Lone Worker market to benefit from ACPO Police Policy
Date: 11th September 2009
Ian Johannessen, Managing Director of Rocksure Systems comments on recent updates from ACPO and BSI with the implications for the lone worker services market.
This week ACPO consulted with the lone worker services market in preparation of making a policy statement within the ACPO Security Systems Policy document. The consultation took place with manufacturers, alarm receiving centres and solution providers all present in Sheffield.
The ACPO Policy allows all security based organisations to understand the requirements to ensure Police response to situations in which their immediate assistance is requested. With a specific annex becoming available to cover lone workers, the industry will benefit from a clarity and speed of making the Police aware of situations where lone workers require their assistance.
Companies with a monitoring station that complies with the requirements of BS5979 Cat II will be able to submit an application for an URN [Unique Reference Number]. There will be one application per police force - all 43 of them.
As ACPO finalise their policy it is timely that the BS8484 standard will also be published in the next 2-3 weeks. BS8484 is a 'Lone Worker Devices and Monitoring Station standards' document. Whilst the contents of BS8484 have been reviewed in draft over the last couple of years I await its final contents in eager expectation.
The industry keenly awaits the ACPO policy process, it is certain to take the industry forward, the BS8484 standard has yet to be published, lets hope that also makes a postive contribution.
I will use the comments page to keep interested parties updated as Rocksure and its services make progress to fully comply with all aspects of ACPO Policy and BS8484. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments.
ian.johannessen@rocksure.co.uk