Once alarms are installed in your businesses premises it is highly recommended that they are monitored by a reputable alarm monitoring company. It really doesn’t matter where the company is located however it is preferable to stick to companies operating in large city areas where power blackouts are uncommon.
The alarm is connected to your telephone system (or a communication network) which carries an activation signal to your monitoring company. The operator at the monitoring station is able to identify what and where the activation is and take the appropriate action. The action taken by the monitoring company is based on your instructions. This is one of the most important aspects of utilizing a monitoring company. This topic is covered below.
Selecting a monitoring company
Check with your neighbours and find out who they use for monitoring and ask what they think of them. We recommend you ask all providers to answer at least these questions:
- How long has your company been operating in the area of alarm monitoring and what is the experience of the principals in your company?
- Monitoring companies are also able to obtain an audit compliance certificate from the New Zealand Security Association (NZSA) who also produces a Code of Practice for Alarm Monitoring Stations. While this is a good practice it is not absolutely essential. Ask if the monitoring company has a certificate.
- Do they allow you to access your account online and view alarm history and to manage your company’s information details? (You may also be able to view a map of your site including the locations of alarm equipment)
- Does the monitoring company have a contract whereas the customer must buy/pay their way out of a set period contract in the event that they need/decide to switch service providers?
Some monitoring providers require that customers sign up for an extended period of contract (12, 24 even 36 month periods). This is fine if the service delivery and pricing structure suits the customer’s needs for the entire contract period. But what happens in the event the service delivery is failing or a major mistake is made and the customer wishes to change providers?
- Ask for their commitment in writing to release you without penalty in the event of a major service issue or a service that is not up to expectations. If they believe in their service delivery then they should provide such assurances to the customer. If they are not prepared to back their service with such assurances then consider other service providers.
- Does the monitoring company accept liability for payments to the patrol attendance company should it be dispatched by operator error to the clients premises?
- Enquire into the level of Public Liability Insurance cover the monitoring company has. Check with your own insurance agent to ensure the level is appropriate to the risk faced by your business.
All companies are required to have a Health and Safety Plan. Where appropriate this plan should recognize the interaction with your business. Check this out with your monitoring company.
- What other services do they provide?
- Alerts to your cell-phone or pager
- Emailed reports about activations and faults
- Real-time CCTV monitoring
- Remote Patrols or ‘Cyber Tours’
- Monitoring of other alarms (heat, fire, refrigeration units)
Instructions to the Alarm Monitoring Company
A contract is entered into when you sign up a monitoring company. This contract should include instructions as to what you want done when alarms are activated on your site.
This is often where communication breaks down, so consider the following points when dealing with the company (ensure you get past the ‘sales rep’ and speak to someone at operations level).
- Upon receiving an activation do they phone the premise first to verify the activation prior to sending a patrol?
- Is there a standby period before taking any action? This allows staff who have accidentally set off the alarm to call in and tell the operator what they have done. In many cases, good judgment from the operator will identify who has accidentally set off the alarm. If the customer’s standard requirement is to send a patrol, then no patrol stand down period should be required. All activations should be processed to the client’s instructions as soon as possible without delay.
- If a patrol is dispatched and then stood down, what is the company’s policy regarding stand-down charges for patrol services?
- What happens if no call has been received from the premises following an activation signal that is followed by an unset signal? Call the key holder, send a patrol? (Does the operator call the site and obtain details of the person causing the activation?)
- What is the policy regarding alarms that go off frequently in the same night? You need to nominate the number of alarms within a time frame; whereas a key-holder should be notified before re-dispatching a patrol to attend. Often it is common for the third activation to be passed to a key-holder to decide if they wish a patrol to be sent or if they wish to attend with the patrol to investigate further.
- Is there is a security patrol service provided, if not who do they recommend and why? (Refer our section on security patrols)
Insurance
Insurers now require as a minimum mandatory requirement that all commercial premises have a professionally monitored alarm to ensure someone responds to all alarm activations.
Staff Training
All of your staff should be trained on the policies and procedures relating to the alarm system. They should know when and how to call the monitoring and the response companies. They should also be given passwords and PIN numbers . . .and encouraged to remember them!
Some monitoring companies will come to your site and deliver awareness and procedural training if you ask them.
Key-holders
The decision as to who is on the key-holder listing should be considered carefully. On numerous occasions monitoring companies are unable to get in touch with key-holders and must therefore make decisions on the security of your business by themselves.
Some companies allow you to access your company information online and manage the key-holder listing and instructions. This also allows you immediate access to reports and information on activations; an effective management tool for you!
Whenever key-holders respond to alarm activations they should be well aware of the risks they face if confronted by an intruder. The best practice is to respond with a security patrol for added safety.
If you are there by yourself and you suspect someone has intruded, contact the police immediately, remain in a safe location and record everything you can (vehicle registration numbers etc). Do not attempt to apprehend anybody. If you enter a building after a crime has been committed do not touch or move anything until the Police have been. (Refer our section on crime scenes)
Systems Maintenance
False alarms (user error or malfunction) can cause alarm response operators to be blasé with activations for premises in which false alarms regularly occur. This is not a good practice; ensure the reason for the false alarm is established.
Alarm Response Companies
Does the monitoring company have a policy that stops you choosing your own patrol attendance company? Sometimes this is the case and it can obviously limit your choices and can cost more to change providers should you need to.
In general you should retain the ability to shop around for the right attendance company that suits your requirements and have the assurance of total disclosure of any patrol attendance failures and vice versa.
Some patrol companies have a policy that they will only attend alarms that they monitor and vice versa. This is not necessarily the best choice as it may prevent identification of any weaknesses in the link.
Using the same company to monitor and patrol can have advantages e.g. faster dispatch due to one less phone call.
Most companies have their preferred attendance companies but will deal with all or most attendance companies. This will ensure choice to the end user without the trappings.
Using a separate provider for each of the monitoring and attendance duties allows each service provider to advise you if the other service provider has “dropped the ball”
Using the same provider can ensure one company takes responsibility and therefore no ‘passing the buck’ when accountability is required.
Duress codes and Panic buttons
Duress codes or passwords are used to identify that a person has made entry and disarmed the alarm system under threat or against their will. Duress codes should always be in place for staff safety. The monitoring company should call the Police upon receiving a duress code. Staff should be regularly trained in the use of a duress code or password. Those at greater risk are staff that enter or leave the building early in the morning or at night; make it a regular part of their in-house training to understand the process for duress codes and passwords.
Alarm Response Action
Most businesses rely on security company sales staff to advise them on the procedure for managing their intruder alarm system and their knowledge is not always great. Consider getting advice from a third party such as a security consultant. Also consider chatting with the security officer who attends your building during the night, he will tell you how good the monitoring company is and how well they communicate.
Best practice is that when the alarm activates, the monitoring service is authorised to dispatch a security patrol response. Depending on the results of their investigation, the key holder is only woken up if they are needed on site. If not needed, the security officer secures the site and the key holder is left an attendance report from the attending patrol.
Many business key holders are busy executives with a heavy work load and they do not need to be woken to be advised that “Zone 7 has activated again with birds” three times in a night.
However being a key holder is a very important task.
Key holders responsibilities:
- Be available at all times to answer calls from the alarm monitoring service. (A large volume of calls made receive no response from key holders).
- Ensure you understand what the problem is before hanging up and then trying to remember it all while still waking up. Ask the operator to repeat information if needed. They are wide awake and understand you may be still waking up!
- Have a cell phone and torch with you when you attend the site.
- If you need to attend, you must make sure someone else knows you are going, your arrival time etc. Pass this onto the monitoring company and ask them to advise the onsite security officer.
- On arrival at the site, key holders should NOT enter until escorted by the patrol officer.
- Never confront offenders on your own – it is simply too dangerous. Stay in your car with the doors locked and watch and advise the Police immediately using 111.
- Run your key holders on a roster by nominating a cell phone that gets handed to the duty key holder, so they have weeks on and off and don’t get stale.
- Consider using a dedicated mobile phone with the keys for the duty key holder. The alternates are a back up if the primary duty person cannot be raised. Preset phone numbers for security patrols and monitoring companies.
Actions after a break-in
Remember that your site is now a crime scene. Leave things as they are until the police arrive.
The cost of boarding up broken doors and windows is an insurance claim and can be handled in most cases by your response company – you do not need to be there. (There will likely be additional charges for this service.
This information has been submitted jointly by the GETBA Security Managers Group, with special thanks to Bill Frost of Magnum Security and Chris Lawton C4 Group
Printed from the GETBA Website www.getba.org.nz
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