We hear from Paul Miller (Managing Director of National Monitoring and the immediate past master of the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals) about the electronic call handling project ECHO.
- Tell us a bit about your business and how you became involved with ECHO
My career in the security industry started 47 years ago when I established an intruder alarm installation company; we built our first Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) ten years later and were the first company outside London to use the BT Redcare network. During my installation days I often helped our local crime prevention officer installing police radio alarms in properties that were being repeatedly targeted, and this led to Greater Manchester Police deciding to outsource their temporary alarm requirements to the private sector in 1999. We won the tender for the service and still hold the contract today.
We have a close working relationship with police forces helping them to protect vulnerable people and properties. Many of these people are at high risk where a rapid police response is crucial and electronic transfer enables the police to intervene at the earliest opportunity, reducing harm and, in some cases, saving lives. I attended my first ECHO meeting in 2014 and when little progress had been made six years later decided to create an automated alarm transfer platform, even if just for our own use. ECHO awarded us the contract to operate the platform in 2020.
- Outline how transmission of alarms to the police works for non-ECHO-connected police forces?
For a non-ECHO-connected police force alarm transmission is by a telephone call to a police control room. ARCs have access to ex-directory emergency lines which call takers answer along with 999 calls. The call taker checks that the alarm being reported qualifies for police attendance (not off police response due to excess false alarms and visually/audibly or sequentially verified where confirmation is required) validates the address of the alarm and then transfers the information to a dispatcher who allocates a patrol to attend.
- Why have ECHO-connected forces committed to the process? And what advantages are they seeing?
ECHO-connected forces see the benefit in freeing up call takers and improving the speed of emergency responses. Errors are reduced and ARCs are able to update information directly with dispatchers where they receive further information which will assist response officers.
- What advantages do ARCs experience once ECHO-connected?
Rapid communication with police control rooms, although the average delay is 2-3 minutes, at busy periods an ARC can wait ten to15 minutes and sometimes much longer. An ECHO automated alarm transfer averages 1.2 seconds!
- For Installers how would you describe the value they get from ECHO?
When installers use an ECHO connected ARC with participating police forces their clients are assured of the fastest possible response.
- There are examples of ARCs receiving response messages that alarm systems are ‘off police response’ which is news to the ARC. What’s going on?
The Unique Reference Number (URN) system records all police responses to a property. Where the number of false calls exceeds the level stipulated by the NPCC police requirements for security systems then there will be no further police response to alarms. Unfortunately, the police only notify the alarm user and installer/maintainer when they withdraw response and if no-one informs the ARC, they only become aware that the alarm is off police response when they attempt to transfer a call.
- How many more police forces do you think might be ECHO connected in the next 12 months?
A difficult question because police force IT departments are under constant pressure and priorities can change but I expect the number of ECHO connected forces to double in the next 12 months.
- What possible enhancements to the service, do you see the police and the public could benefit from in the near future?
Possible enhancements include notifying the ARC of the police ETA, advising when police have arrived at the address, and confirming whether the alarm has been recorded as false or genuine. This will improve the flow of information and enhance the safety of keyholders responding to an alarm.
- And how do you see the longer term?
Extending ECHO to include automated transfer of location data for lone worker and stolen vehicle tracking alarms and notifying automatic fire alarms to Fire & Rescue Services.
To find out more about ECHO including accessing the list of all ECHO related police forces, visit www.echo.uk.net.
About Paul Miller
He’s a Chartered Security Professional; visit https://www.charteredsecurityprofessional.org/csyp-list.
