Commercial intruder alarms

An intruder alarm should reflect what the building holds, how it is entered, and when it stands empty, rather than a standard specification applied regardless of site. We start with a site survey that looks at every external door and accessible window, internal areas that need their own detection (a server room or a high-value stock area, for example), and how staff, contractors and cleaners move through the building outside normal hours. That survey shapes where detection goes and which type of detector suits each area.

Commercial intruder alarm systems in the UK are typically specified and installed to PD 6662, the British code of practice that applies the EN 50131 series of European standards to intrusion and hold-up alarm systems. The standard sets out four grades, from Grade 1 for premises with a low risk of intrusion through to Grade 4 for very high-risk sites, and the appropriate grade for a building is usually driven by the value and nature of what is being protected, and often by an insurer’s requirements. We work through which grade fits your premises as part of the design conversation rather than assuming a default.

Which approach suits a building depends on its construction and how it is used. A wired system runs cabling to each detector and tends to suit new-build premises, a full refurbishment, or a site where cabling can be run discreetly during other works, and it avoids any dependency on battery life at individual detectors. A wireless system communicates by radio signal between each detector and the panel, which makes it a practical option where cabling would be disruptive, in listed or period buildings where fabric needs to be preserved, or where a system needs to be extended or reconfigured as a building’s layout changes. Many commercial installations combine both: a wired backbone with wireless detectors added in areas that are harder or more disruptive to cable. We recommend an approach based on the site survey rather than defaulting to one method for every building.

An intruder alarm that is not maintained becomes less reliable over time in ways that are not always obvious until it fails, or until it starts generating false activations that staff stop taking seriously. Routine maintenance covers detector sensitivity and alignment, battery condition in both the panel and any wireless devices, the physical condition of door and window contacts, and signal paths where the system reports to a monitoring destination. Where a fault is found, we carry out the repair as part of the visit where practical, or quote for it separately if it needs parts or further time on site.

Regular testing matters as much for an intruder alarm as it does for a fire alarm. A detector that has drifted out of alignment, a battery that no longer holds charge, or a door contact that has come loose will not show up until the alarm is actually tested, by which point the building has been carrying a gap in its protection without anyone knowing. We agree a servicing schedule appropriate to the system and the building, and provide a report after each visit so there is a record of what was checked and what, if anything, needed attention.

What a building needs from an intruder alarm varies with how it operates. A warehouse or distribution site with large open floor areas and out-of-hours deliveries needs different coverage to a retail unit with a public-facing shop floor and a smaller back-of-house stock area. An office that empties out every evening has a more predictable occupancy pattern than a healthcare or hospitality site that may never be fully unoccupied. Our industries and premises pages explain how we approach fire and security provision for different types of commercial building.

Whether you need a new system designed for a commercial building, an existing installation brought back into proper servicing, or want to understand how monitoring works alongside your alarm, send us the details of your premises through our contact form and we will arrange a site survey.