What is SSAIB?

SSAIB is a UK certification body for security, fire and telecare providers, and the main alternative to the NSI. An SSAIB-certificated installer or Alarm Receiving Centre is equally able to obtain police response for its customers, and SSAIB maintains a public register you can check.

SSAIB and NSI do the same essential job — independent inspection against the applicable standards — and police forces accept both. SSAIB has historically been used more by small and medium installers, and NSI by larger firms and corporate ARCs, but that is a tendency rather than a rule and it should not be read as a quality difference.

As with NSI, certification is scoped. Check that the certificate covers the specific service you are buying, whether that is intruder alarms, remote CCTV monitoring, keyholding or fire detection, and that it names the company you are contracting with.

The register is on SSAIB's own site.