Has the NSI lost its way ?

For those that don’t know, the NSI is the regulatory body that oversees the security industry, in the old days they were only interested in Intruder alarms and to be fair the regulation they imposed and enforced rigorously with member companies was very helpful to the industry. It meant standards were good amongst members and insurance companies would only insure those clients who had their intruder alarm installed to a “NACOSS standard”. In a way this was jobs for the boys.  If you were in the club then it would exclude electricians from poaching your business just because they could do it cheaper and were not burdened with the paperwork that goes with a properly installed intruder alarm system.

NSI GOLD installer

The NSI went further though, if you were a company that wanted to embrace other disciplines within your portfolio such as CCTV and access control,  the NSI insisted that if you wanted to display the NSI logo on your company paperwork or vans,  then you also had to install CCTV and access control to their standards and pay for and issue certificates accordingly. OK this was just about bearable and the additional costs could be absorbed. However insurance companies did not drive end users to use NSI approved installers for CCTV and access control in the same way they did for Intruder alarms therefore the commercial advantage was not so great to be a member of the NSI club.

Further standards were introduced though such BS8418 for monitored CCTV in order to involve insurance companies and the Police and it was hoped they would then insist all monitored CCTV could only be done by the NSI members. All in all though this initiative failed, the insurers either did not care or found it was of no advantage to them to insist on BS8418 systems to be installed, the Police were overcome with apathy.

Now though we have a whole new ball game. IP CCTV is changing everything. Security companies are competing with IT integrators and the IT boys are totally unburdened with regulation.The playing field is not fair anymore and security companies are being weighed down by the NSI.

We need changes and we need them fast. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. So NSI, either the IT integrators must be forced to issue certificates and install to the same high standards that is expected of security companies or CCTV must be deregulated to mean a company that installs both intruder alarms and CCTV does not have  suffer the overheads that the NSI brings with it.

Policed intruder alarms

Most insurance companies insist on an intruder alarm that is policed. This is obviously to minimise their risk and ensure that the end user installs a system that is from an accredited company such as an NSI installer.

The Police however have had a gutful of of call outs that have been generated as a result of false alarms and have therefore insisted on strict critera before they will attend any alarm call.

Confirmation is the main item they insist on and this can take one of 3 formats

Sequential confirmation

Audible confirmation

Or visual confirmation

Each of the above use a technique that ensures there are two factors involved in the process of signalling before the police can be called.

By far the most common form of of confirmation is sequential.This is a method whereby the alarm panel will need to process two signals from two separate devices within the building before sending a code to the central station that confirms movement in the premises .The number of  false policed alarms has reduced dramatically since this technique has been enforced.

Another factor insurance companies look for is secure  dual path signalling. This is where the panel is connected to a Dualcom or Redcare or Emizon. These signalling devices provide two paths to the central station the first over the phone line the second over GPRS or GSM. Each of the above have their own particular features but in essence all provide the dual path signalling that insurance companies insist upon.

If a premises loses policing or has not had policing in the six month previous a new application to the police must be sought .This often causes problems as many systems will need an upgrade to the latest European regs  in order to comply .

So if your premises requires a policed response please contact us and we can fill you in on all the critiera you will need to ensure you can get police cover.

Panels that are commonly used to ensure a policed response incude

Risco

Castle

Galaxy

Pyronix

Europlex