WARNING LIMITATIONS OF ALARM SYSTEMS
Although of an advanced design, this security system does not offer 100% guarantee of warning or assured protection against burglary, fire or other
emergency. Any alarm system, whether commercial or residential, is subject to compromise or failure to warn for a variety of reasons. For example:
• Intruders may gain access through unprotected openings or have the technical sophistication to bypass an alarm sensor or disconnect
an alarm-warning device.
• Intrusion detectors (for example: passive infrared detectors), smoke detectors and any other sensing devices will not operate without
power. Battery-operated devices will not work without batteries, with dead batteries or if the batteries are not properly put in. Devices powered
solely by AC will not work if their AC power supply is cut-off for any reason, even for a short time period.
• A user may not be able to reach a panic or emergency button quickly enough.
• Smoke detectors may not activate or provide early warning for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons why smoke detectors used in
conjunction with this system may not work are as follows: Smoke detectors may have been improperly installed and positioned. Smoke detectors
may not sense fires that start where smoke cannot reach the detectors, such as chimneys, in walls, or roofs, or on the other side of closed doors.
Smoke detectors may not sense a fire on another level of a residence or building. A second floor detector, for example, may not sense a first floor or
basement fire. Moreover, smoke detectors have sensing limitations. No smoke detector can sense every kind of fire every time. In general, detectors
may not always warn about fires caused by carelessness and safety hazards like smoking in bed, violent explosions, escaping gas, improper storage
of flammable materials, overloaded electrical circuits, children playing with matches, or arson. Depending on the nature of the fire and / or the
location of the smoke detectors, the detector, even if operating as anticipated, may not provide sufficient warning to allow all occupants to escape in
time to prevent injury or death.
• Passive Infrared Motion Detectors can only detect intrusion within the designated ranges as diagrammed in their installation manual.
Passive Infrared Detectors do not provide volumetric area protection. They do not create multiple beams of protection, and intrusion can only be
detected in unobstructed areas covered by the beams. They cannot detect a motion or intrusion taking place behind walls, ceiling, floors, closed
doors, glass partitions, glass doors or windows. Mechanical tampering, masking, painting, or spraying of any material on the mirrors, windows or any
part of the optical system can reduce their ability to detect movements.
• Alarm warning devices such as sirens, bells or horns may not alert people or wake up sleepers who are located on the other side of
closed doors. If the warning devices sound on a level of the residence different from that of the bedrooms, then they are less likely to waken or alert
people inside these bedrooms. Even persons who are awake may not hear the warning if the alarm is muffled by noise from a stereo, radio, air
conditioner or other appliances, or by passing traffic. Finally, alarm warning devices, however loud, may not warn hearing-impaired people or waken
deep sleepers.
• Telephone lines needed to transmit alarm signals from premises to a central monitoring station may be out of service or temporarily
out of service. Telephone lines are also subject to compromise by sophisticated intruders.
• Even if the system responds to an emergency as intended, occupants may however have insufficient time to protect themselves from
the emergency situation. In the case of a monitored alarm system, authorities may not respond appropriately and timely enough..
It should be noted that the most frequent cause of an alarm system not functioning when an intrusion or fire occurs is inadequate maintenance. This
alarm system should be tested weekly to make sure that all sensors work properly.
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