| With all the emergency response systems on the | | | | Demarc (telephone block at the point where the |
| market today, it's sometimes hard for the installer | | | | telephone line enters the house or business) to |
| to figure out how to wire the telephone lines to | | | | ensure that it can seize the line and cut off |
| insure proper order of signaling, especially if they | | | | anything else that is using that line, when it needs |
| are an alarm technician that has just been thrust | | | | to call out. |
| into a new market. | | | | 2. Security Alarm System. This system goes |
| Case in point: John (not his real name) has been | | | | second because it concerns safety as well as |
| working on security systems for several years, | | | | security. |
| and has just been handed an installation of a | | | | 3. PERS System. This one is next, and must be |
| Personal Emergency Response System (or PERS), | | | | able to seize the line from any system that uses |
| and told to "just follow the instructions, it's easy". | | | | scheduled signaling and the telephones. |
| (How many times have I heard that through the | | | | 4. Health Monitoring System. This type of system |
| years?) | | | | uses motion detectors to track the movements |
| So, John goes to the site, and finds out they | | | | of the client, and can warn of a possible fall, or |
| have a security system, a separate fire alarm | | | | medical problem, and usually calls in at a |
| system, and one of the new health monitoring | | | | predetermined time schedule (typically every two |
| systems that calls in every two hours to a | | | | hours). |
| server which analyzes the clients activity. | | | | 5. House Phones. These are always hooked up |
| He installs the PERS system which, as it turns out, | | | | last in line. A fire, security problem, or health issue |
| is an easy install, for once. Now, he's faced with | | | | is always more important than what dress Aunt |
| the problem of how to hook up the telephone line | | | | Betty is wearing to the wedding. The Fire and |
| to the new system. | | | | Security Alarm systems should always be wired |
| Where does this one part fit in to the whole of | | | | for proper line seizure, and the PERS system |
| the clients systems? Well, here's your answer. It | | | | when possible, whereas the health monitoring |
| comes down to priorities, and one word that is | | | | system can be wired in parallel with the house |
| bigger than most every other word in the English | | | | phones, since every signal that it sends is not a |
| language: LIABILITY. | | | | critical issue. It's better if it can be wired for |
| This word pops up the most when discussing fire | | | | seizure, but not mandatory. (Typically, both the |
| alarm systems, but there is a certain amount of | | | | PERS and the Health Monitoring systems have |
| liability in every type of system a company can | | | | telephone plugs in the back to attach the phone |
| install that deals with a form of protection for the | | | | line in series, like an answering machine.) |
| client. | | | | If a client does not have all the systems listed |
| Here then, is the proper order of priority: | | | | above, just leave the ones they don't have out |
| | | | of the list, but keep the same order, and you'll |
| 1. Fire Alarm System. This system (by fire code) | | | | always have your systems dialing in with the |
| has to always be first, before any other kind of | | | | correct priority, and keep liability where it belongs: |
| system and the house telephones. It's usually | | | | anywhere but on your shoulders. |
| necessary to run a phone line all the way to the | | | | |