ACFO: Association of Chief Fire Officers.

 

ACPO: Association of Chief Police Officers.

 

ARC: Alarm Receiving Centre. A Secure location where signals are monitored 24hours a day. Area: Segmented section of a security system.

 

BAFE: British Approval for Fire Equipment.

 

Bellbox: A device which gives an audible and usually visual notification of an Alarm activation.

 

BG: Break-Glass (Fire alarm call-point).

 

BGD: Breaking-Glass Detector.

 

BNC: One of the most popular of the coaxial connectors, The name BNC sands for Bayonet Neill Concelman. Bayonet describes the coupling mechanism, while Neill and Concelman were the inventors of the N and C connectors. The BNC is essentially a miniature version of the C connector which is a bayonet version of the N connector. BNC connectors are available in both 50 and 75 ohm versions, both versions will mate together. The 50 ohm designs operate up to a frequency of 4GHz. BNC connectors are used in many applications, some of which are flexible networks, instrumentation and computer peripheral interconnections.

 

BS: British Standard(s).

 

BS4737: Standards for design, installation and maintenance of intruder alarm systems.

 

BS5750: Internationally recognised quality standard.

 

BS5839: Standards for design, installation and maintenance of fire alarm systems.

 

BS5979: Standards for construction and working of an ARC.

 

BS6799: Standards for wireless intruder alarm systems.

 

BSI: British Standards Institute.

 

BSIA: British Security Industry Association.

 

BT: British Telecom.

 

C&E: Cause and Effect.

 

CCTV: Closed Circuit Television.

 

Corrective Maintenance: A call out, or engineer attendance to correct a fault.

 

CPU: Central Processing Unit (Computer) - Control Panel Unit (Alarm).

 

DD243: Introduced 1st July 2002 - BSI DD243:2002 is a code of practice for the installation and confirmation of intruder alarm systems designed to generate confirmed alarm conditions. Detector: Any device which can be connected to an Alarm system to provide notification of an activation to the control panel.

 

Digi-Com: Digital Communicator.

 

Door Contact: A normally magnetic switch, which detects if a door, is closed or open.

 

Dual Tech (DTEC): Dual Technology - where a single device operates on two different types of technology. Must common use is where a PIR and a Microwave detector is combined into one movement detector.

 

Dummy Sounder: An external sounder that provides a visual deterrent, but doesn't make any noise.

 

Duress Code: A number chosen by the user that, if used to unset the alarm will act as normal but will also send a personal attack (code 2) signal to the ARC.

 

DP: Distribution Point/Panel (Telecommunications).

 

DP: Double Pole (Relay).

 

EAS: Electronic Article protection System.

 

E/E: The Entry/Exit point of an Alarm System.

 

EN: European Norm.

 

EN501-31: Standards for design, installation and maintenance of intruder alarm systems.

 

Engineer Reset: Where a system can not be reset by the user without assistance from the maintaining company.

 

EOL: End Of Line.

 

ET: Exit Terminator - A button or other device which when activated triggers the final setting of the Alarm system. Expander: A Device which expands the capabilities of an alarm system.

 

F/D: Fire Door.

 

F/E: Final Exit.

 

FSL: Fully Supervised Loop.

 

GPRS: General Packet Radio Service.

 

GPS: Global Positioning System.

 

GSM: Global System for Mobile communications.

 

iD Biscuit: The iD format is a well established iD system of sensing signals along two wires. iD stands for Intelligent Device. All devices can be run on a single 4 core cable (max run 100 Mts), On a standard system without iD you would need up to 30 x 6 core cables. Reduces cable runs, complexity and installation time.

 

iD Plus: (As Above) iD plus will allow up to 30 biscuits on a total cable length of up to 400m (up from 100m), allowing you to protect a much larger area with less cabling.

 

I.O’s: Input/Outputs.

 

IP: Internet protocol.

 

IP: Ingress Protection. Normally in the form of a rating whereby the higher the number the more difficult for a foreign substance/object to ingress into the equipment.

 

Keyholder: A nominated person who is deemed able to operate the security system, has keys as required and lives within 20 minutes travelling time.

 

LED: Light Emitting Diode.

 

LIM: Line Interface module - refers to a Scantronic 9500 systems.

 

LPC: Loss Prevention Council.

 

Master Code: The operators code for the system that has additional privileges such as being able to delete other user codes.

 

MCP: Manual Call Point. Monitored: The basic idea of alarm monitoring is simply to inform a key holder and/or local police, that the alarm system has been activated.

 

MRS: Magnetic Reed Switch, found in Door Contacts and PA Buttons.

 

NACOSS: National Approval Council for Security Systems.

 

NICEIC: National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting.

 

NSI: National Security Inspectorate.

 

NVM: Non Volatile Memory.

 

PA: Panic Alarm - A Device which when pressed causes a full alarm condition regardless of whether or not the alarm system is set/unset. This may be enabled to cause a silent alarm if the system is monitored, then having the same effect as Duress code.

 

Partition: Segmented section of a security system.

 

PEB: Photo Electric Beam.

 

PD: Published Document.

 

PD 6662:2004: Scheme for the application of European Standards for intruder and hold-up alarm systems.

 

PIR: Passive Infra-Red Receiver (movement/motion detector). Preventative Maintenance: An engineers attendance to inspect a system.

 

PROM: Programmable Read Only Memory.

 

PTS: Push To Set - A button which when activated triggers the final setting of the Alarm system.

 

PSU: Power Supply Unit.

 

QUAD: Two Movement Detectors (Located within the same housing). Remote Reset: The facility to apply an engineer reset to system without physical attendance.

 

REN: Ringer Equivalence Number - a telephone line can normally supply upto 4 REN, where a standard telephone/answering machine etc would equal 1 REN.

 

RKP: Remote Keypad.

 

RLE: Remote Line Expander – refers to Aritech systems.

 

RIO: Remote Input Output - refers to Galaxy systems.

 

SAB: Self Activating Bell.

 

SAS: Self Activating Sounder/Siren.

 

SCB: Self Contained Bellbox.

 

SIA: Security Industry Association - describes a signalling protocol.

 

SPKR: Speaker.

 

SSAIB: Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board.

 

STU: Subscriber Terminal Unit - the Redcare device required at the clients premises.

 

TVX: Trade name that refers to a visually verified intruder alarm system.

 

URN: Unique Reference Number as issued for each security system by the Police. Verification: The means of verifying that an intrusion has taken place. Can be via audio, visual or sequential means.

 

Viper: Trade name for a vibration/shock detector.

 

ZEM: Zone Expansion Module - refers to a Tunstall/Menvier systems.

 

Zone: Identity of detection device(s) connected to an intruder alarm system.

 

Zone: Segmented section of a fire system.