A respected not-for-profit alarm signal transfer service won a coveted industry gong at the British Security Awards last week.
Electronic Call Handling Operations Ltd (ECHO), which aims to promote greater effectiveness in police response to emergencies, scooped the National Partnership Award at the event.
The British Security Awards is a celebration of the achievements, acts of bravery and innovations made by the industry’s finest.
The win recognised ECHO’s work in delivering ‘a UK based project, in conjunction with a customer or partner organisation, which showcases the capability of the UK security industry.’
ECHO was developed in response to the National Police chiefs’ council (NPCC) requirements for all intruder and hold-up alarms on police response to be electronically transmitted to police control rooms.
The automation of alarm signal transfers provides residential, commercial and public sector premises with the fastest possible emergency response and improves the responder’s efficiency in handling emergencies.
ECHO says that replacing legacy voice calling procedures between alarm receiving centres and police control rooms via secure networks is “a game changer for the electronic security sector”, and has only been achieved through significant and unrelenting effort over the past four years from industry stakeholder volunteers and the police/NPCC.
Since ECHO formally launched in April 2021, four police forces have so far become ECHO-connected – Metropolitan Police, Essex Police, Avon & Somerset Constabulary and Northumbria Police.
Between them, with over 200,000 registered alarm Unique Reference Numbers (URNs) between them. Ultimately, 1.5m residential and commercial users of approved police response alarm systems across the UK will benefit as more police forces across the UK get ECHO-connected during 2022/23.
A quarter of the UK’s approved alarm receiving centres are now ECHO-connected with more following in the near future.
For more information on ECHO visit www.echo.uk.net
Richard Jenkins, ECHO Director, said: “It’s vital the professional security industry keeps pace with change and ECHO has demonstrated how bringing together interested parties from industry and the police, has improved and future-proofed the speed of emergency response by blue light services.
“ECHO demonstrates true industry collaboration thorough its association with the NPCC which has culminated in the development of an innovative technical solution and viable business model to meet police needs of delivering automated alarm signals into police control rooms.”
He added: “Receiving the National Partnership Award is a tribute to all those within the industry and the police who have tirelessly contributed to the development of ECHO and are involved in its ongoing rollout.
“We are proud to have received this Award and as more police forces and Alarm Receiving Centres become ECHO-connected, the potential benefits of more rapid intervention of police responders at alarmed addresses are significant, not only for the police, but also the alarms industry in general and most importantly, for those in need of a police response to an emergency situation.”
Paul Miller is seen here receiving the award on behalf of National Monitoring.
The British Security Industry Association (BSIA), as the voice of the professional security industry, represents multiple sectors of private security in the UK. Its members provide over 70% of the UK’s security products, services and they adhere to strict quality standards. For more information visit http://www.bsia.co.uk
Established in 2017, ECHO (Electronic Call Handling Operations Ltd) is a not for profit industry backed organisation delivering automated alarm signalling between the Alarms industry and the Police.
The BSIA, Fire Industry Association, Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) and the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) have played key roles in developing and implementing the initiative. The launch presents a significant opportunity to facilitate more efficient use of emergency services, increasing call handling speed and accuracy, and police response.