The BZ11 Horn Speaker can be used with and without Verkada’s cameras, and can also be paired with the Alarms License to provide advanced functionality, including Agent Talk Down.
As a standalone device, it can be used from the Devices page to allow a call to be initiated from Command to the speaker. When associated with a Verkada camera, the camera can be used to provide the Command user with the necessary context for talk-down.
In combination with an Alarms License, a Command user can configure custom audio files to play through the BZ11 when an alarm is raised. Agent Talk Down can also be enabled, allowing Verkada’s video monitoring agents to respond to threats, and live talk-down through the BZ11 Horn Speaker to deter intruders.
Starting a call - Devices Page
To initiate a call from the Devices page, follow these steps:
Locate the desired BZ11 device by searching for it.
Select the device, locating the ‘Play’ and ‘Call’ buttons.
Press the "Play" button to play a short test sound.
To initiate the call, press the phone icon.
To adjust the volume, use the slider located at the bottom of the screen. You can drag the slider to increase or decrease the volume level to your preference.
Starting a call - Camera Live Stream
To initiate a call from a camera, follow these steps:
You will first need to associate a camera with the BZ11. Go to the Devices page, search for the BZ11, select the speaker, and click “Select Cameras”. This will allow you to add cameras to the speaker for additional context.
Once configured, access the live stream of the camera you want to initiate the call from
Locate the phone icon located in the bottom middle of the camera feed and press it to initiate a call.
If multiple BZ11 devices are configured for the same camera, you can choose the specific device you want to call by selecting it in the bottom right corner of the live stream.
Configure Agent Talk down
To configure an Alarms site with BZ11s for Agent Talk Down, navigate to the site settings, and under ‘Emergency Dispatch’, enable the toggle ‘Agent Talkdown’. Note. In order for the speaker to be used by agents, the camera that is tied to the BZ11 must either be configured as a context camera, or trigger for the alarms site.
When enabled, Verkada’s video monitoring agents will attempt to talk-down through the BZ11. The agent will subsequently call through the Contact List, regardless of the outcome of talk-down.