On 7/26/07 I called Pro/America to conduct an alarm test. The operator told me to activate my system, deactivate it and wait for her confirmation call. It never came. I tried to call them but was put on hold. I called the local central station. Immediately I heard the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. Banging on my door and demanding that I open it. I opened the primary door and saw a deputy with a gun aimed at me behind the security door. He looked at the remote phone in my hand and yelled at me to come outside. I did. He took the phone. Two other deputies stood by his side with guns aimed at me. I told him what happened stammering. A deputy ran inside my aprartment. A fourth arrived and also ran inside. I asked for me phone feeling powerless.
I was wearing only a tee-shirt and the entire neighborhood was on the street watching. He gave me the phone and ran inside.in moments all three emerged. The lead deputy asked me for my name / birthdate and left. I called the local central station again to learn that the operator for Pro/America never even put my system on test. I was transfered to the voice-mail for this company and explained what happened. I asked for a return call from a manager. None came. On 7/27 and 7/28 of 2007 I called them. I learned the operator put the wrong account on test. She still works there. I was given one month of free monitoring. Past experience with the staff of this company proved it to untrained and young. Such business practice is cost-efficient. I could have been killed by the deputy who thought my phone was a gun because his vision was obscurred by the security door. Other citizens of Los Angeles County have been killed in similar situations. The contract of Pro/America shields it from any form of litigation regardless of guilt. This is immoral!
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