A cautionary tale

Joanne received a phone call whilst on holiday to say that her company’s alarm had activated and was causing problems with the neighbours! She was unable to contact her colleague in the UK. Joanne didn’t have any other listed key holders, as two had recently left the company and had not been replaced.

Joanne panicked but was unable to do anything. The police would no longer attend an alarm as the key holders had failed to attend within the 20 minute police guideline on several occasions. In desperation, she contacted her father in the UK, and he reluctantly agreed to drive around the building’s perimeter.

On her return, Joanne received a letter from the council as neighbours had complained about the screaming siren and wanted it silenced. She wished she was still on holiday! She now had an inoperative alarm system; a council bill; and would have to pay out even more money to have the alarm repaired again…

If any of this sounds familiar, contact KeyPlus on Freefone 0800 783 1025 and let us take care of your Key Holding and Alarm Response needs from now on…

And another…

Steve’s phone wakes him and his wife up at 1:45AM. The Monitoring Station say that the company alarm has activated and he needs to attend the office immediately. It’s a good job he hasn’t been drinking or he would have had to order a taxi to get there!

Steve reluctantly leaves his wife and family alone at home and wearily drives the 30-minute journey back to work. There are no Police on his arrival which leaves him wondering whether they have already been and gone.

He nervously enters the building and is relieved to discover that they have not been the victims of a break-in.

“Great, just another FALSE ALARM. With any luck, I should be back in bed within the hour!”

A problem with one of the door contacts means that Steve has to wait on site until an alarm engineer arrives to fix the fault. Two hours later and Steve is forced to ring the alarm company to complain, as the engineer still hasn’t arrived!

Eventually, the engineer arrives and replaces the door contact without any further delay. It’s now 6:30AM and Steve is shattered – he leaves a note on the reception desk before driving home to his comfy bed.

The note reads: -

“Chris,
Please re-arrange all my appointments this morning. I have been on site half the night and need to catch up on some sleep. I ’should’ be in the office just after lunch with any luck.

Thanks Steve”

If this sounds familiar, contact KeyPlus and let us take care of your Key Holding and Alarm Response needs tonight – Freefone 0800 783 1025

Remember, the above scenarios really are all too common and some company-employed Key Holders are not so fortunate: -

• Forced to call a taxi if they have been drinking alcohol.
• Arrrive on site and literally walk straight into an intruder intent on getting away without being caught.
• British Standards for alarm engineers only require them to ‘make contact’ within 4-hours. This could be a phone call after 3 hours and 59 minutes to say that they are just setting off!
• A slip, trip or fall could result in disastrous consequences for a ‘lone-worker’.