Glass Break Detectors

The Alarm Association of Florida has developed some of the best training programs for use in the alarm industry. We have concentrated in the areas of codes, standards, procedures and regulations that govern the way our profession should work. We do generic training on installation best practices and share ideas and methods for training the end user on the operation of their equipment. We expect technicians in our courses
to already have skills in electronics, electrical circuitry and mechanical aptitude.

What we don't do in training is individual device/component specifications, the proper application and use of a device and the conditions for when or where a device will work.

This comes down to each company's policies and the procedures they use to instruct their sales, service and installation teams in product knowledge and application.

One of the challenges I have faced over the years is in the residential arena. Many if not most homeowners get alarm systems after a break-in. The police come out to write a report for their insurance company and the victims ask them questions about security.

Most of the time when I'm sitting with homeowners after a break-in they tell me that the police (who are the authority in their minds) have told them they need a security system with glass break detection devices. This way the alarm is sounding before the burglars even get inside.

This sounds wonderful to a traumatized homeowner. The problem I have experienced is that in most cases a long range glass break detector is ineffective due to the type of environment homes have.

If you install a long range glass break detector to protect a store's front windows where the glass will never be covered, there are tile or wooden floors, no solid obstructions between the window and detector, no window tint or impact glass and the detector is mounted, adjusted and tested correctly to the manufacturers specifications by a trained knowledgeable installer using the right testing equipment … then it should work fine.

I've spoken with installers and service techs that tell me they don't have a glass break simulator or don't feel they need one. Instead they pound on the wall and rattle their keys or stand under the detector, clap their hands and hiss through their teeth to test it.
\
Some just install it and don't try testing it at all. They send signals by pulling wires on the control panel. This is where a person's character and moral compass comes into play.

I have been in many homes where a long range glass break detector was mounted on the ceiling in the bedroom hallway centrally located in the house. The homeowner was told by the sales rep that this device has a 25 to 30 foot range in all directions so all the glass will be protected in their 1500 square foot home. Then the installers show up and know if they don't install this job they won't get paid so ... they install it!!!

The way glass break detector manufacturers reps have trained in the past is that these devices work on line of sight within the prescribed distance range. It triggers an event when it hears a low frequency thud or FLEX, followed by a high frequency shatter. If you're standing outside the building looking in through a window and you can see the detector then that window should be protected. You can't have any solid obstructions between the device and the glass. It can't hear through walls, around corners, through doors or behind itself and the glass panes must be a minimum of one square foot in size.

That means the glass must be at least 12 inches tall and 12 inches wide NOT 6 inches by 24 inches. (if I am out of date on this info please let me know)

Some rooms are considered DEAD because they have sound absorbing objects that kill the frequencies. In dead rooms you need to extremely shorten the recommended distance for them to work. You should avoid HOT rooms like tiled bathrooms. If the toilet seat drops, the rubber hitting the porcelain creates a low frequency thud that bounces around off the tiles and creates a high frequency follower that triggers the detector and a siren.

Your customer will love that in the middle of the night.

So lets look at what a long range glass break detector has to contend with in a residential
environment. We have:
(1) thick sound absorbing furniture that gets moved or added by the homeowner
(2) plush sound absorbing carpets and area rugs
(3) textured wall paper (that might be added after installation)
(4) window treatments and valances
(5) vertical and horizontal blinds
(6) pull down shades
(7) inside shutters
(8) curtains
(9) fabric wall hangings
(10) window tint (no shatter)
(11) impact glass (no shatter)
(12) room dividing screens that the homeowner moves around
(13) slamming cabinet doors (many kitchens are hot rooms)
(14) barking dogs that jump on furniture, walls, doors and windows
(15) loud booming thunder
(16) sliding glass doors that break into 10,000 pieces with no shatter frequency
(17) burglars that cut glass
(18) burglars that remove glass
(19) Jalousie windows (too narrow to detect)
(20) Awning windows (many are too narrow to detect)
(21) people drop plates on tile floors (hot room effect)
(22) television shows can trip them
(23) stereo music can trip them
(24) incorrectly placed or improperly adjusted devices
(25) untested devices
(26) burglars using automotive glass break tools (no low frequency thud or flex)
(27) burglars using Ninja Rocks (no low frequency thud or flex)

All of these conditions or situations in a residence can cause either false alarms or undetected/missed burglaries. The long range glass break detector does have its place in our industry. It is a perimeter detection device and should be used in conjunction with interior protection. Professionals are careful and mindful of why, where, when and how to use any alarm equipment.

A good home security system includes back-up inside trap zones. These can be motion detectors in vulnerable areas or inside door, cabinet or drawer contacts that are normally closed and programmed as interior follower zones. Statistically, when burglars get inside a home they first go everywhere and open things throughout the home in the first 20 to 30 seconds. They look for anyone in the home and for all the ways to escape in case someone arrives. After that, they start looking for the good stuff. Better to detect burglars 5 to 10 seconds after entry than to miss them completely.

The only thing that can stop a smash and grab is a homeowner with a shotgun. What a security system stops are burglars being in the home long enough to get to all the good stuff while destroying the house and the homeowners mental sanctuary in the process.

Remember: Our customers rely on us to be Security Professionals.

Hope you enjoyed this. Please know your comments are welcomed and as always,

Thanks for Your Support

Not only were they broken into...

by Dale Burger

For 24 years I have been in the security industry selling, installing and monitoring home and office burglar alarm systems. In that time I've seen a lot of scary and hurtful things happen. Most break-ins are done by kids, drug addicts and gangs looking for drugs or items they can pawn for money to buy drugs. When they are in a home they are not nice about it. It's estimated that approximately 84% of burglaries are somehow drug related.

Recently there have been some changes to this pattern. In the last few months I know of three homes that not only were they broken into...their refrigerators and freezers were completely cleaned out. They lost some valuables and cash but also lost hundreds of dollars from the food taken. These have become crimes of desperation.

At one of these homes they also took 3 spools of 12 gauge copper wire from the garage which can be sold to a recycling center for quite a bit of cash. So if you think you don't have anything worth stealing, you might want to reconsider what you do have.

Now this one takes the cake ...

by Dale Burger


We got a call on Monday morning from Ed and Jean who wanted information about an alarm system. They sounded desperate so I immediately went to visit them. Ed and Jean met me at the door and as I entered the home I asked if they had just bought the house. They shook their heads and told me their story.


They had lived in this house for the past eleven years. That weekend they went out of town to their Son's college graduation. When they came home their next door neighbors were outside and surprised to see them. The neighbors thought they had moved away without saying goodbye.


When Ed asked why would they think that, the neighbors replied, 'Because of the moving van.'

While they were gone a moving van pulled into their driveway. Four big guys got out of the truck and started loading all the contents of the house into the moving van. They worked hard for hours and the neighbors had even given them iced tea.



The house was completely emptied. All the food, dirty laundry, even the rags in the garage, everything just gone. Jean said they even took the dirty dishes out of the dishwasher, and the Cake from the Fridge.

When should I use my Alarm System?

by Paul Alcock

At each install, our Techs are trained to teach the home owner or business owner how to use the Alarm System and they all have an Arm Stay and Arm Away option, but when should you use those features?

The difference on most alarm systems is simple: The Motion Detectors are not active when the System is in the Armed Stay Mode. This is ideal when someone is inside the premises. That way, if anyone opens a protected door or window the Siren will go off.

So the Armed Stay Mode is used when someone is home, usually when sleeping at night.

The Armed Away Mode activates all detection devices. This is the mode used when everyone is leaving the premises. If there is movement inside then that would trigger a Motion Detector.

The mistake often made is to leave the system disarmed when leaving the home or office for a short period. We frequently hear reports from customers that 'Just went out to the store for 20 minutes!' and in that short time a break-in occurred. That turns into an expensive trip to the store!

For more information click here

She cried “all the windows have to be secure.”

She cried “all the windows have to be secure.”

There are many ways you can secure your home and the least expensive way is to secure all the doors and use 1 or 2 motion detectors as back-up. Then you can buy additional inexpensive window locks and install them on your windows. This will secure the average home 97% to 98%. If you want the windows added to the security system this will increase the security level to about 99% at quite an additional cost. No matter how much you spend you can not make your home 100% secure.

Everybody's security needs are different because of their past experiences.

I was with this young couple with a 4 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. They had been married for 11 years and lived in this house 9 years. There had been break-ins in the neighborhood and they decided to get an alarm system.

We designed the system to cover the doors, use a motion detector and he would get and install the window locks we discussed. We scheduled an install date and I was ready to leave. The wife gave me a hug and said she would feel so much better when she knew the widows were secure.

At this point I knew we had a problem. I stopped and explained to her that we were doing the doors and her husband was getting the window locks. She looked at me and her husband and cried “all the windows have to be secure.” Immediately he was concerned about the price but she insisted that the windows had to be done.

Standing there I took her hand and said “obviously you have a reason for feeling this way, would you mind sharing it with me.” Her eyes locked onto mine and she blurted “I was 12 years old, they broke in through my bedroom window I hid under the bed for hours and thought I was going to die!” After 11 years of marriage he had no idea this had happened to his wife.

We installed a full perimeter security system in their home. Two months later I got a letter from the husband thanking me for what we did. He said that now, for the first time since he's known his wife, she now sleeps soundly through the entire night.

I LOVE MY JOB.

They didn't need an alarm system because Mom was always home.

By Dale Burger

In 1989 I made a career change and went into the alarm industry. In my second month I met with a couple to discuss having an alarm installed in their home. They were doing well and had all the latest electronic toys and other nice things in the house. At the end of my visit they decided not to get an alarm system because her mother lived with them and was always home.

About a month later my pager started repeatedly going off. (didn't have a cell phone in 1989) I stopped at a payphone and called the number in my pager. A woman answered and when I said who I was she screamed “Why didn't you make us take the alarm system!”

I drove directly to their home and the police were still there dusting for fingerprints. I learned that Mom left the house for 45 minutes to do the grocery shopping. Obviously the burglars saw her leave. The police figured there were 3 or maybe 4 of them and the damage was extensive.

They pried open the family room sliding glass door and threw the curtain back so hard that the curtain rod came out of the wall. In the kitchen they smashed a gallon of milk against the wall, drank all the beer in the fridge and stole the prescription drugs in the cabinet.

In the bedrooms the dresser drawers had been pulled out, thrown across the room and smashed into the wall sending the contents of the drawers everywhere. The beds were overturned, the jewelry, cameras and guns were taken and an undetermined amount of cash stolen.

In the living room was a state of the art large screen back projection TV. Next to it was a beautiful vase on a pedestal. Since the TV was too large to take they threw the vase through the TV. Then someone defecated on the living room rug, picked it up and smeared it on the wall like a rainbow. Add to this that everything had been thrown from the shelves, cushions overturned and the police fingerprint dusting was everywhere.

Imagine coming home to this type of disaster. The estimated loss from stolen property was $21,000.00 and estimated damages were $27,000.00. Then to add insult to injury after they got the insurance claim money their homeowners insurance policy was canceled. When they got another insurance carrier the rate was $400.00 a year higher. (remember these are 1989 prices)

Fact is most people get a security system after a break-in and that's just a shame.

Be on your guard

They are in your area!

by Paul Alcock

We received a call this afternoon from one of our customers. They had been approached at their home by a 'Rep' who stated he was there to change out their security system since they had bought out our alarm company.

The customer felt that something was not quite right and asked them to return another day. Then she called our office to see if it was a legitimate call.

This approach has been tried numerous times and is well documented in the Alarm Industry News. The idea is a simple one, or should I say 'two'

Here's the first scenario: A guy knocks on your door, wearing a cap that looks like it belongs to a security company rep. When the you answer the door, the 'rep' informs the you that their company bought out your old alarm company and the new one needs to update the alarm system. If you agree, then they come into the home, make a change to your alarm panel, provide you with a new contract that requires a bank or credit card payment and off they go. You have just been 'Slammed' and now you are in trouble!

You now have two payment responsibilities: Your existing alarm company and the new alarm company that will be charging you. So now you are liable for two payments. Not a good spot to be in.

Here's the second scenario: In this scenario, the guy knocks on the door and following the same ruse, he gets inside your home.. can you spell 'Burglar' because your home has just been 'entered' and your valuables are likely to be missing when he leaves.

Both of these scenarios have been reported in various Alarm Industry News all over the country. 

So be aware. 

If a sales rep visits your home, the probability is that they are legitimate sales reps. But you can ask for their ID card. All alarm system sales reps in Florida must carry their Alarm Certificates. 

No legitimate alarm sales rep will approach you to upgrade your alarm system because your old company was bought out!

Thanks to the mindful home owner in this article, she was not taken in by this scam and did not fall for it.

Hopefully, reporting on this incident will assist other homeowners. So please share this article with your friends and neighbors.

For more information, call us at 954-7956-7070 or visit our website at ACT-Security.com

Look under the bed!

Question ... When you come home alone, do you do a search of the house to make sure no one is there?

by Dale Burger.

I was shocked to learn that for 10 years after our friends house was broken into, my wife was afraid to enter our home alone. My wife and her best friend walked into her friends home and there was 3 burglars in the house. They ran out the front and the burglars ran out the back. From that point on every time she came home from work she went through a routine of checking every room, looking in the closets and under the beds before she could relax and change her clothes.

I changed careers and went into security system sales. We had a security system installed and a couple months later my wife told me it was so nice to come home, turn off the alarm system and know that no one was there and no one had been there. That was when she told me about the routine she had followed for 10 years and it made me realize how I was actually helping people. That was 23 years ago.

Since then I have asked this question or told this story to many couples only to find that many women go through this type of routine and their husbands are totally unaware.

Please share your experience with us.

Reduce your risk of Burglary

by Paul Alcock

Really! 

With years of experience in the alarm industry, we have seen how burglars have broken in to homes and we have learnt how to reduce the risk of them doing so without detection.

So here are some of the most effective things you can do to reduce the risk of burglary at your home:

• Don't advertise that you have new stuff!
• When you get that awesome 60inch Flat Screen, Internet Ready, HiDef TV from the local discount store.... Don't put the box out with the trash! It's just an Ad to your friendly neighborhood burglar.. "Brand New TV here! - Come and get it!"
• Lock your doors!
• When our grandparents left the house to take the buggy into town, they could leave the front door wide open! Not today! Burglars will brazenly walk up to the front door and knock. If no reply, they will see if the door opens. "Thank You"!
• Lock your windows!
• Think about it. The Oliver Twist days are long gone, burglars today do not want to get cut squeezing in through the narrow opening of a broken window, but if they can pull the window open, that's a "Thank You"! It's easy to lock your windows. Most home hardware stores carry window locks that only cost a dollar each. 
• Display your alarm system notice at the front and back of your home.
• This is often thought of as advertising for the alarm company. The big sign at the front is readable from a passing car, and the window stickers around the side and back entry points are certainly visible to would be intruders. Every deterrent reduces your risk of being burglarized.
• Use your alarm system!
• We learn of so many home owners that were broken into while their alarm system was disarmed, even when the home owner was at home! News programs often report how a home was broken into while the home owner slept. Use the alarm system even when someone is home.
• Test your alarm system!
• So many home owners are getting rid of their land line phones and switching to VOIP or just using their cell phone. This saves a lot of money, but does their alarm system still work? Testing your alarm system at least monthly ensures you are getting the service you are paying for, it also helps you sleep better at night, because you do 'Use your alarm system!' right?

They messed up my house!

By Paul Alcock

What actually happened during the burglary!

Over the years, we have found there are two times when people buy a home security system: While a sales rep is sitting in front of them, and after they have been burglarized. 

We receive a lot of referrals from our customers and many of them are after they learn that a friend was a victim of a burglary. During the review of their needs, we ask about what happened during the burglary; what was taken, damaged, disturbed and left behind. Very often, the family recount not only the details that they figured out, but also the report that the police made after the burglary.

In one instance, the mother recanted how 'he was a Professional', and how 'he' broke in through the back door and  'he' went directly to the rooms where the valuables were stored, and then 'he' urinated on the carpet in the living room. Pretty awful events to live with.

Then we offered our interpretation of the burglary:

• Probably not 'Professionals' - Pros tend to go for the really high end properties where they know they will find extremely high value jewelry and valuable collections.
• There were probably two or three of them, and most likely they were kids/teenagers or drug addicts.
• They probably coerced one kid to help them, they need someone to lookout for people arriving at the house. That kid probably had never done anything like this before, and got spooked and probably peed in his pants, and that's the source of the urine on the floor.
• Even the young kid that breaks into a home knows that you don't go in through the front door! Anyone might see you. No, they normally break in around a secluded side or back door. If there is a sliding glass door, that is their first choice of entry.
• Once inside the house, they would quickly look for anyone at the home and for ways out! Just in case someone does arrive. 
• Then they will head to the master bedroom. That's where most home owners keep their jewelry, cash, and guns!
• Off the master bedroom they will look in the master bathroom for drugs, especially high level pain killers.
• They'll look in the closet, an obvious hiding place for more valuables, they'll also probably joked about the lingerie they found there too.
• The bedside drawers will be pulled open, they are looking for weapons and jewelry, but they find lots of other personal stuff there too.
• Before they leave, they'll check the living room for easy to grab electronics; Video recorders, Cameras, Video game controllers too. But don't think that big flat screen TV is safe! They probably have a buddy waiting in a car on the end of a cell phone, and he will pull up in front of the house, everyone pile in with whatever they can carry and they are off!
• They were probably in the home for about an hour, undetected, the memories of the burglary will probably last a lifetime.

Most homes require a unique solution to their alarm needs, we take the time to determine the most appropriate solution that fits in the home owners budget and meets their protection needs. If you would like us to provide a no-obligation review of your family's alarm system needs, then please contact us.

Have you been the victim of a burglary?

The more we learn about what happened during a burglary, the better we can protect homes and families, so please let us know what happened.

Thanks.

Paul Alcock

ACT Security 

954-956-7070

It was a beautiful day

By Paul Alcock

Jamie waited outside the schoolyard searching for the face of her daughter as the kids piled out enthusiastically from school on this warm spring day in South Florida. Dozens of kids screeching and yelling playfully as they looked for their Mom's or Dads in the waiting line of cars parked like a row of snails in their shells.

Among the melee, Vicky spotted her Mom who smiled as she scrambled into the back seat of their car, loading up the empty space behind the driver's seat with the collection of books and bags from the day. School was out, time to head to the Yogurt garden for her favorite desert with sprinkles.

Vicky quickly began to recall her busy day and show Jamie the pictures she had drawn. Her favorite was the picture of their home. Typical kids picture, quirky boxes for windows, scribbles for the curtains, and a stick figure dog playing in front. She had stuck some cotton wool over the house to look like clouds, and a big yellow star for the Sun. It was a beautiful day.

Jamie finished her yogurt first, Vicky was picking out the red sprinkles on hers between detailed stories of how her class had fun during their lunch break. Nearly time to head home and beat the traffic. It had been a long day at work and Jamie thought about how Vicky would dash out of the car as soon as it stopped in the driveway and loudly call 'Scruffy' before she even reached the side door. It was a beautiful day.

Bags in hand, Jamie followed Vicky but something was up! Vicky stopped at the door, she didn't rush in as usual, and there was no excited Scruffy to greet her. "What's up honey?" it came out a bit shaky. "Where's Scruffy?" Vicky quietly complained. Jamie put the bags down and moved towards the door, she noticed the splinters of glass by the doorstep. This was more than a bit scary! Quickly, Jamie scooped Vicky into her arms and headed back to the car. "Hang on honey! we better go look for Scruffy, he must have run off. We'll find him" and Jamie backed the car down the driveway a little quicker than normal.

Once on the road, Jamie called the police. It 'was' a beautiful day!

By the time Vicky was tucked in bed later that evening, the Police had left and Jamie had searched around the house to see what was missing. Both of the jewelry boxes in the bedroom had gone, the pain killers in the master bathroom cabinet were gone too. Her closet had been ripped apart, several pieces of her best lingerie were strewn on the crumpled bed. The bag with the video camcorder in the living room was missing, so were the memory cards with the videos that Jamie had taken when Vicky graduated 1st grade.

The side door was now reinforced by a piece of plywood from the garage, Jamie had jammed a piece of wood between the now broken handle and the floor, just in case 'they' should return.

The police officer was very sympathetic, and followed Jamie as she went around each room of the house "Just want to make sure 'they' are not still here". It only took him about ten minutes to write out the report and provide a copy for Jamie "You'll need that for the Insurance Claim" and "'they' would not have had so much time to rifle through your home and belongings if you had an alarm system. Probably a good idea"

Then Jamie and Vicky were at home, alone. Not the best of beautiful days!

Jamie wondered how Vicky would draw pictures of their home next time!

What would you have done?

What Jamie did right:

• She did not enter the house after realizing there had been a break in. 'They' might still be inside.
• She took action to make both herself and her daughter safe.
• She called the police once safely away from the house.
• She let the police officer accompany her as she surveyed the damage 'they' had done.
• She contacted an Alarm company the next day.

The things we see - Rip Off #1

By Paul Alcock of ACT Security.

Where you work is what you see!

If you worked in a hospital, you would meet a lot of sick people, so no big surprise, we meet a lot of people that worry about their home security, and we learn about a lot of people that have been ripped off.

Just a short time ago, we received a call from someone that was not happy with their existing alarm company. Let me describe the situation, I would really appreciate your comments.

Jill rented her home and had previously been broken into and wanted a new alarm system for the house she was renting. So, two and a half years ago, one of the top alarm companies charged over $5,000 for the system on a 3 year contract. Now the system was pretty good, not a run of the mill system, it certainly had all of the features that Jill wanted to secure her home. However, it was pretty expensive! We would have expected the system to be around half that price up front.

When Jill needed to move to a new home, she called the company asking to have the system moved. It was a wireless system, so no need to pull cables or install new cables at the new apartment, this is a pretty straight forward job. This should take just a few hours to do the move and test everything to make sure it's working in the new house.

What would you do?

It took multiple phone calls to Jill's alarm company before she could reach a human and then they told her that they could do the move 'next month'! What!
Understandably, Jill was a little 'upset', NO KIDDING!
Ever have that problem, you know, the one where you have to press 1 thru 10 in a multi-layered voice menu and then have to leave a message? Would you stand for that?

I'm curious! Have you been ripped off by your home alarm company? Have you ever been lost in voice menu nightmare?

They're hard to find - Good Employees

In support of the idea that there is nothing new under the sun, enjoy the following quote:

“Teenagers these days are out of control. They eat like pigs, they are disrespectful of adults, they interrupt and contradict their parents, and they terrorize their teachers.”

Written by Aristotle in the year 350 B.C.

Science and Technology have made huge advancements in the last millennium but human nature seems to stay about the same. I might be becoming a little negative here but it seems that people in general are not willing to do what it takes to improve themselves. Specifically I'm referring to the segment of our population that are in the “Unemployed and/or Underemployed” positions.

Recently our government released statistics that show our nation having a 7.5% unemployment rate. Some in our government state that the number is more like 14% when you include the people that have stopped trying to find work. Stopped Trying??? That's like saying you're tired of breathing so ...

What has happened to our country's attitude toward work? Referring to the word “work” means taking the personal responsibility of working on developing the skills needed to become proficient at ones job or profession with the attitude that you will succeed. Somewhere along the line it seems people loose sight of what is important. There is dignity and a good level of pride when a job is done well. When your work life is going well, usually everything else seems to go better too.

I had lunch with one of my customers who owns a company that makes marble and granite counter tops along with other kitchen and bath upgrades. He has 6 locations and 90 employees. He knew I had hired about 22 salespeople in the last 8 months and he asked how they were working out. When I told him that none of them worked out he just shook his head. He said he just placed an ad that morning for a laborer that would help stock his locations and drive a company truck. In three hours he had eighty Email resumes. He showed me on his tablet what most of these resumes looked like.

The resumes were horrible. I swear that when my stepdaughter was in third grade she could have written better resumes. During our conversation my friend and business owner made a statement that I had not considered. He believes that more than half the people looking for work are UN-employable. Most do not possess the basic written and verbal skills needed to be hired. The ones that do, half of them don't show up for the interview and most of the ones that show up either can't pass a drug screen test or only want to know how much they will be paid and how many days off they get.

Is this a problem nationwide or is it just a South Florida problem? What have you experienced when trying to hire new employees? I'd like to know.

Putting negativity aside, if you have good employees, cherish them. They are few and far between. I wish you all good luck and good fortune in your business ventures.

Extract from the Alarm Association of Florda

President's Newsletter August 2013

The Make you feel good box.

Knowing that they have an alarm system, to alert if their home is broken into, or if there is a fire in the house, makes the home owner feel good'

 Perhaps we should sell 'Feel Good Boxes' a bit like Mood Stones.

But the alarm system does not always make the home owner 'Feel Good', this is not good!

How does an alarm system make them feel bad? There's a list of things: It makes noises when it shouldn't. It calls a false alarm into the Monitoring center, typically when the home owner makes a mistake and hits the wrong buttons trying to disarm the system.

When do most false alarms occur? When the home owner gets home. So most False Alarms occur between 5pm and 8pm as people get home from work.

 You know, attitude is everything! If we sold 'Feel Good Boxes' but explained that part of the Feel Good process involved the Box letting you know when it was having job issues! Such as when the Battery can't keep the box powered for long if the power goes out.
The Box is smart enough to let the home owner know.. "Hey! My Battery is getting low, and I want to keep the 'Feel Good' thing going!"

 So when the Battery low signal shows up on your system, take a positive attitude about it, you do want the Feel Good Box to keep doing it's job... Right?