How to Select People for Your Security System Call List

A Vigilante Security, Inc. alarm system provides you with state of the art protection of your property. A key component of the system is the central station monitoring. Vigilante Security has our own Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listed and 5 Diamond Central Station that monitors your system constantly. Our central station needs to have a list of your authorized people to call in case an alarm is triggered or a problem develops. It’s important to select the right people and to make sure they know their responsibilities.

 

Who to select for your call list

We suggest a minimum of 3 people on your call list with a mix of family, friends, and neighbors. For example, if you only have family listed and you’re all at the same function with poor cell reception so no one answers their phone, there will be no way to reach anyone about an issue with your system. It’s good to have someone in your neighborhood that will be close to your home/business.

If you go out of town, you can always give temporary orders. You can add someone on to the call list for a short time or even add the hotel you’re staying at.

Please note; it is also important that you keep your list information up to date. People pass away or become unable to provide the services required, phone numbers change, your contacts may also move or relationships may end.

 

Their responsibilities

Whomever you select for your call list should be responsible and someone you are willing to give a security system password to. They’ll need to give the password to the central station, in the case of an alarm, to stop an emergency personnel dispatch or to acknowledge a service concern, such as a low battery.

Adding someone to your call list also gives them the ability to authorize something if an issue occurs such as a water issue, furnace failure, burglary, or fire. You want to feel confident that the people on your list are capable of handling this responsibility. Are the people presently on your call list are able to address these issues?

 

What you need to do

When you’re selecting people for your call list, you’ll want to make sure the people you select have Vigilante Security’s Central Station phone number. It is suggested that they enter the Central Station’s number in their phone so it identifies who is calling – they may not recognize a strange number calling at 4:00 AM. They should also be able to enter the site. You can supply a key, have a key in a lockbox, or use keyless smart locks. The people on your call list should also know how to arm/disarm the system. It’s also good for them to know how to power down the system in the case of a lightning strike or other catastrophic issue. They should know where the battery is located as well as the power for the unit.

You’ll want to make sure that if there is a lock on the control box that you have a key available. The alarm panel may be in a box that generally has a lock and key, and in a residential setting, the key tends to stay in the door. However, for a commercial setting, the key may be located on top of the box or somewhere near the box.

Again, it is very important for your contacts, as well as yourself, to know the passcode when communicating with the Central Station. We need to know we are speaking with the authorized people.

Creating a call list for the monitoring station is a very important part of setting up your security system. Make sure to choose people you can trust and who can make decisions about your home or business.