CCTV installers’ challenge

publication of a document that will have far reaching implications for CCTV installers in the

UK who fit any remotely monitored systems that require a police response.

The document in question is BS8418:2003, The British Standard for the “Installation and Remote Monitoring of detector activated CCTV systems - Code of practice”.

I quote from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) policy on police response to security systems:

“To enable a security system to be recognised within the ACPO Requirements for Security Services it must comply with the ACPO Policy on Response to Security Systems and a recognised standard or code of practice controlling manufacture, installation, maintenance and operation. Such Standards must be in the public domain and must not be product based.”

It continues:

“The installation and services provided by the installing company and an alarm receiving centre/monitoring centre, shall be certified by a UKAS accredited certification body in accordance with the provisions of the ACPO Requirements for security services.”

BS8418 now provides the necessary ‘code of practice’ for the application of the ACPO Policy to remotely monitored CCTV systems, requiring police response.

So in practice what does this mean for CCTV instal-lers? In simple terms, from now on police URNs (Unique Reference Numbers) – which previously had only been available to approved alarm systems – are now available to monitored CCTV systems.

Now, only the allocation of a URN will guarantee Level 1 (Immediate) police response. Thus, systems without URNs can only receive a downgraded response or, alarmingly, no response at all. A URN is issued by applying to the local police alarm administrator and will only be allocated to companies included on that police force’s list of recognised installers.

To gain inclusion on the list, the installation company must have already gained the appro-priate accreditation for the systems they install, from an approved certification body such as the SSAIB (Security Systems & Alarms Inspection Board) or the NSI (National Security Inspectorate).

So the challenge for the installer is simple: to gain accreditation to install to BS8418 standards.

  On second thoughts perhaps it is not that simple!

Having gained the required accreditations, installers then have to register with the relevant police forces within the areas they operate.

Then comes the ‘easy’ bit – designing the

system, winning the business, installing, paperwork, URN application ...oh, and the

small matter of getting paid!

It sounds complicated but in truth it needn’t be. Initially installers need a copy of the BS8418 document which is available from the BSI on their web site at www.bsionline.techindex.co.uk and can be found by searching for ‘BS8418’.

From the installer’s point of view, the standard mainly covers areas of system design and installa-tion. This includes detector and camera position-ing, configuration, lighting, system performance, equipment integrity and commissioning.

The points that matter

For the purposes of this article, we are covering the main requirements of the standard, in broad terms. This article is obviously not exhaustive nor definitive, and neither (as you will see from reading it) is the full document. It is not prescriptive in nature and allows for interpretation, leaving compliance open to a number of solutions. However, included are some of the salient points within BS8418 which directly impact on installers and the systems they install.

The positioning and configuration of system detectors should conform to the following:

• Detectors should be installed in accordance with BS4737, BS7992 or EN50131-1.
  
• Detectors should not overspill the boundary.
  
• Detectors should only trigger within the field of view of the relevant camera.
  
• Multiple detectors must not be connected to a single input.
  
• Multiple preset PTZ cameras to have separate detector indication.

Camera positioning and configuration:

• The CCTV system should conform to EN50132-7.
  
• Cameras should cover all areas of detection.
  
• For verification, a 1.6m target should fill 10 per cent of the field of view and for identification that should rise to 50 per cent.
  
• The entry/exit route should be viewed by either a fixed camera or a PTZ in its parked position.

System Integrity:

• Video loss to be signalled to the monitoring station.
  
• Tamper circuits to be continually monitored.
  
• The transmission equipment has to be housed in a secure area and any attempt to access it when the system is set should generate an immediate alarm to the central station.
  
• An alternative method of communication should be provided if the primary transmission medium is not available to signal the line failure to the monitoring station.

Commissioning:

• A full walk test, night image check and seven day environmental soak test must be carried out before the monitoring station can issue a CCTV system acceptance certificate.

• The monitoring station itself must, as a minimum, be BS5979 accredited and be able to conform with the additional requirements of BS8418.

As you can see from the small part of the new British Standard included above, there is a great deal to be considered when designing a compliant system. It is now apparent that with the amend-ment of the ACPO Policy to allow BS8418 systems, and the subsequent withdrawal of police response (for non compliant systems), installers and system designers have no choice but to adhere to the standard when specifying current systems to ensure that response is guaranteed in the future.

Several other areas in the standard impact greatly on the installer, and these include “operational procedures” and “owner responsibilities within the design process”.

A useful exercise at this juncture is to apply the standard to any existing installations to locate any areas of non-compliance, not only in design but also in equipment specification, as the way in which the equipment operates is fundamental to the standard.

It may be prudent to speak to the equipment manufacturers to ascertain:

• the likely changes required, and

• the changes already in place, to enable installers to facilitate compliant systems from this point forward.

Gaining accreditation

Having studied the new standard, installers (if they have not already done so) have to apply to an inspection body for certification. As mentioned earlier, the two bodies for security system accreditation are the SSAIB and the NSI (contact details on the right).

   It is fair to say that to gain accreditation the criteria to be met is both stringent and wide-reaching. In covering the standard of installations, the inspectors will visit the installer and review existing installations to check for compliance, and also cover areas of the business such as quality system certification and staff vetting.

   Other areas of investigation include (and are not limited to) insurance, financial stability, use of sub-contractors etc etc. It may be worthwhile for installers to contact the local police force’s alarm administrator, to ascertain their particular policy regarding BS8418. For example this would include: the timescale for compliance in operation; the official position regarding legacy systems; and general police response policy– as the ACPO policy is a national guideline for forces and subject to local interpretation.

By following these initial steps, installers will have started on the road to accreditation. However, as they will gather from reading the relevant standards, application forms and guidance notes, there is still quite a way to go before installers can start issuing URNs to their customers.

Many industry insiders and commentators have discussed this standard at great length since its first publication (in draft form) as ‘PAS 38’ in the year 2000, and I am sure such discussions and deliberations will continue.

Ultimately, whether we like it or not, we are left with a British Standard document which has already been accepted by both the police and much of the insurance industry. In the not too distant future we can expect to see tender documents, specifications and other material stipulating compliance to BS8418. Development indeed.

So many challenges lie ahead for installers not least in achieving compliance to these demanding standards, gaining industry accreditation and police recognition. However a further challenge for installers lies in moving remotely monitored CCTV forward as one of the most accepted forms of security system and service available for protecting both people and property.

Remote Monitoring would then not only be accepted by the police and insurance companies, but positively recommended and seen as the natural replacement for traditional burglar alarm systems which continue to produce unacceptable false alarm levels. By driving forward this sector of CCTV through standards and quality, and widening their own ‘portfolios’, installers can exploit the subsequent commercial opportunities bringing benefits to all.

BS8418 seminars take place throughout the country, describing the content of the standard and the implications for installers. Many are held at Visual Verification’s headquarters in conjunction with the SSAIB (schedule available from the SSAIB, see below), which aim to provide installers with advice on BS8418 compliance and a guide to accreditation. 

The accreditation bodies