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Change requires alarm company to verify something's wrong before calling 911

False Alarm

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs police said the number of false alarms they're responding to is out of control and they're changing the rules. Now, they want proof that there's an emergency before they respond.

The Sandy Springs police chief said the department's system is bogged down with false calls and the new changes will allow his officers to get to real emergencies quicker.

“We have (false alarms) a lot here, unfortunately,” homeowner John Martin said.

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“I do feel it’s a pity there are so many false alarms, I guess,” homeowner Susan Grana.

"Currently we're averaging about 10,000 false alarms a year," said Sharon Kraun, communications director for the city of Sandy Springs.

Kraun said tying up police and firefighters is putting a strain on the system.

That’s why the council revised the ordinance, which will now require alarm companies to provide confirmed verification of an emergency.

Put simply, alarm companies will need audio or visual evidence there's a crime before they can call 911 for you.

"I do have video and it's helped many times," Martin said.

For homeowners, this means that, if you do not have a system with built-in audio and visual components by a year from now, you'll need to upgrade your system.

We called several alarm companies, who acknowledged they were aware of the changes. They have one year to implement them.