Don't be fooled into thinking that your business or school building is fully protected after the installation process.
Here's the who, what, when and why of maintaining your security system for the long haul.
Maintaining and monitoring your alarm system are vital elements of your ongoing security.
Commercial alarm maintenance is a regular service performed by an engineer on the system at your business premises or school.
The alarm equipment will be inspected and checked to ensure all is working correctly.
It is a requirement for your insurance to have a maintained intruder alarm system, but the most significant benefit of a maintenance contract is peace of mind that it will work when your school or commercial premises needs it most.
If you kept a car for ten years without a service, eventually it would break down - resulting in a large repair bill.
If it had been regularly maintained, any small faults could have been spotted and fixed long before they caused a major problem.
Commercial intruder alarm systems are similar. The wear and tear of every day use will eventually take its toll and your system will develop faults.
Regular maintenance not only keeps your alarm in tip top condition, but it can also help extend the life of your system.
Lack of maintenance also leaves you open to false activations through faults.
This type of emergency call out can be expensive in terms of time, inconvenience and money. You will pay more in fees than a contract customer and you will have to wait longer.
If you have a maintenance contract with an NSI Gold company, they have to respond to emergencies within 4 hours.
Without a maintenance contract, you are in the queue. This could become even more expensive if the rest of your staff or employees are unable to enter the building whilst they wait for an engineer to come and fix the fault.
A maintenance contract also gives you the option of a Key Holder service. Your security maintenance company has your keys and will respond to an activation and make any repairs (where possible).
If you want a monitored alarm with Police response, you are required to have a service twice a year, minimum - a Maintenance & Monitoring package.
However, a Bells Only maintenance contract will involve an annual service.
For monitored alarm systems qualifying for Police response, your burglar alarm maintenance must be through an accredited security company - either NSI or SSAIB.
These approvals mean your maintenance is being carried out by a professional who has the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job right first time.
Opting for a handyman, electrician or caretaker to carry out maintenance could mean that your system fails when it is most needed.
It is not necessary for the same company that installed your system to provide the maintenance. In fact we regularly take over alarms that were installed by other suppliers.
You can shop around for a company to do your alarm maintenance, just ensure the company you use are confident with your system and avoid unaccredited contractors. They may be cheaper, but that always comes at a price!
We recommend always checking to see if your installer is NSI accredited and has previous experience providing security solutions to schools. With the highest NSI accreditation, NSI Gold, and over 200 schools' worth of experience, Blake's are perfect for your next security installation.
Whoever you choose, make accreditations a deal breaker!
