How Does An Intrusion Alarm System Work?

How does an intrusion alarm system work?

1. An intrusion is detected
2. The control panel will be alerted
3. Alarms will be set off
4. Alarms will be deactivated

Building security is an important factor in keeping an establishment operational. Whether you’re in a high-rise building where offices are based or in a retail store where you want to protect the inventory, you should have a strategy to keep intruders away.

An intrusion alarm system is equipped to keep your building safe. It detects unwanted security breaches, device tampering, glass breaking, and anything else that might be a security threat. But how does an intrusion alarm system work exactly?

Let’s start with the parts of an intrusion alarm system.

Parts of an Intrusion Alarm System

A typical intrusion alarm system has around 3 basic components: the control panel, the keypad, and the alarm devices.

The control panel is the brain of the entire system. As you can expect from the name, it controls the processes of the system and all other parts are connected to it. It’s usually located in a secure part of the building where the dedicated software is installed, like ELID’s Matrix V System.

The keypad is where you can arm or disarm an intrusion alarm system. It’s the input for the system or your way to communicate instructions to the control panel. Depending on the alarm system, the device itself doesn’t always have to be a keypad. Sometimes, no keypads are needed, and sometimes an emergency button will do.

The alarm devices are the ones that conduct the surveillance of the building. These are the necessary accessories that you integrate into the entire system, like CCTV cameras, motion detectors, and door and window sensors.

These parts work together and form an intrusion alarm system. These systems are in no way limited to only these three. Many advanced alarm systems out there have additional parts and features, and some are even integrated into the entire building’s management system. As long as these three basic components are present, the alarm system will be able to function.

How An Intrusion Alarm System Works

An intrusion alarm system works by providing real-time, high-speed responses to possible security threats. Once the system is set up and armed, it will automatically scan your building for any anomalies and notify you immediately. Here’s how the process goes:

An Intrusion is Detected

Your security devices will detect intrusions depending on how they were designed and where they were placed. If the building’s supposed to be empty and your motion detectors detect something moving, it could potentially be a security threat. The same goes for other trips and alarms like window and door sensors. When these devices are activated, the alarm system goes to work.

The Control Panel will be Alerted

If there is a possible intrusion going on, the security accessories will immediately send their input to the control panel. The control panel will then do what it was programmed to do. It may send alerts to the security guards on duty, it may send emails to all authorized personnel, or it could do all of the above and move on to the next step.

Alarms Will Be Set Off

There are different kinds of alarms that you could use for intrusion alarm systems. It could be a bells-only system where loud alarms and bells start ringing to confuse or scare away the intruder.

It could also be a silent alarm where the intruders don’t know they’ve been detected, but the security and the local police would be notified. Sometimes, a special call center will be contacted and they will handle the emergency through external means. Either way, the intrusion alarm system will be sure to take the proper action it was set up to do.

Alarms Will Be Deactivated

When all the alarms have been set off and all necessary people have been contacted, then the system has done its job. How the intrusion itself will be handled will be determined by how the authorities will act. Once everything is resolved, authorized personnel can deactivate the alarm through the keypad, and reactivate it for future use.

Key Takeaway

Installing an intrusion alarm system in your building is always a good choice. By investing in your building’s security, you maintain both your assets’ and your employees’ safeties. It may be subtle, but your company will benefit greatly from being secure and from the absence of security threats. After reading the article, hopefully, we’ve answered the question, “How does an intrusion alarm system work?”

Earlier, we mentioned ELID’s Matrix V System as a good intrusion alarm system. What you don’t know is that it’s so much more than that. It’s an integrated security management system that covers everything you may need for keeping your building secure and operational. ELID creates more state-of-the-art products such as these, being a trusted manufacturer in Southeast Asia since 1989. If you want to learn more about us, click here!