This article is a guide for classic Alarms. Refer to this article if you have new Alarms. See New Alarms vs Classic Alarms if you are unsure which version of Alarms you have.
You can use the Verkada BZ11 horn speaker with and without Verkada cameras, and it can also be paired with an Alarms license to provide advanced functionality, including agent talk down.
As a standalone device, you can use it from the Devices page to initiate a call from Verkada Command to the speaker. When associated with a Verkada camera, you can use the camera to provide the Command user with the necessary context for the talk-down.
Admins can configure custom audio files to play through the BZ11 when an alarm is raised. You can also enable Agent Talk Down, allowing Verkada’s video monitoring agents to respond to threats and live talk-down through the BZ11 to deter intruders.
Initiate call from Devices page
In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Devices
.Select your BZ11.
Click Play to play a short test sound.
Click Phone
to initiate the call.
You can adjust the volume and microphone settings using the sliders and check box under the speaker settings.
Initiate easy from camera live stream
You need to associate a camera with the speaker before you can initiate a talk down from a camera.
Pair cameras
In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Devices
.Select your horn speaker.
Under the speaking settings, click Select Cameras.
Select the camera(s) to add.
Click Done.
Initial call
In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Devices
.Select your horn speaker.
Select your camera from the Paired Cameras list.
At the bottom right of the live feed, click
to initiate the call.(Optional) If multiple speaker devices are configured for the same camera, click
to select the specific device you want to call.
Enable the speaker to be an Alarm output
By default, play audio is disabled when the speaker is first added to an alarm site. To enable the speaker to play when an alarm is raised:
In Command, go to All Products > Classic Alarms
.Select an alarm.
At the top, click the Settings tab.
Go to Alarm Responses > Alarm Actions > Enable Play Audio. This setting plays the default alert message, Alarm has been raised please leave the premise immediately, when an alarm has been raised. You can customize this message by uploading your own .mp3 file.
Upload a custom MP3 file
Uploading a custom MP3 file requires an alarm location license.
In Command, go to All Products > Classic Alarms
.Select a site.
At the top, click Settings.
Under Alarm Responses > Alarm Actions > Enable Play Audio > Upload Audio File upload your file.
The BZ11 is only compatible with .mp3 files and the file must be under 20 MB.
Configure Agent Talk Down
Verkada’s video monitoring agents can use agent talk down to initial a call to deter intrudes at a site. The agent will still call the users on the contact list regardless of the outcome of the talk down.
In Command, go to All Products > Classic Alarms
.Select a site.
At the top, click Settings.
Under Alarm Responses > Emergency Dispatch, toggle on Agent Talk Down.
In order for agents to use the speaker, the camera that is associated to the BZ11 must be configured as a context camera or trigger for the Alarms site.
Need more help? Contact Verkada Support.