Alarm Response vs Staff Keyholders
Many businesses rely on employees, managers, directors or landlords to act as keyholders when an alarm is activated.
That may seem simple, but it can create problems. Alarm activations often happen out of hours, when staff are at home, unavailable or unsure what they may be walking into.
Professional alarm response gives businesses another option. Instead of relying on staff keyholders, a trained, SIA licensed officer can attend the premises, check the site, follow agreed instructions and report back.
What Is a Staff Keyholder?
A staff keyholder is an employee, manager, director, landlord or other nominated person who holds keys or access details for a business premises.
They may be expected to attend the site when an alarm activates.
This can create issues if the keyholder is unavailable, away from the area, uncomfortable attending alone or unsure how to deal with the situation.
What Is Professional Alarm Response?
Professional alarm response is a service where an authorised responder attends a premises after an alarm activation.
The responder follows agreed instructions, checks the site and escalates any issues where required.
For many businesses, this helps reduce the need for employees, managers or directors to attend uncertain situations themselves.
Comparison Table
| Consideration | Staff Keyholder | Professional Alarm Response |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Depends on the individual being reachable and free to attend | On call 24/7, 365 days a year |
| Out-of-hours attendance | Interrupts evenings, weekends and holidays | Handled on the business's behalf |
| Training | Usually untrained for security situations | SIA licensed officers trained to assess and respond |
| Staff safety | May involve attending an uncertain site alone | Reduces the need for staff to attend in person |
| Escalation | Can be inconsistent or unclear | Follows an agreed escalation procedure |
| Reporting | Often informal or undocumented | Clear next-working-day report |
| Multi-site consistency | Hard to standardise across locations | One consistent process across all sites |
| Disruption to the business | Falls on employees, managers or directors | Removed from day-to-day staff responsibilities |
Staff Safety Considerations
Alarm activations can be uncertain.
There may be no issue, or there may be a genuine security concern. Asking employees to attend alone or outside normal working hours may not be appropriate for every business.
A professional alarm response service helps reduce the need for staff to attend these situations themselves.
Out-of-Hours Disruption
When staff keyholders are used, alarm activations can interrupt evenings, weekends, holidays and personal time.
Professional alarm response gives businesses an alternative arrangement, helping to reduce disruption for employees, managers and directors.
Multi-Site Challenges
Businesses with multiple locations often find staff-based alarm response difficult to manage consistently.
Different sites may have different contacts, access arrangements, escalation procedures and reporting expectations.
KeyPlus can help multi-site organisations create a more consistent process across several premises, covering attendance, access, escalation and reporting.
Which Option Is Right for Your Business?
Staff keyholders may work for some businesses, especially where the site is low risk and keyholders are nearby, willing and properly briefed.
Professional alarm response may be more suitable if your business:
- Has out-of-hours alarm activations
- Wants to reduce reliance on staff
- Operates multiple sites
- Needs clear reporting
- Wants a consistent response process
- Has managers or directors currently attending alarms
- Wants professional attendance from SIA licensed officers
To explore the service, see our alarm response services and key holding services. When you're ready, request an alarm response quote.
Speak to KeyPlus about replacing or supporting staff keyholders with professional alarm response.
Call 0800 783 1025 or use the Get a Quote form.
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