CSAA False Alarm Analysis Program "FAAP"

Background

The Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) developed the "FAAP" software for the "Model States" Project at the request of the IACP/SACOP. The software was provided "FREE" to over 30 agencies during the course of this project at a cost to CSAA in excess of $100,000. After the initial version (Beta 33) was completed, CSAA decided to enhance and upgrade the software to make it even better. Contact information is provided at the end of this section.

To provide alarm companies and police/fire jurisdictions with a tool to identify, monitor and correct accounts with excessive false alarms.

The false alarm tracking system is a windows based program. It was designed to reside on a stand-alone computer in the dispatch center. When a false alarm is identified, the dispatcher clicks a button to enter the false alarm into the system.

The first screen the dispatcher sees is a search screen. This is to ensure that the dispatcher checks first to see if that alarm customer is already in the system. The search can be on any component of the name or address. For example, a search on an address of MAIN will bring up a list of all accounts in the system on Main Street. If the dispatcher sees the account they are looking for, they will select it with the mouse and will then see a screen of all false alarm history for that account. The dispatcher can then select a button to add a false alarm to that account history. The dispatcher will then select the date and time of the false alarm (default is current date and time), a disposition and enter any appropriate comments.

If the dispatcher does not find the account in the search, they may choose to add the account to the database. They will then enter all name/address information, who to contact information, account classification, servicing alarm company, monitoring alarm company, whether the alarm is registered, active/suspended and automatically assigns a default alarm number.

There are screens to enter alarm company information, including a unique identifier, name/address, and the name and phone number of a contact person and the number of a secure modem at the alarm company.

Account information may be entered ahead of time. For example, if they have registered their alarm, but have not had a false alarm. An administrator must approve any accounts added to the system before they are truly added. This is to help ensure accuracy of the collected information and also to ensure that duplicates do not get