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The program will help cut false alarms at businesses to reduce police response calls across the city.

Council asked city staff earlier this year to put in place the new measure adopted from a template used by the City of Cornwall that will require alarm systems companies to verify that police response is necessary.

Matt MacDonald, CAO, informed council in the June report: "At present alarm calls represent three per cent of total calls for service with 81 per cent of these calls being false alarms with dispatch staff receiving basic information from the alarm company including verification it is a true alarm."

"Calls of this nature are classified as a false alarm due to an accidental trip, malfunction, or other/unknown cause and average 19 minutes per call for two officers," MacDonald wrote.