Alarm response and keyholding for small businesses
When a shop alarm goes off at 2am, someone has to attend. Police often will not, unless your system meets their response policy or there is evidence of a crime in progress. That usually leaves the owner getting out of bed, or an alarm response and keyholding service attending on your behalf.
This guide explains how alarm response works, what to look for in a provider, and how it fits with CCTV.
What actually happens when your alarm goes off
It depends on the type of alarm you have.
- Audible-only (bells-only) alarm. It makes a noise and that is all. Nobody is automatically told. A neighbour might call, or might not.
- Monitored alarm. The alarm signals an alarm receiving centre (ARC), which works through your list of keyholders and, if your system qualifies, can request a police response.
- Monitored alarm with a keyholding service. The ARC calls the keyholding company, which sends an officer to your premises.
Why the police may not come
UK police forces follow a national security systems policy. In general:
- they respond to alarms that are professionally installed, monitored and registered with the police, and even then response can be withdrawn after repeated false alarms
- audible-only alarms usually get no police attendance unless there is evidence that a crime is taking place
- even with a qualifying system, police attendance depends on priorities at the time
So an alarm on its own is not a response plan.
What a keyholding and alarm response service does
A professional service will typically:
- hold a set of your keys securely
- attend when your alarm activates, day or night
- check the premises inside and out
- reset the alarm or deal with a fault
- secure the building if there has been a break-in, and wait for the police or a glazier if needed
- report back to you with what they found
You stay in bed, and an officer trained in dealing with intrusions attends instead.
What to look for in a provider
- SIA licensing. Keyholding is a licensable activity in the UK. Officers must hold the right SIA licence, so ask to see it.
- Response times that suit your insurer’s requirements.
- How keys are stored, coded and securely, never labelled with your address.
- Clear reporting after every attendance.
- Experience with CCTV, so the officer can use your cameras to check what triggered the alarm before going in.
How CCTV and alarm response work together
CCTV and keyholding do different jobs:
- CCTV shows you, and the responding officer, what triggered the alarm: an intruder, an animal, or a fault.
- Keyholding puts a person on site to deal with it.
Together they mean fewer wasted call-outs, faster decisions and better evidence. For choosing cameras, read our CCTV for small shops buyer’s guide.
Insurance
Many business insurers expect named keyholders who can attend within a set time, and some require a monitored alarm. Check your policy wording. If you cannot reliably attend yourself, a keyholding service may be the simplest way to meet the requirement.
Our own commercial security company
Disclosure: Risk Secured Ltd is owned by David Foster, who writes this site.
For businesses in Worcestershire and the West Midlands, David’s company, Risk Secured, provides keyholding and alarm response, mobile CCTV towers and static guarding. Visit Risk Secured to find out more.
If you are elsewhere in the UK, use the checklist above to compare local providers.