Currently most alarms attended by the Police are false.

Every business with a monitored alarm MUST have at least two nominated keyholders. Chubb's Keyholding Service provides a response to all alarm activations, so your staff don't have to.

The inclusion of 'alarm confirmation technology can significantly reduce and false alarms and help protect your Police response.

To counter-act the increase in false alarms generated by monitored security systems, and the resulting strain on Police resources, the Association of Chief Police Officers have introduced a policy which places an increased emphasis on the use of alarm confirmation technology. Police response will be reduced or completely withdrawn if a system repeatedly generates false alarms. To apply for Police response or to have it reinstated, a security system must incorporate alarm confirmation technology.

CLICK HERE TO OPEN OUR 'ACPO POLICy LEAFLET' (740Kb)

Police Response policy

2006 Policy

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) review their Police response policy every 4 or 5 years in an aim to reduce the number of false alarms which the Police attend. Following the previous policy released in 2001, they released a new policy on 1st April 2006. The new policy places increased emphasis on the use of Confirmed Alarm Technology.

Tightening the Rules

Police response is dependent on the number of false alarms policed in any rolling 12 month period.

False Alarm Thresholds	Response Level
1 - 2 False Alarms	Immediate Response
3 or more False Alarms	Police Response withdrawn, Key Holder notified only

Subject to generating fewer than 3 false alarms within a 12 month period, an intruder alarm installed without confirmed alarm technology before 1st April 2006, will continue to receive Police response.

Withdrawal of Police Response

While Police response will still be immediate for systems that generate 1 - 2 false alarms, once a system generates 3 false alarms Police response will be withdrawn.

Reinstatement of Police Response

Following withdrawal of Police response, there is a 6 month window in which a system must be free of false alarms for a period of 3 consecutive months, in order to have response reinstated. In addition, a system must include alarm confirmation technology. All new systems installed must also include alarm confirmation technology, in accordance with DD243.

Alarm Confirmation Technology

Confirmed alarm technology is required in order to initiate Police response on any new system installed and to have Police response reinstated where it has been withdrawn.

Chubb Guidelines for the implementation of the ACPO requirements for the reduction of false Hold-Up Alarms

These guidelines apply to all new Hold-Up Alarm Systems installed after 1st October 2005 in England and Wales and those systems that require their Hold-Up Alarm URN to be reinstated. As a Chubb policy, these guidelines should be applied throughout the UK including Scotland.

click here to review the 'Chubb Guidelines for the implementation of the ACPO requirements for the reduction of false Hold-Up Alarms'

CLICK HERE FOR AN OVERVIEW OF 'DD243 AND Alarm Confirmation Technology'

Police Force Variations

All Police forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be implementing this policy, however regional variations will apply as well as different implementation dates.

CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO 'YOUR LOCAL POLICE FORCE'