First County Monitoring

What First County Monitoring does

First County Monitoring (FCM), trading name of Careline Security Ltd, is a privately held NSI Gold Accredited Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) and Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC) headquartered in Selby, North Yorkshire, operating since 1994. The company delivers 24/7/365 monitoring services across five core lines: CCTV monitoring with voice deterrent, remote alarm monitoring (intruder, fire, hold-up, temperature), BS8484-accredited lone worker monitoring, a 24/7 call-handling service branded Answer365, and social care monitoring for vulnerable individuals. Its ARC facility is certified to BS5979 (physical resilience) and is integrated with ECHO for direct digital transmission of verified alarms to UK Police Force Despatchers, reducing response times by 1–4 minutes.

FCM's technology stack combines purpose-built control-room infrastructure (refurbished in 2021) with AI-powered false-alarm filtering from Calipsa and Umbo (reported to suppress 90%+ of false alarms on all camera types), a proprietary CCTV health monitoring tool called ECHECS, and a broad set of signal-path integrations (Texecom Monitor, CSL DualCom Pro, BT Redcare) that are positioned to support the 2025 UK PSTN switch-off. The company holds the full UK regulated ARC certification stack: NSI Gold, BS8484, BS8418, BS5979, BS7858, BS9518, ISO 9001, and CHAS, plus ECHO-connected status.

The business operates a B2B2B model, selling primarily through regional UK security installers and integrators who bundle FCM's monitoring into their installed systems, while also serving commercial, residential, and public-body end users directly. Revenue is generated on recurring subscription pricing (not publicly disclosed), with installer-channel relationships of 20–30+ years evidenced by named customers Monks Security, ESS Security, ASI Security, DJ Byers, Action Alarms, and Render Alarms. Leadership comprises Managing Director Neil Addinall (joined 2007), Technical Communications Director Simon Mackenzie (30+ years sector experience), Operations Manager Mark Hayes, and IT Manager Brian Kendall.

Name

First County Monitoring

Legal name

Careline Security Ltd

Website

https://firstcountymonitoring.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First County Monitoring (Careline Security Ltd) is an NSI Gold Accredited UK Alarm Receiving Centre delivering 24/7 CCTV, intruder/fire, lone worker, call-handling, and social care monitoring, primarily to security installers and commercial end users across the UK and Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Monitoring Services

NAICS

Security Systems Services (56162), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Central Station Monitoring (Third-Party Wholesale Monitoring) (BPAKAFAI)

Keywords

• Alarm monitoring services
• CCTV remote monitoring
• Lone worker monitoring
• Security ARC services
• Fire alarm monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Selby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. CCTV Monitoring Services: 24/7 remote CCTV monitoring from purpose-built Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC), providing real-time surveillance, voice deterrent capabilities, and emergency response coordination for commercial and residential properties
2. Remote Alarm Monitoring: Monitoring services for intruder alarms, fire alarms, hold-up/personal attack/panic alarms, and temperature alarms with 24/7/365 coverage
3. Lone Worker Monitoring: BS8484 accredited monitoring for lone workers including bailiffs, engineers, security guards, care workers, and other at-risk employees with rapid response capabilities
4. Answer365 Call Handling Service: Out of hours telephone answering service ensuring businesses can be contacted 24/7, with daily reports showing call volumes, jobs received, and actions taken
5. Social Care Monitoring: Monitored social care devices for vulnerable individuals including personal pendants, bed sensors, heat detectors, flood detectors, and movement detectors with 24/7 operator support

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

First County Monitoring operates an NSI Gold Accredited Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) and Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC) delivering 24/7/365 remote monitoring services. Core offerings include CCTV monitoring, remote alarm monitoring (intruder, fire, hold-up/panic, temperature alarms), BS8484 accredited lone worker monitoring, Answer365 out-of-hours telephone answering, and social care monitoring for vulnerable individuals, all supported by ECHO digital alarm transmission, ECHECS CCTV health monitoring, and AI-powered false alarm filtering.

Product overview

First County Monitoring (FCM) is an NSI Gold Accredited Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) offering a suite of monitoring services centered around a core remote monitoring platform. The core offerings include CCTV Monitoring (with AI-powered False Alarm Filtering), Remote Alarm Monitoring (intruder, fire, hold-up/panic alarms), Lone Worker Monitoring (BS8484 accredited), Answer365 (24/7 call handling), and Social Care Monitoring (for vulnerable individuals). FCM's monitoring services are delivered from their purpose-built ARC/RVRC facility with SIA licensed operators available 24/7/365. Add-on capabilities include ECHO-connected ARC (for priority police response), ECHECS (proactive CCTV health monitoring), and integration with multiple signalling protocols (Texecom Monitor, CSL DualCom Pro) for broad compatibility with customer devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CCTV Monitoring 24/7/365 remote CCTV monitoring from FCM's purpose-built Remote Video Response Centre (RVRC). SIA licensed operators monitor CCTV feeds, provide verbal challenges to intruders via voice deterrent, verify alarms, and coordinate emergency response or keyholder dispatch for commercial, public sector, and residential properties.
• Remote Alarm Monitoring Monitoring service for intruder alarms, hold-up/personal attack/panic alarms, fire alarms, and temperature alarms. Operators respond immediately to activations 24/7/365, contacting emergency services or keyholders as appropriate for commercial, public sector, and residential customers.
• Lone Worker Monitoring BS8484 accredited monitoring service for lone workers including bailiffs, engineers, security guards, care workers, and other at-risk employees. At the press of a panic button, workers are connected to FCM's ARC where operators assess situations and coordinate appropriate response with priority police response capability.
• Answer365 24/7 out-of-hours telephone answering service providing dedicated DDI numbers with customised recorded messages, call reception and routing, and job dispatch to approved contractors. Includes daily reports showing call volumes, jobs received, and actions taken for trade and service businesses.
• Social Care Monitoring Monitored social care device service for vulnerable individuals including dementia patients. Includes personal pendants, bed sensors, heat detectors, flood detectors, and movement detectors. 24/7 operators can speak to users through the base unit's speaker and coordinate emergency response.

Quantifiable outcome

• False alarm reduction of over 90% using AI-powered analytics
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ECHO (Electronic Call Handling Operations)coreTechnology or Integration · 22 April 2022ECHO is an alarm transfer service provider facilitating greater effectiveness in police response to emergency alarms. FCM is an ECHO-connected ARC receiving digital alarm signal transmission direct from premises, enabling verified alarms to be transmitted directly to Police Force Despatchers via the ECHO platform.
• TexecomcoreTechnology or IntegrationTexecom Monitor provides signalling solutions to FCM's ARC. As the UK PSTN network reaches end of life by 2025, Texecom Monitor offers future-ready digital solutions. FCM chose Texecom as an integration partner because they had an alternative and innovative signalling product easily ordered through existing Texecom Cloud accounts, giving customers flexibility.
• CSL (Communication Systems Ltd)coreTechnology or IntegrationCSL provides future-proofed products and solutions including DualCom Pro range with multiple 4G WorldSIMs for single and dual-path signalling. CSL works in partnership with FCM to ensure all systems are updated in preparation for the PSTN Switch-Off. Products include DualCom Pro Fire, GradeShift Pro Fire, and DigiAir Pro Fire with EN54 certification.
• CalipsasupportingTechnology or IntegrationAI-powered analytics technology partner providing false alarm filtering to reduce unwanted CCTV activations caused by environmental factors like weather and lighting changes.
• UmbosupportingTechnology or IntegrationAI analytics partner providing video content analysis to significantly reduce false alarms by filtering environmental triggers.
• Thinking Space SystemssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGlobal provider of high-quality technical furniture for control rooms. Partnered with FCM to modernise and upgrade the CCTV control room with high specification technical furniture, height adjustable workstations, and a large curved monitor wall.
• First2HelpYoucoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFCM is the sole monitoring provider for First2HelpYou, described as the first name in lone worker safety. FCM provides monitoring services for First2HelpYou's lone worker device customers.
• Mayfair Fire & SecuritysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading access control system specialist who design, install and maintain intercom and door access control systems. Recommended to FCM customers for physical security solutions complementing monitoring services.
• BT RedcaresupportingTechnology or IntegrationBT Redcare provides future-proofed IP products recommended by FCM to customers as alternative to legacy PSTN-based alarm signalling ahead of the 2025 switch-off.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ADT UK: Major UK monitored alarm and security provider with a national ARC infrastructure. While ADT also serves end customers directly, its ARC competes for installer partnerships and end-customer monitoring accounts, making it a broad incumbent competitor.
• Banham Group: Established London-based security services group offering monitored intruder and fire alarm services to residential and commercial customers. A broader incumbent with in-house ARC capability that overlaps with FCM's commercial and high-end residential monitoring.
• Verisure UK: Large European monitored-alarm provider with significant UK subscriber base and a dedicated 24/7 monitoring centre. Competes for residential and SME monitored-alarm customers, partially overlapping with FCM's installer-channel end customers.
• Securitas UK: Global security services group with UK operations spanning guarding, electronic security, and remote monitoring. Operates ARC capabilities that overlap with FCM's commercial monitoring and lone worker offerings at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Custodian Monitoring: UK NSI Gold accredited ARC providing remote monitoring of intruder, fire, CCTV, and personal attack alarms to installers and commercial customers. Operates in the same wholesale-monitoring niche as FCM with overlapping product lines.
• Southern Monitoring Services: UK-based NSI Gold Alarm Receiving Centre providing CCTV, intruder, fire, and lone worker monitoring services to security installers and end users. Direct competitor to FCM in the same ARC/wholesale-monitoring category with a similar installer-channel GTM.
• Fenix Monitoring: Independent UK Alarm Receiving Centre offering intruder, fire, CCTV, and personal alarm monitoring to installers and end customers. Closely comparable ARC business model, certification stack, and channel-led distribution.
• EMizon (Digital Alarm Receiving): UK provider of IP-based alarm signalling and dual-path monitoring services to ARCs and installers. Comparable in that it sits in the UK alarm signalling/monitoring infrastructure layer, often integrated by ARCs as a technology partner.

Others

• CSL Group: UK critical connectivity provider of dual-path alarm signalling (DualCom Pro) products used by installers and ARCs. Already a FCM technology partner, but also a potential competitor if it expands into hosted ARC services for installer customers.
• BT Redcare: UK provider of IP and 4G alarm signalling products feeding monitored signals into ARCs. Functions as both a technology partner (signalling) for FCM and as an adjacent infrastructure provider in the UK alarm-monitoring value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/firstcountymon
• Facebookfacebook.com/FirstCountyMonitoring
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-county-monitoring
• Instagraminstagram.com/firstcountymon

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First County Monitoring