Alarm Receiving Centres

Alarm Receiving Centres provide continuous monitoring of signals received from security, fire, safety and other alarm systems.

When an activation is received, trained operators assess the available information, follow established procedures and initiate the appropriate response. This may include contacting keyholders, security personnel, the police, fire and rescue services or other response providers.

SSAIB certification assesses Alarm Receiving Centres against applicable standards, including BS EN 50518:2019+A1:2023 and BS 9518:2021.

Assessment may include:

• The location, construction and physical security of the centre
• Management responsibilities and documented procedures
• Operator competence, training and security screening
• Alarm receiving and processing procedures
• Verification and escalation arrangements
• Resilience of power and communication systems
• Information security and data protection
• Record keeping and audit trails
• Business continuity and disaster recovery
• Management of faults and service interruptions
• Performance monitoring and continual improvement

Effective alarm verification helps ensure activations receive an appropriate response while reducing false or unnecessary calls passed to the emergency services.

Why choose SSAIB certification?

Certification can help your organisation:

• Demonstrate competence, resilience and professional control
• Support applicable police and fire service response requirements
• Improve the consistency of alarm handling
• Strengthen verification and escalation procedures
• Protect sensitive customer and incident information
• Meet customer, insurer, contractual and tender requirements
• Build confidence among customers, emergency services and specifiers
• Identify opportunities for continual improvement

SSAIB certification provides independent assurance that your Alarm Receiving Centre has been assessed against the standards and scheme requirements applicable to the services within its certified scope.