How Montgomery County Reduced False Alarm Calls with CryWolf

False alarms are one of the most persistent challenges in public safety. The majority of alarm-related calls are false – 98% of law enforcement alarm calls and 90% of fire alarm calls, to be exact.

These surprising numbers translate to millions of dollars wasted in resources each year. For example, U.S. fire departments responded to 2.9M false alarms in 2018. Every time, they had to spend agency resources to send fire trucks and firefighters to the scene.

The impact goes beyond cost. False alarms stretch resources thin. They pull dispatchers, officers and firefighters away from legitimate emergencies. Unnecessary responses can delay and distract responders from other serious incidents, increasing stress and risk.

Over time, the volume of false alarms erodes efficiency, drains resources and frustrates responders who would rather focus on real public safety needs.

Fortunately, there is a proven solution. CryWolf False Alarm Management helps agencies reduce false alarm activations, reclaim valuable time and redirect resources where they matter most – toward protecting citizens in real emergencies.

Why Automation Matters

False alarm management has traditionally been a labor-intensive process for public safety agencies. For every false alarm, your staff spend time taking calls, logging incidents, issuing citations, tracking payments, and following up with residents or businesses. These manual steps waste time, while also distracting dispatchers and responders from true emergencies.

Automation changes the equation.

CryWolf by CentralSquare is a false alarm management system used by hundreds of jurisdictions across North America. As Montgomery County PD discovered firsthand, its automated system comes with many benefits.

CryWolf helps dispatchers prioritize real emergencies, reduces paperwork across departments, and improves compliance with local ordinances. It also improves financial viability. CryWolf tracks violations, sends reminders and manages collections – all within one centralized system. This allows agencies to collect revenue more effectively while reducing staff workload. The system can also manage the registration and renewal of alarm systems, which proactively reduces false alarms.

By automating false alarm management workflows, your agency can protect its budget and optimize emergency operations. But don’t just take our word for it. Keep reading to see how Montgomery County, MD benefited from CryWolf.

Montgomery County’s Approach

Challenges

Montgomery County PD, just outside Washington D.C., serves over 1M residents, 90k active alarm users, and 360 alarm companies. The department’s False Alarm Reduction Section is run by a four-person team, including Albert Hook, the director. Together, they manage a one stop shop – everything from registrations and renewals to invoicing and civil citations.

When their proprietary system was discontinued, the team faced a challenge: finding a reliable replacement that could handle their complex ordinances and reporting requirements.

Bridging contracts with other jurisdictions wasn’t an option due to the county’s strict standards, so they developed a process to vet potential vendors. Montgomery County needed a solution that could keep up with the scale, complexity and expectations of its well-established false alarm reduction program.

Solution

After evaluating multiple vendors, Montgomery County selected CryWolf for its automations and flexibility. With CentralSquare, they were able to choose an on-premise option, which allowed the county to keep operations in-house rather than outsourcing. This gave the team full control over sensitive workflows, data and reporting.

CryWolf’s configurability was another difference-maker. It allowed Montgomery County to customize and automate processes to fit their exact needs. As a one-stop shop, those needs are wide-ranging and varied: generating notices, licensing business alarm systems, invoicing alarm systems, etc.

For a complex program managing tens of thousands of users and hundreds of alarm companies, CryWolf offered the structure and flexibility needed to keep operations efficient and reliable.

“A lot of the components within the software itself have automated the processes that we use to make it less strenuous on us because they do everything that we need them to do.”

Albert Hook, Director of False Alarm Management, Montgomery County PD

Cost Savings and Beyond

CryWolf has delivered numerous benefits to Montgomery County, strengthening the false alarm reduction program and easing the administrative burden on Albert’s four-person team.

Financially, CryWolf’s impact has been substantial. The county collected more than $800,000 in false-alarm-related revenue in a recent year – funds that offset operational costs and demonstrate the program’s value to county leadership.

At the same time, CryWolf has contributed to a significant reduction in unnecessary calls, ensuring resources are directed toward real emergencies instead of wasted on false activations.

Operationally, CryWolf has streamlined processes that once required extensive manual effort. It automates administrative workflows, such as generating notices, tracking violations, and managing invoicing. This has saved their staff valuable time.

Its robust reporting capabilities have been especially valuable, allowing the team to easily prepare annual updates for the County Council and County Executive with accurate, comprehensive data. These reports provide a clear picture of program performance and community impact.

By centralizing everything from licensing to renewals to collections, CryWolf allows Montgomery County to operate as a true one-stop shop for alarm management. The result is a more efficient and sustainable program that protects public resources while supporting community safety.

How to Get Started

Montgomery County’s success with CryWolf is just one example of what’s possible when agencies take control of false alarm management.

Across jurisdictions, CryWolf customers see an average 40–80% reduction in false alarms, helping responders focus on real emergencies. Our automated system streamlines the daily processing of violations and improves compliance, increasing permit registrations by 30–50%.

Agencies also see financial results, with collection rates climbing to 85% or higher. That way, costs tied to false alarms are recouped instead of draining your agency’s budget.

Schedule a discovery call today to learn how CryWolf can help your agency process incidents faster, improve collection rates and reduce false alarms.