A risk assessment of your premises is a vital part of our assessment of your security needs and forms the basis of recommending the most cost effective and appropriate security system for your use.

The risk assessment is carried out free of charge by our specialist security surveyors and will enable us to recommend the appropriate type of security system and installation design, giving you the best possible protection against risks.

The risk assessment will take into account:

• Potential entry and exit routes for intruders
• The suitability of existing security systems in line with recommendations of the Association of British Insurers
• The break-in history of your location
• The needs for remote monitoring and police response.
• Window grilles: 100%

Enhanced Security Recommendations

The Association of British Insurers make the following recommendations in their July 2006 report entitled 'Securing the Nation'.

Recommendations for commercial premises include :

• Doors and their surrounds should be able to resist manual attack for more than 15 minutes.
• Doors should have locking systems, such as multi-point deadlocks that meet British Standards, ideally being drill resistant.
• Door should be fitted with a security chain or opening limiter and have a viewer fitted.
• Doors should be flush with the building line, avoiding recesses and fit the frame well enough to prevent it from being forced open with jimmies or crowbars.
• Wooden doors should be at least 44mm thick.  (It should be noted that materials such as UPVC and certain aluminium sections can have less strength and durability that wooden doors of the specified thickness).
• All glazing in doors should be of laminated glass to prevent accidents and to deny entry by breaking the glass.
• Security doors must meet Product Assessment Specification (PAS) 024.

Patio Doors

The Association of British Insurers make the following recommendations in their July 2006 report entitled 'Securing the Nation'.

• Patio doors and their surrounds should be able to resist manual attack for more than 15 minutes.
• A multi-point deadlocking system with three or more hook bolts or similar should be fitted and the lock cylinders should incorporate anti-drill resistance.
• An anti-lift device should be fitted and the frame should not be easily demounted by access to screws or similar connections.

Windows

The Association of British Insurers make the following recommendations in their July 2006 report entitled 'Securing the Nation'.

Ground floor windows and those easily accessible above ground floor should be of an enhanced security specification.  (Casement and tilt/turn windows for domestic applications should meet the requirements of BS 7950:2004.)

• Windows installed should meet the performance standards for relevant materials.  (The current standards which demonstrate compliance are :
• Aluminium windows to BS 4872
  PVC-U windows to BS 644
  Timber windows to BS 644 (or the BWF Timber Window Scheme)
  Steel windows to BS 6510
• Ground floor windows and those that are easily accessible to entry should have key operated locks.
• Glazing should be laminated to current standards of 6.4mm minimum thickness.

Lighting

The Association of British Insurers make the following recommendations in their July 2006 report entitled 'Securing the Nation'.

• Lighting should be designed to illuminate all external doors and vulnerable areas and be controlled by passive infrared detectors.

Letterboxes

Listed as follows are general recommendations for reducing the risks associated with letterboxes :

• Where Letterboxes are considered to be a point of potential weakness, letter cages should be used.
• Premises that have keys deposited out of hours should ensure that they drop into a secure receptacle and not onto the floor.
• If a risk assessment indicates any threat from arson or letter bombs, fire suppressing or blast-containing letterboxes should be fitted.

Keys & Key Management

The use of key locks as the main security control on external doors presents a number of security risks.  The following recommendations will reduce security risks associated with keys:

• Keys should be allocated a unique reference number and only given to nominated people.
• A register should be maintained of all key holders.
• Regular checks should be made to ensure that keys have not been mislaid.
• Nominated staff members need to be appointed as key holders to attend out of hours in the event of fire, crime or other emergency.
• Care should be taken to ensure that key holders are not compromised or called to the building under a false pretence, only to be threatened and forced to allow access to the building and switch off alarms.

Electronic Security Systems

Intruder Alarms

Intruder alarms, or 'burglar alarms' act as a deterrent by emitting a loud noise and a flashing light from a 'bell box' located on the outside of your property when an intruder attempts a burglary.  Sometimes the presence of a 'bell box ' alone is sufficient to make a potential intruder think twice before committing a crime.

Intruder alarms are connected to detection devices located at vulnerable points of entry to your property such as doors and windows.  A range of wireless motion sensors detect the movement of people within a room and wireless door and window contacts detect the opening of a door or window.  The alarm is triggered when sensors detect an intruder by opening doors and windows or in rooms when the sensors detect motion.

Intruder Alarm Systems

Intruder alarms are generally of 2 types with each type dictating the response in the event of activation :

• Bells only systems rely upon people hearing and/or seeing an activated alarm and contacting the police via 999 to advice them of a problem.  A bells only system will not initiate an automatic Police response.
• Remotely monitored systems are linked to an "Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC)" where system activation is monitored 365, 24/7.  The ARC will notify the Police on your behalf to summon an automatic response, providing the system and installation has been installed by a company meeting the requirements of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Alert Fire & Security design, install and maintain Intruder Alarm Systems meeting the requirements of the Association of Chief Police Officers and can offer remote monitoring for both keyholder and Police response.

CCTV

Close Circuit Television (CCTV) provide 365, 24/7 surveillance of risk areas around or within properties, capturing on film any evidence of criminal activity.

CCTV systems are of 2 types :

• Continuous Monitoring Systems, which provide continuous, live video recording and screen transmission of high resolution images captured by camera.  Signals captured using these systems usually require continuous monitoring to be able to detect a crime.
• Detector Activated Remotely Monitored Systems have sensors that respond to motion and activate video and screen transmission of high resolution images captured by camera.  The signals are transmitted to a Remote Video Response Centre (RVPS) where an operator will evaluate the situation and contact the Police to initiate an automatic response.  Only systems conforming to and installed in accordance with the requirements of Association of Chief Police Officers will receive an automatic Police response.  Remotely monitored CCTV can be an effective and economical solution for detecting potential criminal activity when it happens without having to continuously monitor screen images.

Alert Fire and Security install and maintain CCTV Systems meeting the requirements of the Association of Chief Police Officers and can offer remote monitoring services.

Access Control

Access Control Systems are used to restrict the movement of people in and around property and work by controlling the lock mechanisms on access doors using security codes and code readers.  They have advantages over traditional key lock entry systems in that security codes can be changed regularly, overcoming the need for replacing locks and lost keys when security is compromised.

Access Control Methods

Opening doors fitted with access control systems is achieved by presenting a security code to the door lock control mechanism using one of a number of methods :

• A key pad system programmed to open when a numeric code is entered.
• A swipe card system with the entry code integrated into a magnetic strip on the card reader.
• A token or fob system with the entry code integrated into the fob.
• Biometric systems which involve sensors designed to open door mechanisms upon finger, facial or eye recognition.

Access Control Systems

Access Control Systems are installed as either Stand Alone or PC based Systems :

• Stand Alone systems control access to individual doors only and are generally applied to small business premises.
• PC based systems are used to control a number of doors within a building and have the advantage of being able to restrict access to single or multiple entry points for each individual.  For example, all employees can be granted access to the main entry door with only limited access granted to those internal areas of a building relevant to the needs of their work.  'PC based systems' can provide wider use than just access control by offering time and attendance monitoring linking into payroll.

Security Smoke Systems

Security smoke systems are becoming increasingly adopted as a pro-active means of protecting premises from the more determined and professional criminals and are recommended as deterrents against crime by the Police, Fire Brigade and Insurers.

On a practical level, as an intruder enters a building illegally a 'smoke generator' is triggered to create a dense white fog that rapidly fills the room making visibility virtually impossible.  The duration of the fog is sufficient to make the criminal leave the premises without taking further action.

Smoke generators can be:

• Linked to existing intruder alarm circuits and activated as an intruder breaks the electronic sensor upon unlawful entry into the building.  Linking with existing security systems could lead to cost savings.
• Installed with their own sensors and activated independently of other types of security systems. Independent circuitry means that the smoke generator would not be activated if the other intruder alarm developed a fault and created a false alarm.
• Linked to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) along with a security system meeting the 'Type A' requirements of the Association of Chief Police Officers.  Type A systems enable the ARC to summon an automatic Police response.

Remote Monitoring Systems

Alarm Receiving Centres

Enhanced security can be added to Intruder alarms and CCTV systems by linking them to Alarm Receiving Centres (ARC's) that monitor and respond to activation signals received from the security equipment.

Activation signals are assessed by the Alarm Receiving Centre and, in the event of a confirmed breach of security, the relevant authorities are notified to summon a response.

Police Response

The Police will only provide an automatic response to a confirmed breach of security providing that :

• Both the Alarm Receiving Centre and the Security Services Company that has installed and maintain the intruder alarm or CCTV system meet the requirements of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
• The company meets the Type A requirements specified by ACPO.
• The company nominates at least 2 Key Holders who must be able to attend an incidence along with the Police.
• They do not exceed the number of false alarms specified within ACPO.

Key Holders

Key holders nominated by companies with systems conforming to Type A requirements of APCO must :

• Be trained to operate relevant alarm systems operable at the premises.
• Subscribe to a telephone system.
• Have adequate transport to attend the premises at all hours.
• Have access to all relevant parts of the premises.
• Be able to attend an incident within 20 minutes of being notified.

Alert Fire and Security Systems are accredited by that National Security Industry to install and maintain security systems that meet the requirements of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

RedCare

To safeguard against a failure in alarm signal transmission, Alert Fire and Security use BT Redcare services :

• BT Redcare is an active monitoring service that continuously checks the integrity of the telephone line linking your premises to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) and advises them of any break in the line allowing them to advice the Police and Fire services on your behalf.
• BT Redcare GSM is an active monitoring service that uses 2 alarm signalling paths one of which is a continuously checked telephone line, the other a radio network.  In this situation, if either one of the signalling paths is attacked or fails, the other continues to transmit.