It's normal for employees to have a set of keys to the office, but it can be a bit of a dilemma choosing the right people. Some people would argue that all employees are trusted members of staff, and should therefore be allowed a set of keys. However, you should never take keyholder responsibilities lightly. When you hand over a set of keys to your business, you really are putting your assets in the hands of someone else. Ideally, you want to choose people who are sensible, trustworthy and who actually need a set of keys.

What are the responsibilities of a keyholder?

A keyholder is someone who's been trusted for opening and closing the business on a regular basis. These people need to be capable of setting/disabling your alarm systems & keeping your business and its contents safe! In shops and restaurants where physical cash is handled, key holders might need to make sure that the cash is deposited safely and out of view from prying eyes. Being a keyholder tends to come with more responsibilities than simply opening and cosing up at the end of the day, so choosing the most appropriate people for the job is paramount! Most business owner tend to allocate keyholder responsibilities to the more senior members of staff because they know they're capable of managing the reposibilities of being a keyholder.

What happens if there's an emergency?

Keyholders are often required to respond if the intruder or fire alarm goes off ouside of business hours. It's vital that keyholders understand the procedure they need to follow if they're faced with this situation. For that reason, you might want to choose keyholders that are based locally, or that have access to their own vehicle. Someone who lives 30 miles away and commutes to work on public transport, they might not be the most reliable keyholder in an emergency.

When a keyholder attends an emergency call out, they should be capable of assessing the situation and reponding appropriately. If it looks like a break-in has occured, they should phone the emergency services immediately. Likewise if they can see obvious signs of a fire. If they attend and realise that it's a false alarm, they should be able to reset the alarms, lock up the premises and notify you or the relevant person in charge.

Key traits of a good keyholder:

• Trustworthy & reliable
• Confident under pressure
• Local to the business
• Well-organised
• Strong leadership skills

Outsourcing keyholder responsibilities

In some circumstances, it may be a better option for a business owner to outsource their keyholder duties. For example, if all of your staff live far away, or if staff turnover is high, it might not be possible to choose people to take on keyholder responsibilities. In this case, you can hire a third-party company to help with keyholder responisbilities & out of hours emergencies.

One great option is to invest in a monitored alarm system & a maintenance contract. This means that someone at a trustworthy security company will keep an eye on your alarms around the clock. If an alarm is triggered they will make sure that the appropriate emergency services are contacted right away, meaning the responsibility for the business is taken out of your employees hands. Without proper training, in-experienced staff members might put themselves in harms way in the event of an emergency, so it might put your mind at ease to know that a reliable & professional company are monitoring your premises.

• Burglar Alarm Monitoring from IDS
• Fire Alarm Monitoring from IDS

Our advice when allocating staff keyholder responsibilities is, choose carefully and don't be afraid to outsource to professionals if you're concerned about the safety and welfare of your business. Give us a call if you're interested in upgrading your business security systems, we're happy to help!

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Choosing the right intruder alarm system for your home or business is no easy task. Nowadays, there are so many different high-tech options that it can be a bit overwhelming. Don't worry, we've got a guide to show you some of the different types of intruder alarms and their key features, this should help you make an informed decision on your property's security system.

If you're looking for a bespoke home or commercial security system, complete with an intruder alarm, we can help. Get in touch with the IDS team now.

Passive Infrared (PIR) Detector 

Typically one of the most common types of intruder alarms, passive infrared detectors are mounted on walls around a property and are triggered by a change in radiant heat. A single passive infrared detector is capable of monitoring an area between 10 and 15 metres in front of it, meaning you only need to install a few of these around a single building to achieve maximum protection. 

How do passive infrared detectors work?

This type of intruder alarm has two beams that gather information about the space in front of it and splitting it into different 'planes' (up to 20 different zones). If the alarm will sense a change in radiant heat between its planes or zones, for example, if a person enters the room, the alarm will trigger. As you can imagine, an empty shop shouldn't have people walking around it at night, so these alarms are effective at detecting intruders. 

Where should I install a passive infrared detector?

As you can imagine, the passive infrared detectors we mentioned above aren't suitable for all kinds of places. If you installed a passive infrared detector in a family home, for example, you'd probably find it's triggered by the dog multiple times a day! As such, passive infrared detectors are best suited to locations that are vacant for long periods during the day/night. Commercial properties like shops and offices tend to find passive infrared detectors more effective than residential properties.

Quad Element PIR Detectors

If you're worried about false alarms, there is an advanced PIR detector that might be more reliable. On the whole, quad element PIR detectors are similar to the standard passive infrared detectors, however, there are two detectors working side by side. Both need to be triggered to set off the alarm.

How do quad element passive infrared detectors work?

Unlike a standard PIR detector, the quad element PIR detector has four beam planes working at the same time. So, an anomaly in one of the sensors shouldn't lead to a false alarm as often as it might do with a standard PIR detector. This type of intruder alarm has become a lot more popular over the last few years.

Where should I install a quad element passive infrared detector?

Since these alarm systems are more reliable and less prone to false alarms, they can be installed pretty much anywhere!

Monitored Intruder Alarms

Most intruder alarms are great for alerting people in the local area, but that doesn't always mean that someone will respond and stop the incident in its tracks. If you're looking for the best type of intruder alarm to prevent active break-ins, we'd recommend a monitored intruder alarm.

These are regular intruder alarms that are accompanied by a monitoring contract. Here, someone will monitor and respond to suspicious activity in real-time without you having to lift a finger. With this type of intruder alarm & contract, you can rest assured that the relevant emergency services will be on the scene as quickly as possible.

Read More: Burglar Alarm Monitoring from IDS Security

Where should I install a monitored intruder alarm?

Monitored intruder alarms can provide an additional layer of security in any location. Whether it's an office block, your home, or your shop. If you're looking for a simple & cost-effective type of intruder alarm, this might not be the best option for you - simply because the monitoring contract is an ongoing cost. That being said, if you're looking for the highest level of security and you're happy to pay for the additional monitoring service, then this is one of the best intruder alarm options on the market.

Here at IDS Security, we offer a number of different types of intruder alarms to suit your security needs perfectly! Our technicians will work with you to help you create a bespoke security system for your home or business. By tailoring our systems to suit you, we can offer the maximum level of security and reassurance.

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When you've put your heart and soul into your small business, the last thing you want to do is leave it vulnerable to burglars, fires or other potential hazards. Investing in a good security system can really limit the potential risks and help keep all of your small business assets safe!

Here at IDS Security Systems, we offer a wide range of business security systems that can be tailored to suit the needs of your small business perfectly. Today we're going to look at the elements that make up the best security systems for small businesses. If you'd like our help designing a security system for your small business, give us a call on 029 20 753 251.

Preventing Break-Ins

Most small business premises contain a range of valuable items that are (unfortunately) very attractive to burglars. Laptops, products, and cash registers can be stolen and re-sold for a hefty price if criminals get their hands on them. Don't worry, there are things you can do to make a break-in at your small business premises less likely, starting with a good, reliable intruder alarm!

Before the days of intruder alarms, it was very easy for criminals to target a vacant store and make their way in to claim their bounty - nowadays (with a good intruder alarm) their chances of breaking in without detection are much lower.

Modern-day intruder alarms are triggered by motion sensors, meaning any unusual activity within your small business will be flagged up right away. Thanks to smart technology, you can even have intruder alerts sent directly to your mobile phone in real-time, meaning you can assess the situation and call the necessary emergency services quickly.

Intruder alarms are a great deterrent for criminals, and the loud noise they emit will do a great job of driving unwanted visitors back out onto the streets. Some neighbours or passers-by might hear the alarm and be able to intervene before the incident goes any further. For these reasons, intruder alarms are an important element of the best security systems designed for small businesses.

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Fire Safety

While your small business is in its early phases, you might not give much thought to the fire safety system on your premises. After all, they're not really necessary if no one's working there, right? Wrong! It's absolutely vital that your small business premises has a suitable fire safety system in place from day one. Fires can still start without human intervention, and whether you're renting or buying your business premises, you want to make sure it won't go up in flames.

Our team of installers have implemented fire safety systems at a broad range of premises, both commercial and residential, so we're happy to help you make your business safer whatever the size. We first start by assessing the building and surrounding grounds, then we can make a detailed plan to show you where all of the vulnerable areas are. From this point, we can arrange to install a fire safety system that will keep your premises safe no matter where a fire breaks out.

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CCTV Systems

CCTV cameras are essentially the eyes and ears of your small business when you're not around. With CCTV installed at vulnerable entry points, you can keep an eagle-eye on your small business 24/7. Some small business owners consider using smart devices to create a CCTV network on their premises, however, these aren't always effective, so we wouldn't recommend them if you're looking for the best security system for your small business. 

Time and time again, we are asked to rectify problems created by these smart devices because they've either been installed incorrectly, or they've malfunctioned and the business owner can't find the right support to get them up and running again online. Unfortunately, this is part of the package when you choose to take your small business security into your own hands. If you're looking for the highest level of protection and the best small security system on the market, we'd highly recommend choosing a CCTV system from a professional company. 

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Read More: Do Smart Devices Make Good Security Systems?

So there you have it, a round-up of the things to include if you want to create the best security system for your small business. There are a lot of different security companies out there, but if you choose to work with us, we'll take all aspects of your small business into consideration and help you install the best, bespoke security system for your needs.

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When it comes to getting a security system installed at either your home or business by a professional security company, it's important to know that whoever is carrying the installation out is a trustworthy and certified business that possess all of the necessary and required accreditations.

Here at IDS Security Systems, we have a range of industry-recognised accreditations that prove we are a security system that you can rely on when it comes to any commercial or domestic security installations. All of which can be viewed below. 

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As a business owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your business is kept safe and secure by following all of the required laws and regulations regarding fire safety. 

Now, we understand that this is not an easy thing to do. With so much legal stuff to keep on top of, ensuring everything you do is 'by the book' can be a struggle, especially when it comes to health and safety and the various laws that come with it.

One of the most important areas in health and safety that can't be overlooked, however, is fire safety. Negligence here can lead to some very serious problems such as property damage and even death. So, it's extremely important that as a business owner, you ensure that your commercial fire alarms and fire safety measures are up to scratch.

To make things a little easier for you, IDS Security Systems is here to guide you through the requirements of your business fire alarm!

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