These licenses provide a number of safeguards, both for the public and for the industry.  In Michigan, an individual cannot obtain a license if he has a felony conviction in the last five years.  He must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the industry and applicable codes.

The license requires that all prospective employees be fingerprinted and run through the State Police computer before hiring.  Again, no employee can have a felony conviction in the past five years.  Some the other things they bring into the industry is the requirement for installers' uniforms, and contractor liability insurance.  The State Police investigate all customer complaints and other contractor abuses. (Back to Top)

One of the most interesting aspects of the original Michigan burglar alarm law is its prohibition against alarm monitoring by central stations located outside the State of Michigan.  It is a simple fact:   As first written, it was a misdemeanor crime for a central station located outside the State of Michigan to monitor alarms inside the State of Michigan, at least as explained to me by the State Police.  The argument being that it was not legal to monitor alarms at an unlicensed central station, and an out-of-state central station could not obtain a Michigan Alarm License.

Three years ago I asked the director of the Michigan State Police, Licensing Division, what the penalty for this would be, and he told me that because misdemeanor offenders  are not typically subject to extradition from other states, it would not be an enforceable law.  It is a violation of State law, but it is highly unlikely that anyone would ever be charged with or arrested for breaking this law.  (Currently, I am not sure as to the status of this law.  The power to issue and enforce alarm licenses in Michigan is currently being transferred from the Michigan State Police to the Secretary of State of the State of Michigan.)

If this is still an issue, it conceivably could be a problem with insurance.   It seems to me that in the event of a loss, especially a substantial loss, an insurance company could have argument for refusal to pay a claim.  If their client has requested and received an insurance credit for having an alarm system, it seems plausible that there is room to argue that an unlicensed central station would not fall under the policy's general definition of a "monitored alarm system."

At any rate, I think it would be judicious, and a matter of integrity, for an alarm salesman to notify a customer at the time of sale that his alarm monitoring may actually be done outside the state of residence.  

Eagle Security Systems, a division of Carrier Systems Inc., is licensed by the Michigan State Police (License No. BA-0198). (Back to Top)

     There is no doubt that the effectiveness of a burglar alarm system is no greater than the effectiveness of the local emergency responding agency.   In most cases, that responding agency is the local police department, sheriff's department, highway patrol, or state police agency.  Eagle Security Systems salutes the dedicated men and women who put their lives on the line every day and every night to preserve the peace.  Without their service, alarms systems would be useless, order in the land could not be maintained, and our republic would collapse.  
     That having been noted, we at Eagle Security Systems are convinced that our service to our customers is unsurpassed, even in the area of dispatching.  We make every effort to provide full and accurate information to the responding agency in order to make their task a little easier.  We make every effort to maintain our systems properly, thus holding down the number of false alarms.  ...And, we make every effort to handle every alarm as promptly and professionally as we can.  While it is true that we are not always perfect, perfection is our goal. (Back to Top)