ECHO (Electronic Call Handling Operations Ltd) has completed the first ‘end-to-end’ testing of its new automated alarm signalling transmissions between an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) and the Essex Police Control Room. Over recent months ECHO, with support from network providers BT Redcare and CSL, has set up resilient connectivity to handle alarm signals from approved ARCs recognised by the police, enabling onward transmission to police control rooms via secure networks, as they become ECHO-connected.
Working with the Banham Security ARC, its software provider Monitor, and Essex Police, live alarm signalling traffic is now being handled seamlessly between the ARC and Essex Police control room despatch desk via ECHO. For a pilot period Banham will now transmit confirmed alarm signals directly to Essex Police to check system resilience.
The NPCC estimate that ECHO-connected police forces will save on average 1-4 minutes in responding to intruder and hold up alarm activations. In their experience ‘every second counts’ in protecting people and property, and time saved by ECHO could be crucial in arriving at alarmed premises. Their aim is to provide a faster response to confirmed alarms installed by approved companies.
“Essex Police is delighted to have been involved from the outset with the ECHO project as the pioneering police force to test the automated transmission of alarm signals to control rooms,” Chief Superintendent Ewen Wilson, Head of the Contact Management Command, Essex Police explained. “We have seen there is real potential as part of this collaboration to reduce call-handling demands and police response times to an alarm activation. We’re encouraged by the recent successful testing, and the completion of the pilot phase will set the blueprint other forces around the UK can adopt.”
“The new technology offered by ECHO will transform the way our industry responds to alarm activations,” added Martin Herbert, Managing Director, Banham Security. “Through our testing we have seen first-hand the benefits that ECHO can bring in reducing response times, supporting the Police, and giving additional peace of mind to our customers. Banham has been at the forefront of security innovation for over 90 years and is delighted that our Alarm Receiving Centre has been an integral part of the successful end to end testing of ECHO.”
Martin Harvey, Director, ECHO declared: “Reaching this important milestone has taken ECHO a little longer than we had first envisaged when the project started a number of years ago. Since those early days a number of people have given their time and expertise to ECHO that has enabled this successful end to end beta test to go ahead. I would like to thank everyone involved to date and look forward to rolling the system out nationwide over the coming months.”
Paul Miller, Director of AVR Group Ltd, the ECHO appointed hub provider commented: “AVR is delighted to have played an integral role in the development of ECHO’s electronic call handling service. The successful test is truly ground-breaking using technology to bring efficiency over traditional manual call handling between Alarm Receiving Centres and Police despatch. As other Police Forces around the country become ECHO-connected, the benefits of a more rapid emergency response will be realised nationwide.”
“Monitor Computer Systems has been seeking for many years to provide electronic delivery of alarms to the emergency services,” concluded Michael Askew, Managing Director, Monitor Computer Systems. “Now at last it is possible through the ECHO project. We are delighted to play a part in this development by integrating our Sentinel product with the ECHO platform.”
