An EPS Security system is an investment that’s built for the long haul. Whether your system in installed in your home or business, our systems are made to provide you with the protection you need when it matters the most. From burglar and fire alarms to video surveillance and card access, our systems are comprised of technologies and devices crafted by industry-leading vendors and built from the ground up by our own experienced team of engineers, consultants, and technicians. When you choose EPS Security to enhance your security solution, you can rest assured that you’re receiving superior protection you can count on.
A security system is a complex organism consisting of high-tech gear. Whereas systems of yesterday were comparatively simple constructions strung together by wiring, modern systems range in complication from the en vogue wi-fi/radio signal-dependent smart home system to highly technical mechanisms of RF ID cards, IP video surveillance cameras, and multi-station intercoms. Comparing home security systems from even a few decades ago is akin to comparing a Model T to a new Ferrari. And much like any car, a security system performs better and lasts longer with special annual maintenance.
Unless you work in security, it’s unlikely you’ve received the training or have the experience (and time!) necessary to optimize your network video recorder, clean your parking lot’s pole cameras, or run a law-required fire test on your massive commercial fire alarm system. Luckily, EPS has a dedicated team of preventative maintenance specialists who are trained specifically to help you get the most mileage out of your comprehensive security solution.
What is preventative maintenance?
Preventative maintenance is the concentrated effort by our professional technicians to inspect the security systems we install, monitor, and administrate for our customers. These inspections cover a wide array of tasks depending on what kind of security system you have involved. Depending on the size of your security system, it could take one technician a single hour to inspect your system, or it could take a team of technicians a whole day to make sure your system is up to snuff.
A security system contains components that are exposed to the elements (cameras), used daily (card readers and keypads), or are out of sight and mind unless something has gone actively wrong (overhead door contacts). Much like any electrical device or appliance, a little TLC goes a long way in making sure your security system is running as it should—and for as long as it can.
As a premier provider of home and business protection, EPS Security installs systems in several different disciplines. This means each type of security system requires unique testing, tools, and evaluations. The different types of testing include:
Fire alarm testing and inspection
The odds are, if you have a fire alarm system, you’ll need to get it inspected annually—and that’s not just our suggestion. Because fire alarms are a literal matter of life and death, a yearly, comprehensive test of the fire alarm system is required by the fire code in most jurisdictions. Because of this, our preventative maintenance technicians perform more fire inspections than any other form of test.
More than anything, the main point of a fire test is to ensure the devices will go out in the case of a fire. Technicians utilize special tools—even canned smoke!—to trigger alarms and ensure they are received by both the control panel and the EPS Monitoring Center. Amongst other devices, fire inspections include the testing of:
Hand pulls
Points-of-connection to risers
Smoke and heat detectors
Duct detectors
Horns and strobes
Alarm signal communication
Intrusion alarm system inspection
Intrusion alarm systems—often called burglar or burglary alarms—are designed to detect if anyone unwelcome is breaking into your property. Much like a fire alarm test, our preventative maintenance technicians look primarily to ensure a signal will be sent from devices in the field to the control panel—and, subsequently, our Monitoring center—in the event of an emergency. Especially in the age of wireless security devices, a burglary alarm test is crucial in determining battery life and the efficiency of wireless communication. Preventative maintenance technicians can also determine if a device has been jostled or damaged in any way over the course of the year.
Burglar alarm inspections include the testing of:
Motion detectors
Door and window contacts
Glassbreaks
Keypads
Alarm signal communication
Low temperature sensors
Water/flood detectors
Video surveillance system maintenance
While video surveillance systems have great deterrent benefits, most people use them for their actual functionality: keeping an eye on sensitive areas and keeping a record of events. There is nothing worse than going to check video footage from an important event and finding the camera was too dirty or unfocused or that the video storage device was not saving the feed. Especially when it comes to external video cameras or systems installed in dusty or dirty areas, preventative maintenance is a high priority for those wanting to ensure their images are crystal clear.
Because of the importance of keeping video images crystalline, most EPS Security video surveillance maintenance appointments are performed semi-annually—that is, once every six months, and typically in the spring and fall. A standard surveillance maintenance appointment would consist of the following:
Lens cleaning
Software and firmware updates
Re-focusing and re-aiming of cameras (if applicable)
Checking video storage devices for general functionality and retention
Access control system inspections
Access control is supposed to make controlling who goes where and when in your business easier. On an EPS access control (or card access) system inspection, our technicians take a thorough look at the components that make up your card system to ensure the smooth operation of an otherwise complex installation. Inspections are also available for EPS Security’s intercom solutions, whether the intercoms integrated with a standard card access system or stand alone.
A typical access control system inspection includes the testing of:
Card readers
Control panels
Power supplies
How does EPS Preventative Maintenance work?
When signing up for services with EPS Security, you have the choice to invest in a preventative maintenance plan. For commercial fire alarm systems, this is absolutely essential, but for other types of systems, preventative maintenance can prove just as important. Video recorders can have issues that only a trained eye could notice. Batteries may be past their use-by date or nearly dead, which would eventually lead to device failure. Even on a perfectly healthy system, general maintenance such as camera cleaning can optimize the performance of your security investment.
EPS Security makes scheduling your appointments a breeze. Our dedicated Preventative Maintenance schedulers will call in the month preceding your appointment’s due date to find a day and time that will work best for you. Once we’ve performed a test of your system, we keep extensive notes on your system, including the amount of time and number of technicians needed for your unique security solution and the number and type of devices on your system.
We also make it easy for you to access your completed test records. We use Building Reports©, an industry-leading inspections platform where you can log in to the website and download every single one of your inspections records. For companies using EPS Security for their fire alarm systems, Building Reports© makes providing records to your local fire marshal easier than keeping track of paper records. Furthermore, if our technicians do identify a broken device or an issue with the system requiring a service appointment, the issue and devices in question will be flagged for your review through Building Reports©, allowing you to request service at your leisure.
The EPS Advantage
At EPS Security, we believe in creating security that lasts. While we take pride in the quality of our work, we recognize that our jobs as professional security providers extends far beyond installation. We want to ensure our equipment works as well in your home or business on Day 1000 as it did on Day 1. Whether you’re looking at security systems for the first time or are looking to add preventative maintenance to your existing security package, let EPS Security take you through the process and show you the benefit of choosing a company who has been committed to protecting Michigan communities for 65 years and counting.