The ECHO scheme (short for Electronic Call Handling Operations) for Intruder and Hold-up alarms is two years old. It has ten ECHO-connected police forces and over 300,000 police approved alarm systems protecting sites and premises in those areas.
Since Essex Police and the Metropolitan Police announced their readiness to accept verified alarm activations via ECHO and the ECHO-connected service launched during the covid pandemic, Avon and Somerset, City of London Police and Northumbria Police became ECHO-connected in 2022, and during 2023 by Bedfordshire Police, Kent Police, Hertfordshire Constabulary, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and most recently Greater Manchester Police.
According to police estimates, ECHO delivers time savings of up to four minutes in response times to ‘confirmed’ alarm activations received from any of the 35 ARCs (Alarm Receiving Centres) using the service. The ECHO service automatically transfers alarm activation signals from Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs) to ECHO-connected police control rooms, replacing legacy manual voice calling procedures, and accelerates ‘stand-down’ signals where an alarm is discovered as false prior to police arrival at the scene. The gains; less scope for error when human call handlers pass details to each other, and faster response to incidents.
Durham Deputy Chief Constable Ciaron Irvine is National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for the Security Systems Group. He said: “The progress made by ECHO and the ten forces now ECHO-connected has made tremendous inroads in police control room efficiencies and police responders impact at the scene of intruder and hold up incidents, and I encourage all forces to get ECHO-connected at the earliest opportunity.”
Over a million active residential and commercial users of professionally installed Intruder and Hold-up alarm systems (those installed by an NSI or SSAIB approved installer) are set to benefit as more police forces across the UK get ECHO-connected during 2023/24, ECHO organisers add.
Richard Jenkins, ECHO Director, pictured, said: “As ECHO’s pioneering service continues to increase its reach and deliver efficiencies across more regions of the UK, in support of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s requirements, ECHO technology is now a proven facilitator of greater efficiency in the deployment of police resources, faster police response and crime deterrence.
“The expanded service now supports Intruder and Hold-up police response alarm systems in residential, commercial and public sector buildings with ten ECHO-connected police forces currently offering home owners, commercial and publicly operated premises a greater degree of assurance with speedier and more effective police response.”
Approved installers are encouraged to check with their ARC providers regarding ECHO support for their customers’ Intruder and Hold-up alarms. Visit https://www.echo.uk.net/.
