What if you had an emergency and could not reach anyone to help you?  It’s not a pleasant thought.

Millions of alarm system owners put themselves in this position every year.  They do not maintain current emergency contact information with their Monitoring Response Center, which results in a delay in reaching a responsible party, or in no one being reached at all.

The owner is left with an emergency and there is no one to help them.

Think it’s not a problem?  The issue is an “epidemic” and one that ultimately costs home and business owners in terms of safety and false alarm fines.

Right now, make it a point to verify the emergency contact information on record with Amherst Alarm.  Send your updated contact information by e-mail to rickw@amherstalarm.com, by fax to (716) 632-1156, or by mail to 435 Lawrence Bell Dr., Amherst, NY 14221.  Commercial contact updates need to be in writing.  Make sure emergency contact names are spelled properly, phone numbers are correct, and that emergency contacts are listed in order of preference/priority.  Then, around New Year’s and the Fourth of July each year, verify the information with the Monitoring Response Center.  It is a convenient way to keep emergency contact information up-to-date.

Who should be on your emergency contact list?  Quite simply, anyone you trust to represent you and check on your home or business in an alarm or emergency situation.  You will want to make sure they:

• Have quick access to your home or business
• Understand how to arm and disarm your alarm system
• Have a personal emergency identification number or code, as that indicates they are authorized to act on your behalf
• Know the phone number of the monitoring response center
• Know how to reach you in the event of an emergency

Just a few minutes spent verifying your alarm emergency contact list information twice a year greatly improves your overall security.  Do it today.