Intruder alarms can help protect properties and reduce insurance premiums, providing a proven deterrent to burglars. But how do they work?
For more than 20 years, Fire Safe Services has been protecting businesses across the UK. Our expert team has put together this helpful guide to break down how intruder alarms work, the benefits of them and different types of alarms.
What is a Commercial Intruder Alarm System?
A commercial intruder alarm system is a complex network of sensors, CCTV, alarms and notifications that protects business premises and deters thieves. They share many components with domestic intruder alarms, but are usually much more robust.
Commercial systems must be effective across larger sites, protecting against higher risk levels while ensuring regulatory compliance. While domestic systems are often self-monitored and may include notifications for homeowners, commercial systems are commonly connected directly to the police or a private security service.
Benefits of an Intruder Alarm for Businesses
- Crime Deterrence: Research suggests that in 60% of cases, burglars would be deterred by the sight of an intruder alarm, helping to drastically reduce the likelihood of a break-in.
- Early Threat Detection: Intruder alarms give immediate notification of unauthorised access, allowing you more time to respond and a greater chance to prevent further damage.
- Protection of Assets and Stock: Alarms and notifications help protect valuable assets and company data.
- Improved Staff Safety: Notifications and monitoring allow you to reduce the likelihood of confrontations between intruders and staff, protecting their wellbeing.
- Reduced Financial Losses: Protecting assets and deterring damage helps reduce financial losses.
- Insurance and Compliance Benefits: A lot of insurers will offer reduced premiums if a site is fitted with an approved intruder alarm system.
How a Commercial Intruder Alarm System Works
So, how do intruder alarms work? There is a range of different system types, but they all work similarly.
01 – Detection
The intruder alarm system will include a network of carefully placed sensors at doorways, windows and other entry points. If movement is detected at any of these points while the system is armed, the central control panel will be alerted and the alarm primed to sound.
02 – Alarm
If motion persists, the control panel will sound alarms throughout the site. Alarms are often twinned with flashing lights to draw additional attention.
03 – Notification
As soon as the alarm sounds, notifications will be sent to the relevant parties. This may be keyholders, monitoring companies or the police, depending on your setup.
04 – Response
The appropriate people will then need to respond to the alarm, likely by attending the site in person, in the case of the police or a security company. In the case of keyholders, they should contact the police or the relevant security provider. They shouldn’t attend the site themselves while a break-in is in progress.
05 – Deactivation
Once the site has been cleared, the alarm should be deactivated, ready to be armed again.
Types of Intruder Alarms Your Business Might Need
Businesses can choose to implement a selection of different alarms depending on how they operate:
- Burglar Alarm Systems: These are the most common type of alarm systems, used to deter and warn of burglaries at businesses.
- Panic Alarm Systems: Panic systems are designed to trigger a quick response in emergencies, and are commonly used in banks, schools and care homes.
- Construction Site Alarms: Construction sites require specialised systems to prevent material and tool theft, as well as vandalism.
- Shop Alarm Systems: These systems can be combined with CCTV and other elements to protect shops and reduce stock theft.
- Lone Worker Alarms: Protecting lone workers is vital, and these alarms allow staff working anywhere to trigger an immediate alarm for help if they feel unsafe. These systems are usually GPS-enabled to allow quick support.
Monitoring and Maintaining Intruder Alarms
Intruder alarms play a vital role in the security of your site, so properly monitoring and maintaining them is crucial. You should assign people from your team to be responsible for checking the system and scheduling routine, and preventative maintenance.
Not only is this in your best interests in terms of preventing break-ins, but also if you ever need to make an insurance claim, you may be required to prove that the intruder alarm system was in good condition at the time of the incident. Some insurers may refuse to pay out if the system was not properly maintained or monitored.
How to Avoid False Alarms
In some cases, you may experience false alarms with your system, but these are preventable. A false alarm is when the system sounds the alarm despite there being no movement or break-in attempt.
Our top tips for preventing false alarms:
- Maintenance: Regularly maintaining your intruder alarm system ensures that all sensors and contact points are functioning properly, helping prevent them from being triggered incorrectly.
- Arming Procedures: Careful arming procedures and making sure your site is fully vacated before arming the alarm can avoid it being set off accidentally.
- Door and Window Checks – Make sure to close all doors, windows and other entry points before leaving your site.
Can Intruder Alarms Be Integrated With Other Safety Features?
Many alarms are designed to work in tandem with ancillary systems such as CCTV, fire detection and access control networks.
In many cases, businesses should install these additional systems as they help create a more well-rounded security provision at their site. For example, connecting your intruder alarm to your access control system could allow you to receive instant notification of an unauthorised access attempt. Integrated CCTV can help you capture evidence in the case of a break-in, potentially leading to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
Choose Fire Safe for Commercial Intruder Alarms
At Fire Safe Services, we’ve been installing cutting-edge intruder alarms at businesses across the country for over two decades.
We offer a wide range of high-quality systems which can be effortlessly integrated with any array of additional protections to create a 360-degree system that deters thieves and notifies you instantly in case of a break-in. Protect your business today and book a free site survey by calling 01527 570952, emailing info@firesafeservices.co.uk or filling out our contact form.
