Alarm Monitoring
BAFE-certified engineers with over three decades of combined experience. London and Kent. Updated September 2026
Key facts
- Fire & Intruder Alarm Monitoring
- NSI Gold Accredited
Professional alarm monitoring in London and Kent
Professional alarm monitoring provides reliable, round-the-clock protection for your property, giving you peace of mind whether you are at home, at work, or away. When an alarm is triggered, trained monitoring professionals can quickly assess the situation and take the appropriate action, helping to reduce response times and minimise potential damage or loss. With continuous monitoring, professional support, and rapid communication with keyholders or emergency services where appropriate, an alarm monitoring service provides an added layer of security beyond the alarm system itself.
At a glance
- Fire alarm signals routed to an Alarm Receiving Centre under BS EN 54-21
- Intruder alarm monitoring governed by PD 6662:2017 and BS 8243, required for police URN response
- NSI Gold accreditation held — required for police URN eligibility
- All monitored fire systems fully migrated off PSTN/Redcare signalling
- Guaranteed under-4-hour emergency dispatch, 24/7/365, for contract clients
Two systems, two purposes
Fire and intruder alarm monitoring both route a signal to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), but they exist for different reasons and answer to different standards.
Is it a legal requirement?
How does it differ from a fire alarm?
How Smartec delivers this
What does installation involve?
Site survey to assess the building layout, escape routes and refuge point locations
System design, setting the number and position of outstations and the EACIE panel location
Installation of the panel, outstations and fire-resistant cabling
Commissioning, with a full system test and sign-off documentation
Handover, with certification and the system added to the Smartec Client Portal
Who needs this?
Mandatory under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Mandatory under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Housing associations & councils
Managing high-rise residential stock across multiple sites
Developers
New-build high-rise residential schemes, designed in from the outset
Accountable Persons
Under the Building Safety Act 2022 higher-risk building regime
PROJECT
Wembley NE03
Smartec delivered the evacuation alert system as part of the wider life safety installation at Wembley NE03, working alongside the Honeywell Gent fire detection system already in place at the development.
FAQs
- What is an Alarm Receiving Centre?
- A monitoring station, staffed 24 hours a day, that receives signals from fire and intruder alarm systems and takes the appropriate action.
- What is a URN and why do I need one?
- A Unique Reference Number issued by the police. Without one, police will not respond to an intruder alarm activation, regardless of the system installed.
- What's the difference between fire and intruder alarm monitoring?
- Fire monitoring routes a signal to alert the fire and rescue service, governed by BS EN 54-21. Intruder monitoring qualifies your system for police response, governed by PD 6662 and BS 8243.
- What happened to BT Redcare?
- BT withdrew its Redcare PSTN signalling service on 15 December 2025. Systems still using it need migrating to cellular or IP-based signalling to remain connected to an ARC.
- How many false alarms before I lose police response?
- Three false alarm calls in a rolling 12-month period typically results in withdrawal of immediate police response under national police policy.
- Do I need NSI Gold accreditation to get a URN?
- You need your installer to hold NSI Gold or equivalent inspectorate approval. Smartec Integrated Systems holds NSI Gold accreditation.