A Guide to Choosing the Right Intruder Alarm For Your Business

Installing an alarm system at your commercial premises is a smart idea. However, it’s also a significant investment. You’ll want to get it right first time.

While it’s tempting to go for the cheapest option, this may land you in hot water. Firstly, the system may fail. Secondly, it might not meet your insurer’s requirements, so our first piece of advice is this:

Always check with your insurer before making a final decision. In the meantime, to help you narrow down the options, we’ve put together a guide for choosing the right intruder alarm for your business.

Risk assessment

Your first step is a risk assessment. When you have a clear understanding of your specific security needs, it helps you tailor your search.

Carry out a thorough evaluation, starting with the size and condition of the building. After that, consider factors such as:

• Site layout — Entrances, exits, doors and windows
• Accessibility — The easiest routes of access and escape
• Potential targets —Valuable assets, safes or sensitive data storage, for example
• Risks — Blind spots, poorly lit areas, vulnerable entrances and exits
• Environment — Lighting, vegetation, exposure to weather
• Scalability — Your plans for expansion and development

Types of alarm

With so many alarm systems available on the market, each with their own features and capabilities, the amount of choice can be bewildering.

When you’re making a decision, it may help to know that most alarms fall within three main categories:

• Wired systems. All contacts, motion detectors, sirens and keypads are hard-wired back to a main control panel (or end station).
• Wireless systems use wireless technology, although they may need batteries.
• Hybrid systems are part wired, part wireless, according to the building layout and location of the detectors.

The pros and cons of each type of alarm

Each type of system has its own pros and cons, so we’ll run through them here.

Their main advantage of wired systems is stability. They’re generally connected to the building’s main power source so they’re less prone to interference or signal loss. The disadvantage is the expense and disruption of installation. There’s also the risk that wires can be damaged by rodents or adverse weather conditions.

Wireless systems are easier to install and flexibly scalable. They don’t require expensive wiring, and you can easily add or move devices as the business evolves. The disadvantage is signal reliability, and the risk of interference from other wireless devices or physical obstacles.

Because hybrid systems incorporate both wired and wireless systems, they give you the best of both worlds — plus their downsides, obviously. The advantage is flexibility. The system can be customised according to specific security needs and building characteristics. They are also reliable because if one component fails, the other keeps going.

The disadvantage of a hybrid system is that it could be complex to install. And, don’t forget, you’ll have to keep an eye on maintenance for both the wired and wireless elements of the system.

Consider a monitoring service

When you’re thinking about installing an intruder alarm, it’s definitely worth considering a professional monitoring service.

Firstly, it provides peace of mind. If an alarm is triggered, you don’t have to take the risk of attending the premises to investigate the cause. Trained security personnel at an alarm receiving centre are ready to coordinate the appropriate response on your behalf.

Secondly, given the fact that even the best alarm systems issue false alarms occasionally, monitoring services save you a great deal of hassle. Professional responders assess and verify each alert, filtering it for false activation. If it’s a genuine threat, you’ll be contacted. If not, you’ll be left in peace.

Think about integration

You may be aware that AI is playing an important role in modern commercial security systems. There are many advantages to this, not least the ability to integrate all systems into a single, centrally controlled system.

For example, you could integrate your intruder alarm with CCTV cameras, access control systems and fire alarms. Each element is interconnected, so they can be managed in one place.

Installing AI into wireless intruder alarm systems is relatively straightforward. With wired systems, you’ll probably require professional assistance.

We’re here to help you with this. In fact, if you’d like any guidance on choosing the right alarm system, including a professional risk assessment, get in touch with the CSG team. We’d be happy to hear from you.