First Alert FA142C - Manual (Page 42)

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WARNING! THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS ALARM SYSTEM
While this system is an advanced design security system, it does not offer guaranteed protection against burglary or fire or other
emergency. Any alarm system, whether commercial or residential, is subject to compromise or failure to warn for a variety of reasons.
For example:
• Intruders may gain access through unprotected openings or have the technical sophistication to bypass an alarm sensor or
disconnect an alarm warning device.
• Intrusion detectors (e.g. passive infrared detectors), smoke detectors, and many other sensing devices will not work without power.
Battery operated devices will not work without batteries, with dead batteries, or if the batteries are not put in properly. Devices
powered solely by AC will not work if their AC power supply is cut off for any reason, however briefly.
• Signals sent by wireless transmitters may be blocked or reflected by metal before they reach the alarm receiver. Even if the signal
path has been recently checked during a weekly test, blockage can occur if a metal object is moved into the path.
• A user may not be able to reach a panic or emergency button quickly enough.
• While smoke detectors have played a key role in reducing residential fire deaths in the United States, they may not activate or
provide early warning for a variety of reasons in as many as 35% of all fires, according to data published by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency. Some of the reasons smoke detectors used in conjunction with this System may not work are as follows.
Smoke detectors may have been improperly installed and positioned. Smoke detectors may not sense fires that start where smoke
cannot reach the detectors, such as in chimneys, in walls, or roofs, or on the other side of closed doors. Smoke detectors also may
not sense a fire on another level of a residence or building. A second floor detector, for example, may not sense a first floor or
basement fire. Moreover, smoke detectors have sensing limitations. No smoke detector can sense every kind of fire every time. In
general, detectors may not always warn about fires caused by carelessness and safety hazards like smoking in bed, violent
explosions, escaping gas, improper storage of flammable materials, overloaded electrical circuits, children playing with matches, or
arson. Depending upon the nature of the fire and/or the locations of the smoke detectors, the detector, even if it operates as
anticipated, may not provide sufficient warning to allow all occupants to escape in time to prevent injury or death.
• Passive Infrared Motion Detectors can only detect intrusion within the designed ranges as diagrammed in their installation manual.
Passive Infrared Detectors do not provide volumetric area protection. They do create multiple beams of protection, and intrusion can
only be detected in unobstructed areas covered by those beams. They cannot detect motion or intrusion that takes place behind
walls, ceilings, floors, closed doors, glass partitions, glass doors, or windows. Mechanical tampering, masking, painting or spraying
of any material on the mirrors, windows or any part of the optical system can reduce their detection ability. Passive Infrared
Detectors sense changes in temperature; however, as the ambient temperature of protected area approaches the temperature range
of 90
° to 105 ° F (32 ° to 40 ° C), the detection performance can decrease.
(continued)
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