When a company is UL-certified, it means that its products and services have been evaluated by Underwriters Laboratories, a non-profit global safety certification company based out of Northbrook, Illinois.
UL has developed standards for security alarm companies and many other service industries. For alarm companies in particular, it assesses their ability to install, test, maintain, monitor and communicate with proper authorities.
Essentially, UL makes sure that your alarm company is offering you the highest-quality tools and the best service possible.
We know this explanation only scratches the surface of what UL certified monitoring is and how it affects you as a consumer. So below, we'll go into more detail about what UL certification means as well as:
- How a company becomes UL certified
- The benefit of hiring a UL certified company
- Which alarm companies are UL certified
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Looking for a UL-certified alarm monitoring company? You've come to the right place.
Ackerman has worked hard to maintain its relationship with UL because we know it's the toughest 3rd party regulator in the country. That means better service for our customers, and safer homes across Georgia.
Monitor my home through Ackerman today
How does a company become UL certified?
A security company can become UL listed by demonstrating "exceptional competence and consistent adherence to relevant codes and standards."
Once a company is certified, it must demonstrate that it can adhere to this "level of service" via an annual audit completed by UL.
Essentially, UL tests and inspects alarm systems, components, and services for safety, reliability, and quality based on the standards that UL has developed.
Underwriters Laboratories offers security alarm listings for:
- Central Station Security Alarm Service (CPVX)
- Mercantile Security Alarm Service (CVSG)
- Residential Monitoring Stations
The benefit of hiring a UL certified company
According to UL, being UL certified is an alarm company's "declaration that the alarm system equipment, installation, maintenance and service meet, and often exceed, minimum standard requirements, giving AHJs (authorities having jurisdiction) and alarm system subscribers confidence in alarm system performance."
Essentially, if you want a guarantee that the alarm company you're working with is providing you with a quality system and reliable service, you want to ensure that they're UL certified.
UL lists additional benefits of working with a certified company as:
- Transparency between alarm service and the subscriber (you)
- Service agreement to ensure trouble signals are investigated and repaired within a certain timeframe
- "Reliable and consistent" response time to alarm signals
- Reduced chance that a system triggers a false alarm (Meaning a reduced chance that a homeowner could pay a large amount for law enforcement dispatch as a result of a false alarm)
UL wrote the Standard for the installation and maintenance of security alarm systems and the Standard for Installation and Classification of Burglar and Holdup Alarm Systems. So, if you want a guarantee that your system and security partner is of the highest quality they can be, you want to partner with a company that is UL certified.
Which alarm companies are UL certified?
If you want to check to see if an alarm company or security component is UL certified, you can visit UL's Product IQ.
However, if a company is UL certified, you may be able to find this kind of information on their site under guarantees or on the "about" page.
Ackerman is proud to be UL certified. It means we guarantee to meet or exceed UL's stringent requirement of 45 seconds from the receipt of the signal to the first response.
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