August 2022
Everyone’s been there. You’re just trying to unwind from work, and enjoy your evening… but all you can hear is the alerting tones of a neighbour’s alarm going off. But what is the right thing to do in this situation? At Lynx, we have put together some recommendations on what to do when your neighbour’s alarm goes off.
If at any point you witness something suspicious, we would strongly recommend calling 999 immediately – do not attempt to confront a criminal yourself as this may result in them causing you harm. We would also not advise trying to enter the property unless your neighbour has trusted you with a key.
Knock on the door
One of the easiest, and first things anyone should do when an alarm is going off, is to simply knock on the door. In some instances, when an alarm is going off, it is likely that the siren is going off outside, and that the occupants of the property may not realise that the alarm is going off. If, after knocking on the door, the owner is home and answers the door, they can silence the alarm, and if necessary, contact their alarm company.
If the occupant is not home, and you are able to contact them, the next step would be to try to reach out to inform them that their alarm is going off by telephone. If you don’t know their telephone number, consider asking the neighbour on the other side as they may have this information and be able to contact the homeowner.
Check the alarm
In some cases, the name of the alarm’s company can be found on the external siren. We would then advise trying to get in touch with them, as the sales agent at the company is more than likely to be able to get in contact with the occupant of the property, or at least provide the contact information to the caller on the phone.
Wait 20 minutes
Depending on the age and type of alarm, you may find that after 20 minutes, the alarm siren will stop. This may not apply for much older alarms, or if the alarm system has encountered a fault and is malfunctioning. If an alarm is ringing for what is deemed as a long period of time, local authorities possess the power to issue the owner of the property a fine for noise pollution.
The Environmental Protection Act
When is comes to the noise, what does the law state? Brought about in 1990, the Environmental Protection Act recommends that any alarm system should be installed with an automatic cut-out device to cut the alarm sound within 20 minutes. The act also states that any person who has an alarm installed on their property should make the local authorities aware of the existence of the alarm, and also notify the police of two or more alarm key-holders that are able to attend the property if needed. Bare this in mind if you have an alarm for your home.
If all else fails, and the homeowner is uncontactable, consider calling the local Police (use the non-emergency number 101) – they may send a community support officer or Environmental Health to investigate.
Any intruder alarm fitted by Lynx Fire and Security will be installed with an automatic cut-off device in line with the recommendations from the Environmental policy. To find out more about our Intruder Alarm services, why not get in contact with us by filling in our online enquiry form, calling 0800 998 1303, or sending an email to [email protected] to be contacted by one of our knowledgeable sales team.
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