The SIA Strategic Plan 2026 to 2029 raises expectations for professionalism and public protection in the security industry. This shift, exemplified by Martyn’s Law, requires Alarm Receiving Centres and installers to demonstrate structured risk management. It highlights the need for advanced emergency communication capabilities beyond traditional alarm systems, impacting how venues manage active threats and compliance.
Why regulatory expectations are rising
The SIA’s new strategy reflects a broader pattern: the security industry is being asked to demonstrate that it manages risk in a structured, verifiable way. That means documented procedures, trained personnel, and infrastructure that performs under pressure.
Martyn’s Law is one concrete expression of this. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 comes into force in April 2027, requiring publicly accessible venues to have documented procedures for evacuation, invacuation, and lockdown. Enhanced tier venues (800+ capacity) also need a nominated senior responsible person and a formal security plan. However, Martyn’s Law is best understood as part of a wider direction of travel. Venues that struggle to meet its requirements often have broader gaps in emergency communication capability too.
The gap most sites haven’t noticed yet
A standard fire alarm is designed for one outcome: get people out. That works for fire. It doesn’t work for an active threat, where evacuating towards an exit might move people into greater danger. Invacuation or lockdown requires a different kind of alert, specific instructions, to specific zones, under operator control.
Many sites ARCs currently monitor don’t have that capability. They have fire detection and intruder monitoring. But a mechanism to issue graduated, controllable alerts to different parts of a building is often missing. For venues within Martyn’s Law scope, that’s a compliance issue. For those outside it, it’s still an operational vulnerability that clients are increasingly aware of.
The practical question for ARCs isn’t just “do our monitored venues comply?” It’s “when a real emergency happens, can we actually help direct the response?” Those are related but different questions.
Conversations worth having now
Installers and ARCs working with large venues, hotels, schools, shopping centres, event spaces, are well placed to initiate a genuine operational review. Not as a compliance sales pitch. Instead, it should be something like: “The regulatory picture is shifting. Let’s make sure what you have in place covers the scenarios you could actually face.”
Most venue operators haven’t mapped their alerting infrastructure against what the Act requires. If you’re already monitoring their security systems, you’re the trusted party in their security chain. That creates a natural reason to raise it early. Furthermore, you have a practical advantage over any competitor who brings it up later under deadline pressure.
Identifying which monitored sites fall within scope isn’t complicated. Standard tier (200–799 capacity) and enhanced tier (800+) have different requirements. Additionally, sites relying on a single-mode alarm for all emergency scenarios should be flagged as priority conversations.
For a practical overview of Martyn’s Law requirements and how organisations can prepare, download AddSecure’s Martyn’s Law guide.
Why waiting until 2027 creates unnecessary pressure
Venues that begin assessing requirements in late 2026 will be competing for installer time, making faster decisions about equipment, and leaving less room to train staff properly. Starting now gives considerably more flexibility on all fronts.
For ARCs, the same logic applies. Building familiarity with what compliant emergency communication looks like, and which configurations genuinely satisfy requirements, takes time. If that knowledge only develops in response to deadline-driven client requests, the quality of advice and speed of deployment both suffer.
ARCs that help venue clients navigate this shift will be better placed to retain those relationships as expectations continue to rise. That’s already visible in how larger venues are approaching their security reviews.
Explore how AddSecure’s alarm signalling solutions support compliant emergency communication across standard and enhanced tier sites.
If you work with venues that may fall within Martyn’s Law scope, or want to review whether your current monitoring and alerting capability is fit for purpose, speak to AddSecure about how we can support compliant emergency communication for standard and enhanced tier sites.
Q&A
What is the SIA Strategic Plan 2026 to 2029?
The SIA Strategic Plan 2026 to 2029 outlines increased expectations for professionalism, stronger public protection standards, and more active regulatory oversight within the security industry. This plan signals a shift in how the industry is expected to operate daily, impacting Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs) and installers by requiring more structured and verifiable risk management practices.
What is Martyn’s Law and when does it come into force?
Martyn’s Law, officially the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, comes into force in April 2027. It mandates that publicly accessible venues implement documented procedures for evacuation, invacuation, and lockdown. Enhanced tier venues (800+ capacity) also require a nominated senior responsible person and a formal security plan to comply with the legislation.
How does Martyn’s Law affect alarm systems and emergency communication?
Martyn’s Law highlights a gap in many existing alarm systems, which are typically designed for evacuation (like fire alarms) but not for invacuation or lockdown scenarios. These situations require specific, graduated alerts to different zones under operator control. AddSecure’s alarm signalling solutions can support compliant emergency communication for both standard and enhanced tier sites under this new law.
Why should ARCs and installers address Martyn’s Law requirements now?
Addressing Martyn’s Law requirements now allows venues more flexibility in equipment decisions, installer time, and staff training before the April 2027 deadline. For ARCs, early engagement helps build familiarity with compliant emergency communication solutions, like those offered by AddSecure, ensuring quality advice and efficient deployment for clients as regulatory expectations rise.