ALARMS WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT PERSONS VALUABLE OBJECTS, OR VITAL INSTITUTIONS ARE GENERALLY INSTALLED ACCORDING TO THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE GERMAN UNION OF ELECTRICIANS BY ONE ELECTRICAL COMPANY UNDER EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT TO THE POLICE AUTHORITIES. ALARM SYSTEMS CAN BE EITHER PRIMARY, WITH DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, OR SECONDARY, COVERING VARIOUS PARTS OF A PROTECTED AREA AND CONNECTED TO THE PRIMARY ALARM; SECONDARY ALARMS CAN BE EITHER ELECTROMECHANICAL, ELECTROACOUSTIC, ELECTROOPTICAL, OR ELECTROMAGNETIC. IF NO PRIMARY ALARM IS USED, SIGNALS OF SECONDARY ALARMS MAY BE CARRIED TO A CENTRAL ALARM IN THE POST OFFICE AND THEN OVER THE TELEPHONE SYSTEM TO THE POLICE. APPLICATIONS FOR ALARMS WITH POLICE HOOKUPS ARE MADE BY ENDANGERED INDIVIDUALS, COMPANIES, AND INSTITUTIONS TO COUNSELING OFFICES, WHICH ARE THEN RESPONSIBLE FOR POLICE COUNSELING OFFICES, WHICH ARE THEN RESPONSIBLE FOR INSTALLATION AND PROPER FUNCTIONING OF THE SYSTEM AS WELL AS FOR PREVENTION OF FALSE ALARMS. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING, ALARM LOCATION AND CAPACITY TO FUNCTION, ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE OF DOORS, AND OTHER PERTINENT FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PRIOR TO AND AFTER INSTALLATION. ATTEMPTS BY COMPANIES TO CUT COSTS, I.E., WITH A CENTRAL OFFICE ALARM SYSTEM OR GUARD SYSTEMS REQUIRING A TELEPHONE CALL TO THE POLICE, CANNOT BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS THE MORE DIRECT SYSTEM. FUTURE ALARM IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD INCLUDE A SYSTEM WHICH CAN DIFFERENTIATE THE NATURE OF THE DISTURBANCE SO THAT POLICE CAN TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION, UNIFORM REGULATIONS ON THE RIGHTS OF PRIVATE ALARM COMPANIES IS RESPONDING TO ALARMS, AND REGULATIONS ON OBLIGATORY ALARM SYSTEMS WITH DIRECT CONNECTION TO POLICE FOR OBJECTS OF GENERAL PUBLIC INTEREST. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)