Alarm Monitoring back to fire/police required by TTB?

[kckadi]

Local regulations aside, does the TTB require require that alarms systems be tied into the local EMS/Police dispatch? The building I am going into has none. I'm trying to budget in the cost of a full monitored police and fire alarm system and just got an installation quote of almost $7K plus around $60/month for monitoring fees. My local regulations require me to have a smoke alarm in the public areas but that's about it. I'm curious who out there has refitted a system in their building, what types of systems they used and what were their installation costs. Thanks. Hoping to be open by end of Sept but that may be optimistic.

[porter]

I work with alarm and surveillance firms locally to integrate their systems for remote access.

Your equipment costs can vary a lot but $7k is out of line depending how much equipment you are installing. The fire panel is the costly item, usually around $800 for a 5 zone panel (Grainger carries them online). The you simply need up to 5 remote sensors under $50 each.

Security is dirt cheap by comparison. An Elk controller and some motion sensors for under $1k.

You should be able to find a good local shop that can use the Elk for both fire and security monitoring and get a nice package installed for around $4k total as long as your wiring isn't too extreme.

Your monthly monitoring is way out of line though. $30month will get full monitoring at most anyplace.

I'd be getting some quotes from local providers, not ADT, Sonitrol or any of the majors. If they advertise on TV their way too high to begin with.

[kckadi]

Thanks Porter, I thought it was high. The higher monthly cost was because the installer said I had to have two phone lines dedicated to the system and each line had its own monitoring fee? Plus I didn't add in the monthly cost of two phone lines so that is an additional cost on top of it (Can't these systems use the internet?). Wiring my building should be easy, its basically a big,single tenant, 50 x 80 empty block building with a tasting/sales room up front.

Do you have any insight if there is any mandatory TTB requirements for monitoring? I know the fire alarms installation is covered by code so I probably can't self install it but the security system really isn't so that may be something I can self install (I'm a controls/automation engineer)

[bluestar]

There are no mandatory requirements for TTB for security beyond locks specified, physical security of the space, and that you have to have means to provide "other" security measures. You describe your security measures in your permit application or update, and they review it. For example, we are not alarmed (beyond fire), but we have 24 hour automated video camera surveillance.

[kckadi]

Thanks Bluestar and Porter! Appreciate the time everyone has given to answer the numerous questions I've posted in these forums over the last 6 months or so. Learning as I go.....

[Blackheart]

We did our own alarm install, and it was freaking easy and a hell of a lot cheaper than commercial. We have the luxury of a friend that does alarms for a living, and he convinced me we could do it as good or better than the regular services.

Buy the set up from homesecuritystore.com, you can do GSM (cellular) connection to the monitoring service, or regular hard line, or internet. We do all three. Monthly monitoring is $20 at alarmco, or some such. You can get it as cheap as $7 a month if you buy a few years at a go. Service? They've been awesome.

All in for a pretty hi-tech wireless system with smoke, panic (im being robbed/out of toilet paper!), motion sensors, door control, on battery backup was like $750-ish. Install was one day. Alarm company took 10 minutes on the phone to sync.

[kckadi]

HI Blackheart, I'd like to be able to do a do-it-yourself installation but the fire dept says it has to be a licensed professional. I have found someone that can do it for about less of what the others have quoted so its still going to cost me around $4K. Frustrating as hell. Thanks for the suggestion thought.