Most people who own an alarm system have never seen it do its job. They arm it, disarm it, and assume the rest works. Then one day the siren goes off, the phone rings, and they are not sure what they are supposed to say.
Here is the whole sequence, start to finish, so that the first time it happens for real you already know your part.
Step 1: A Sensor Trips
With the system armed, a door opens, a motion detector sees movement, or glass breaks. If it is one of your normal entry doors, the panel starts a short countdown and beeps so you can type your code. That is the entry delay. Other sensors, such as a window or a motion detector reached without passing an entry door, skip the countdown and trigger straight away.
Life-safety sensors work differently. Smoke, carbon monoxide, and panic buttons are live all day, armed or not, and there is no delay on them.
Step 2: The Siren Sounds and the Signal Goes Out
If no valid code is entered, the siren starts and the panel sends an alarm signal to the monitoring center. With a Kiwi Alarms system that signal travels over both broadband and cellular, so a cut cable or a dead router does not stop it. The signal says which sensor tripped, so the operator knows whether it was the front door or the garage motion detector.
Your phone gets a notification at about the same moment.
Step 3: The Monitoring Center Checks With You
A trained operator at the Brinks Home Security monitoring center picks up the alarm and tries to reach you. Depending on how your account is set up, that is a phone call or a message through the app.
They will ask if everything is all right and ask for your verbal password. This is a word you chose at setup, separate from your keypad code. It proves you are the account holder and not an intruder answering the phone.
Step 4: Dispatch, or Stand Down
If you give the password and say it was a mistake, the alarm is cancelled and nobody is sent.
If you say you need help, give the wrong password, or cannot be reached, the operator requests a dispatch from the right agency for your address and then works down your emergency contact list.
For fire and carbon monoxide, the process is faster because the risk is higher. The fire department is requested promptly, and you are contacted alongside.
How quickly officers arrive depends on the agency and what else is happening at the time. An alarm with supporting evidence, such as more than one sensor tripping in sequence or a camera clip showing a person, gives responders more to go on than a single sensor on its own.
What You Should Do
If it is a false alarm: disarm with your code, answer the call, give your password. That is all.
If you are away and did not set it off: check your cameras if you have them, answer the call, and tell the operator what you see. Do not go into the house yourself. Wait for police.
If you are home and it is real: get everyone to a safe room, stay on the line, and let responders handle it. My article on what to do if someone breaks in while you are home goes through this in detail.
Avoiding False Alarms
Most alarm activations are not burglars. They are people. That matters because both Reno and Sparks require a registered alarm permit, and repeated false alarms can lead to fines. The causes are nearly always the same few things:
Someone without a code. A relative, a cleaner, or a dog sitter lets themselves in and does not know how to disarm. Give every regular visitor their own code and show them the keypad once.
Pets and moving objects. A motion detector aimed at a staircase the cat climbs, or at helium balloons left over from a birthday, will trip. Tell your installer about pets so the right detectors go in the right places.
Doors that do not latch. A door that rattles in Washoe wind can open its contact for a second. If a door needs a shove to close, fix the latch.
Low batteries and old sensors. Replace sensor batteries when the panel first warns you, not weeks later.
Leaving in a rush. Arming the system and then going back in for your keys after the exit delay has ended. Using the app to arm once you are in the car avoids it.
Cameras and spider webs. For camera motion alerts, webs across the lens are a common nuisance. I wrote a separate piece on keeping cameras web-free.
- Everyone in the house knows the verbal password
- The monitoring center's number is saved in your phone
- Your emergency contact list is current
- Every regular visitor has their own code
- Your alarm permit is registered with the city
- Pets are accounted for in the motion detector layout
- Doors latch firmly and sensor batteries are fresh
- You have run a test alarm with the monitoring center in test mode
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the monitoring center do when my alarm goes off? +
An operator receives the signal, sees which sensor tripped, and tries to reach you by phone or through the app. If you give your verbal password and confirm a false alarm, it is cancelled. If you need help, give the wrong password, or cannot be reached, the operator requests a dispatch and calls your emergency contacts.
What is a verbal password for an alarm system? +
It is a word you choose when your monitoring account is set up, separate from your keypad code. The monitoring center asks for it to confirm you are the account holder before cancelling an alarm.
What should I do if I set off my alarm by accident? +
Disarm the system with your code, answer the call from the monitoring center, and give your verbal password. The alarm is cancelled and no one is dispatched.
Do I need an alarm permit in Reno or Sparks? +
Yes. Both the City of Reno and the City of Sparks require a registered alarm permit, and repeated false alarms can lead to fines. Kiwi Alarms helps customers with permit registration as part of installation.
What causes most false alarms? +
Most are caused by people rather than faults: visitors without a code, pets or moving objects in front of motion detectors, doors that do not latch properly, low sensor batteries, and re-entering the house after arming.
Related reading: If Someone Breaks In · Installation Handover Checklist · Alarms During an Outage · Cameras vs Alarm Systems · Home Security Systems Reno