EN 50518:2019/A1:2023
(Amendment)Monitoring and Alarm Receiving Centre
Monitoring and Alarm Receiving Centre
This document specifies the minimum requirements for monitoring, receiving and processing of alarm messages generated by alarm systems taking place as a part of the total fire, safety and security solution. For the purpose of this document, the term “alarm” is used in the broad sense to include fault, status and other messages received from one or more of a range of safety and security alarm systems such as but not limited to fire detection and fire alarm systems, fixed firefighting systems, intrusion and hold-up alarm systems, access control systems, video surveillance systems, social alarms systems and combinations of such systems. This document gives requirements for two categories of ARC, category I and category II. A category I ARC will be designed, constructed and operated to a higher standard with respect to construction, security and integrity than a category II ARC. The categorization is determined according to the type(s) of alarm messages handled. Category I: ARCs handling messages from security applications: - I&HAS’s; - access control systems; - VSS in security applications that require an emergency response (for example loss prevention); - people monitoring, lone workers and object tracking systems for security applications; - alarm messages handled by category II ARCs; - combinations of the above systems. Category II: ARC’s handling messages from non-security applications: - fire alarm systems; - fixed firefighting systems; - social alarm systems; - audio/video door entry systems; - VSS in non-security applications (for example traffic flow); - people monitoring, lone workers and object tracking systems for non-security applications; - lifts emergency systems; - combinations of the above systems. The requirements apply to ARC’s (whether established in single or multiple sites) monitoring and processing alarms generated by systems installed at other locations and also to ARC’s monitoring solely alarms from systems within their own site. The document includes functional and specific requirements supporting the services of an ARC. The document does NOT apply to: - alarm systems used for non-civil purposes; - alarm systems for medical or health applications.
Alarmempfangsstelle
Centre de contrôle et de réception d'alarme
Nadzorni in sprejemni centri za alarme - Dopolnilo A1
General Information
Relations
Overview
EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 is a European standard developed by the CLC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) that specifies the minimum requirements for Monitoring and Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs). This standard focuses on the effective monitoring, receiving, and processing of alarm messages generated by a broad range of safety and security systems. The latest amendment A1 (2023) clarifies secure location requirements and updates construction and operational guidelines for ARCs.
The term “alarm” under this standard covers a wide spectrum of messages including fault, status, and emergency alerts stemming from various systems such as fire detection, intrusion alarms, access control, video surveillance, and social alarm systems. EN 50518 defines two categories of ARCs, Category I and Category II, based on the type and sensitivity of the alarms handled.
Key Topics
ARC Categories and Requirements
- Category I ARC: Designed and operated with higher standards for construction, security, and integrity. Handles alarms primarily from security applications including intrusion and hold-up alarm systems (I&HAS), access control, video surveillance for emergency response, and people/object tracking for security purposes.
- Category II ARC: Handles alarms from non-security applications like fire detection and alarm systems, fixed firefighting systems, social alarms, audio/video door entry, non-security video surveillance, and emergency lift systems.
Construction and Secure Location
- The 2023 amendment provides clarifications on what constitutes a “secure location”, which includes ARC Category I premises or locations compliant with published data centre standards such as the EN 50600 series. This includes updated guidance on emergency entry provisions and remote equipment room locations.
Alarm Systems and Safety Monitoring
- The standard outlines functional and specific requirements to ensure reliable operation of alarm receiving and processing.
- Operator safety and security monitoring is mandated, with automatic checks required at intervals not exceeding 60 minutes when fewer than three operators are on duty.
Scope and Exclusions
- Applies to ARCs monitoring alarms generated from various sites and alarm systems installed elsewhere or locally.
- Does not cover alarm systems used for non-civil purposes or specific medical and health-related alarm systems.
Applications
The EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 standard is vital for organizations managing alarm receiving centres involved in integrated fire, safety, and security solutions. Key applications include:
- Security Operations Centres processing intrusion, hold-up, and access control system alarms to coordinate emergency response.
- Fire Monitoring Centres receiving and managing fire, smoke, and fixed firefighting system alerts to trigger rapid fire response measures.
- Social Alarm Centres catering to vulnerable populations needing social or personal emergency alerts.
- Video Surveillance Control Rooms for both security and non-security scenarios like traffic monitoring or facility management.
- Multi-site Centralized Monitoring allowing centralized alarm processing even for dispersed installations, ensuring consistent security standards.
Compliance with EN 50518 ensures reliable, secure, and efficient operation of ARCs, enhancing overall safety and security management for a variety of critical environments.
Related Standards
EN 50600 Series – Standards for data centres focusing on design, construction, and operational practices. Relevant for defining “secure locations” in the context of ARC equipment and infrastructure.
EN 54 Series – Fire detection and alarm systems standards, often integrated into the scope of ARC monitoring activities.
ISO/IEC 27001 – Information security management, complementary for maintaining data security within ARC systems.
EN 62305 – Protection against lightning, relevant for secure ARC site planning.
Conclusion
EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 sets comprehensive minimum requirements for Monitoring and Alarm Receiving Centres, emphasizing security, operational integrity, and safety. By adhering to this standard, ARCs can effectively support civil fire, safety, and security alarm systems, ensuring prompt and reliable alarm processing with clear differentiation between security-sensitive (Category I) and non-security applications (Category II). This contributes significantly to the robustness and credibility of alarm monitoring infrastructures across Europe and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 is a amendment published by CLC. Its full title is "Monitoring and Alarm Receiving Centre". This standard covers: This document specifies the minimum requirements for monitoring, receiving and processing of alarm messages generated by alarm systems taking place as a part of the total fire, safety and security solution. For the purpose of this document, the term “alarm” is used in the broad sense to include fault, status and other messages received from one or more of a range of safety and security alarm systems such as but not limited to fire detection and fire alarm systems, fixed firefighting systems, intrusion and hold-up alarm systems, access control systems, video surveillance systems, social alarms systems and combinations of such systems. This document gives requirements for two categories of ARC, category I and category II. A category I ARC will be designed, constructed and operated to a higher standard with respect to construction, security and integrity than a category II ARC. The categorization is determined according to the type(s) of alarm messages handled. Category I: ARCs handling messages from security applications: - I&HAS’s; - access control systems; - VSS in security applications that require an emergency response (for example loss prevention); - people monitoring, lone workers and object tracking systems for security applications; - alarm messages handled by category II ARCs; - combinations of the above systems. Category II: ARC’s handling messages from non-security applications: - fire alarm systems; - fixed firefighting systems; - social alarm systems; - audio/video door entry systems; - VSS in non-security applications (for example traffic flow); - people monitoring, lone workers and object tracking systems for non-security applications; - lifts emergency systems; - combinations of the above systems. The requirements apply to ARC’s (whether established in single or multiple sites) monitoring and processing alarms generated by systems installed at other locations and also to ARC’s monitoring solely alarms from systems within their own site. The document includes functional and specific requirements supporting the services of an ARC. The document does NOT apply to: - alarm systems used for non-civil purposes; - alarm systems for medical or health applications.
This document specifies the minimum requirements for monitoring, receiving and processing of alarm messages generated by alarm systems taking place as a part of the total fire, safety and security solution. For the purpose of this document, the term “alarm” is used in the broad sense to include fault, status and other messages received from one or more of a range of safety and security alarm systems such as but not limited to fire detection and fire alarm systems, fixed firefighting systems, intrusion and hold-up alarm systems, access control systems, video surveillance systems, social alarms systems and combinations of such systems. This document gives requirements for two categories of ARC, category I and category II. A category I ARC will be designed, constructed and operated to a higher standard with respect to construction, security and integrity than a category II ARC. The categorization is determined according to the type(s) of alarm messages handled. Category I: ARCs handling messages from security applications: - I&HAS’s; - access control systems; - VSS in security applications that require an emergency response (for example loss prevention); - people monitoring, lone workers and object tracking systems for security applications; - alarm messages handled by category II ARCs; - combinations of the above systems. Category II: ARC’s handling messages from non-security applications: - fire alarm systems; - fixed firefighting systems; - social alarm systems; - audio/video door entry systems; - VSS in non-security applications (for example traffic flow); - people monitoring, lone workers and object tracking systems for non-security applications; - lifts emergency systems; - combinations of the above systems. The requirements apply to ARC’s (whether established in single or multiple sites) monitoring and processing alarms generated by systems installed at other locations and also to ARC’s monitoring solely alarms from systems within their own site. The document includes functional and specific requirements supporting the services of an ARC. The document does NOT apply to: - alarm systems used for non-civil purposes; - alarm systems for medical or health applications.
EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 13.320 - Alarm and warning systems. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN 50518:2019. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
You can purchase EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 directly from iTeh Standards. The document is available in PDF format and is delivered instantly after payment. Add the standard to your cart and complete the secure checkout process. iTeh Standards is an authorized distributor of CLC standards.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2023
Nadzorni in sprejemni centri za alarme - Dopolnilo A1
Monitoring and Alarm Receiving Centre
Alarmempfangsstelle
Centre de contrôle et de réception d'alarme
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 50518:2019/A1:2023
ICS:
13.320 Alarmni in opozorilni sistemi Alarm and warning systems
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 50518:2019/A1
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM April 2023
ICS 13.320
English Version
Monitoring and Alarm Receiving Centre
Centre de contrôle et de réception d'alarme Alarmempfangsstelle
This amendment A1 modifies the European Standard EN 50518:2019; it was approved by CENELEC on 2023-03-27. CENELEC members
are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this amendment the status of a
national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This amendment exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the
responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as
the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2023 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 E
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Modification to 3.1, “Terms and definitions” . 4
2 Modification to Clause 5, “Construction – ARC structure” . 4
3 Modification to Clause 6, “Alarm systems of the ARC” .
...
SIST EN 50518:2019/A1:2023の標準は、監視およびアラーム受信センターに関する重要な基準を提供しています。この文書はアラームメッセージの監視、受信、処理に関する最低限の要件を規定しており、火災、安全、セキュリティの総合的なソリューションの一部として位置づけられています。アラームという用語は、火災検知システムや火災警報システム、侵入および強盗警報システム、アクセス制御システム、ビデオ監視システム、社会警報システムなどの範囲を包含しており、そのため多様なセキュリティと安全性のニーズに対応している点が強みです。 本標準は、アラームメッセージの種類に応じて、カテゴリーIとカテゴリーIIの2つのARC（アラーム受信センター）を定義しており、カテゴリーIはセキュリティアプリケーションからのメッセージを取り扱うための高い基準で設計、構築、および運用されることが要求されます。一方で、カテゴリーIIは非セキュリティアプリケーションからのメッセージを扱います。この区別により、ユーザーはそれぞれの目的に応じた最適なARCの選定が可能となります。 この文書は、単一サイトまたは複数サイトで設立されたARCによるアラームの监視および処理に適用される要件を含んでおり、他の場所に設置されたシステムから生成されたアラームだけでなく、独自のサイト内のシステムからのアラームの監視についても言及されています。本標準はARCによるサービスを支えるための機能的および特定の要件を明示しているため、業界関係者にとっては非常に実用的です。 さらに、文書では病院や医療用アプリケーションなどの非市民目的のアラームシステムには適用されないことを明確にしており、その適用範囲を限定することで、より専門的な基準を提供しています。これにより、ユーザーは適切な基準のもとで安全性を確保し、円滑な運営を維持することができるでしょう。
The EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 standard serves as a comprehensive guideline for the establishment and operation of Monitoring and Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs). Its scope delineates the minimum requirements for processing alarm messages from various safety and security systems, ensuring a cohesive framework for alarm management within the fire, safety, and security sectors. One of the standard's strengths lies in its detailed categorization of ARCs into two distinct types: Category I and Category II. This differentiation is significant as it acknowledges the varying levels of security and integrity required depending on the type of alarm messages handled. Category I ARCs, which deal with security applications, are subject to stricter construction and operational standards compared to Category II ARCs, which handle alarms from non-security applications. This tiered approach enhances the overall reliability and functionality of ARCs, catering to the specific needs of diverse alarm systems, including fire detection, video surveillance, and access control systems. The inclusion of functional and specific requirements within the EN 50518 standard demonstrates its relevance to contemporary security demands. By addressing the processing of alarm messages from a broad range of systems-ranging from fire alarms to social alarms-the standard ensures that ARCs can effectively manage alarms regardless of their origin. Furthermore, the document’s emphasis on monitoring alarms from both external installations and in-house systems signifies its adaptability to various operational contexts, thus enhancing safety and responsiveness. Additionally, the exclusion of non-civil and medical applications from the standard's purview clarifies its focus and ensures that the requirements are tailored specifically for civil security applications. This specificity not only simplifies implementation for ARC operators but also strengthens compliance within recognized frameworks. In summary, the EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 standard presents a robust framework for the design and operation of Monitoring and Alarm Receiving Centres. Its comprehensive categorization, relevant functional requirements, and focus on civil safety applications underscore its importance within the broader landscape of fire, safety, and security solutions.
EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 표준은 모니터링 및 경보 수신 센터에 대한 최소 요구 사항을 명확히 정의하고 있습니다. 이 문서는 화재, 안전 및 보안을 총괄하는 솔루션의 일환으로 생성된 경보 메시지를 모니터링하고 수신하며 처리하는 데 필요한 요건을 규정하고 있습니다. 표준의 범위는 매우 넓고, 여기에는 화재 감지 및 경보 시스템, 고정 소화 시스템, 침입 및 강도 경보 시스템, 출입 통제 시스템, 비디오 감시 시스템, 사회 알람 시스템 등 다양한 안전 및 보안 경보 시스템에서 수신되는 고장, 상태 및 기타 메시지까지 포함됩니다. 이 표준의 강점은 두 가지 카테고리의 경보 수신 센터(ARC)를 구분하여, 각기 다른 요건을 명확히 설정하고 있다는 점입니다. 카테고리 I ARC는 건설, 보안 및 무결성 측면에서 카테고리 II ARC보다 높은 기준에 맞춰 설계되고 운영됩니다. 이처럼 경보 메시지의 종류에 따라 ARC를 구분함으로써, 사용자는 자신의 필요에 맞는 적절한 경보 시스템을 선택할 수 있는 근거를 제공합니다. EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 표준은 센터의 기능적 및 특정 요구 사항을 포함하고 있어, 다양한 서비스 지원에 매우 유용합니다. ARC가 단일 또는 다수의 사이트에 설치된 시스템에서 생성된 경보를 모니터링하고 처리하는 경우 및 자사 사이트 내의 시스템에서 생성된 경보만을 모니터링하는 경우 모두 해당됩니다. 또한 이 표준은 특정 용도의 경보 시스템에는 적용되지 않으며, 비시민 목적의 경보 시스템이나 의료 및 건강 응용 분야의 경보 시스템에는 해당되지 않음을 분명히 하고 있습니다. 이를 통해 사용자는 문서의 적용 범위를 명확히 하고, 자신의 필요에 따라 적합한 시스템을 선택하는 데 도움을 받을 수 있습니다. 결론적으로, EN 50518:2019/A1:2023 표준은 모니터링 및 경보 수신 센터의 효율성과 안전성을 보장하는 데 중요한 역할을 하며, 최신 안전 및 보안 요구 사항에 부합하는 혁신적인 해결책을 제공합니다.
Questions, Comments and Discussion
Ask us and Technical Secretary will try to provide an answer. You can facilitate discussion about the standard in here.
Loading comments...