ECHO delivers time savings in circumstances where ‘every second counts’ – as an alarm transfer service provider ECHO facilitates greater effectiveness in response to emergency alarms. It’s fully automated electronic alarm transmission service between ECHO-connected alarm receiving centres (ARCs) and the police means when an ECHO-connected ARC identifies an alarm from a monitored installation as verified, it can transfer the alarm signal to the police control room in an instant via ECHO.
Unwanted Alarm signals have been exercising all parties for many years. Over time, Police and Fire have taken radically different approaches; Police adopted a national approach providing a Unique Recognition Number (URN) to systems that have been installed to accredited third party validated standards. Fire Services adopted a range of approaches, from non-attendance to any call from an Alarm Receiving Company to full attendance to all such calls.
So, back in 2017 key industry trade bodies, the British Security Industry Association, the Fire Industry Association, and the Fire & Security Association combined to develop a new Electronic Call Handling system (the ECHO project). Funded by the private sector and finishing development in 2019/20, the ECHO platform offers its service to all blue light services ready to accept transmissions. Interest grew significantly during 2021 and will continue to do so as police forces follow National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) requirements for Intruder and Hold Up alarms.
British APCO joined the ECHO project as a partner back in 2017/18, providing input to the Technical Specification Group. Much has happened since those early days, with thirteen police forces now ECHO-Connected as of December 2024 – find out more about ECHO at their website.