NACOSS also known as NSI -  www.nsi.org.uk

The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) (Previously known as NACOSS) is an independent, not-for-profit approvals body providing inspection services for the security and fire industries.
For over 30 years, NSI/NACOSS has been protecting the customer through insisting on the highest standards and operating the toughest inspection regime.
Companies are inspected regularly, by highly qualified, full-time inspectors, to prove their ongoing delivery of the highest standards. NSI's Customer Care support process reinforces the reliability and integrity of the companies it inspects.

NSI - NACOSS Gold approval exceeds the appropriate requirements of the Police, Fire Service and Insurers

NSI- NACOSS Gold is NSI's highest approval, and is for companies who consistently meet the industry's highest standards through ISO9000 Quality Management as well as the relevant British and European Standards. Companies choose this route to demonstrate that their business is run in a competent professional manner operating to the highest standards

ISO 9002 - www.iso.org/iso/en/ISOOnline.frontpage

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was established in 1947 and is (currently) an association of approximately 149 National Standards Bodies, which each represent their own country. ISO employs a system of Technical Committees, Sub-committees and Working Groups to develop International Standards. Besides the National Standards Bodies, ISO permits other international organizations that develop standards to participate in its work, by accepting them as Liaison members. ISO works in accordance with an agreed set of rules of procedure, the ISO/IEC Directives, which also include requirements on the presentation of standards.

Constructionline - www.constructionline.co.uk/default.asp

Constructionline is the UK 's register of local and national construction and construction-related contractors and consultants, pre-qualified to work within the public sector.

Set up in 1998 in response to Sir Michael Latham's 1994 report on modernising the construction industry ('Constructing the Team'), Constructionline is designed to streamline procurement procedures, reducing supplier and client costs and wasted time and effort at the pre-qualification stage, rendering the construction industry more efficient and effective.

Constructionline is DTI owned and endorsed, and is a contributor to the Rethinking Construction initiative.

Over 12,500 contractors and consultants, ranging from sole traders and small specialist firms to large multi-nationals, are registered with Constructionline and have all met strict pre-qualification requirements agreed by industry working groups. Constructionline's firms cover the full spectrum of construction activities from architecture to demolition, as well as construction-related services such as facilities management, security and IT installation. Over 50% of registered firms have a turnover of less than £1 million and 29% have a turnover of less than £250,000.

Constructionline's 1,500 plus clients across the UK range from large central government departments and agencies to Local Authorities, Housing Associations, Universities and NHS Trusts.

PSNI - www.psni.police.uk/index/crime_prevention/pg_essp.htm

Police Policy on Intruder Alarms

PSNI policy from 10 th September 2001 and 1 st July 2002, requires that a system be configured to send Confirmed Activation signals to the monitoring station. These two separate alarm conditions will be reported within a confirmation time of 30 minutes. This is described in the recent Police policy as 'an activation emanating from two or more independent sensors, detectors and/or processors which are so configured that there is a high probability that a genuine intrusion or a genuine attempted intrusion has occurred'.  What this means in effect is that the monitoring station will contact the keyholders on receiving the first signal from the intruder alarm, but will only contact the police on receipt of a second signal from another independent sensor. In addition, if the first sensor to trigger is the only one to trigger and is still active when the system automatically resets, then a separate signal will be transmitted at that stage to the monitoring station to indicate that this sensor has been isolated out of the system to allow the rest of the system to work. This zone will be 'switched back on' when investigation of the activation and resetting of the panel is carried out by the keyholder. Unless otherwise informed the monitoring station will log this signal on their computer, however, if you wish, the monitoring station can also inform you of receipt of this signal.

In addition the Police will also be charging our customers an administration fee of £35.00 to connect any system to them via the monitoring station and we are expected to collect this from the customer on their behalf as a separate fee.

Another key section of the new Police policy is the withdrawal of Police response after to many false alarms. All systems start on 'level 1.' which is ' Immediate response required with due regard to resource availability '. After two false calls to the Police in a rolling twelve month period, the Police response to the system will be reduced to 'level 2.' which is ' Police response is desirable but attendance may be delayed due to other demands on Police resources ' If the system then goes on to produce a total of five false calls in a rolling twelve months the Police response to the system will be reduced to 'level 3.' Which is ' No Police attendance, keyholder response only '.  The system may be reinstated to level 1. after three months free of false calls, but may involve technical changes to the system, a Police inspection of the system and another Police administration fee of £35.00.

The police have now adopted fully British Standard DD243:2002 which states, in addition to the above, that 'Unsetting should minimize the likelihood of false alarms either during or as a result of, the unsetting process' and five options are given as to how a system should be unset (switched off). The plain English translation of the procedure is that a system should switched off prior to fully entering the premises, either by the action of unlocking the door using a micro switch contacted mortise lock, or, opening the entry door, or, using a remote wire free 'keyfob', usually a small radio transmitting device.