An Overview of ACPO Policy BS8243: 2010

Installing an intruder alarm system in any home or business means that you place the area at risk for false alarms. False alarms happen as a result of incorrect configuring of the device, motion within the area the alarm system monitors, or other common mistakes made by homeowners or business owners. The British Association of Chief Police Officers or ACPO has devised a policy known as the ACPO Policy BS8243: 2010 that will help reduce the number of false alarm calls police respond to as a result of a triggered intruder alarm system. BS8243:2010 is a British standard which replaces the old ACPO draft document DD243:2004. What Does the ACPO Policy BS8243: 2010 State? The police created by police crews was drafted for the sole purpose to reduce and eliminate the number of false alarm calls that the police respond to in a given 12 month period. Past intruder alarm systems did not have a policy that required their alarms to be confirmed. This resulted in police responding to numerous intruder alarm system calls that were false alarms. A requirement for intruder alarms to be confirmed to qualify for police response was initially put in place by ACPO policy DD243. The new BS8243:2010 separates the confirmation requirements for intrusion alarm system (IAS) and hold up alarm system (HAS) and introduces specific design objectives for HAS. The installation and reinstatement of hold up alarm is now subject to ACPO policy 10 points plan. The new ACPO Policy BS8243: 2010 states that the police will introduce a level system based on how many false alarms a business or home generates in a 12 month period. If a home or business produces more than three false alarms within a 12 month period, all police response will be removed. Police response can be reinstated if the homeowner or business owner goes through proper procedures to eliminate and reduce the number of false alarms that are generated by the intruder alarm system. What Needs to be Done to Comply with False Alarms Under ACPO Policy BS8243: 2010? A system is in place for businesses and homes that fail to comply with ACPO Policy BS8243: 2010. In the event that an intruder alarm system triggers a false alarm three times the homeowner or business owner will need to go through several rules and regulations in order to reinstate their police response. The process involved to get police response back involves updating to an intruder alarm system that produces confirmed alarms. Upgrading to a confirmed alarm system will eliminate false alarms across the board. After the business or home has upgraded to a confirmed alarm system the place will have to be free of false alarms for three months before any police response will be reinstated. What is Considered a Confirmed Intruder Alarm System? A confirmed intruder alarm system that complies with ACPO Policy BS8243: 2010 is a system that is designed to have a secondary or backup confirmation method in place. This secondary confirmation method protects the system from sending out a false alarm by 'confirming' if there is really an intruder in the house or business. There are several forms of confirmation technology that are commonly used in intruder alarm systems. Audio, visual and sequential confirmation technologies are all commonly used to confirm if an intruder is present. These technologies use microphones, cameras and motion sensors to detect any disturbance. Homeowners and business owners must install this type of technology in order to comply with this policy.

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