Alarm Glossary & Info

Glossary of Terms

Access Control System: This system allows your employees to enter your premises and/or specific areas with an access card, controlled either by you or by Alarmco, Inc…

We also have the newest form of access control by visual picture, finger print and whole hand identification.

Battery Back-up: A battery back-up is placed in or around the control panel. This keeps your system on line in case of an electrical failure.

Bells/Sirens (interior and external): Visual and audible bells alert your family and neighbors of an alarm situation in your home.

Central Monitoring Center: Our certified central station operators are on duty 24 hour a day. These operators respond to the burglar alarms by radio, informing our own guard to respond and notify the proper authorities if there is an actual problem. Fire alarms are answered by our operators who dispatch the proper fire department immediately of the emergency situation.

CCTV: Closed Circuit Television: A video surveillance system (closed circuit television) that allows you to observe high risk areas and/or sensitive transactions.

Chime or Bell Mode: This programmable internal system notifies you if your system has been transgressed while the system is disarmed. This is ideal for large yards with pools.

Contacts: Concealed and visible devices that detect the opening of protected windows and doors. (When the system is armed, turned on).

Control Panel: This command control of the security system is placed inside a heavy steel box. This enclosure is usually placed where it cannot be seen (usually a closet). The control panel is the “brains” of the security system.

Elevator Phone Monitoring: These phones are monitored by our 24-Hour Local Monitoring Station.

Fire Protection: Can consist of services such as smoke detectors, manual pull stations, water flow and gate valve switches (fire sprinkler systems). These fire alarms are monitored by our 24-Hour Local Central Station the operators will in turn dispatch the proper fire department.

Glass Break Sensors: These sensor devises sense or detect the special sound of breaking window glass. When the sound is detected an alarm is sent to our 24-Hour Local Monitoring Station. The alarm system must be armed.

Guard Response: We have our own guards and patrol vehicles which protect Calgary and the surround areas. They will respond to your alarm incidents. They also will inform the police department if it is necessary. All are guards are radio dispatched.

Keypads: All of our entry keypads have illuminated push buttons for night time as well as day time operation. The arrangement of the buttons is similar to a telephone touch pad for easier operation. We offer both English read-out display and LED (lighted zone indicators).

Keypad Panic Buttons: Through pressing a combination of buttons simultaneously a silent alarm will be sent to our 24-Hour Local Monitoring Station. The two button combination is a safety feature to prevent accidental activation.

Keypad Two-Way Wireless: You can activate or deactivate the alarm system from outside of your home (approximately 75 foot range). You can punch your secret code on this stylish and sleek, hand held keypad. It also will alert you (audible and visually) of the status of your Alarmco, Inc. system.

Heat Detectors: This “Rate of Rise” system, which means the detection can determine excessive heat in your house or building. This can be a stand alone fire system or can work in conjunction with other security systems.

Interior Sounder/Bell: An audible siren or bell will notify your family of fire or an intrusion. There are separate signals for each.

Motion Detector: The interior motion detector will sense an intruders movement within your home or business. A signal is sent to our 24-Hour Local Monitoring Station, where appropriate action will be taken.

Motion Detector: Pet Resistant: This detector allows cats, birds, small and medium sized dogs and other pets under 80 pounds to roam freely.

Radio Back-Up: This state of the art technology now allows us to install a Radio System without telephone lines. These radio alarms may also be added to your present system as a back-up which send signals by radio to our 24-Hour Local Monitoring Station. We have many antennas through-out Alberta. These radio systems can be for burglar or fire or both.

Smoke Detectors: This system gives early detection of a fire by an audible warning. This detector system will detect smoke, other products or combustion. The detection in conjunction with a fire or burglar alarm system and send a signal to our 24-Hour Local Monitoring Station. Our qualified operators will immediately notify the proper fire department of your emergency.

Water Flow Detectors: This type of alarm is activated by the flow of water though a fire sprinkler system which notifies our 24-Hour Local Monitoring Station where we notify the appropriate fire department.