1.  Run from your bedroom to the keypad to immediately shut it off?

2.  Run to the keypad to see what zone it was, grab a bat and go check the specific window or door out right away?

3.  Peek nervously down the hall wondering if somebody is in your home?

4.  Let the alarm scream and call the monitoring station right away?

5.  Ask the monitoring station to dispatch the police?

6.  Tell the monitoring station you are at home and will check it out yourself? 

Hopefully, you never have your alarm go off in the middle of the night, but if you do, there are some fairly common sense do’s and don’ts that we might not think of after being woken from a sound sleep by a screaming siren! I am going to assume that your alarm is in good working condition and you therefore have no reason to suspect a false alarm (if this is not the case, then you should have your system fixed immediately). If your alarm goes off, don’t shut it off right away Even if you have a keypad in your bedroom, let the siren run. If it is a real break-in attempt, you want the noise. Hopefully, it will be enough to send them running. Don’t go running down the hall to a keypad. This way you risk running right into an intruder. It is extremely unlikely that the intruder is breaking into your home to attack you. They want to steal from you. But if you run into them face to face, it is very likely that they will strike out at you. Remember, if you encounter them, they are likely more afraid than you are. Their fear is of being caught and going to prison. This fear makes them dangerous.

Your alarm panel takes your telephone line right away to dial the station and report the alarm. This means your telephone will not allow you to make an outgoing call for a short period 20-40 seconds. As soon as your phone is available (assuming there is one in your bedroom), call the station. If you heard somebody in your home, (broken glass, running feet, voices...) tell the dispatcher what you’ve heard and they will dispatch the police with the information you have provided. Stay in your room until the police arrive. If you’ve heard nothing but the siren, and you know your system is in good working condition, then we suggest you tell the dispatcher this, and they will once again pass this information on to the police. Again, stay in your room until the police arrive. If it turns out to be a false alarm, you can take whatever corrective action necessary to make certain it doesn’t happen again. If it turns out to be a break-in or an attempted break-in, you will be happy you waited in your room until the police arrived.

Make certain you have a plan for your children and they are aware of it. Depending on the location of their bedrooms, you will either want them to stay in their beds, or come directly to your master bedroom.

Make certain you and your children know the difference in sound between a burglar alarm and a fire alarm. Both alarms require different plans and action. Knowing the difference could save your lives. We suggest you test your alarm twice a year with all the family members home (make certain you notify the station about the test prior to doing it). This allows them to hear the two different sirens, as well as rehearse the action plans.