And legitimate private alarm installations in buildings required inspection by FDNY for accuracy before a terminal was assigned. In the early 1990s, PFAs (Private Fire Alarm) Companies realized not all were complying with the law; so they started installing un-registered, un-inspected systems since there was no enforcement. Legit systems had a very specific location, and description on the system and assignment card for systems within the buildings.
Now, since they are not required to follow these specifics, they will relay an "Unassigned" alarm to the dispatcher. When the dispatcher might ask, "what kind of alarm was it?" Manual, valve, automatic? the PFA company (like AFA-Automatic Fire Alarm, ADT- American District Telegraph, WFAS- Wells Fargo Alarm Service), the PFA operator would respond: "A fire alarm." "Duhhh."
Shame of it was that the owners/occupants of such premises were paying a premium to have a "protected" system on their premises, but the real estate industry/money interests, and naturally FDNY just let it happen without oversight.
I understand that in NYC at one time, after the Police Department rcvd x amount of defective alarms transmitted, they would no longer respond until the system was placed in order. FDNY never had the b*lls to take such a courageous stand.
So our companies roll, day-after-day, to the same premises over-and-over for "defective alarms".