When a guard responds to an alarm, there are different situations that they may encounter.

Here is guidance on what to do when a site is not secure.

1. If a Responder arrives to find a site not secure and unoccupied, contact the Monitoring Station that dispatched the alarm to advise them of the situation and request further instructions.

2. If a Responder arrives to find criminal activity in progress, pull back to a safe distance, call 9-1-1, then contact the Monitoring Station to advise them and request further instructions

3. If a Responder arrives and finds an individual on-site, that person needs to be identified using a piece of valid, government-issued, photo ID. If the individual is unable or unwilling to show the Responder valid ID, the Responder would call the Monitoring Station that dispatched the alarm to advise them of the situation and request further instructions

4. Grounding/standby occurs when a guard is required to remain at the site of an alarm pending the arrival of a keyholder or law enforcement.  Groundings begin when the instruction to remain on-site is given by the Monitoring Station Operator.