Whats a Class 3 Unnasigned alarm??

All buildings over 75 feet are required by Local Law 5 to have a central station monitored alarm system. Complying with the law requires the owner to register the alarm system with the Department. Upon registration the alarm system is assigned a box and terminal.

Ninety nine percent of the time the assigned box number is the nearest street box. The terminal can indicate a specific location of the alarm within the system or just be a serial number. (e.g. a second or third system located next door.

Buildings that are not required by law to have monitored system do not get assigned boxes and terminals thus are announced as unassigned.

The response is the same for assigned and unassigned. The occupancy of the building and the alarm type determine the response. (Automatics and valves = 1+1, manual = 3+2. Residences = 1+1, places of public assembly/schools/hospitals = 3+2.)

 
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".


 
WOW thank you guys, never knew that and have been listening for over 20 years. Thanks (811,FD347) and thank you London for asking ---RD
 
811 said:
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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."
Click to expand...

Nothing's changed there. Those are the same things we get. However, Wells Fargo got taken over by ADT a number of years ago.
 
811...excellent post with accurate info......if the PD responds to unwarranted burglar alarms they put a notice in the mailbox that if this continues they will no longer respond....as you say we keep on going no matter what......FDNY should get on the bandwagon....back around '92 in South Queens a company named dynawatch went door to door selling home smoke detectors hooked up to their alarm monitoring office.....they were so sensitive .....if you even farted an alarm was transmitted.
 
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