Keyholding is one of the main services Abbey Security offers to its customers. The option of not attending an alarm activation at 3 o’clock in the morning being an appealing one to many business owners. But what actually happens when we attend a callout? And how can you be sure your property is secured efficiently?
What happens when my security alarm is activated?
There are a number of causes which could result in an alarm activation. Air conditioning and heating systems that have not been switched off correctly, faults in the alarm system or staff entering or leaving the premises out of hours can all lead to false alarms. Burglaries, vandalism or events such as flooding or fire will also trigger an alarm but are obviously much more serious and potentially dangerous.
Upon the alarm being triggered, our control room is automatically notified, and work closely with our mobile officers to quickly respond to the situation. The security officer will have access to all the keys he needs to investigate fully. Rest assured though, that all keys with which we are entrusted with are numbered not named. The control room can inform the officer which key to use when they arrive at the scene.
Our security officer performs an initial visual assessment
On arriving at the premises, the security officer will check in with the control room and perform an initial assessment from the safety of their vehicle. This reduces the risk to them and allows them to keep the control room informed of the situation.
During this initial assessment, the officer will look for signs of a break in, or anything else out of the ordinary, such as smoke or fire. Once this initial visual check is completed, the officer will undertake a full external patrol of the property.
We inform the relevant authorities
Depending on what has triggered the alarm, other authorities may need to be involved. For a burglary or attempted burglary, or where vandalism has occurred, the police will be informed, as well as the business owner or other designated member of staff. For a fire or other dangerous incident, the emergency services will quickly be called, helping to reduce the impact.
Where a fault is found in the system, an alarm engineer will be called.
Our security officer enters the building
Once they’re satisfied that there is no danger, the security officer will enter the building and disarm the alarm. They’ll then conduct an internal patrol to ascertain the cause of the alarm. Often this can be inferred from the fault on the alarm panel, but this internal check ensures everything is as it should be.
We resecure the building

Once they are satisfied that there are no problems, or the incident has been dealt with effectively, the security officer will fill in an incident form, reset the alarm and resecure the building. If the cause of activation is something minor the report is left on-site, with no need to wake any staff members.
Keyholding and alarm response services for businesses in Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge
Abbey Security has offered keyholding and alarm response services to businesses throughout Suffolk and Cambridgeshire for over 30 years. With offices in Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge, and mobile security officers working throughout the region, we can respond to alarm activations quickly and are fully trained to deal with whatever activated the alarm.
To find out how our keyholding service can benefit your business in East Anglia, call us on 01284 768832 or fill out our contact form.
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Posted on October 10, 2019