Understanding False Alarms

In various jurisdictions, dealing with false alarms can lead to unexpected charges, commonly known as False Alarm Fees. These fees are typically incurred when responding officers find no evidence of criminal activity upon arriving at the scene.

Determining False Alarms

Police departments assess whether a responding officer has acted on a false alarm, usually concluding that there was no criminal or attempted criminal offense. Depending on local regulations, this determination may result in fees being charged.

Addressing False Alarms with Pro-Vigil

If you suspect that a false alarm was triggered by Pro-Vigil, it's crucial to contact our Customer Support Team at customer.support@pro-vigil.com promptly. Attach your invoice or notification detailing the incident for swift resolution. Note that many jurisdictions impose a time limit for disputing false alarm fees.

Resolution Process

Upon notification of any false alarm fees, Pro-Vigil initiates an internal audit to assess the situation. The audit aims to provide pertinent footage demonstrating whether criminal activity occurred. We will contact the police department within 2-3 business days. 

If the false alarm was indeed caused by Pro-Vigil, the corresponding fees will be credited back to your account. It's important to note that refunds are issued as account credits rather than cash or checks.

Depending on your contract, footage may or may not be available for retrieval.

Waiving Fees

Fees may be waived provided certain conditions are met:

• A valid invoice is submitted.
• The dispute is raised within the designated time frame for disputing false alarm fees in your jurisdiction.
• The request falls within our Limited time of Accountability (typically 90 days from the event).

Tips to Minimize False Alarms

To minimize false alarms, consider the following tips:

• Know your Monitoring hours: Understand when monitoring is active to avoid unnecessary alerts.
• Understand your protocols: Familiarize yourself with operational protocols to distinguish genuine threats from false alarms.
• Masking awareness: Be aware of environmental factors, temporary obstructions & activity volume that could trigger false alerts. (ex: monitoring a high traffic area)
• Update & use PIN numbers: Assign them to your staff, encouraging them to contact Pro-Vigil or utilize the self service tool in the customer portal to enable a site disarm.
• Create Planned Site Activities (PSAs): Implement planned site activities to coordinate with monitoring operations effectively.

By following these guidelines, you can mitigate the occurrence of false alarms. For more information or assistance, contact Pro-Vigil’s Customer Success Team.