Regional inspection teams take shape
The SIA (The Security Industry Authority) is building regional inspection teams across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and England. These inspectors and assessors will be “central to how we support premises and events through clear guidance and proportionate, risk-based decision making,” according to Laura Gibb’s (SIA’s Executive Director for Martyn’s Law) recent update.
For installers, this regional approach signals that compliance expectations will be consistent nationwide. You won’t be dealing with different standards in different areas. Instead, compliance expectations will be applied consistently across the UK. This gives installers a clear framework to work within.
What this means for your installations
The inspection framework being developed will evaluate how effectively venues can detect, respond to, and recover from potential threats. Your alarm systems play a crucial role in the detection phase. However, traditional fire alarm infrastructure often won’t meet Martyn’s Law requirements.
Fire alarm systems are designed for evacuation scenarios. Martyn’s Law situations may require invacuation (moving people to safe areas within the building), lockdown procedures, or selective evacuation. This means venues need mass notification capabilities that can deliver clear, differentiated alerts to different zones.
Standard fire alarm sounders announcing “leave the building immediately” could create dangerous confusion during a lockdown scenario. Enhanced duty premises especially will need systems. These systems must be able to communicate specific instructions to different areas simultaneously.
As outlined in AddSecure’s Martyn’s Law whitepaper, the distinction between fire safety and terrorism protection requires fundamentally different approaches to system design and installation.
The compliance timeline reality
Gibb’s update emphasises the SIA’s “relentless pace” as they work toward implementation. The enhanced duty threshold affects venues with capacities over 800 people. However, standard duty applies to many smaller premises too. Shopping centres, hotels, entertainment venues, and places of worship will all need to demonstrate appropriate measures. They must show how to protect people during a terrorist incident.
Installers who understand these requirements now will be better positioned when venues start reviewing their preparedness plans. Those waiting until 2027 may find themselves scrambling to catch up on both regulatory expectations and customer demand.
As outlined in AddSecure’s comprehensive Martyn’s Law whitepaper, effective preparedness goes beyond traditional fire safety measures. Venues need the ability to communicate clear, timely instructions during rapidly evolving situations, whether that involves lockdown, invacuation, or coordinated response procedures.
Solutions such as AddAlert help organisations deliver targeted emergency notifications to staff, visitors, and contractors, supporting faster decision-making and more effective incident response.
Ready to strengthen your customers’ Martyn’s Law preparedness? Contact AddSecure to learn how effective emergency communication can support readiness during critical incidents.