24 Hour Monitoring
Traditionally intruder alarm systems have an external sounder and strobe unit which operate if the system has been activated. This draws attention to the property and deters would-be intruders. Passers by may call the police or neighbours that hear the alarm may act on your behalf to check the property.
In addition to the external sounder unit there is often a requirement to ensure that the relevant people are alerted to the fact that the alarm system has activated. This may be householders, police, keyholders, security guarding companies or all of these.
There are various methods of passing information that the alarm system has activated and there are regulatory requirements that need to be met for certain levels of systems. In addition to that, systems capable of generating an automatic police response must comply with additional regulations agreed nationally by ACPO (Assocition of Chief Police Officers) and implemented by each local police force. It is usual, that the intruder alarm system communicates to an approved Alarm Receiving Centre, where the call is appropriately handled.
There are various methods of providing the communication link between the intruder alarm system and the ARC. Some methods provide higher levels of security than others with the usual financial implications attached to each. The following are the types of signalling systems we are able to provide:
Automatic Speech Diallers and SMS Text Messaging Systems
These unit are capable of contacting upto four different telephone numbers and will play a pre-recorded message or send an SMS text message, should the intruder alarm system activate. They are not allowed to be used to contact the police or emergency services directly. They are normally connected to a standard (unmonitored) telephone line and will only seize the line if they are required to communicate.
Digital Communicator
This signalling unit has a pre-programmed NVM chip with site specific information. On activation of the intruder alarm system, the unit will transmit information regarding the alarm activity to an Alarm Receiving Centre, where the relevant action is taken. This unit is connected to a standard (unmonitored) telephone line. The voltage on the telephone line is measured by the device and if a line fault occurs, is reported by the control equipment. If the telephone line is cut, either maliciously or by accidental damage, the system will attempt to signal to the ARC but will fail to communicate successfully.
BT Redcare
This signalling system was designed to provide enhanced protection against attack of telephone lines. Redcare provides a monitoring link of the telephone line by transmitting pulses back and forth to the ARC. If the pulse is interrupted, due to line failure, the ARC is informed and will take the appropriate action. In the event of a line failure, the system will attempt to signal subsequent alarm activity but will fail to communicate correctly. This system requires a dedicated block terminal for connection and if used on normal voice lines can suffer from audible “chirps” on the telephone line, which are part of the polling system. This system requires a line to be made available free of data and fax transmission equipment or a separate filter device would need to be installed.
BT Redcare GSM
In order to provide enhanced protection particularly against line cuts and still provide continuous monitoring, BT developed Redcare GSM. The system operates as above with the addition of a GSM (mobile data technology) enabled transmission unit to act as the primary signalling path. In the event of a line failure, the system would continue to report all alarm activity via the GSM signalling path in addition to the standard Redcare polling mechanism. The system requires a line to be made available as above, free from data and fax transmission equipment.
Dual-Com
This system provides enhanced protection compared to the digital communicator detailed above, by using the mobile telephone networks to transmit alarm activity information to the ARC. Standard telephone line monitoring is provided by measuring the voltage across the line at all times. This line is only used as a means of monitoring the line and acts as a secondard communications path. As the primary signalling path is always via the mobile telephone network, in the event of line failure all alarm activity continues to be reported to teh ARC ensuring continuous monitoring.
IP Remote Signalling
Various different manufacturers have developed IP signalling systems which utilise company’s wide area networks and IP infrastructure to provide a communications link to the ARC. These systems normally incorporate a mobile telephone network transmission system in addition to the IP based facility. The IP connection is normally the primary signalling path with the mobile path acting as a secondary, back up transmission path.
Alarm Activity Reporting
Depending on the type of system installed, various alarm activity reporting may need to be incorporated as a standard feature. It is usual for instance, that open and close signals are used to confirm to the ARC that the system is set or not. In modern intruder alarm systems it also a requirement for the signalling system to transmit a periodic test transmission to ensure that the signalling elements are still functioning and fully operational.
In addition to the normal alarm activity reporting features, we are able to use the various signalling platforms to report faults on other vital equipment such as fire alarms, freezers and lift alarms etc.