What are the new European Standards for Burglar Alarms?

European standards for burglar alarms are new installation standards being introduced to improve the installation of intruder alarms at every stage of the process. In order for the UK to successfully adapt to the new standards as they go through their development stages, the use of document PD6662:2004 has been published to assist the alarm industry in the implementation of these standards.

Why are the standards being implemented?

With the security industry constantly pursuing the desire to raise standards of each and every burglar alarm installation, to make the equipment more reliable and improve customer satisfaction, the new standards will for the first time put in place a structured framework that will ensure that each alarm installation, is to an agreed standard and grade. The end result will provide customers with a better and clear understanding of the alarm installation industry and the process of the alarm installation.

Compliant Equipment

With the implementation of PD6662 comes the word “Grade” this ensures that the manufactures of the alarm equipment have developed a range of graded alarm equipment commensurate with each grade of risk. This means for the first time in the alarm industry that the alarm installer will be using alarm equipment that is fully certified and compliant to that grade of alarm installation.

Installation Changes

For both alarm installers and their customers, a number of changes will be evident to both the survey and installation stages of an alarm installation process. A structured risk assessment process will now to be undertaken before deciding on the appropriate alarm equipment.

This process will include the filling-in of a “Location Survey Checklist”, which will help installers determine the extent of the detection needed, ensuring all areas of significant risk are supervised by the alarm system.

It is imperative that the grade of the burglar alarm system is agreed with the insurance company, before any installation can commence, particularly with regard to signalling types or alarm notification, or the method to be used for the unsetting of the alarm system, taking into account DD243:2004 requirements.

What does it mean for the Customer?

It is clear that the end-user will benefit greatly from the introduction of the new burglar alarm standards. The design, manufacturing and installation processes will all have improved to bring the customer a better service, reliability and efficiency from their burglar alarm installation.

End-users although they might not notice these new changes to a burglar alarm installation process, but they will notice that each installer carrying out a survey of your property will be going through a more extensive risk assessment procedure, to comply with these new standards.
What is the cost of these new standards.

Due to the requirement to now use graded alarm equipment these changes will contribute to the overhaul cost of any burglar alarm installation, but in terms of the reliability and quality of each alarm installation, these will contribute to ensure that each installation will have a greater resilience against an intrusion. With the introduction of PD6662-EN50131 Standard, there are now different grades of burglar alarm systems available for residential and business use. Click here to see Approvals & Standards.

Which Grade of Alarm?

Once your alarm installer has proposed the grade of alarm system for your premises he will also include the type of alarm notification, which is the terminology used to say how the system would alert you, should your alarm system detect an intruder or develop a system fault.

On residential and commercial type alarm installations the installer will be recommending that the customer have an external sounder fitted to the premises, this will undoubtedly inform the burglar that the system has detected them and may encourage them to leave the premises. The mere presence of an alarm system may also persuade a burglar to move on and find an easier target in the area.

Grade 2X being the lowest possible level of notification within the grade 2 range of alarm systems is primarily there to alert the burglar, local neighbours or passing pedestrians by the use of internal and sounder device and will simply rely only on the noise generated by these sounders to bring an activation to everybody’s attention.

The main problem with this grade of audible alarm system is that when they activate they can cause a local nuisance, become useless, unless somebody takes notice of the activation and has the ability access the situation, and contact the owner.

With ringing of any burglar alarm system for more than 15 minutes now deemed as noise pollution by local councils, as you can now leave yourself open to a fine of £2000 just because nobody told you that your alarm had activated

Should an audible alarm activate over the weekend while its owners are away, the local neighbours will just want to stop the noise, and not stop the intruders. To enhance a Grade 2X Alarm System, the following methods of notification devices may be considered:

• 2A Notification: 2 x Internal Sounders & Remote Signalling Device to an Alarm Receiving Centre

• 2B Notification: 1 x External SAB Bell & Remote Signalling Device to an Alarm Receiving Centre

• 2C Notification: 1 x Remote Signalling Device with a Secondary Signalling to an Alarm Receiving Centre

• 2D Notification: 1 x Remote Signalling Device to an Alarm Receiving Centre with data encryption

Although grade 1-alarm installations are available, this standard has been directed at those alarm systems that comprise of non-graded equipment with no defined levels of alarm notification.

This type of alarm installation, which over the years has generated the most false alarms in the security industry, is now confined to those installers and electricians who wish to keep installing these types of burglar alarm systems.

The public should also be aware that many of these systems might come with no insurance liability or guarantees, no after hour’s service or on-going maintenance or emergency cover, once the initial year’s guarantee period has elapsed.

The fact is also born out by the insurance industry that by implementing a graded alarm policy in line with the EN 50131 – PD 6662 Standard, they are now ensuring for the first time that the level of any risk would be commensurate with the grade of burglar alarm installed.

This in layman’s terms is now means that the Insurance Industry will simply specify the grade of the burglar alarm system they require, to the level of their risk or insurance cover.

Before you ask your electrician or any other non-approved company to install your burglar alarm system, stop and ask yourself these questions!:

• “Is this Company really qualified to protect My Home – My Family – My Business”

• “Do they have the necessary Grading Approvals”

• “Can they provide me with an Approved Alarm Installation”

For those requiring a higher grade of alarm system – possibility a larger remote residential property of a commercial or retail outlet, then the grade of alarm system proposed will have to increase to any meet the additional higher risks involved.

Again, with Grade 3 alarm systems the types of alarm notification allowed are also clearly defined for each grade of alarm system. All Grade 3 all notifications have to have BT Redcare encryption as part of the signalling reporting to the alarm-receiving centre:

• 3A Notification: 2 x Internal sounders with 1 x Encrypted Remote Signalling Device [5hr reporting]

• 3B Notification: 1 x External Sounder with 1 x Encrypted Remote Signalling Device [5hr reporting]

• 3C Notification: 2 x Encrypted Remote Signalling Devices [5hr reporting]

• 3D Notification: 1 x Encrypted Remote Signalling Device [180 second reporting]

• Grade 4 Alarm Systems are reserved Banks – Military – Airport - High Risk Alarm Installations.

With the implementation of DD 243 Standard, the alarm system will be configured to generate a series of signals, which will be interpreted by the Alarm Receiving Centre as be able to differentiate between a Confirmed and Non-Confirmed alarm activation.

The Police response to any “Confirmed” activation will be based on the assumption that an offence is taking place. This may be subject to the background of other competing alarm calls, their available resources on the day, and the number of previous false alarms in the past year that could invariability reduces the level of any police response to the activation.