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 limits of coverage, as determined by response time for runner response, and for service and maintenance, are based on identification of a service territory through the use of United States Post Office zip codes. An alarm service company selects those zip codes (areas) it will serve, as verified through periodic audits of its response capability by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. The area coverage is defined by five digit or nine digit zip codes, or some of each. A response area need not include all zip codes within the general area. A zip code shall be for the physical address of a Certificated installation.

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 Underwriters Laboratories Inc.; and (3) is subject to the Laboratories field counter check program whereby periodic inspections are made of representative installations and at the central station to check the correctness of certification practices.

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. makes no representations or warranties, expressed or implied, that the alarm system will prevent any loss by burglary, or that the alarm system will in all cases provide the protection for which it is installed or intended. UL may at times conduct inspections of the alarm service company, including inspections of representative installations made by it. UL does not assume or undertake to discharge any liability of the alarm service company or any other party. UL is not an insurer and assumes no liability which may result directly or indirectly from inspection of the equipment, failure of the equipment, failure to conduct inspections, incorrect certification, nonconformity with requirements, failure to discover nonconformity with requirements, cancellation of the certificate or withdrawal of the alarm service company from inclusion in UL's Directory prior to the expiration date appearing on the certificate. If an installation is found not in conformity with requirements, it shall be corrected or the certificate is subject to cancellation.

Inspections and tests at central stations are conducted by the Laboratories, 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 openings and closings, reopenings, and any other irregularities occurring on protected properties.

Inspections 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."

The standard used to investigate central station burglar alarm service is UL827, "Central Station Alarm Services." The standard used for the installation of wiring devices at the protected premises is UL681, "Installation and Classification of Burglar and Holdup Alarm Systems" .

LOOK FOR THE CERTIFICATE

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 Installation 1, 2 or 3, 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.

INSTALLATION 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.

INSTALLATION 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 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.

INSTALLATION 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.

The standard used to investigate central station burglar alarm service is UL611, "Central-Station Burglar alarm Systems" . The standard used for the installation of wiring devices at the protected premises is UL681, "Installation and Classification of Burglar and Holdup Alarm Systems" .