Posted December 13th, 2012
Some fire departments are assessing significant charges to a residence when they respond to a fire or a fire alarm. The charges typically range from $50 to $1000 and more. As a result, some homeowner insurance policies are including a small amount of coverage to handle these charges. The coverage is normally set up as a “per occurrence” basis. It’s bad enough to have to handle the cost caused by an unexpected loss, but it’s even harder to receive a bill from your fire or police department because they dispatched help to your location.
A good alarm system has to be sensitive enough to register a risk. An alarm that doesn’t trip when needed is worse than worthless. It is much better to experience a few false alarms and know your system is armed and protecting your safety. For customers who have fire or burglar systems that are hooked up directly to local department, the cost of a false alarm could be handled by an additional coverage option.
Your local independent insurance agent can inspect your insurance policy to see if you have that kind of coverage, and if not, she can let you know what the cost to add it would be. Most insurance agents can help you obtain information on security systems. You can also contact your local police department for their advice on alarm requirements and types. Information is also available at the False Alarm Reduction Association.
comments powered by