As the old adage goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In other words, it’s far easier to keep a problem from happening in the first place than to try to correct it after it starts. In the world of commercial security systems, that means partnering with a company that understands the product marketplace and will recommend a customized solution that uniquely meets your needs from the very beginning— a company like Next Generation Security Concepts.
Although choosing the right company for your commercial security needs the first step in safeguarding your assets, it’s important to remember that all systems will require regular maintenance. There are a few things you can do yourself to keep your system running smoothly, but it will be important to work with your licensed, certified service provider to make sure your system is being inspected regularly, and that any issues these inspections uncover are addressed promptly and thoroughly.
While some of the following problems may require a service call, regular maintenance can go a long way to helping you avoid most of these common issues with your commercial security system:
● Difficulty arming or disarming the system.
● Malfunctioning security locks on doors
● False alarms
● Calibration problems with sensors
● Incorrect programming
● Unintelligible voice directions
You will position yourself to save a considerable sum if you ensure that your contract includes regular maintenance visits when you are selecting a new commercial security system. This initial fee when spread out over the length of the life of your system is likely to save you a hefty amount over the long-term.
Even if you have a maintenance contract in place, make it a point to perform these simple steps to keep your commercial security system in top shape.
● Clear obstructions from trees, bushes, spiderwebs, or dust from your video cameras and motion detectors.
● Inspect the locks on all doors and check the door lock contacts to ensure they are clean and operating smoothly.
● Test and replace batteries regularly for devices that require them.
● Contact your service provider to make sure you haven’t missed any firmware updates that could compromise your system.
If you have one of the newer commercial security systems that provides maintenance alerts through a UL-listed Central Station Monitoring service, you will be notified in real-time of any maintenance issues with your system, avoiding any interruption in service. However, if you are using an older alarm system that isn’t equipped with this feature, you will either discover that your commercial security system is not working properly in one of two ways: 1. an incident that should have caused your system to activate will not. 2. A regular inspection will reveal that you have a problem in this area before there’s an incident.
If you do not have the latest commercial security system, it is most important for you to schedule a professional system inspection annually that includes the following:
● Walk-around the protected area by the technician who will randomly test your system’s various components and assess the results at the supervisory panel.
● Visual inspection of all your system devices and cleaning of devices if needed
● Verification of communication links and ensuring that test signals are received by the monitoring station
● Backing up of programming and application of any software updates. Other issues that should prompt a call to your security company include any damage to a device, loose sensors, fuzzy camera footage, and software compatibility issues.
Next Generation Security Concepts’ certified technicians are experienced in the installation and service of all manufacturer’s systems. We’re also committed to keeping your commercial system running in tip-top shape through regular scheduled maintenance. And should you ever have an emergency with your commercial security system, you can count on Next Generation Security Concepts to respond quickly. By using Next Generation Security Concepts to install security cameras, access control systems and more, your Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC company will benefit from our vast experience, receive excellent customer service, and meet budgetary requirements while providing for future system expansion.
