ATLANTA — The Georgia House of Representatives is seeking to amend a state alarm law to require alarm companies to use alarm verification in an effort to conserve public safety resources, reports Examiner.com.
The proposal, filed by Rep. Tom Taylor (R-Dunwoody), calls for alarm companies to implement enhanced call verification (ECV), the practice of contacting two phone numbers or other electronic means, before dispatching police to an alarm.
The measure, known as House Bill 687, also states, "an alarm monitoring company shall utilize an alarm verification system for all alarm signals." In the event of a panic or robbery-in-progress that has been verified by video or audio, alarm verification will not be required.
The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) Director Ron Walters believes the measure will help reduce false alarm dispatches. As it stands, the industry has resolved 75% of all incoming alarm signals using the ECV technique, he tells SSI.
"SIAC is in full support of this attempt by the Georgia State Legislature to join Florida, Virginia, Oklahoma and other states to mandate the use of ECV to reduce unnecessary dispatches to alarms," Walters says "This process has been proven to dramatically reduce dispatches. It has no negative impact on alarm users or the alarm industry."
If approved, the measure would take effect July 1.
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