Configure Classic Alarms Site Settings

On the General page, specify the physical location of your Alarms site. Ensure this address is accurate and specific. Verkada uses this address in case emergency services need to be dispatched. Each unique address requires one Alarms license.

You can choose which events should trigger an alarm: cameras, sensor inputs, and doors. The events that exist in this Alarms site can be selected as alarm triggers. This means that when the site is armed, any of the following events can trip the alarm.

When alarm devices go offline

By default, if any alarm devices go offline for more than five minutes while the system is in an armed state, it automatically raises the alarm and sends an offline notification to the users on the contact list.

If any alarm devices go offline while the system is in an unarmed state:

• It records the offline event and sends a notification to the users on the contact list, but does not raise an alarm.

• It does not raise an alarm when the system is armed later, unless the Alarm device comes online and goes offline for more than five minutes.

Change default behavior of offline events

To change the default behavior of offline events:

Navigate to Settings > Offline Events.

Select Raise alarm, Notify only, or Do nothing in the event a selected device goes offline.

To enable a camera as an alarm trigger:

On Select Cameras, select the camera for person detection. Once selected, anytime the system is armed and a person is detected, a video verification event is logged and sent to our monitoring agents for review.

Click Done when you’re done with your selection.

Specify a region of interest

You can specify a region of interest where the selected region (in blue) is the only area where person detection is running; everything outside of the blue box is ignored.

An alarm panel detects a relevant state change (door open, glass break, water detected, motion detected, and so on).

Configure wireless sensor-specific settings:

Door Sensor

• Sensitivity Level (Low, Medium, High)—The higher the sensitivity, the greater distance allowed between the sensor and the magnet to register a closed event.

• Universal Transmitter Mode (Normally Open, Normally Closed)—Allows the door contact sensor to be utilized as a wireless transmitter, turning any standard 2-wire sensor into a wireless signal

Panic button

Button Press Pattern (Single, Long, Double, Triple)—Allows you to specify the type of button press pattern required to send a panic signal.

An access controller detects a door open, door held open or door forced open event.

You can configure an alarm console as a trigger by using person detection on its camera.

A sensor detects motion, changes in temperature, humidity, air quality, and so on.

Set the desired response when an alarm device goes offline.

Video Verification

If enabled, video verification allows for a Verkada monitoring agent to review video footage of an incident before raising an alarm. This reduces the likelihood of false alarms. You can configure these levels of security for video verification:

• Normal Security—An alarm is only raised if there is a visible threat to a person or property. For example, a person brandishing a weapon, broken glass, etc.

• Max Security—An alarm is raised if a person is present or if there are any signs of an intrusion. This alarm level helps to significantly reduce the chance of a false alarm occurring.

• Customer Security—An administrator can choose what the monitoring agent will raise an alarm for depending on the video verification rules.

Use case of trip event

Site is armedA camera detects a janitor in a safe roomTrip event occursVideo clip of the event is sent to the monitoring agent for review

In normal security mode, the agent determines that there is no visible threat to people or property and an alarm is not raised. In max security mode, the agent raises an alarm immediately if a person is present when the site is armed.

For video verification to be active for non-camera devices, you need to link your devices to nearby cameras that can provide context for alarm events. For air quality sensors and doors, the cameras you’ve previously associated with those devices are automatically used for video verification.

For BH61 / BP41 sensor inputs, you can manually add nearby cameras when you configure those inputs.

For more information on the video verification rules, refer to Verification Rules. ​

Emergency Dispatch

If emergency dispatch is enabled, the Verkada monitoring agent contacts the individuals in the order of your contact list. If an emergency is confirmed or if no one can be reached, the agent dispatches emergency services to the site address.

• Immediate Dispatch on Panic

  When enabled, Verkada monitoring agents dispatch emergency services immediately without confirming with contact list. This only applies to duress and panic alarms. Notification recipients still receive a call/SMS to get visibility into the situation.

• Monitoring Test Mode If enabled, the Verkada monitoring agent still reaches out in the order of your contact list, but does not dispatch emergency services if they are unable to reach you.

• Permit Number (Optional)

  You can optionally add a permit number to be shared with emergency services when dispatch is requested. This is sometimes a requirement in certain counties and states and should be acquired via local Verkada Partner as requirements differ across jurisdictions. You can also provide property entry or gate codes for monitoring team to provide to emergency services:

  
• Emergency Dispatch Context Cameras By default, our monitoring agents do not have any access to your cameras. This setting allows you to grant live-only access to a maximum of 10 cameras in addition to any footage that has been video verified to gather additional context during an active alarm.

Configure Command users to be notified via SMS and/or email notifications when an alarm is raised. These notifications can be sent, regardless of whether emergency dispatch is enabled.

By default, all users will receive SMS and email notifications, but need to be explicitly designated as emergency dispatch contacts. To do that, click the Dispatcher icon. The call order is determined by the number to the right of the Dispatcher icon.

You can configure which actions to take when an alarm is raised:

• Alarm panel outputs

  If you have a BP41 alarm panel, you can configure outputs A and B on the panel to provide 12V of power to sirens, strobes, and other alarm signaling devices in the event of an alarm. Find setup instructions here.

• Wireless outputs

  If you have a BX21, you can configure the wireless relay as an output for a siren, strobe, or other alarm signaling devices. Find setup instructions here.

• Pay alert message

  You can also choose to play an alert message on the alarm console.

• Access control lockdown

  You can leverage a configured lockdown scenario through Verkada access control as a response to an alarm being raised.