For
what reasons would I need to obtain permission to have an alarm system installed?
Rented or dual ownership Homes and some grades of listed buildings
may require planning permission or the owners consent.
What
happens if I move house?
Simply call us and we'll make arrangements
for settlement statement to be sent to you. The settlement amount is usually a
percentage of the outstanding contract. If you want a system in your new Home
we make a small administration charge and ask you to sign a new aftercare contract.
Depending on the size and layout of your new Home we do not normally charge for
the installation.
What happens to the system
I leave behind?
We turn the functionality of the alarm off remotely,
then shortly after the new owners of the property move in we will contact them
to see if they want to use our services. If so, we'll send an engineer in to service
the system, remove all of your old key-fobs and replace them with new ones. We
will of course ask the new Home owners to sign our standard aftercare contract.
What's the difference between the types of alarms
systems?
Firstly we need to share a very important fact: the average
burglary in the UK takes 5.6 minutes to perpetrate, hardly surprising when you
think about it; the burglar wants to be in and out as fast as they can.
In the UK there are three main types of alarm system; bells only, police response
and keyholder monitored. Bells only alarms are the most popular but the least
effective; all that happens should the alarm be triggered is a bell or siren outside
goes off. Recent legislation now prevents bells only alarms from sounding for
more than 15 minutes and the local council can levy heavy fines for noise pollution
should they sound for longer.
Police Response alarms are becoming less
popular as it has been found that the Police can rarely attend in a meaningful
time frame. All Alarm Receiving Centres (ARC's), otherwise know as Monitoring
Stations have 3 minutes in which to verify if an alarm activation has been accidental
or not. These 3 minutes also includes calling the keyholders and asking them to
attend and lastly the Police. The Police respond to calls from Monitoring Stations
in different ways depending on the Police region you live in. But as an average
the Police target to respond to calls from Monitoring Stations within 1 hour and
only if resources are available.
Keyholder Monitored Security is by far
the most practical form of electronic security available today. Your HOME Security
& Care system is connected to the monitoring station via your phone line, if activated
it sends a signal through to the Monitoring Station who contact your Home within
seconds. If no answer or an incorrect answer is given to the security questions
then we call your keyholders. Any would be burglar has no idea if your keyholders
live next door or across the road. This means that as far as they're concerned
someone could be on the spot in seconds. Clearly this is rarely the case and we
would never ask someone to go into a potentially risky situation but the burglar
doesn't know this and therefore moves onto a softer target.
What
certifications and standards are held by the Monitoring Centre?
The
Monitoring Centre has the highest level of certification possible and is certified
under NSI's (NACOSS) Gold Scheme. Under this scheme the centre is accredited to
ISO9001 Management system and works to European Standards for alarm systems (BS
EN 50131, PD 6662) and to codes of practice for installation and configuration
of intruder alarm systems (DD 243). All employees at the centre are screened according
to BS 7858 by the Police.
What does SSAIB stand
for?
Security System Alarms Inspection Board.
Why
choose an SSAIB Certificated Provider?
When it comes to protecting
your Home from the potentially devastating impact of crime you can not afford
to take any chances. SSAIB check the following:
- Personnel
have been screened to the relevant British Standard
- Competence
and experience of management and staff
- Insurance
cover is relevant to the level and nature of work undertaken
- That
best-practice standards are maintained
- That
sufficient staff and resources are employed to provide the services offered
- Compliance
with all relevant standards and codes of practice, British or European
- Identity
cards are carried
What
does the Standard system consists of? - 3
x wireless PIR's
- 1 x
wireless door contact
- 1
x remote keypad
- 1 x
control panel
- 1 x wireless
receiver unit
- 1 x dummy
bell box with flashing LED
- 4
x key fobs
- 1 x internal
sounder
When
will my System be installed?
Once
we have received your request for an installation we first run a credit check
on you at the premises your system will be installed at, if the system is being
installed at a different address then we ask that you provide us with the address
of your previous Home. Once this part of the process is complete we will write
to you with the paperwork that needs completing and returning to us.
As
soon as you return the pack our engineering department will contact you within
48 hours to make arrangements for the system to be installed within 10 working
days.
If you need to have the system installed urgently, then we are usually
able to process your order more quickly by using email and next day postage services.
What do I get?
All parts and labour
to install the bell box, main control box, one key pad, 3 internal P.I.R.'s (Passive
Infra Red), a door contact, four key fobs, the Careholders neck pendant(s) where
required - In other words, everything that is necessary to secure the average
UK Home. Please see extras price list.
Will every
room in my Home have a PIR?
No, for us to be able to issue you
with an SSAIB certificate of conformity we need to protect the main areas within
your Home. For Homes with an upstairs this usually means that hall ways, sitting
rooms and dinning rooms will have detection devises installed. If you live in
a bungalow then we would normally install detection devises in the rooms where
access from the outside can be easily made. Extra detection devises can be installed
and we suggest you discuss this with your installation engineer when you meet
him.
Will the installation damage my decor?
Our
engineers do all they can to minimise any disruption to the decor of your Home.
We use wire-free detection devises so this removes unsightly wire runs. Where
we have to run wires we do all we can to make sure they are either not seen or
are tucked away in cupboards and alike.
Where
do the parts of the alarm go?
Most alarm systems consist of 2 PIR's
(these are the small devises you see in the corners of rooms), a control panel
that houses the main processor of the system and a bell box. The BROWNS Security
& Care System offers you a great deal more. A standard installation consists of
a minimum of 3 wire-free PIR's, a neat and smart looking RKP (Remote Key Pad)
which is normally located near the front door. The control panel of the system
is tucked away either under the stairs or in a cupboard, a wire free door contact
fitted to the main exit/entry door, we also install a radio transmitter and receiver,
this enables communication between the various detection devises. On the outside
of your Home we install a bell box; this acts as a visual deterrent to would be
burglars.
How long does the bell box sound for?
As the BROWNS Security & Care system is fully monitored the bell
box on the outside of the property makes no sound, there is a 113dB sounder inside
your Home which automatically switches itself off after 10 minutes. The BROWNS
Security & Care systems bell box is installed as a visible means of deterrent
and benefits from a flashing LED.
How do people
know my BROWNS Security & Care system is Monitored?
All BROWNS
Security and Care systems are fully monitored. With every installation we provide
a small disk which we would ask you to display near your front door in the holder
provided. It is similar in size to a car tax disk and clearly shows that your
system is operational and fully monitored.
What
service do I receive for my 83p per day monitoring and aftercare payments?
Keeping the system operating correctly at no further costs to you: - If
it breaks we fix it
- If
you are having trouble using it we retrain you
- If
you build an extension to your Home and you need more devices we normally fit
these free of charge
- The
system is constantly monitored, anything found to be not working or getting close
to operating outside of acceptable tolerances we repair or replace free of charge
- We replace batteries
when needed free of charge
After
the initial 36 months what contract period do I have to sign up to?
The contract continues on a monthly basis, with a 3 month cancellation period.
What is a Keyfob?
Until the launch
of the BROWNS Security & Care system setting and un-setting security systems was
fiddly to say the least. You had to walk to the control panel and either set the
system with a key or by pressing a PIN number into the keypad. As this process
takes time quite often householders just didn't bother setting the system.
Using your keyfobs means that setting, part setting and un-setting your system
couldn't be simpler; all you have to do is wave your keyfob past the RKP and the
system will set, part set or un-set depending on what you want it to do. Each
keyfob has its own identifier contained inside and there are over 4.3 billion
combinations so there is an almost impossible chance of two being the same. Every
installation receives 4 keyfobs so each member of your family can have their own;
you even get a variety of picture stickers so they won't get mixed up. More Keyfobs
are available should they be required at a price of £10 for 2.
How
does the key fob know to set night time operation and how many different zones
can be set?
The panel can be set up to realise that if the
front door is not opened it knows that you are not leaving the premises, it therefore
assumes you are going upstairs so it performs 'Part Set' that will have been set
up with the installer. You can set up as many zones as there are P.I.R.'s.
Can different zones be set with varying sensitivity for
pets?
We can supply a detector that ignores pets up to a mass size
of 80lb, although the top half of the detector works as a normal P.I.R. so consideration
needs to be given to mounting, i.e. not looking at stairs or at the back of settees
where cats can jump up.
Are there occasions when
a new or another telephone line will need to be installed?
The
systems use a standard telephone connection. The control panel has a built in
ADSL & Broadband filter. No further telephone lines are needed.
What
is a Keyholder?
A keyholder is someone you nominate to act for
you in your absence; say, whilst you're away on holiday. These are normally neighbours,
friends and family living not further away than 20 minutes from your Home. If
the system is activated we will first contact your Home to ascertain if the system
has been accidentally triggered, don't worry if it has been, we make no charge
for activations and understand that sometimes children and grandchildren like
to fiddle with things.
In what order would Keyholders
or Careholders be contacted?
When the system is first installed
you will be asked for your Keyholders and Careholders details, and in what order
you would like them to be contacted. This can include your own mobile number if
required. If your Keyholder or Careholder details change in the future, a simple
phone call to the 0845 number provided is all it will take to amend the details.
How many Keyholders are required?
It is recommended that you have a minimum of 3 Keyholders.
What
is required from a Keyholder?
A Keyholder would ideally investigate
an alarm activation and dial 999 in the event of any suspicious circumstances.
What is the difference between Care holders and
Key Holders?
Careholders are people we can call in the cases where
you need personal assistance, perhaps because of a fall or feeling unwell. Simply
pressing the button on your neck pendant sends a separate signal through to the
monitoring station. The monitoring station knows that this signal has come from
your neck pendant and that you need someone to help you. Firstly we will try and
call you, this is to make sure that it hasn't be accidentally triggered, don't
worry if you can't get to the phone as by not answering it means we automatically
move to calling up your careholders. Careholders can be elderly neighbours who
can assist you in times of personal difficulties but perhaps not be an ideal person
to act as a keyholder where there is a remote possibility of them finding unwanted
persons in your Home.
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