We’re always here to help, and to save you time we’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the products and services that SMC offer. If you don’t see the answer to your questions or need more information, please contact us.
SMC provides several alternatives for sending Bureau its activity reports. You can receive a report via fax or email. Bureaus can also sign up for MASWeb, a free SMC service that allows you to run reports and make changes to accounts at your convenience.
If you are receiving this message, or one similar, then this would imply that you do not have Adobe Acrobat Viewer installed on your computer.
Can I access MASWeb from anywhere?
Since MASWeb is a website accessed through the internet, you can access MASWeb from anywhere in the world.
The single arrow button will advance you through your search results one page at a time. The double arrow button will advance you to your search results last/first page.
When you save your change, the change is immediately sent to SMC Data Entry to review and accept.
The Data Entry Team will clear MASReview at least every 2 hours and accept any required changes.
Simply enter the information you know for the client you are searching for (i.e. City, State, phone prefix, etc.) If you do not receive the desired result from this search, return to the advanced search window and redefine your search criteria to a broader range (i.e. only search for City and State).
SMC maintains a master “Data File” for all Bureaus individually. This data contains any standard information required to create a standard monitored account for the Bureau. Only site-specific information is needed; as long as all “critical data” is applied, the account can go online. Critical data includes full site name and address, premise contact phone number, a minimum of 2 after hour contacts and any zone that is a higher priority than an intruder alarm.
No, our operators must continue calling the call list until an individual is reached or a message is left on all contact answering machines.
We cannot risk entering the wrong customer information, many times, faxes will come in and are not legible, or there will be conflicting data on the form. In these cases, Data Entry will call the Bureau to clarify and ensure all data is clear. All data changes must be submitted in writing or by MASWeb to ensure the information is processed accurately.
This means that a signal received by SMC was not defined on the original commissioning sheet. The Bureau’s responsible for updating the information or correcting the programming within the alarm system. Undefined codes are usually the result of a programming error within the alarm communicator or can indicate that a zone input has not been defined as to the type of detector and description of the location. This will result in SMC actioning this event as an undefined Intruder alarm as per your standard response.
Monitoring alarm templates are specific to each type of alarm panel and are individually loaded upon creating a monitored account. The alarm template contains all relevant system events and a zone input related to that specific alarm system and, once applied to an account, provides our Response Centre operators with an accurate report of the system on-site.
“Undefined Zones” are codes sent in by the alarm panel that has not been defined, such as a Low Battery, Tamper, etc. They are usually the result of an option on the panel being inadvertently selected, but the code for the function has not been given to SMC. Send SMC the correct definition for the transmitted code to eliminate these reports.
There are a few possibilities. If this is a new account going online, the template for the account must be created before signals are tested. When SMC issues an account number, we automatically create the template account. If you are a Bureau and manage your account numbers, data entry must still create the template accounts. It is also possible that your alarm panel is programmed to the wrong account number or Hard ID, the 1345 phone number is incorrect, or the panel is not transmitting in a compatible format.
We recommend Contact ID since it typically requires the least amount of programming by the installer and transmits reliably even when line conditions are not optimal.
An SMC Bureau can use our 1345 numbers or provide their own (when approved). This flexibility allows you to easily redirect (port) your accounts without having to reprogram each account/client.
A communication signal is programmed into the panel to ensure the communication path from the panel end to the monitoring centre is connected and working
Generally, this relates to customers with an alarm system communicating via a PSTN line. Your alarm system uses the phone line to report signals to the monitoring centre.
Contact your security provider and let them know when you will be away. They will make all necessary arrangements for your security account.
Your emergency response plan will be initiated.
A Duress situation is classified as being confronted or coerced with the threat of violence or physical harm. Note: Duress alarms generally mean there will be only one police vehicle engaging in urgent duty driving, with other patrols making their way to the area under normal driving conditions
A Hold-up situation is when a person or persons are being confronted with a weapon or threat of violence with a weapon for robbery Note: Hold Up alarms for all police services generally involve multiple vehicles engaging in urgent duty driving (lights & sirens). This increases the risk to not only the officers involved but also the general public.
Police regulations require alarm monitoring centres to verify a crime in progress before calling Emergency Services. This ensures that false alarms do not take up valuable Police and Ambulance resources, ensuring a prompt response to your situation.
Yes, your security system is not deemed a life-saving device, such as a fire system, but safety devices, such as smoke detectors, can be connected to your security system.
Suppose your alarm sends a verified opening signal within 2 minutes of the alarm being triggered. In that case, this is treated as a false alarm and no action by our monitoring centre is taken.
Depending on the communications method of your alarm system, a low battery notification may be the last signal received from your alarm system before it fails. As such, the monitoring centre must treat it with the utmost importance.
Security Monitoring Centres respond to events based on the ASIAL standards (Australian Security Industry Association). Alarm events are arranged in a queue to be actioned by the monitoring centre based on their priority. Please refer to the table below for a breakdown of the classifications and response standards.
High Priority Life Threatening, e.g. Holdup, Duress – 60 seconds
Asset Threatening, e.g. Intruder, Tamper – 3 minutes
Subsistence, e.g. Low Battery – 20 minutes
Low Priority, e.g. Power Fail, Late to Close – 60 minutes
You may pay your bill by using any one of the following methods:
Post a Cheque or Money Order to Security Monitoring Centres GPO Box 1605, Sydney, NSW 2001
B-Pay or Electronic Transfer
Call or email us your Credit Card payment. We accept all major credit cards, excluding AMEX or Diners Club.
Set up a Direct Debit
All invoices must be paid by the due date. Accounts not paid by the due date may be subject to termination.
You should receive your invoice 30 days before the invoice due date. Payment should be made by the due date on the invoice.
A credit will be raised for the unused portion of your payment, which will go against the money still owed on your account. In certain cases where the account has been paid in full, and the client no longer requires any monitoring by SMC, you will receive a refund of all monies owing.
We offer Yearly, Half Yearly, Quarterly (on the calendar quarter) and Monthly billing. We strongly recommend Monthly billing, which will help maintain a steady cash flow for your business.
All accounts put online will start being billed from the commissioning date in accordance with your contract with SMC. The first invoice will include a pro-rata portion of the current billing cycle.
To re-open your account, SMC must have an agreed payment plan for the account to be paid in full. (For this reason, we strongly recommend that if payment is going to be late, you contact us in advance and make arrangements for your accounts to stay open). Failure to comply with these agreements will result in cancellation of the account and possible Legal action.
Yes, you may contact us to make arrangements for this to be done, excluding the use of Diners Club and AMEX.
If you send us a bounced cheque, your account will be charged $30.00. If you repeatedly bounce cheques, we will require you to use another payment method, such as a Credit Card or Electronic Transfer.
Because SMC bills in advance, there can sometimes be a timing issue before cancellations are processed. This line will, however, be credited from the cancellation date and you will receive an adjustment note for your records.
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