User's Manual

Chapter12.0 Installer Warning
12.0 Installer Warning
WarningPleaseReadCarefully
NoteToInstallers:
Thiswarningcontainsvitalinformation.Astheonlyindividualincontactwith
systemusers,itisyourresponsibilitytobringeachiteminthiswarningtothe
attentionoftheusersofthissystem.
SystemFailures
Thissystemhasbeencarefullydesignedtobeaseffectiveaspossible.There
arecircumstances,however,involvingfire,burglary,orothertypesofemer-
gencieswhereitmaynotprovideprotection.Anyalarmsystemofanytypemay
becompromiseddeliberatelyormayfailtooperateasexpectedforavarietyof
reasons.Somebutnotallofthesereasonsmaybe:
InadequateInstallation
Asecuritysystemmustbeinstalledproperlyinordertoprovideadequatepro-
tection.Everyinstallationshouldbeevaluatedbyasecurityprofessionalto
ensurethatallaccesspointsandareasarecovered.Locksandlatchesonwin-
dowsanddoorsmustbesecureandoperateasintended.Windows,doors,
walls,ceilingsandotherbuildingmaterialsmustbeofsufficientstrengthand
constructiontoprovidethelevelofprotectionexpected.Areevaluationmustbe
doneduringandafteranyconstructionactivity.Anevaluationbythefireand/or
policedepartmentishighlyrecommendedifthisserviceisavailable.
CriminalKnowledge
Thissystemcontainssecurityfeatureswhichwereknowntobeeffectiveatthe
timeofmanufacture.Itispossibleforpersonswithcriminalintenttodevelop
techniqueswhichreducetheeffectivenessofthesefeatures.Itisimportantthat
asecuritysystembereviewedperiodicallytoensurethatitsfeaturesremain
effectiveandthatitbeupdatedorreplacedifitisfoundthatitdoesnotprovide
theprotectionexpected.
AccessbyIntruders
Intrudersmayenterthroughanunprotectedaccesspoint,circumventasensing
device,evadedetectionbymovingthroughanareaofinsufficientcoverage,dis-
connectawarningdevice,orinterferewithorpreventtheproperoperationofthe
system.
PowerFailure
Controlunits,intrusiondetectors,smokedetectorsandmanyothersecurity
devicesrequireanadequatepowersupplyforproperoperation.Ifadeviceoper-
atesfrombatteries,itispossibleforthebatteriestofail.Evenifthebatteries
havenotfailed,theymustbecharged,ingoodconditionandinstalledcorrectly.
IfadeviceoperatesonlybyACpower,anyinterruption,howeverbrief,will
renderthatdeviceinoperativewhileitdoesnothavepower.Powerinterruptions
ofanylengthareoftenaccompaniedbyvoltagefluctuationswhichmaydamage
electronicequipmentsuchasasecuritysystem.Afterapowerinterruptionhas
occurred,immediatelyconductacompletesystemtesttoensurethatthesys-
temoperatesasintended.
FailureofReplaceableBatteries
Thissystem’swirelesstransmittershavebeendesignedtoprovideseveral
yearsofbatterylifeundernormalconditions.Theexpectedbatterylifeisafunc-
tionofthedeviceenvironment,usageandtype.Ambientconditionssuchas
highhumidity,highorlowtemperatures,orlargetemperaturefluctuationsmay
reducetheexpectedbatterylife.Whileeachtransmittingdevicehasalowbat-
terymonitorwhichidentifieswhenthebatteriesneedtobereplaced,thismon-
itormayfailtooperateasexpected.Regulartestingandmaintenancewillkeep
thesystemingoodoperatingcondition.
CompromiseofRadioFrequency(Wireless)
Devices
Signalsmaynotreachthereceiverunderallcircumstanceswhichcouldinclude
metalobjectsplacedonorneartheradiopathordeliberatejammingorother
inadvertentradiosignalinterference.
SystemUsers
Ausermaynotbeabletooperateapanicoremergencyswitchpossiblydueto
permanentortemporaryphysicaldisability,inabilitytoreachthedevicein
time,orunfamiliaritywiththecorrectoperation.Itisimportantthatallsystem
usersbetrainedinthecorrectoperationofthealarmsystemandthattheyknow
howtorespondwhenthesystemindicatesanalarm.
SmokeDetectors
Smokedetectorsthatareapartofthissystemmaynotproperlyalertoccupants
ofafireforanumberofreasons,someofwhichfollow.Thesmokedetectors
mayhavebeenimproperlyinstalledorpositioned.Smokemaynotbeableto
reachthesmokedetectors,suchaswhenthefireisinachimney,wallsor
roofs,orontheothersideofcloseddoors.Smokedetectorsmaynotdetect
smokefromfiresonanotherleveloftheresidenceorbuilding.
Everyfireisdifferentintheamountofsmokeproducedandtherateofburning.
Smokedetectorscannotsensealltypesoffiresequallywell.Smokedetectors
maynotprovidetimelywarningoffirescausedbycarelessnessorsafetyhaz-
ardssuchassmokinginbed,violentexplosions,escapinggas,improperstorage
offlammablematerials,overloadedelectricalcircuits,childrenplayingwith
matchesorarson.
Evenifthesmokedetectoroperatesasintended,theremaybecircumstances
whenthereisinsufficientwarningtoallowalloccupantstoescapeintimeto
avoidinjuryordeath.
MotionDetectors
Motiondetectorscanonlydetectmotionwithinthedesignatedareasasshown
intheirrespectiveinstallationinstructions.Theycannotdiscriminatebetween
intrudersandintendedoccupants.Motiondetectorsdonotprovidevolumetric
areaprotection.Theyhavemultiplebeamsofdetectionandmotioncanonlybe
detectedinunobstructedareascoveredbythesebeams.Theycannotdetect
motionwhichoccursbehindwalls,ceilings,floor,closeddoors,glasspar-
titions,glassdoorsorwindows.Anytypeoftamperingwhetherintentionalor
unintentionalsuchasmasking,painting,orsprayingofanymaterialonthe
lenses,mirrors,windowsoranyotherpartofthedetectionsystemwillimpair
itsproperoperation.
Passiveinfraredmotiondetectorsoperatebysensingchangesintemperature.
Howevertheireffectivenesscanbereducedwhentheambienttemperaturerises
nearorabovebodytemperatureorifthereareintentionalorunintentional
sourcesofheatinornearthedetectionarea.Someoftheseheatsourcescould
beheaters,radiators,stoves,barbeques,fireplaces,sunlight,steamvents,light-
ingandsoon.
WarningDevices
Warningdevicessuchassirens,bells,horns,orstrobesmaynotwarnpeopleor
wakensomeonesleepingifthereisaninterveningwallordoor.Ifwarning
devicesarelocatedonadifferentleveloftheresidenceorpremise,thenitis
lesslikelythattheoccupantswillbealertedorawakened.Audiblewarning
devicesmaybeinterferedwithbyothernoisesourcessuchasstereos,radios,
televisions,airconditionersorotherappliances,orpassingtraffic.Audible
warningdevices,howeverloud,maynotbeheardbyahearing-impairedperson.
TelephoneLines
Iftelephonelinesareusedtotransmitalarms,theymaybeoutofserviceor
busyforcertainperiodsoftime.Alsoanintrudermaycutthetelephonelineor
defeatitsoperationbymoresophisticatedmeanswhichmaybedifficultto
detect.
InsufficientTime
Theremaybecircumstanceswhenthesystemwilloperateasintended,yetthe
occupantswillnotbeprotectedfromtheemergencyduetotheirinabilityto
respondtothewarningsinatimelymanner.Ifthesystemismonitored,the
responsemaynotoccurintimetoprotecttheoccupantsortheirbelongings.
ComponentFailure
Althougheveryefforthasbeenmadetomakethissystemasreliableaspos-
sible,thesystemmayfailtofunctionasintendedduetothefailureofacom-
ponent.
InadequateTesting
Mostproblemsthatwouldpreventanalarmsystemfromoperatingasintended
canbefoundbyregulartestingandmaintenance.Thecompletesystemshould
betestedweeklyandimmediatelyafterabreak-in,anattemptedbreak-in,a
fire,astorm,anearthquake,anaccident,oranykindofconstructionactivity
insideoroutsidethepremises.Thetestingshouldincludeallsensingdevices,
keypads,consoles,alarmindicatingdevicesandanyotheroperationaldevices
thatarepartofthesystem.
SecurityandInsurance
Regardlessofitscapabilities,analarmsystemisnotasubstituteforproperty
orlifeinsurance.Analarmsystemalsoisnotasubstituteforpropertyowners,
renters,orotheroccupantstoactprudentlytopreventorminimizetheharmful
effectsofanemergencysituation.
- 27 -