A monitoring centre is a facility defined by Australian Standard 2201.2:2004 (Intruder Alarm Systems - Monitoring Centres) and those businesses that carry out the monitoring of domestic and commercial alarms. A Monitoring Centre Operator's main duty is to monitor the alarm systems and action any alarm activations in accordance with client instructions.
Monitoring Centre Operations will require a 1E subclass security operative licence, which authorises you to patrol, protect or guard any property while carrying on monitoring centre operations.
Monitoring Centre Operators do not physically respond to alarm activations. They action alarm activations in accordance with client instructions, which may include requesting other security operatives to respond to security risk situations. Much of the day to day work involves using computers that monitor alarm systems, entering data and producing reports about alarm activations.
A control room is usually a facility within a specific site, such as an office building or large business complex, where the day-to-day operations are monitored within the site by close circuit television, internal alarm systems and site-specific security devices. A Control Room Operator is an Unarmed Guard (1A subclass) whose duties include shifts in the control room, physically responding to alarms and maintaining the security of the site or requesting other onsite guards to respond to any alarm activation or breach of security.