The SDM 100 Report, from Security Dealer Magazine, ranks top alarm companies nationwide and has been published each year since 1991. Sonitrol of Evansville is proud to have ranked in the top 100 every year since 2009, this year at 78 in the industry. The SDM 100 Report looks at U.S. companies that earn their revenue from the sale, installation, service, and monitoring of electronic security systems, such as intrusion, fire alarm, access control, and video surveillance, including residential to commercial. We are thrilled that our family-owned and locally operated company stands out in this nationwide report. 
Officer appreciation for apprehension!
We want to thank Officer Weatherholt and Officer Garrison of the Henderson Police Department, for their work in apprehending a suspect recently who broke-in to a pharmacy we secure and monitor. When our Central Station operator, Chaz, received an alarm, he dispatched law enforcement, who responded at once. Before officers arrived, Chaz relayed more information over the phone to dispatch, including the number of suspects and their hoodie attire. Officer Weatherholt and Officer Garrison arrived and apprehended one of the suspects who was attempting to flee on foot. ALL the stolen merchandise was recovered, and the only property damage was to the building door. Team Sonitrol’s Jessica and Steve stopped by HPD with certificates of appreciation, cookies, and Sonitrol swag gifts to say thank you for their fantastic work fighting crime. GREAT JOB, Officers and Henderson Police Department, keeping our city safe! Shout-out to Chaz for a job well done, as well!
The Three a.m. Wake-up Call
It’s three a.m. You are sound asleep, dreaming about that beach vacation you’re planning. Your toes are in the sand, the waves are gently lapping against the shore, when all of a sudden, an earthquake hits! Wait, it’s not an earthquake. It’s your cellphone buzzing across your nightstand. Why is my phone ringing at three a.m.? I was having the best dream!
No one wants to get that call. If you are a Sonitrol customer, you could be on the receiving end of one of those calls from our Central Station operators. Why? Has there been a break-in at your business? Maybe not. Often times, it’s not your usual suspect. A criminal hasn’t triggered the alarm at your facility. The culprit? An unsecured door, blown open by a summer storm or a gust of wind. Yep. A door.
But doors are great, right? They help protect the people who should be there and keep the noise, weather, unauthorized people, and zombies out. And with a Sonitrol security system at your business or residence, you’ve really added protection to your property, valuables, and loved ones. We’ve installed door contacts so that when your system is armed and a door is opened, our monitoring team will dispatch police.
How do the door contacts work?
A door contact has two components. First, there is the switch part that is attached to the doorframe. It can be wirelessly powered with a battery or wired directly to the security panel. The second part of the contact is a magnet. The two components need to meet up when the door is closed to let the control panel know that the door is shut. The standard allowable gap between the contact and magnet before it goes into alarm is ¾ of an inch. Once the magnet is farther than ¾ of an inch, the alarm point is considered open, and if the system is armed, our operators will be notified.
So how could a door cause a false alarm?
Sometimes, buildings settle, doors become misaligned, screws in hinges become loose, and doors and doorframes swell and shrink with changing seasons. It may sound as unlikely as a zombie knocking down your door, but it’s a common cause of false alarms.
So, what can you do?
- Make sure all of your doors close properly. Can you pull the door open without turning the doorknob? Is there play in the door? When you pull on the handle, is it tight? Or does it wiggle and move?
- Check the door hinges. The hinges should be checked to make sure screws have not loosened and the strike plate on the frame is installed properly and not damaged. Make sure the latch on the door is contacting the strike plate on the doorframe.
- Check the door contact on occasion. Over time, the contact and the magnet can become misaligned or components can become damaged. Are both components of the door contact mounted properly and meeting when the door is closed?
Checking to make sure your doors are closed and secure and fixing older doors will help ensure that your building is protected when you arm the security system. It can increase police safety, too. Police safety? You bet. Avoiding these false alarms keeps our police from rushing across town when it isn’t necessary. On a windy night, or when a summer storm might be rolling in, that extra few minutes to check your doors could help make sure you enjoy those beach vacation dreams and don’t get a three a.m. wake-up call!
