When it comes to protecting your business from the impact of crime or fire, you can’t afford to take any chances. The correct choice of security or fire protection system and systems provider is vital. Having a provider in whom you can trust, will not only give you peace of mind, but it will also demonstrate to your Insurer that you have acted responsibly to protect your business.  

SSAIB Certificated companies must demonstrate competence and financial probity in the management of their business, but they must also demonstrate technical competence and ethical conduct when it comes to providing fire and security services to your business. SSAIB certification means that you can be confident in the quality of services provided.

Increasingly insurers require evidence that all reasonable steps have been taken to mitigate risk and/or to ensure the safety of personnel within the workplace. Using an SSAIB certificated provider will ensure that you meet or exceed your Insurer’s requirements.

SSAIB check the following, so that you don’t have to:

• Personnel have been screened to the relevant British Standard
• Competence and experience of management and staff
• Insurance cover is relevant to the level and nature of work undertaken
• Premises are adequate for their activity and that the security of documentation and records is ensured
• That best-practice standards are maintained and that staff are competent to install fire and security systems.
• That sufficient staff and resources are employed to provide the services offered
• Compliance with all relevant British or European standards and codes of practice.
• Identity cards are carried.

SSAIB’s skilled assessors regularly check all of the above and the quality of workmanship undertaken to ensure that standards are maintained.

Police Response
Police services in the UK will only offer a response to verified alarm signals from a monitored alarm system which has been granted a Police URN (Unique Reference Number), the aim being to provide an effective response to genuine intruder alarms. Monitored systems can only be installed by certificated providers and must be subject to a maintenance agreement. Excess false alarms will jeopardise Police response. The Police will continue to respond to 999 calls as appropriate.

All SSAIB certificated providers installing intruder alarm systems are certificated in accordance with the ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) and ACPO (Scotland) unified Policy, therefore they can obtain Police URN’s for the systems they install. The unified Policy is supported by insurers.

Fire Response
The Fire Service is adopting an approach modelled on the ACPO policy outlined above. To obtain a response from a monitored fire alarm system, it will be necessary to have a URN issued by the Fire Service and this will only be available to certificated providers. A maintenance agreement will also be required. Excess false alarms will jeopardise a Fire Service response.  The Fire Service will continue to respond to 999 calls as appropriate.

If you are in doubt and need advise when purchasing a fire or security system to protect your business, Contact SSAIB

For more information on fire and security protection for your business, download a leaflet using the using the link below.
Fire and Security Protection for your Business