False Alarm Reduction Program

City of Vancouver Bylaw #7111 (PDF) requires that any residence or business that owns or operates a security alarm system (monitored or non-monitored) within the City of Vancouver must register it and obtain a valid alarm permit from the False Alarm Reduction Program of the Vancouver Police Department.

The overall goal of the False Alarm Reduction Program is to reduce the false alarm incident workload through cooperation with the alarm industry and the public while ensuring that police resources are effectively deployed.

Alarm Registration Requirements & Fees

Fees

• Residential: $17.55 per year
• Small Business or Commercial: $29.25 per year
• Large Business or Commercial: $58.50 per year

Note: The renewal fees can be paid via credit card over the phone.

In many cases, the alarm company responsible for the alarm system will make application on behalf of its client. Sometimes the application fee will be incorporated into the installation / service cost, other times the alarm company representative will collect a cheque from the client to cover the cost of the permit and submit the completed application form to the False Alarm Reduction Program office. Anyone wishing to obtain a permit on their own may do so by completing an Alarm Permit Application (PDF) form and submitting it at the offices of the False Alarm Reduction Program along with the applicable fee (cheque, money order, or cash only).

Cheques returned by the bank for non sufficient funds ("NSF") will be assessed a $15 charge in addition to the permit fee.

Non-Transferrable

As the alarm history is attached to any given permit, alarm permits are not transferrable (the new owner of a home or business should not be held accountable for false alarms generated by the previous owner or tenant).

If the permit holder moves or, in the case of a business, the business is sold to a new owner, a new permit must be obtained. The only time a permit may be transferred to someone else's name is when the new applicant is directly related to the original permit holder; notification of transfer must be forwarded in writing to the False Alarm Reduction Program.

In a landlord / tenant situation, it is suggested that the tenant be responsible for obtaining the alarm permit as it is they who will be operating the alarm system and the landlord is usually not a resident at the premise where the alarm system is being operated. Exceptions to this will be considered if the landlord indicates in writing to FARP that they will accept full responsibility for any false alarms emanating from the rental property.

Annual Renewal

Alarm permits must be renewed annually. Permit holders will receive an Alarm Permit Renewal Notice approximately one month prior to the expiry date. If payment is not received promptly, a Final Renewal Notice will be forwarded to the permit holder; failure to remit payment may result in further costs being incurred.

What is a False Alarm?

Under City of Vancouver Bylaw #7111 (PDF), a "false alarm" is defined as:

"an alarm incident where there is no evidence that an unauthorized entry or unlawful act has been attempted or made into, on or respecting a building, structure or premises and includes, but is not limited to:

1. the activation of a security alarm system during its testing;
2. a security alarm system activated by mechanical failure, malfunction, or faulty equipment;
3. a security alarm system activated by atmospheric conditions, vibrations, or power failure;
4. a security alarm system activated by user error."

A "false dispatch" is defined as "notification of an alarm incident to the law enforcement agency and there is no evidence of a criminal offence or attempted criminal offence."

Why a False Alarm Reduction Program?

With the continuing growth of the use of security alarm systems in homes and businesses, police departments in many jurisdictions are faced with the challenge of attending to false alarm incidents in huge numbers. Many jurisdictions in Canada and the United States have implemented education programs to reduce the number of false alarm calls their police members are being dispatched to, and to reduce the financial costs associated with attending false alarms.

• from 1990 to 1992, alarm calls were increasing at an annual rate of over 4% (approximately 1 in 5 calls for police service)
• in 1992, the last year prior to the implementation of the FARP, the VPD were dispatched to 40,604 security alarm system calls for service (18.25% of all police calls for service in the city)

The vast majority of these calls for service were reported as false alarms, resulting in millions of dollars of wasted police resources expended annually.

With the implementation of the False Alarm Reduction Program in July 1993, we experienced our first drop in alarm calls for service that year. This initial success has continued. In 1999, the Vancouver Police attended 21,680 false alarm calls for service.

With the mandatory registration of all security alarm systems in the City of Vancouver, the VPD was able to identify systems / users that were generating excessive false alarms (4 or more in a 12 month period). Permits on file more than doubled, from 24,000 in 1993 to over 50,000 in 1999.

• in 1993 the police department attended 1.6 false alarms per year per alarm system (or 1 false alarm per system every 7.5 months)
• in 1999, the department attended .43 false alarms per year per system (or 1 false alarm per system every 28 months), an astounding 370% improvement!

This success is no doubt a result of the continuing efforts of you, the security alarm system user, and the security alarm industry professional you employ.

For more detailed information on the statistical analysis of identifying a city's "false alarm factor", please refer to the Alarm Industry Research & Educational Foundation's website for their complete "Model States Report".