What Should You Do If Your Neighbor’s Alarm Is Going Off?

The sound of a burglar alarm or smoke detector going off is enough to scare anyone. Sometimes, it’s normal to hear an alarm for a few seconds when someone first gets home, but anything longer than that can trigger some suspicions. So, what should you do if your neighbor’s alarm is going off?

Remain calm and observe your neighbor’s house from afar if their alarm is going off. Text or call them unless you identify threats, like smoke or burglars, in which case you must call 911. However, you should give your neighbor enough time to turn the alarm off, as they may have triggered it upon returning home.

Your neighbor may subscribe to a security monitoring service, in which case the police may already be notified. However, you should never approach your neighbor’s home while the alarm is going off, as you may endanger yourself. Follow along as we explore what to do if your neighbor’s alarm is going off.

What To Do If Your Neighbor’s Alarm Is Going Off

1. Stay Put

You may be tempted to run over to your neighbor’s house when you hear the alarm sounding. However, doing so may be dangerous, depending on the reason why the alarm was triggered. This is true whether you hear a burglar alarm or a fire alarm, if you can tell the difference.

Instead, you must carefully observe the situation and look for signs that indicate what’s going on. Naturally, seeing smoke is a sign that there’s a fire in your neighbor’s house. Pay attention to the area around your neighbor’s house to see if anyone is running away.

If you don’t recognize the person, there’s a chance it’s a burglar fleeing the scene of the crime. No matter what, you must stay in your house to avoid endangering yourself.

2. Contact Your Neighbor

Depending on what you see, you may not consider the situation to be a major emergency. There is always a chance it’s a false alarm and that everything is fine. However, it’s worth reaching out to your neighbor before you contact the proper authorities.

For example, you can send a quick text message explaining the situation or ask what’s wrong. Otherwise, you can call your neighbor, as you’ll likely reach them much faster than texting them. Keep in mind that the alarm may be going off because your neighbor just got home.

In that case, you probably don’t need to contact them if they quickly turn the alarm off. However, it’s a good idea to call 911 right away if the alarm is going off and your neighbors aren’t home. This is also true if your neighbors are home and the alarm is still blaring.

3. Call 911

Nobody can blame you if you don’t know whether or not you should call 911 when your neighbor’s alarm goes off. You probably won’t want to deal with the embarrassment of reaching 911 with a false alarm or minor situation. Go through a mental checklist before calling 911 to ensure you don’t waste the police or fire department’s time.

For example, strangers trying to enter or flee from your neighbor’s home is a major red flag, and you should call right away. You must also call right away if you see or smell smoke coming from your neighbor’s house. That said, most alarm systems are designed to contact the authorities after being triggered for a certain period of time.

Even still, it’s worth calling 911 if the situation seems unusual, as an outdated system may not work properly. The worst-case scenario is that you call 911, first responders arrive, and it turns out that the situation is not an emergency. Nobody wants to waste the police or fire department’s time, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

4. Beef Up Your Security

A neighbor having a close call with a fire or burglar should be enough to inspire you to beef up your own security system. It’s worth replacing your burglar alarm if it’s older than 10 to 15 years and no longer works well. You may want to consider investing in a security monitoring service as well.

That way, the proper authorities will be notified even if your neighbors don’t hear your alarm. It may be your neighbor this time, but it could be you next week. Every dollar you spend on home security will pay off.

How Long Does A Burglar Alarm Ring?

Burglar alarms typically ring for 20 minutes at most, but this duration varies from system to system and the settings. The 15- to 20-minute cutoff exists to prevent noise nuisances that would otherwise keep the whole neighborhood awake. Your neighbor’s alarm will likely stop ringing shortly if it’s already been blaring for 10 to 15 minutes.

Some burglar alarm systems have lights that continue to flash after the alarm stops ringing. That way, first responders can easily identify the house even if the alarm isn’t going off anymore. If your neighbor’s alarm won’t stop ringing for over 20 minutes, it may be because the alarm system is defective.

Do Burglar Alarms Call The Police?

Burglar alarms don’t directly call the police, but the police will be notified if the system is connected to a monitoring service. Burglar alarm companies often offer plans that let customers link their system to a monitoring service. This comes at an extra cost, which typically runs between $20 and $80 per month, depending on the company.

Such systems typically run on a minor delay, which gives homeowners time to disarm the alarm. Otherwise, they’d call the police every time someone gets home from work, which would waste the police resources. In many cases, someone from the monitoring service calls the homeowner to see if they’re okay.

If they can’t reach the customer and the alarm stays on, they will call the police. It’s worth paying extra for this service for the convenience and peace of mind it offers.

Summing It Up

Stay inside your house and look out the window at your neighbor’s house if their alarm is going off. Look for red flags, like smoke or someone you don’t recognize entering or fleeing the house. Contact your neighbor and call 911 if you suspect someone has broken in or if you notice that the house is on fire.

Related Guides:

• Why Did My Smoke Alarm Go Off For A Few Seconds?
• How Much Does It Cost To Install A Security System?