Protecting Your Business With a Modern Alarm System

Security systems are sometimes seen as a necessary evil. You need to protect your premises but badly installed or maintained security systems can be a pain in terms of false alerts, call outs and general annoyance. Whether you need a simple alarm system, CCTV surveillance or full-blown access control, it pays to find an experienced and trusted supplier. A system that’s specifically designed to meet your needs will give you peace of mind knowing that your property is protected.

So what do you need to ensure that you’re properly secure? At its most basic an alarm system is made up of sensors to detect intrusion, a means of alert – usually a siren or bell and a control panel to manage the system and turn it on and off. There will nearly always be a battery back-up so that the alarm will continue to function in the event of a mains power failure. Systems in business premises will often be linked to a monitoring service so that operators can alert the police or the owners of the building in the event of a problem.

What Was That?
Sensors come in various types; most commonly is edge detection which is triggered when opening a door and passive infrared (PIR) which detects the change in heat when someone walks into a room. More sophisticated detection systems include ultrasonic and microwave detection or photo-electric beams to detect movement. Retail premises often use glass break detection; this can either be acoustic which detects the sound of breaking glass or shock wave in type. There are also inertia sensors that will detect the vibration from; for example, someone climbing a fence. You can detect more than just intrusion by including heat, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the system.
Signals from the system sensors are transmitted to the control panel usually through wires. This has the advantage that sensors that need power (like PIRs) can draw it from the control panel without needing a separate power source. Systems with lots of sensors can use a loop system to reduce the amount of cabling. This involves each sensor having a unique ID code to report back to the central control panel. Wireless systems are available too though whether they’re suitable will depend on the construction of the building and the range required. Good systems will have a trouble detection mode to indicate broken or severed connections or power loss.

Crash, Tinkle…
In most cases when a sensor is triggered the system will sound an audible alarm. In most cases these days it will be a siren. It takes a brave burglar to carry on his task when an alarm is going off, but in some cases you may want to opt for the extra protection of a monitored system. This is particularly useful if, say, your business is on an industrial estate where there’s no one around at night to hear the alarm. A monitored system will alert a control room when the system is triggered. This will usually be via a phone line but it can also be done over a broadband internet connection or through the mobile phone GPRS network. The latter is becoming increasingly popular as it’s low cost and not vulnerable to wires being cut. For maximum protection you can opt for multiple connections that back each other up so, for example, an alert is sent via the GPRS network if the phone line isn’t available.

All of this may sound a bit complicated but it needn’t be. If you choose an experienced local supplier they’ll ensure that the security system is designed to meet your needs. A system installed to comply with the latest standards will keep your insurance company happy as well as guarding your business. A good company will also be able to advise you on whether you need CCTV or other measures to back up your alarm and cover additional vulnerabilities.

When you’re looking for security systems, Manchester is an area with home reliable companies with good local knowledge.

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