What is "ECV" or Enhanced Call Verification
What is Enhanced Call Verification and how does it work?
Enhanced Call Verification is a simple and effective way that you can help avoid sending law enforcement to false alarms. It requires your alarm company to attempt to verify the alarm activation by making a minimum of two phone calls to two different numbers prior to dispatching law enforcement. The first call is to the home or business where the alarm is occurring, and, having failed to reach a responsible party, a second call is made to a different phone number that will most likely be answered after hours or when the alarm owner is away. The most effective second call is to a cell phone.
The Enhanced Call Verification procedure is only used for burglar alarm signals. All fire, medical, panic, hold-up or duress and robbery signals would follow the dispatch procedures required by your local ordinance and/or policies and in accordance with the alarm company’s standard operating procedure.
What is a typical scenario where Enhanced Call Verification would be used?
You are in your car getting ready to go to an appointment. You realize you have forgotten something you need inside. Instead of turning off your alarm system, you think you can beat the exit delay so you just run in, get what you need, and run back out again. You are a couple blocks away when your cell phone rings. It is your alarm company notifying you that your alarm has activated. They already called the premises, but received no answer and want to know if law enforcement should be dispatched. You realize that you set off the alarm when you re-entered your premises because you did not beat the exit delay on your system. You provide the appropriate password and prevent a law enforcement response to a false alarm.
This is one common scenario demonstrating how Enhanced Call Verification can work to eliminate unnecessary law enforcement responses, save police resources, and save alarm users from unnecessary false alarm fines.
Enhanced Call Verification works because it provides two opportunities to cancel accidental alarm activations before requesting law enforcement response. As the alarm user, you are familiar with the activity occurring at your home or business, such as home repairs, cleaning crews, employees closing, etc. However, when that activity causes a false alarm, you may not be present to cancel the alarm activation and a request for law enforcement response is made. With Enhanced Call Verification, and the knowledge of what is happening at your home or business, you can prevent these types of false alarms from occurring.
How can Enhanced Call Verification benefit you?
Enhanced Call Verification provides alarm users with a simple way to help avoid false alarms and the fines imposed by many cities and counties, including alarms caused by:
- after-hours cleaning crews
- scheduled maintenance work
- employees who forget their password
- forgetting to close a window or door before activating your alarm system
- leaving pets in areas protected by motion detectors
- authorized users returning home and not remembering their password
How will Enhanced Call Verification benefit the community?
Communities where Enhanced Call Verification is required have seen reductions of unnecessary law enforcement response between 30 and 50 percent. Enhanced Call Verification also reserves law enforcement responses while protecting law enforcement resources and helps to ensure officers will be available to respond to emergencies.
Information provided by: FARA