Business alarm systems were pretty common even before home security became a thing. Business owners wanting to protect property and inventory against burglary installed alarm systems capable of making tremendous amounts of noise. Alarm systems are still in use today. However, a monitored security system is better.
Monitored business security is a better option for many reasons. But the #1 reason is something known as ‘alarm fatigue’. A business running an alarm system that cannot be monitored remotely is running a noise-making machine. And these days, that’s not enough. Alarm fatigue has seen to that.
The Basics of Alarm Fatigue
Alarm fatigue is essentially a phenomenon demonstrated by people who become so desensitized to alarms they stop paying attention when new alarms go off. It can be a problem in any number of situations. For example, nursing staff at a busy hospital can be so overwhelmed by the number of alarms they hear throughout their shifts that they become desensitized to them.
Cybersecurity is another industry with significant levels of alarm fatigue. Cybersecurity experts receiving countless alerts throughout the day can become so overwhelmed they have trouble prioritizing the most important security threats. They can get to a point where they completely ignore new warnings.
Car Alarms and Security Systems
Alarm fatigue goes well beyond nursing and cybersecurity. In fact, it impacts most of us in our daily lives. If you do not believe me, consider the car alarm. Most of us have learned to ignore car alarms at the very first sound.
That was not the case when car alarms were first installed. When the alarm went off, it got everyone’s attention. But poor design and careless owners meant car alarms going off all the time. We eventually learned to tune them out.
The many unnecessary alarms we are subjected to throughout the day impact on how we perceive legitimate alarms. So much so that hearing an alarm go off at a local business likely means nothing. It is just another sound in a symphony of noise continually barraging our ears and brains.
All of this is to say that an alarm system that only makes noise will not be very effective in the fight against property crimes. People ignore alarms. Even with an alarm blaring, a skilled burglar can break in, steal what he wants, and get out before anybody thinks to call the police.
The Advantage of Monitored Security
Monitored security is a completely different animal. Vivint, a nationwide leader in business alarm systems, says professional monitoring guarantees a business system is being watched 24/7. Trained monitoring personnel immediately respond when an alarm is triggered.
With or without a physical alarm on site, monitored security results in a much faster response. Both business owners and the authorities are immediately notified. They can act accordingly. And by the way, improved response applies as much to fire and flood as it does burglary.
Monitoring Offers an Earlier Warning
During certain types of emergencies, monitoring offers an earlier warning that could mean the difference between a minor and major event. Fire is the perfect example. A monitored business alarm system with integrated smoke alarms can notify the monitoring provider in the earliest stages of a fire. This translates to a faster response time by the fire department which, in turn, could mean minimal damage to the property.
Business alarm systems designed only to make a lot of noise performed admirably back in the early days of electronic security. But those days are long gone. Thanks to alarm fatigue, modern businesses are better off with a monitored security system.
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