for the weekend and your security system detects movement inside your home.

You know your alarm has been triggered, but what happens next?

With professional alarm monitoring, an alarm starts a process that involves trained professionals assessing the situation, contacting you and, when necessary, requesting emergency assistance. Here’s a closer look at what happens when your home alarm is triggered.

1. A sensor detects a potential threat

   The process starts when a security or life-safety device detects something unusual in your home.

   Depending on your system, this could be:

   • A door or window opening while your system is armed
   • Motion being detected inside your home
   • Smoke or heat being detected
   • A toxic gas being detected
   • Temperature dropping below a certain level
   • Flood conditions

   The system automatically sends information about the event to the monitoring center.

2. The signal is sent to the monitoring center

   Once an alarm is triggered, your security system sends a signal to a professional monitoring center, also known as a central station.

   The signal provides information about the event, like your customer ID number, the type of alarm event (for example, smoke detector, burglar alarm), and the “zone” of your home the alarm trigger occurred. Zones vary depending on your system set-up but they are typically specific areas of your home, such as primary bedroom, living room, garage, and so on.

   The signal transmission happens automatically. You don’t have to notice the alarm and make a phone call for the process to begin. Alarm signals may be transmitted through a range of networks, including WiFi, cellular and radio, so your alarm panel can still communicate even if your home’s power is out or one of the communication paths has been compromised.

3. A trained monitoring center agent reviews the alarm

   A trained monitoring professional receives the signal and evaluates what happened.

   Different types of alarms can require different responses. The operator considers the type of signal and other available information to determine what action should be taken.

   At American Alarm, priority alarm signals are responded to by trained operators in an average of 20 seconds or less.

   That’s an important difference between professional monitoring and simply receiving an alert on your phone. With professional monitoring, agents are standing by to review your alarm signal as soon as it is activated so they can take immediate action. Our agents work from our local, Five-Diamond, UL Certified, 24-hour security command center in Arlington, MA.

4. The alarm is verified

   Before initiating a response, the monitoring team works to determine whether the alarm represents a genuine emergency or a false alarm.

   Depending on your security system and the situation, monitoring agents may be able to use information from sensors, alarm history, or other sources to help assess what is happening. Alternatively, they may contact you directly to ask if the alarm was triggered on accident.

   Verification can help reduce unnecessary emergency dispatches while ensuring genuine emergencies receive an appropriate response.

5. You or your emergency contacts are contacted

   The monitoring team may contact you or your designated emergency contacts according to your established response plan.

   If you’re home, you can provide information about what’s happening. If you’re away, an emergency contact may be able to check on the property.

   And if you’re asleep, traveling, or otherwise unable to respond, the monitoring team can continue following the established response procedure.

   For burglar alarm events, American Alarm employs leading-edge technology through our AlertMessage interactive text platform, providing you and your designated contacts the opportunity to confirm a valid or false alarm.

6. Emergency services are dispatched when needed

   If the situation requires emergency assistance, the monitoring team will contact the appropriate responders.

   Depending on the type of alarm, that could include:

   • Police
   • Fire department
   • EMS or medical responders

   The 24/7 monitoring team can provide responders with relevant information about the alarm and your property, helping connect your home security system with the people who can respond to an emergency. If the situation changes in any way, the monitoring center agents can update the responders with new information as it becomes available.

   This is why it’s important to update your security company if your contact information changes or if you have a major lifestyle change, such as a partner or friend moving in (or out). Knowing how many people or pets live in the home can be enormously helpful for first responders in an emergency.

7. The incident is documented

   The response doesn’t necessarily end once the immediate situation is resolved.

   Alarm activity and the actions taken by the monitoring team are documented. If the event reveals an issue with your security system, follow-up service may also be needed.

   This is part of the value of professional monitoring: you’re not simply buying security equipment. You’re getting an ongoing service designed to help protect your home and loved ones around the clock.

The value of professional monitoring

A home security system can detect a potential problem. Professional monitoring adds the people and process needed to respond appropriately.

Alarm system → Signal → Monitoring professional → Verification → Contact → Emergency response

Professional monitoring means someone is ready to take action, even when you’re asleep, away from home, or unable to respond yourself. In moments of high stress, professional monitoring means a central station agent is already aware of the alarm and preparing a response. With professional monitoring, you’re never alone.

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