KEN KIRSCHENBAUM, ESQ ALARM - SECURITY INDUSTRY LEGAL EMAIL NEWSLETTER / THE ALARM EXCHANGE You can read all of our articles on our website. Having trouble getting our emails? Change your spam controls and whitelist ken@kirschenbaumesq.com ****************************** comment on Alarm contracts: Back to basics May 13, 2026 ****************************** comment on Alarm contracts: Back to basics from article on March 26, 2026 ***************************** Ken: Just jumping in on this ‘response time mandate’ – need to take into consideration the ‘what if’s. Weather conditions could play havoc and end up causing the alarm company to violate the terms and conditions of the agreement! *Kansas City with its blizzards making roads impassable , downed power lines as well as tornadic events is what my company has had to deal with! Respectfully, Joseph Pfefer, President & Founder Jade Alarm Co **************************** Response **************************** Like most if not all situations, adherence to strict rules may be impossible, improbable or fly in the face of common sense. Weather conditions is a good example; natural disasters or civil unrest other examples. Years ago I devoted several hours over a few weeks negotiating fire alarm contracts with the town of Paradise California. The alarm company installed and monitored many municipal buildings and I am sure had plenty of commercial and residential subscribers with fire alarm service. A few years later the town essentially was wiped out. [On November 8, 2018, the town of Paradise, California, was almost entirely destroyed by the "Camp Fire," the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. Triggered by faulty power lines, the fire killed 85 people and destroyed 90% of the town's homes, forcing nearly all of its 26,000 residents to evacuate]. What did the central station do during that catastrophe? Even if it did dispatch the first few fire alarm signals the fire department had to have stopped taking calls and certainly stopped dispatching first responders [just a guess on my part]. I suppose that monitoring centers can continue to report burglar alarm signals and panic signals to police but what good will that serve in the middle of citywide civil unrest? I have not reviewed NFPA 72, UL and other recognized regulatory laboratories so I don't know if exceptions to the "rules of engagement" are suspended or discretionary under various described circumstances or silent on the issue. How about alarm experts weighing in on this? Do the regs address exceptions to how and when signals are dispatched? ************************** STANDARD FORMS Alarm / Security / Fire and related Agreements. click here: www.alarmcontracts.com *************************** CONCIERGE LAWYER SERVICE PROGRAM FOR THE ALARM INDUSTRY - You can check out the program and sign up here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/concierge or contact our Program Coordinator Stacy Spector, Esq at 516 747 6700 x 304. *********************** ALARM ARTICLES: You can always read our Articles on our website at ww.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/alarm-articles updated daily ******************** THE ALARM EXCHANGE - the alarm industries leading classified and business exchange - updated daily ************************* Wondering how much your alarm company is worth? Click here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/what-is-my-alarm-company-worth ****************************** Getting on our Email List / Email Articles archived: Many of you are forwarding these emails to friends or asking that others be added to the list. Sign up for our daily newsletter here: Sign Up. You can read articles and order alarm contracts on our web site www.alarmcontracts.com ************************** Ken Kirschenbaum,Esq Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum PC Attorneys at Law 200 Garden City Plaza Garden City, NY 11530 516 747 6700 x 301 ken@kirschenbaumesq.com www.KirschenbaumEsq.com
