Central Stations & Police Response

Alarm Receiving Centre and POLICE RESPONSE

Burglar alarms, or intruder alarms are designed to detect an intruder on the protected premises, and sound an internal and external warning, either locally, or locally and to a remote point.

The remote point is usually a commercial alarm monitoring station. Once referred to as a Central Station, (C.S) and now known as an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).Some larger organisations operate their own in-house ARCs which only monitor their own alarm systems, and do not have to conform to BS 5979 – the Standard with which all approved Alarm Receiving Centres have to comply.

A commercial ARC can monitor any alarm system, but must possess, and operate to BS 5979. This ensures the ARC premises reach the required standards for physical and operating security, along with disaster recovery provisions.

The modern ARC is operated by computer. The signals arrive in digital form, and are decoded to display the alarm type and location, along with Keyholders details etc. The operator, if necessary, immediately contacts the relevant Police force and Keyholders, usually by a dedicated telephone line. Monitored fire alarms are also catered for along with process control alarms etc.

Before the advent of Computerisation, each alarm change of state (premises opening / closing ) had to be manually acknowleged from its individual indicator insert. This meant staff running along a large bank of displays operating each individual switch. 5 o 'clock at night and around 8 o'clock in the morning was a very busy time, without the added work caused by accidental operations by key holders!

Each main Police Station also had a minuature version of the indicator paner, which often bleeped on and off all night when a line fault was present!

Ket Holder note- All police response type alarms require at least two key holders living within 20 minutes response time of the protected premises. This can be reduced to one, if it is a 24 hour respose security company.

With thanks to Tony Render, Managing Director, Geof Williams Installation Director, Dave Almond Service Director and Chris Bircham ARC Manager of RENDER ALARMS / NORTH EAST MONITORING of Middlesbrough tel.no. 44(0)1642 240695, 44(0)1642 230696 for the equipment illustrations and support freely given over many years.