Manned Guarding vs. Alarm Response For Vacant Property

With a range of different options available for securing a vacant property, it can be difficult to make a decision. Two of the most popular solutions – on-site manned guarding and remote alarm response services – often top the list for property owners, but knowing which is right can be a challenge.

Key Comparisons For Empty Property Manned Guarding & Alarm Response

We’ll compare some of the biggest factors that influence the security solutions you choose for your vacant property, including price, availability, suitability based on your site’s circumstances, and what you can do to combine the two.

Which Is The Cheaper Option?

In most circumstances, alarm response services are cheaper than a permanent, manned presence at your vacant premises. This is because you won’t pay a fee per shift, but rather a flat yearly or monthly sum to maintain a monitoring and response presence for your premises.

This is usually the biggest question that gets asked, but it’s important to look beyond the price tag and examine what justifies the difference in cost.

An alarm response service is more affordable because it doesn’t rely on there being a permanent presence at your property. Instead, it functions as a supplement to your intruder alarms or trespassing detection equipment.

The drawback is that a response can’t be instant. While the best providers offer a rapid response time (ProFM Group’s average response time is 30 minutes, for example), it isn’t as immediate as having someone at the location.

A manned guarding presence eliminates that concern. And with all officers having full training as part of their SIA licensing, they’ll be trained to respond quickly and effectively.

Key Takeaway: Alarm response is cheaper for your vacant property, but doesn’t have the same immediacy as a manned guarding service.

Which Is Better For Lowering Insurance Premiums?

As we discussed in our recent piece on security and insurance for vacant properties, this is a sticking point for so many property owners. Not only is it a considerable yearly expense, but there are often pitfalls in the form of reporting and specific stipulations, meaning you end up paying more down the line.

Overall, both alarm response services and a manned guarding presence contribute towards lowering insurance, but a more permanent presence is likely to bring those costs down even further. Many specialist providers will ask to see the measures you have in place for security, and being able to evidence that you’ll have a trained, dedicated officer at your property demonstrates you’re committed to protecting your assets properly.

If you’re on a tight budget, though, an alarm response service still works well, particularly when it’s combined with detailed reporting and photographic evidence. Insurers will often ask to see these reports if you make a claim on your policy. Not having them can mean prices rise.

Key Takeaway: Both manned guarding and alarm response services can lower insurance premiums, but a manned presence can lower them further by demonstrating constant, on-site protection.

Which Is Better If I Want 24/7 Cover?

Both a manned guarding presence and an alarm response service effectively function as 24/7 cover. It’s more apparent in manned guarding – you’ll actively have an officer there 24 hours a day – but alarm response packages are 24/7 as your alarm system is monitored constantly by an external team.

At ProFM Group, that’s conducted by our National Operations Centre (NOC), which receives immediate, real-time alerts as your alarm is triggered, and a response team can be mobilised as soon as possible. That’s available 24/7, too, and always monitored by a trained, SIA-licensed professional.

Incident response is always addressed urgently as part of an alarm response service, and the same is true of a manned, on-site presence. However, for any areas where 24/7 coverage is crucial (an area that’s been particularly affected by crime, for instance), there’s little substitute for that trained and licensed in-person support.

Key Takeaway: Both alarm response and manned guarding are 24/7 services. Both would offer the round-the-clock coverage you’d look for.

Which Is Better If I’ve Got A New Tenant Or Buyer In Place?

The ultimate goal for any vacant property is occupancy. Whether that’s selling the place on, finding the right tenant, or completing renovation works to occupy the property yourself, it’s important to consider the future. That applies to your security measures, too, and choosing between manned guarding and alarm response services can make all the difference.

Here, both have their benefits.

But we’d argue manned guarding excels in putting across the right impression. Not only is it immediately visible when the buyer or tenant visits the property. It allows for real-world experiences to be put across. An on-site guard can offer expertise that they might not get from an alarm response package, like any persistent issues or notable trends in the area.

If you do opt for an alarm response service and have sourced a buyer or tenant, we’d advise you maintain a detailed log of all reports and incident information. This is a basic, especially if you’re looking to maintain a good working relationship with them, but can also be a good idea if the property returns to you again.

Key Takeaway: A manned presence works better here as it’s a visible, trusted security presence that your buyer or tenant can interact with.

Which Is Better For A Site With No Power?

For the majority of vacant properties, it’s strongly recommended that you disconnect the power and any other utilities. Not only can this prevent serious issues like the chance of flooding or fire as a result of damaged electricals, but it also minimises the risks posed by squatters and illegal trespassers, who’d seek to use your power supply illicitly.

When you do disconnect the power, it can mean that sourcing the right security is a challenge. Manned guarding can be a difficult option here. As a general rule, you’ll need to provide necessities (like heating, lighting and a working toilet) for an officer to be stationed at your site without having to leave.

These concerns are removed by opting for an alarm response service. Because of the immediate nature of that solution, and the autonomous nature of alarm systems, you won’t need to provide any of the amenities needed to support a manned package. That’s equally true for properties where there’s no power or integrated connections for mains systems.

With the introduction of the VPOD visually-verified intruder alarm system, those concerns are put to bed. At ProFM Group, we’ve had documented, real-world success in delivering our VPODs for a range of vacant sites, from new-build estates that have moved into their next phase to rural homes and industrial sites, and all with that urgent response you need from an alarm response service at your vacant property.

Key Takeaway: An alarm response service is, in the majority of cases, the better choice for vacant properties with no infrastructure in place, but manned guarding can still be used if there are welfare facilities on site.

Which Is Better For A Vacant Retail Premises?

With the latest figures forecasting a rising rate of vacant commercial properties across Britain’s high streets, understanding how to secure a vacant retail premises is essential. Manned guarding and alarm response services are often recommended, but in our experience, the former works better.

We’d recommend manned guarding for these properties, even just routine mobile patrol services that allow passersby and potential trespassers to understand that the property is still under a watchful, trained eye. That’s perhaps one of the biggest advantages of manned security solutions. That visible, proven presence is a known and well-documented deterrent.

Most retail units are also in high-traffic, highly vulnerable areas, like town and city centres or out-of-town retail parks. A manned presence offers that immediate response, as well as a visible support network for vacant premises.

Of course, that’s not to say that an alarm response service isn’t appropriate, far from it. It’s one of the most affordable services available, acting as an ideal way to keep your building secured without exceeding your budget.

Key Takeaway: Manned guarding is the best option for vacant retail units in most cases, but an alarm response service is ideal if you’re on a tight budget.

Tailored Vacant Property Solutions With ProFM Group

What’s important to understand about these vacant property security services is that they’re flexible. Manned guarding doesn’t have to be fully static. It can encompass both routine and ad-hoc mobile patrols. An alarm response service can also be coupled with those same patrols, as well as support if you’re struggling with criminal activity or trespassing in your area.

With that in mind, you need an equally flexible security partner, and that’s exactly what ProFM Group can bring to the table. We’ve built a reputation as a leader in solutions designed around the vacant and voided property markets, with a key example being our work with the retired Royal Papworth NHS Hospital, where we deployed a round-the-clock manned solution to stop more than 100 trespassing attempts.

That’s just one side of things. Our work with countless premises, including a major demolition project on Preston’s outskirts, has seen us implement a suite of technological innovations (including the VPOD) to deliver our rapid-deploy alarm response services. All that combines to deliver a well-rounded, trustworthy provider. Exactly what you need when securing your investment.

Looking to learn more about how we’re able to deliver an adaptive, industry-leading package for your vacant property? Give our knowledgeable team a call today on 0808 164 9157 to see what we can deliver for your premises, and why we’re already trusted by more than 60 vacant property owners nationwide.