CHeKT is pleased to announce that our Visual Monitoring platform, and the Optex Bridge powered by CHeKT are wholly compliant with the Sandy Springs False Alarm Reduction Program. The Sandy Springs, GA ordinance, has been designed to reduce the number of false alarm dispatches. Unlike other municipal ordinances, the Sandy Springs ordinance fines are imposed on the alarm companies themselves.
The new law originated in November of 2019, but in order to allow alarm companies sufficient time to develop protocols for providing the required evidence of verification, the Sandy Springs False Alarm Reduction Program delayed implementation of the fine for False Verification. Beginning March 1, 2020, the Sandy Springs False Alarm Reduction Program will begin to assess fines for False Verification when the provisions of the program are not met. As a part of the True Verification program, alarm companies are required to provide audio or video clip evidence of the alarm. This evidence must be provided per the city’s standards within 24 hours of the request for police dispatch.
This ordinance is a first of its kind, and alarm companies that are not prepared will possibly lose business. “The Optex Bridge powered by the CHeKT Monitoring portal provides your company with the ability to be compliant with the Sandy Springs false alarm ordinance immediately,” said Wes Usie, President of CHeKT.
With the Bridge, alarm companies have a simple, cost-effective method of providing a verified response in Sandy Springs that complies with new regulations. The Bridge is a single hardware appliance that unifies the alarm system and the camera system into a comprehensive system for the client and alarm monitoring center. These two systems, which traditionally operate independent from each other, become a single solution and provides video verification to the central station
Additionally, the new ordinance requires that video information be sent to Sandy Springs law enforcement within 24 hours of a dispatch. In addition to video evidence, the ordinance also requires information about the company that installed the system, monitors the system, and the property owner information to accompany the video. Complying to this part of the ordinance would commonly require a lot of time to retrieve the video from the site and then compile the other information and provide it to law enforcement in only 24 hours.
With CHeKT, the entire process has been completely automated. “With a single click of the mouse, from our monitoring portal, this information is aggregated, compiled, and sent to Sandy Springs law enforcement, making your system compliant the moment a dispatch is made,” said John Milliron VP of CHeKT. “This is an incredible opportunity for alarm companies in the Sandy Springs area to upgrade services and acquire new accounts. The Optex Bridge provides security companies with a tool to speak with business owners about the need for comprehensive security.”
Under Sandy Spring’s new alarm ordinance, audio or video evidence is required for a police dispatch. Businesses and homeowners who do not have a solution to provide the monitoring center with audio of video will not receive a police response.
“I imagine security companies in the Sandy Springs area are concerned, but CHeKT has created a solution that provides an enormous opportunity for companies who are in need of preserving and building recurring revenue. Every location that has an intrusion system and surveillance system can immediately be brought into compliance,” said John Milliron.
The Optex Bridge, powered by the CHeKT Monitoring portal, sends visual verification of the situation to the monitoring center within 5 seconds. Central monitoring centers have immediate access to live and event-based video information. An operator can forward the clip, via SMS text, to the property owners when additional verification is necessary, and to the police responding to the alarm. Once a dispatch has been completed, the operator can immediately provide the clip and required contact information to Sandy Springs before they complete their response.
