Martyn’s Law will change the security conversation for thousands of publicly accessible premises across the UK. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 introduces new duties designed to ensure organisations are better prepared to protect people in the event of a terrorist attack.
For alarm installers and security integrators, that creates an important question: when clients start asking what Martyn’s Law means for their premises, how much will you be able to tell them?
Martyn’s Law (Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025) introduces new preparedness duties for publicly accessible premises in the UK. For alarm installers, the key is understanding that the legislation focuses on procedures, evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication, rather than specifying particular security systems. Installers should help clients assess whether their existing infrastructure supports those procedures, using a tiered approach that varies by premises size and nature.
Start with the procedures, not the products
The most important thing to understand about Martyn’s Law is that it isn’t a specification for a particular security system. The legislation focuses on preparedness. Depending on which duties apply, organisations will need to consider appropriate procedures for responding to an attack, including evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication.
That distinction matters for installers. The starting point shouldn’t be: “What new equipment does this client need?” It should be: “What would this organisation actually need to do if an incident happened here?”
Once that’s understood, the next question becomes much more useful: does the existing security and communication infrastructure support those procedures?
Different incidents require different responses
For decades, evacuation has been one of the most familiar emergency responses in public buildings. But a terrorist incident may require something very different. If a threat is outside a building, immediately sending everyone outside may increase the danger. Staff might instead need to initiate a lockdown or invacuation procedure. In another situation, different areas of the same premises may require different responses entirely.
That’s why Martyn’s Law preparedness needs to consider procedures including evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication, and how those different actions can actually be put into practice.
For installers, this is where the conversation moves from legislation into practical security planning. How would the client initiate those procedures? Will staff know what to do? Can instructions be communicated quickly? And does the existing infrastructure support the response the organisation has planned?
One size won’t fit every premises
Martyn’s Law uses a tiered approach, with requirements depending on factors including the number of people reasonably expected to be present. A small premises, a school, a shopping centre and a major entertainment venue may face different requirements, as well as very different security challenges.
Installers therefore need to be careful about treating Martyn’s Law as a standard technology upgrade. As Security Journal UK highlights, different environments, from education and healthcare to retail, transport and entertainment, have different operational needs and vulnerabilities. The right conversation therefore starts with the premises itself: who uses it, how many people may be present, what procedures have been identified, and what systems are already in place.
From installer to trusted security partner
There’s a commercial opportunity here. But it comes from asking better questions rather than simply selling more equipment.
Clients are going to have questions about Martyn’s Law. Many won’t know exactly what the legislation means for their premises, what procedures they need to consider, or how well their existing security infrastructure supports those procedures. An installer who can help clients navigate those questions becomes more valuable. That doesn’t mean becoming a Martyn’s Law compliance expert. It means understanding the legislation well enough to have an informed conversation, recognising where your own expertise fits, and helping clients identify questions that may need further attention.
AddSecure has developed dedicated Martyn’s Law resources and a Martyn’s Law whitepaper to help organisations understand the legislation, what it could mean for them and how to start preparing.
The conversation to have now
Martyn’s Law isn’t an instruction to sell venues a new alarm system. It’s a reason to have a better security conversation. Start with what needs to happen during an incident. Understand the procedures. Look at how the existing infrastructure supports them. Then identify the gaps.
For installers, that’s a much stronger position than waiting for a client to ask what they need to do.
Martyn’s Law will create new questions for installers and their customers. Download AddSecure’s Martyn’s Law whitepaper for a practical overview of the legislation, what it means for organisations and how to start preparing.
Q&A
What is Martyn’s Law and what does it require?
Martyn’s Law is the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It introduces new duties for publicly accessible premises in the UK, requiring organisations to be better prepared to protect people in the event of a terrorist attack. The legislation focuses on preparedness procedures, including evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication, rather than mandating a specific security system.
What does Martyn’s Law mean for alarm installers?
For alarm installers, Martyn’s Law creates an opportunity to become trusted security advisors. Rather than leading with product recommendations, installers should start by helping clients understand what procedures they would need to follow in an incident, evacuation, invacuation, lockdown or communication, and assess whether the existing security infrastructure supports those procedures.
Does Martyn’s Law apply the same way to all premises?
No. Martyn’s Law uses a tiered approach, with requirements depending on factors including the number of people reasonably expected to be present. A small venue, a school, a shopping centre and a major entertainment venue will face different requirements and different security challenges, so there is no standard upgrade path.
Why might evacuation not always be the right response under Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law recognises that different incidents require different responses. If a threat is located outside a building, immediately evacuating everyone outside could increase danger. In such cases, staff may need to initiate a lockdown or invacuation instead. Different areas of the same premises may also require different responses, which is why the legislation emphasises having appropriate procedures for a range of scenarios.
Where can installers find resources to help clients prepare for Martyn’s Law?
AddSecure has developed dedicated Martyn’s Law resources including a whitepaper available at here. These resources provide a practical overview of the legislation, what it means for organisations, and how to start preparing.