Update: The Corvallis Police Department wants to make sure that citizens understand that the new false alarm program will not increase public safety costs. Our apologies for making that implication.
Starting June 1, the City of Corvallis is partnering with CentralSquare False Alarm Solutions to create a database of registered security alarm systems.
In Corvallis, residential and commercial users of security alarm systems are already required to obtain an Alarm Permit and register their systems through the police department. CentralSquare, a company that specializes in public sector software, will now be administering this registration system through a web portal on the City of Corvallis website.
This partnership is an effort to reduce the number of false alarms generated by residential and commercial users. Last year, the City of Corvallis reported that the Corvallis police department responded to over 1,000 alarm calls, with 97% of them being false alarms. These alarms could have been set off by bad weather, wild animals, power outages, cracked windows, poor installation, and any number of non-threatening reasons.
Responding to these false alarms drains public resources and takes valuable time away from police officers. When a false alarm is activated, police officers have to divert their attention away from emergency calls and the people who actually need their help. Currently, due to this misuse of public safety resources, false alarms are considered a public nuisance violation and are subject to fines depending on the total number of calls.
This new and improved database will allow dispatchers to have faster access to security alarm operator’s information, allowing them to quickly assess the cause of alarm and spend their time more valuably addressing the real emergencies. To further prevent these false alarm calls from happening at all, the city of Corvallis recommends educating security alarm system users on how to properly use their security system, how to prevent false alarms, and how to cancel an accidental alarm before calling 911.
The implementation of this new system does not increase the cost of public safety services in Corvallis.
For more information on the new database, to register your alarm system visit, or for tips on how to prevent false alarms visit https://www.crywolfservices.com/corvallisor/
By Hannah Meiner
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