Home Security Companies Contend With New Need To Dial Local Area Code

There’s an added headache to the need to dial an area code to make outgoing calls in Suffolk County—for home security systems. Automatic security calls—whether for a fire, carbon monoxide or a burglar—will go into a black hole without an area code, instead of being forwarded to the appropriate responder.

“If you don’t have the new area code set up in your security system, it’s not going to dial out for assistance,” explained Edwin Thompson, the CEO and owner of Bellringer Communications, a Southampton-based security company.

Michael Mulcahy, general manager of Berkoski Security, said that police and firefighters advise his company’s customers that their alarm systems will be compromised unless they add local area codes.

And now homeowners who are trying to add an area code to their security system are creating new headaches. After adding the area code, many try to test out the new outgoing number without letting the security company’s dispatchers know, leading to false alarms.

“The only way there would be a false alarm is if someone was putting in an area code and didn’t put in a call to Central Station to alert them that they are doing work on the system,” Mr. Thompson said. “If the Central Station got a signal, they may not be able to reach their customer, because he or she may be on the phone or whatever, and then they’re going to send the police.”

Since 2011, Southampton Town no longer resets the charges for false alarms at the end of the year, meaning that any charges from false alarms carry over into the next year. Residents will not be fined until two or more false alarms have been made, but charges from the Southampton Town Police Department range from $100 to $400. False alarm charges in the Town of East Hampton range from $400 to $1,000, while East Hampton Village charges $50 to $250 for false alarms.

According to Mr. Thompson, residents need to call the security company first to alert it that their security system will be on the “test” function. Once they’ve added the area code, they can use that function to see if the dispatch center successfully receives the call. But unless dispatch is notified that a test signal will be sent out, it will appear to be an emergency call, leading to police or others responding to the house for no reason.

According to Pablo Fabiano, operations supervisor for Scan Security in Southampton, his customers have avoided the trouble of changing their system by using national emergency lines.

“Many of our clients’ systems were already programmed to communicate via a toll-free 800 number that we offer and therefore not impacted by this change,” Mr. Fabiano said. “For many others, we were able to address remotely, therefore not requiring a visit from a technician.”

Curtis Cole, owner of Systems Design Co. in Southampton, explained that security companies today offer a 1-800 number that still dials out to a central station dispatch for support. Both the 800 number and the standard number with area code work efficiently, but Mr. Cole said that the 1-800 number can be transferred to different security systems if customers move to a new home.

Mr. Cole also said that Systems Design Co. was installing security systems with the local area code added on even before the requirement was needed.

“We advise our clients to switch to an 800 number since they can always use that number if they move or get a new security system,” Mr. Mulcahy said of Berkoski Security. “We haven’t received an influx of calls or any horror stories from customers, so people seem to be becoming more aware.”

Southampton Town Police Lieutenant Susan Ralph said the department hasn’t had a rise in false alarm calls in the past year, but did stress that even if an alarm trigger is accidental or caused by a malfunction, “we have to respond to it.”