Automatic 10-digit number message could foul alarm system calls

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This article was published 27/07/2012 (4819 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Homeowners with automatic alarm systems might be in a for a rude wake-up call Sunday when Manitoba introduces 10-digit dialing, telecom and alarm companies confirmed Friday.

Businesses could find Monday morning they are experiencing the same problem and need an upgrade.

A recorded message about the new 10-digit dialing system could trip up automatic calls for alarms and fires by interrupting the calls to monitoring stations when an alarm event or fire alerts the system to a problem.

“The risk is clearly that we may not receive a signal at our monitoring stations and we may not be able to respond to any event that happens,” AAA Alarm’s vice-president and general manager Randy Williams said.

“That could be a break-in, a fire alarm or carbon monoxide,” Williams said.

However, the risk of a lost alarm call is a threat for fewer than 100 AAA customers, he said.

That means AAA Alarms reprogrammed 99.9 per cent of their customer’s systems for 10-digit dialing,  part of work on the conversion that started four years ago.

“I want to encourage any customers who haven’t had their panels reprogrammed or for any customers that are uncertain, please give us a call. We’ve got technicians on standby and ready to help,” Williams said.

AAA Alarms is owned by MTS Allstream and a corporate spokeswoman praised the company for taking a leadership role in reprogramming home security systems.

Most businesses are ready for the change, but some are still being converted to the 10-digit system.

“At the end of June, we had reprogrammed the equipment of more than 95 per cent of all our business customers and we’re working to finish the remaining few,” said MTS Allstream corporate spokeswoman Selena Hinds.

As of Sunday, callers will still be able to dial a seven-digit phone number and have the call completed, but they will hear an automated message explaining the change and instructions on how to successfully complete a 10-digit dial.

That message is a problem if it trips up calls to alarm companies that still use seven-digit calls.

The change is part of a permissive dialing period before Oct. 20, when the 10-digit system takes over in Manitoba for good.

If your alarm keypad starts beeping for no reason, that’s a tip-off that your system may need upgrading. Alarm companies and telecom experts said customers should call their alarm services to find out if they’re good to go for the change.