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24-Hour Audible Alarm - Sends a report to a UL listed central monitoring station and provides alarm sounds at the keypad, control panel, and external sirens.

24-Hour Silent Alarm - Sends a report to a UL listed central monitoring station, but provides no keypad display or audible alarm sounding at the location.

24-Hour Zone - A zone that is permanently active twenty-four (24) hours a day (such as a fire zone).

AC Power - Alternating current supplied from the plugged-in transformer.

Access Control - A type of security system that restricts access to authorized users at certain times. Different access levels can be granted to different personnel.

Alarm - An audible or visual warning to a UL listed central monitoring station that there was a problem caused by an alarm event.

Alarm Battery - A battery that is used in a wireless alarm device or security system control panel. Lithium alarm batteries typically last longer than alkaline alarm batteries.

Alarm Communication Path - The method in which a security system communicates with a central monitoring station. Plain old telephone service (POTS) is the oldest most commonly used communication path. With advances in wireless technologies, other more secure communication paths such as cellular alarm monitoring are gaining popularity. Internet protocol (IP) monitoring and dual path (Cellular/IP) monitoring are some other communication paths that do not require a hardwired telephone line to be present at the property.

Alarm Device - Security system peripheral that can detect some type of alarm event and send an alarm signal back to the security system control panel.

Alarm Event - An event triggered by an alarm device that alerts the control panel that some type of emergency has occurred.

Alarm Monitoring - A service provided by a central monitoring station, in which a security system is connected 24/7 to a central station operator.

Alarm Notification Device - Security system peripheral that alerts those in and around an alarmed premise that an alarm has occurred. These devices can be audible, visual, or both. (e.g. sirens, speakers and strobes , etc.)

Alarm Signal - Signal first initiated by an alarm device and then transmitted by a control panel to a central monitoring station.

Alarm Transmitter - An electronic device that wirelessly transmits an alarm signal from an alarm device to a burglar alarm control panel.

Alarm Verification - The means of verifying that an actual intrusion has taken place. There are many ways to verify an alarm event has occurred. Video verification utilizes cameras that are installed in the same area as the alarm device so that the central station operators can view what caused the alarm. Audio verification utilizes microphones so that operators can listen in to determine if an alarm is real or not. Call verification utilizes phone calls to attempt to verify the alarm.

Ambient Temperature - Normal air temperature of an environment surrounding an alarm device.

Apprehension - An actual arrest of a suspected criminal resulting from the police department responding to a dispatched alarm.

Arm - The act of turning your security system on, so that it is ready to detect an alarm event.

Arming Sequence - The amount of time between when a security system is armed and then subsequently disarmed.

Audible Alarm - An alarm that sets off one or more of the sirens of a security system.

Audio Verification - A type of alarm verification that uses audio detection to allow a central station operator to listen in at the alarmed premise to verify that the alarm event is an actual alarm and not a false alarm.

Authority Level - A designation assigned to each user code that determines which specific functions can be assessed by that user.

Auxiliary Panic Keys - Programmed to activate different types of distress signals (Burglar, Fire, Holdup/Panic, and Medical). Always work, regardless of whether or not the main security system is armed.

Babysitter Code - A user code that can arm the security system anytime, but can only disarm the system if the babysitter code was used to arm it for that arming sequence. Once the system has been armed with a normal user code the babysitter code will not disarm it.

Back-Up Alarm Battery - A type of alarm battery that ensures your security system will continue to work after losing AC power. Back-up alarm batteries typically power a system for a 24-hour period.

Bandwidth - The capacity of the transmission medium stated in bits per second and as a frequency. It can also be the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time. For digital devices, the bandwidth is usually expressed in bits per second (bps) or bytes per second. For analog devices, the bandwidth is expressed in cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz).

Biometric Code - Used on some locks; provides greater security than a numbered code on a standard lock. Only the individual with the exact fingerprint, DNA, or different type of identifying input can open the lock.

Biometrics - The science of identifying an individual based on physiological or behavioral inputs.

Burglar Alarm System - An electronic system consisting of alarm devices that are connected to a control panel via either a low-voltage hardwire or narrowband RF wireless signal. A burglar alarm system becomes a monitored security system when connected to a central monitoring station.

Burglary - A forced entry of a secure location resulting in the damage or theft of property.