Electronic Call Handling Operations Ltd (ECHO) has been established by industry to provide the necessary platform to deliver a fully automated alarm call handling service to the police with the full support of the NPCC.
The purpose of this communication is to inform all registered ARCs that as of 1st April 2022 Avon and Somerset Constabulary is able to accept automatic Intruder Alarm System (IAS) and Hold-Up Alarm System (HUA) activation calls via ECHO. Furthermore, with effect from Friday 30th September 2022 Avon and Somerset Constabulary require all alarm signals from registered ARCs to be transmitted in this way.
From 30th September 2022 telephone calls to Avon and Somerset Constabulary requesting a response to IAS and HUA may result in a delay or may not be accepted, since alarm activations from registered ARCs are to be delivered electronically to police control rooms in accordance with Section 3.1.4 of the NPCC Requirements.
Where a formal automated transfer connection request from an ARC has been made to AVON AND SOMERSET CONSTABULARY via ECHO, the requesting ARC should continue notification by telephone until such time as the connection request has been authorised.
The NPCC Requirements – ‘Police Operational Advice and Security Industry Requirements for Response to Security Systems 2021’ (paragraph 3.1.4) – state all Intruder Alarm System (IAS) and Hold-Up Alarm (HUA) activations be electronically transmitted to police control rooms with effect from 1st April 2020, should the police force concerned be able to receive signals in this form; the date originally being set in 2016 by the NPCC Security Systems Working Group and Industry Liaison Committee.
The Operational Advice agreed in 2016 recognised the benefits to the alarm user, industry and police service of electronic transfer eliminating communication errors or delays and providing a quicker police response.
ARCs requiring assistance regarding their readiness to transmit via ECHO should contact their alarm monitoring software provider in the first instance. For further information visit the ECHO Website (echo.uk.net) or contact ECHO at [email protected]