Nearly 470,000 businesses experienced some sort of crime within the last year. This figure should be of no surprise, as security is a key concern for the majority of businesses and sites. A comprehensive security strategy and a crucial component of that is an alarm monitoring service. With many providers available, it can be hard and often overwhelming to choose one for your sites. In this article, we cover the key factors to consider when choosing an alarm monitoring service.
- What is an alarm monitoring service?
- 10 things to consider when choosing an alarm monitoring service
- Choose RMS for your alarm monitoring service
What is an Alarm Monitoring Service?
An alarm monitoring service is a professional security service provided by a third-party monitoring provider that oversees signals from security systems installed on a site, such as CCTV, access control or intruder alarms.
Operating 24/7, signals from the security systems are received by an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) via various communication channels such as a landline, cellular network, or internet protocol. Upon receiving an alarm signal, trained monitoring operatives will assess the situation and take appropriate action, which may include contacting the site key holder, verifying the alarm, and dispatching emergency responders if necessary.
These services offer continuous surveillance, rapid response to emergencies, and additional services such as system maintenance and remote management. Overall, alarm monitoring services play a crucial role in enhancing property security, providing peace of mind to site owners and security installers, and minimising the risk of loss or harm in the event of security breaches or emergencies.
10 Things to Consider When Choosing an Alarm Monitoring Service
To ensure the alarm monitoring service is right for you and your sites, we’ve put together the below factors to consider and ask them before setting up a new connection or contract. Once you have answers to the below, you can feel confident in making an informed decision, and that the security systems are constantly monitored for total site safety and protection.
Their Monitoring Technology
First things first is to ask what monitoring technology the remote monitoring provider is using. The effectiveness of the alarm monitoring service largely depends on the technology they utilise so this is important. Ensure they are using state-of-the-art and up-to-date technology, equipment and software, with modern features such as mobile app integration and wireless connectivity.
How Quickly They Answer Alarms
The alarm monitoring provider should be able to answer how fast they can respond to alarms. The BS8418 minimum requirement is that 80% of alarms need to be answered within 90 seconds or less and that 98.5% of answered within 180 seconds or less. With this information, you can understand the ballpark of how fast your monitoring provider should be.
How They Protect CCTV Footage
If they will be monitoring your CCTV cameras, ensuring your CCTV footage is protected in terms of data protection and protecting potential evidence, is essential. Remote monitoring stations have strict legislation they have to follow which should involve the protection of CCTV footage.
The Type of Environment Do the Monitoring Operatives Work
This may not seem important, but the environment the monitoring operatives are working in could influence their productivity and effectiveness in monitoring your alarms and responding to events. You’ll also want to know how well they can view monitors and CCTV footage, as well as stay engaged and attentive throughout their shift.
The Type of Training the Monitoring Operatives Have Had
A lot is relying on a monitoring operator when an event or alarm trigger occurs. You should therefore ensure that they have had the necessary training. The ISO 9001 is an international standard that confirms operators have been trained to a sufficient level and your provider should be able to provide the evidence that this has been achieved.
At RMS, we have obtained the ISO 9001 standard and all our operatives are SIA-licenced and BS7859 vetted.
A Backup Solution if the Monitoring Equipment Fails
A remote monitoring centre has a lot of technology in place to ensure the constant monitoring of sites, therefore you need to make sure there is a solid IT team in place who will be able to fix any issues. Additionally, if a power failure were to occur, you need to ensure that they have a backup solution that wouldn’t impact any of the sites or compromise their security.
If They Investigate the Cause of the Alarm
When an alarm is triggered the cause of it must be investigated fully so that intruders or other risks are not missed. When talking to your prospective monitoring provider, ask them how they investigate alarms and what is their process for doing so. For example, do they use other CCTV cameras to view a different angle, do they zoom in or pan around?
Their Certifications & Compliance
When choosing an alarm monitoring service, verify that the provider complies with the industry standards and regulations. Look for certifications from recognised organisations such as NSI.
Customer Support & Assistance
Customer support is equally as important when choosing an alarm monitoring service. You’ll want to be able to easily contact and talk honestly with your provider about any issues or concerns promptly, without being left on hold for hours, especially during an emergency.
At RMS, we offer 24/7 customer support, 365 days a year. We offer a 5* service that always puts our customers first.
Customer Feedback & References
The feedback of others can be very beneficial when choosing an alarm monitoring service. Word of mouth speaks volumes and therefore it’s always worth speaking to their existing customers about their service. You should be able to ask for and reach out to their references to understand their service, especially their reliability, professionalism and customer satisfaction levels.
Choose RMS for Your Alarm Monitoring Service
Choosing the right alarm monitoring centre for your sites takes careful consideration and isn’t something that should be rushed. Various factors need to be considered, but by evaluating these and conducting diligent research, you will be able to choose a monitoring provider that meets your needs and provides peace of mind knowing that your sites are well protected.
At RMS we have extensive experience in protecting high-security sites across all industries. We monitor both security and non-security systems, protecting what matters to our customers. NSI Gold approved and with a team of experienced monitoring operatives, speak to us today to find out more.
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