Policy Text
CATEGORY DATE ADOPTED LAST REVIEW
2 01/24/2011 06/01/2019
TUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
SS404 - Call Taker Procedures for Alarms 1 SS404 CALL TAKER PROCEDURES FOR ALARM CALLS
SS404.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This procedure establishes guidelines for monitoring and responding to commercial and private
residential security alarms.
SS404.1.1 ACCREDITATION STANDARDS
This p rocedure pertains to the following CALEA Standards: 81.2.12 , 81.2.13
This procedure pertains to the following General Order(s): §802
SS404.2 BURGLAR ALARM RESPONSE – AUDIBLE AND SILENT
When dispatch is notified that a burglar, duress, or hold -up alarm is activated, the dispatcher
creates an incident in the Computer Aided Dispatch system and dispatches units to the scene. If
the alarm company or an authorized person at the alarm site canc els the alarm prior to arrival of
any responding police unit, the alarm is considered cancelled and the dispatcher should enter
the appropriate disposition into the incident.
The dispatcher will enter the appropriate disposition for verified or false alar ms. A verified alarm
means an alarm signal resulting from the actual detection of an unauthorized entry into a
building, structure, or facility alerting the Tustin Police Department and/or others of the
commission of an unlawful act within a building and c onsistent with the type of alarm signal
transmitted. A false alarm means an alarm dispatch request was made and the responding
officer finds no evidence of criminal offense or attempted criminal offense after having
completed a timely investigation of the alarm site.
Alarms caused by power outage, severe storms, earthquakes, or other violent acts of nature are
not false alarms.
SS404 .2.1 CALL TAKING
Gather the following information from the alarm company. If the call comes in from a citizen ,
gather as much information as possible about the alarm.
a) Location of alarm (Address/Suite number/Apartment number) ;
b) Verify the name of the business/resident/complex matches the inform ation in the call
taking window;
c) Alarm company name, operator name/numbe r and alarm company phone number;
d) Exact point of activation (Front door/Perimeter/Interior motion, etc.);
e) Determine if an automatic r eset to the alarm exists and it s duration;
f) Request a premise phone number ;
CATEGORY DATE ADOPTED LAST REVIEW
2 01/24/2011 06/01/2019
TUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
SS404 - Call Taker Procedures for Alarms 2 g) Ask if a call was made to the location by the al arm company. If a call was made what
was the result;
h) Note additional information possibly offered by the alarm company may include :
1. Responder information and ETA ;
2. Subjects at the location unable to provide authorization codes ;
3. Animals on -site and if they are secured.
SS404.2.2 ENTERING THE CALL FOR SERVICE
a) Enter the address provided by the Alarm company or reporting person in the Address
line of the call -taking screen;
b) Locate the Verify Address button at the bottom of the call -taking screen. This will match
the address with the Geo -File in the Comput er Aided Dispatch System – CAD;
c) Verify the name of the Business/Resident given by the alarm company matches the
information in the R: field (Reference). If the name of the location has changed enter th e
new information in this field;
d) Use the type code 459A, 459S, 211S, and 211PA N;
e) Enter the name of the alarm company/person reporting the alarm in the RP field;
f) Enter the name of the caller or their operator number in the RA field;
g) Enter the phone number of the alarm company/person reporting the alarm in the PH
field;
h) In the text of the call , enter the information gathered by the alarm company. Information
should include:
1. Coverage of the alarm (Front door/Perimeter/Interior motion)
2. How it was activated (Remote/Pa nel/Push Button/Teller)
3. Reset time (Some alarms have an automatic reset).
4. Premise phone number.
5. If Alarm Company called the premise, what was the result? (No answer/Answering
machine/name of subject who answered the phone).
g) If, prior to arrival on scene th e alarm company calls back with responsible information
update the incident with the following:
1. Name of responsible
2. ETA
3. Vehicle description
SS404.2.3 DISPATCHING THE CALL
a) Dispatch a minimum of two officers at all times. (An available K9 unit can be di spatched
without a follow unit);
b) Using the command line ( CMD: ) at the top of the call -taking screen type “DI, unit #’s”
and press the enter button located on the 10-key portion of the keyboard. The CAD
system will dispatch the call for service to those units and will docume nt the time in the
call history;
CATEGORY DATE ADOPTED LAST REVIEW
2 01/24/2011 06/01/2019
TUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
SS404 - Call Taker Procedures for Alarms 3 c)