Duress Codes For Alarms Systems

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Ari Erenthal
•Published May 02, 2017 11:03 AM

An alarm system can call for help in the event of an attempted break in, but only if it is armed. If an adversary forces an authorized user to disarm the alarm, however, that adversary can gain entry without alerting emergency responders. Therefore, alarms in high risk locations are sometimes programmed with a duress code, which is a code that disarms the alarm while sending a panic signal to the central station monitoring company. In this guide, we examine duress codes, including 

  • Robbery vs burglary
  • Robbery types
  • How to use a duress code
  • Duress code training
  • Duress codes affect alarm user behavior
  • Panic Signal Response
  • Best practices 

Robbery ****** ********

********** * ***** **** ******** *** use ** ***** ** ****** ** force ******* * ****** *******. **** is ********* ************, ***** ** *** ************ ******** of * ********* **** *** ****** to ****** * ***** **** ** one **** ** *******. **** ****** are ******** ** ******* ** ****** burglaries, *** ** ***** *** ******** owner ** * ****** ****** ****** in *** ***** ** * ********.

***** ******* *** ****** ***** *** a *** ** ********** ******* ****** as * ***** ** ******* *** help ****** *********.

Robbery *****

*** *** ***** ** ********* *** hold-ups *** ****-*****. 

** * ******* ****-** *******, * ****** ********* ******* ********** * single ********, ****** ** ****** ** be ********. **** ********* ***********(************* *******) * ******, ** ****** imply **** **** ******* ***. *** goal ** * ****-** ** ** get **** ** ******* *** ** quietly ** ********. *****, ** ********* will ****** **** * **** ** an ******** **** * **** ** their *******. **** **** ** ********* is ****** *****-******. ****-******* ********* *** *** **** common **** ** **** ******* *****. 

** * ***********-**** *******, *** ********* ** *********** **** as **** ***** ** ******** ** order ** ********** *** *** * large ****** ** ****** ** ****. The *********** ******** ***** ******* *** point ** ** ******. ****-**** ********* by ***** ****** *** ********* ******** and *********, *** ***** ** ***** little ****** ** ******** * ***** button ****** *** ******** ** ******** with ***** **** ** **** ****. *******, ** ** ********* ****** an ******** ** ***** * **** in ***** ** **** ***** ** a ********* ** * *****, *** employee *** **** *** *********** ** enter * ****** ****. ****-**** ********* are *****. 

How ** *** * ****** ****

** ********* **** **** ***** ** ****** of ***** ** **** ***** ** a ********* ******** ****** ** ***** extremely *********. ****** * ******** ****** code ********** ***** *** ********* *** appearance ** ********* **** ***** ****** while ************** ******* *** ****. *** alarm **** ******** ******** ***** * user ****** * ****** ****, **** no *** ** **** **** * duress **** *** **** ******* ***** emergency ********** ******. 

******* **** *** ********* **** ** adversary's ****** ** *** **** ******** ** hold-ups *** ****-**** *********. ** ** adversary ****** ***** ** ***** *********, and ** *********** *** ****** ** an ********, ******, ** ******** ** order ** ** **** ** ** so, *** ****** ****** ** ****** is ** ***** **** ** ***** what **** **** *** *****. ** the ********* ******** ** ******** ***** a ***** ****** ** **** ** the ***** ** **** *** ****, they *** ****** ***** ** **********, which ***** **** ** ****** *******. Consult **** *******'* ********** ** ********** policy ** ********** *** ****.

Duress **** ********

*** ******** *** ** ******** ** use * ***** ****** **** ** trained ** ** **, *** ****** this ******** ** * ******* *****. Victims ** ********* ***** ****** ******* and ****** ***** ************. **** ******* training *** ****** **** ********* **** what ** ** *** **** *** to ** ****** * *******. 

**** ** ********** **** **** ****** codes. ** ** ******** ** **** to ********* *** ***** ***** *** ****** user ****, **** *** ************* ** so **** ****** ** ***** ***** code ** ** *********. *********, *** employee **** ** ******* ** *** the ****** ****, *** **** ******** doing ** ** * ******* *****. *** realism *** ********** ** **** ******** depends ** *** ******* *** ******** is ****** ** ****. *** ***** installer ****** ******* **** ******** **** the ****** *********** *** ******** ** the ********, *** **** ****** ****** be ******** ** ********* ******** ******* procedures **** *** ********.  

Duress ***** ****** ***** **** ********

****** * ****** **** *** **** lessen *** ****** **** ********* ** high-risk ********** *** ************* ****. ********** **** attract ***** ******* **** ** *****, pawn *****, ******* ******, *** ***** cashing ****** **** ** **** ******** ways *** ********* ** **** *** help ******* ******* ********* ** **********. ********* with ** ********* ** ***** *** safest ****** ** ******, *** ********* who **** **** ********* ******** **** been ****** *** **** ****** ** simply ********* **** *** ******. **** ********** the ********* ** ***** ** ******* and ******* ** ******** *****, ** turn, ******* *** ****** ** *********, vendors, *** *********, ***** ****** *** liability ** *** ******** *****. 

Panic ****** ********

****** **** ** **** ***** ***** signals **** *********, ********* * **** priority ** ***** ***** ** *****. This ** ********** **** ** *** customer *** ***** ************, ******** *** central ******* ********** ****** ** ******** the ********* ** *** ******. ******** a ****** **** ** *** ********* of * ******* ********* ***** ****** * better ****** ** ********** ** * robbery ** **** ** **** ******* of *** *********.

Best *********

** ** ********* ******* ***** **** a ***** ****** *** **** ****, they *** ****** ***** ** **** violent. Therefore, ***** ****** **** ** **** to ** ********. ** ********* ******* ** force * **** ** ****** ** alarm **** ****** **** ** ******* observe *** **** ***** *******. ****** codes **** ** ****** *** ********** to *** ** **** ** *** siren.******* ****** ***** ****** ***** ** used, ** **** ** ********* ********** it (*.*.*-*-*-*,*** **** ****** **** *** ******** down *** ****** ** *** ******). Users ****** ** ******* ** ***** the ****** **** ****** *** ******* arguing ** ********* *** *********. **** risk ********** ****** **** ***** ***** on * ******* *****, ********** ******* station ** ******* **** *** ****** signal *** ********, *** ***** ********** should **** *** ****** ** ****** of ******** *** ** ** **. Most ***********, *** ********* *** *** need ** *** * ****** **** should ** ***** *** ** *****, so **** **** **** *** ********** in *** ********* ****** ******** ** they **** **** ** *** *** duress ****. 

Comments (6)
Avatar
John Bazyk
•May 03, 2017
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified

One of the ways we use duress codes is with access control. Almost all of our access control systems are integrated with intrusion via the DMP control panel and are pin plus card. We program in multiple user codes for each person including a duress code. So if someone walks up to a door and is being forced to open it, they scan their card like normal and enter their duress pin rather than their normal pin. This will, of course, disarm the system and unlock the door like normal. This combination of card plus duress pin alerts the central station. 

(2)
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Avatar
Brian Rhodes
•May 03, 2017
IPVMU Certified
In reply to John Bazyk

See: Charlie Hebdo Forced Entrance and Access Control Measures for such a situation.

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Avatar
John Bazyk
•May 04, 2017
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified
In reply to Brian Rhodes

I don't know how but I missed that article when it was originally published. In some systems we have installed blue strobe lights in back rooms where employees are (not in front lobbies) to give a visual warning for when there's a holdup/duress situation in progress. This way they can decide if they need to trigger lockdown protocol and have everyone move to a secure area. Whenever we've done this the clients have had bullet proof glass, bullet proof sheetrock and reinforced doors. This protocol wasn't something we came up with but was implemented by the clients. 

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Avatar
Ari Erenthal
•May 04, 2017
In reply to John Bazyk

That's a fine idea, actually. 

SD
Shannon Davis
•May 05, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I remember years ago a residential customer got mad at me because she thought I kept saying a "Dress Code" was required.. True story..

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
•May 09, 2017

I remember a case when the victim was beaten to death until the guards came in because he used silent alarm only.

Is there any statistics which would show how many robberies went south due to loud/silent alarm ???