False alarms in Austin are a big problem. The city spends big bucks on police department response to false alarms. Police resources are spent on false alarms, keeping officers from solving real crimes.
False fire alarms are also a problem. Again, big bucks are spent by the city responding to false fire alarms.
One overlooked aspect of false alarms is their impact on productivity and direct costs to your business.
Anyone who has ever been part of a false fire alarm has seen this loss of productivity first-hand. Employees are moved outside, standing around and interrupted from their work. They exit a building, stand together in a safe area outside the building, and wait.
We’ve seen waits as long as one hour. Hundreds of people standing outside during a scorching Texas sun. Not working. Not getting things done. Not making the company money.
And then when they finally get the “all-clear” signal and go back inside, how many are able to dive right back into work with the same focus and zeal they had prior to the false alarm? Not many.
How much would a situation like this cost your company?
Watch this news store about the impacts of false alarms on residents of an Austin apartment complex.
False alarms from burglar alarm systems are an even bigger loss of productivity (and employee satisfaction too).
One year my dad was sitting down for Christmas dinner when the alarm company called. The alarm system was going off at his business. My dad, and my family, had to delay the dinner to respond to the alarm. You guessed it. It was a false alarm.
Imagine a manager or other employee that deals with repeated false alarms. False alarms never happen at a convenient time. These repeated false alarms drain energy. They create job dissatisfaction. They can lead to complacency, which can get people hurt.
The City of Austin requires alarms to be registered. Get the details at http://www.austintexas.gov/department/alarm-administration.
If your Austin-area business has a problem with false alarms, please contact us. We’ll provide the protection you need without all the hassles.
