Alertacall - Moving on from hard-wired alarm and warden call systems

Step 4 - Signpost thosewhowant personal alarms Individual residents who wish to continue with an alarm style service can be signposted to one of the many third party suppliers who provide a mobile phone with a panic button built in, a small customisable mobile phone with a lanyard, or a traditional dispersed pendant alarm to wear round their neck or wrist. This allows residents who need an alarm style service to continue to have one, and is likely to be the preferred approach for the majority of residents who do not actually want or need one. Individuals who want their own alarm will typically then pay for this themselves (if not local authority funded), encouraging personal responsibility around the selection of support-related services. This will allow substantial savings on the maintenance and monitoring of the hard-wired alarm and warden call systems, whilst ensuring those people who want an alarm style service will continue to get one, which is often a desired outcome of housing providers. Further information on this is available in the section of this document entitled “Mobile phones, maybe dispersed alarms - but not pull cords”. Step 5 - Install high quality door entry system Implement a new door entry system as set out in the section of this document entitled “High quality door entry systems”. If there are significant time constraints on the project, it is possible in the short term to cut off any pull-cords, put plastic “blanking plates” over any emergency buttons and continue to use the hard-wired alarm and warden call system as a door entry device for a short period. However, please note this rarely makes sense for any prolonged period because a new door entry system is likely to cost less than supporting the hard-wired alarm and warden call system, is likely to have greater functionality and be more reliable. Step 6 - Implement a strategy for your smoke alarms in individual dwellings Implement the preferred approach of the facilities management or fire-safety team of the housing provider which will typically incorporate one or more of the suggestions as outlined in the section of this document entitled “Multi-sensor smoke alarms connected differently”. Step 7 - Remove hard-wiredalarmandwarden call equipment fromwalls The hard-wired alarm and warden intercom units will at some point need to be removed from the walls of individual properties because they will no longer be required and their institutional appearance may “put people off” the accommodation. It is possible to achieve this at the same time as the installation of any new door entry system in to the property, or at a later date by visiting the property as part of some other refurbishment or work. www.alertacall.com 17