ALARM CERTIFICATE SERVICES
Central Station Burglar Alarm Service
Technical Description
A central station system is one in which the operation of electrical protection circuits and devices are
signaled automatically to, recorded in, maintained, and supervised from a central station having trained
operators and runners on duty at all times. Runners are dispatched to investigate an unauthorized entry
or opening of protected properties from which signals are received.
Each Listing identifies the city or cities from which central station service is available. Certificated central
station service is not considered to be obtainable outside the major metropolitan area associated with the
city shown in the listing for each company.
A system that is only monitored for alarms at a central station without the required responsibility for the
correctness of the installation of alarm protection, supervision of opening and closing signals,
maintenance service, and runner response is not considered to be a central station system. While burglar
alarm systems complying with other standards or criteria may be connected to a central station, these
systems may not comply with the requirements for central station service. Such systems frequently
include but are not exclusively associated with conditions where the central station is located in a different
metropolitan area from the protected property, where separate companies bear the responsibility for
installation, maintenance, and runner response, or where such considerations are not addressed.
The central station may hold keys that permit entrance and search of the interior of mercantile property by
runners responding to alarms and troubles. All alarms shall be responded to by two runners with the
exception of Extent 4 systems. Runner response is optional for an Extent 4 system. Runner response is
optional for an Extent 4 system. One runner shall be a representative of the operating company and the
other runner may be a representative of the operating company or the law enforcement agency having
jurisdiction.
To provide for protection against compromise, the communication channel between the protected
property and the central station may be supervised with standard line security, or encryption line security.
The time that it will take to respond to an alarm from a protection system shall be established in 5 minute
increments. For a system with standard line security or encryption line security, the maximum time shall
be 45 minutes. For a system without line security, the maximum time shall be 60 minutes. An alarm
response time of 5 to 10 minutes shall be allowed only for systems that do not require the use of a
motorized vehicle on a public road.
The standard used to investigate central station burglar alarm service is UL 827, "Central-Station Alarm
Services."
The standard used for the installation and service of mercantile alarm systems is UL 681, "Installation and
Classification of Burglar and Holdup Alarm Systems".
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CERTIFICATE SERVICE
Each burglar alarm system covered by a certificate is required to be maintained by the alarm service
company responsible for issuing the Certificate.
UL maintains a Certificate Verification Service (ULCVS) that allows authorized Authorities Having
Jurisdiction (AHJ) to verify up-to-date Certificate information and identify companies eligible to issue
Certificates as of the date of the inquiry. Only those alarm or signal system installations for which a
Certificate has been properly issued are covered under UL's Certificate Service. The verification of a
Certificate on ULCVS is the only method UL provides to identify the Certificated alarm systems actively
covered under its Listing and Follow-Up Service.
The Certificate is intended to provide an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) with basic information on the
installation and maintenance of an alarm system. Information on the Central Station Certificate includes
the name and address of the installed system, extent of protection, type of system, central station alarm
transmission means, alarm sounding device, details of the runner response team, response time
category, issued and expiration dates, and the alarm company. Each certificate also bears a unique serial
number.
The certificate serves as evidence that the installing company (1) is listed as furnishing protective
systems of the type indicated; (2) is authorized to issue the certificate to the installation as its
representation that the equipment is in compliance with requirements established by UL; and (3) is
subject to UL's field counter check program whereby periodic inspections are made of representative
installations and at the central station to check the correctness of certification practices.
Audits and tests at central stations are conducted by UL, to check the condition, adjustment, and
operability of alarm equipment, the handling of subscribers keys, and the adequacy of station personnel
and records. Records at each central station are reviewed for representative periods on certificated
systems with respect to items such as elapsed time in responding to alarms, number of runners
dispatched, supervision of subscribers, daily arming & disarming, rearming, and any other irregularities
occurring on protected properties.
Audits and tests of representative alarm installations in the field are made to determine the correctness of
installation of protective devices and wiring, quality of workmanship, operability of circuits, maintenance
and extent of protection applied compared against the records of the central station.
The extent of alarm protection installed on a bank or mercantile safe, vault, night depository, or ATM is
"Complete" or "Partial." The extent of protection installed in a premises or stockroom is classified as
"Extent No. 1, 2, 3, or 4."
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Copyright © 2012 UL LLC
Rev 2012-06-21
EXTENT OF PROTECTION
The extent of protection as applied to central station alarm installations on bank safes and vaults and
mercantile safes and vaults is defined as follows:
Complete System - Protecting with recognized devices the top, bottom, all sides, and outer doors of
safes or vaults.
Partial System - Protecting against opening, with recognized devices, the outer door or doors, or the lock
and bolt mechanisms, of safes and vaults.
The extent of central station alarm protection installed on mercantile premises is classified as Extent 1, 2,
3, or 4 defined below.
GENERAL
Motion detection is not required to be installed in an area such as a washroom, furnace room, clothes
closet, utility closet, janitor's closet, and the like, or above a suspended ceiling within the physical
boundary of the alarm system. Any opening in such an area that leads outside the area covered by the
alarm system is required to be provided with complete protection or the door into the area is to be
protected as required by the method used in the alarm system.
EXTENT NO. 1 — Protection consists of either of the following methods of installing the alarm protection.
An alarm system may utilize a single method or a combination of methods.
1) Perimeter Only — Complete protection of all openings, ceiling, floors, and walls enclosing the
premises with the use of protective wiring.
2) Sound or Vibration Detection — Contact protection of all movable openings leading from the
premises and an acceptable sound or vibration system installed on all openings, ceilings, floors,
and walls enclosing the premises and adjusted so that an alarm will be initiated if a manhole size
opening is made in any opening, ceiling, floor or wall.
EXTENT NO. 2 — Protection consists of any of the following methods of installing the alarm protection.
Ceilings, floors, and walls constructed of monolithic concrete or pre-cast concrete building panels do not
require protection. An alarm system may utilize a single method or a combination of methods.
1) Perimeter Only — Complete protection of all accessible openings, ceilings, floors, and walls
enclosing the premises, and contact protection of all inaccessible movable openings.
2) Motion Detection — Contact protection of all accessible movable openings leading from the
premises, and a system of intrusion detection in all sections of each enclosed area that has any
surface common to the outside of the premises.
3) Sound Detection — Contact protection of all accessible movable openings leading from the
premises, and a sound detection system in all sections of each enclosed area that has any
surface common to the outside of the premises.
4) Channels — (1) Complete protection of all accessible openings leading from the premises; and
(2) a network of invisible beams or motion detectors arranged to subdivide the floor space of each
floor or separate section of the protected area that has any surface common to the outside of the
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Copyright © 2012 UL LLC
Rev 2012-06-21
premises into at least three approximately equal areas. Each subdivision is required not to
exceed 1000 square feet (93 square meters) of floor space.
When merchandise is concentrated in wall cases, the beam arrangement shall provide for spanning the
entire front of the wall cases in addition to accomplishing the required subdivision. The requirement for
subdivision shall not apply to washrooms, lavatories, clothes closets, dressing and alteration rooms,
furnace and coal rooms, basements, and other portions of the premises where valuables are not stored.
EXTENT NO. 3 — Protection consists of any of the following methods of installing the alarm protection.
An alarm system may utilize a single method or a combination of methods.
1) Perimeter Only — Complete protection of all accessible openings.
2) Motion Detection — Contact protection of all accessible doors leading from the premises and a
system of intrusion detection in all sections of each enclosed area that has exterior openings.
3) Sound Detection — Contact protection of all accessible movable openings leading from the
premises and a sound detection system in all sections of each enclosed area that has exterior
openings.
4) Channels — Contact protection of all movable accessible openings leading from the premises
and a system of invisible beams or motion detectors arranged so that the minimum length of the
beams or radiation is equal to the longest dimension of each enclosed area that has an exterior
opening. The channels are required to be arranged to give the most effective coverage of the
premises. A channel of protection along one wall, with or without openings, does not meet the
intent of this requirement.
EXTENT NO. 4 — Protection consists of any of the following methods of installing the alarm protection.
1) Partial protection on accessible doors and on two or more interior doors.
2) Partial protection on accessible doors and motion or sound detection in one or more selected
areas
3) Partial protection on accessible doors and one or more channels of radiation to limit movement
within the premises.
For more information T: 1.877.854.3577 / W: ul.com/alarmsystems
Copyright © 2012 UL LLC
Rev 2012-06-21