Why the Grading of your alarm system matters

Not all home or business intruder alarms are the same.

In fact, we often find that customers looking for an Intruder alarm system do not know the different Grades of system available nor, in many circumstances, the Grade of the system they must have to meet their insurance requirements.

Guardian specialises in designing and installing the correct Grade of Intruder alarm for customers all across the South East of England.

What Alarm Grades can you have?

There are now four grades under the European Intruder Alarm standards classifications. To get the choice right, at Guardian we perform a risk assessment, evaluating the area you live in (read ‘Crime in Your Area – Get Educated’ to learn more yourself) and your property, to establish the best solution for you and your insurers.

We work with the following guidelines to give you the best option:

Grade 1: This is the lowest grade alarm system, suitable for an area of low risk. Installing a Grade 1 alarm presumes that the burglar knows little of alarm systems, is probably an opportunist burglar and almost certainly has no specialist tools to disarm the system. We very rarely specify a Grade 1 system.

Grade 2: This higher level is suitable for an area of low to medium risk most homes fall into this bracket and a large number of smaller commercial premises do as well. If you install a Grade 2 system, there is an assumption that the intruder may not just be a passer-by, but could have some knowledge of alarms and be prepared for the break-in with some specialist equipment. Guardian installs a very large number of Grade Two home alarm systems and business alarm systems.

Grade 3At this level of risk the intruder will know what he is doing and will be well prepared for the break-in. There is a good chance the system will be known to the intruder and if not, he will have the appropriate tools to attempt to disable the system.

Grade 4: This is the highest Grade of alarm system available. We only recommend the installation of a Grade 4 system when the security of your property has to take precedence over all other factors including cost and convenience.  This type of system anticipates a sophisticated attack by a criminal who is organised and who will have a strategy for attempting to disable your system.

So: how will you get it right?

Make sure you seek the opinion of a specialist alarm company.

Ideally, the company will be NSI Gold accredited, which Guardian is, so that you know you are receiving expert advice from a supplier that is closely monitored by a professional body.

Be aware that insurers no longer specify the grading of your system. This is not ideal and as a result, an installer can be tempted to recommend a lower-grade system than required. It is also important that your signalling equipment, which connects you to a monitoring station, is compatible with the system but that is another whole story…………… Read ‘Why Have a Monitored Alarm’ and ‘Alarm Monitoring Options Explained’ for more information.

Ask a question, or fill out the form below to receive a free security evaluation for a package tailored to your needs.