Configure Camera Alarm Trigger Events

Learn how to configure your camera for alarm trigger alerts

Verkada’s camera alarm triggers provide additional information to the monitoring agent to determine if the event is a threat to a person or property. You can also get alerts based on the alarm triggers configured.

Vehicle detection events are not video-verified and will automatically raise an alarm.

For more information on the types of alarm triggers see below:

• Person detection

• Line crossing

• Loitering

When should a detection occur?

When a Verkada camera detects an object, green bounding boxes appear over the detected object(s). You can see these bounding boxes when scrubbing through a camera’s people and vehicle motion search or scrubbing through a camera’s historical video.

Detection is determined when the center bottom of a person’s bounding box crosses a line or sits inside a loitering region (in the majority of cases, it is a person’s feet).

Trigger Point

Trigger Point

Use line crossing and loitering detection instead of person detection when available. Loitering detection and line crossing are only available on the CF81 and third-generation or newer cameras (models that end in "2" or higher), except the CP52.

Configure alarm triggers

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Alarms.

2

Select a site, at the top left, click Settings.

3

Under Settings, go to Alarm Triggers.

4

On Camera Events:

a. Click Select Cameras. b. Select a camera to configure. c. Configure the trigger type(s) as needed. d. Click Done.

5

A trigger badge appears on the camera to indicate which trigger type has been enabled.

6

(Optional) Repeat step 4 on other cameras as needed.

7

Click Done when finished.

Alarm triggers

Person detection

Person detection is determined whenever any part of a person’s bounding box intersects with the configured region of interest. ​

Line Crossing (recommended)

Line crossing provides more control and granularity in a trigger by allowing you to define a unidirectional or bidirectional line that a person has to cross before detection occurs.

You can define a maximum of 4 lines and choose the direction you expect people or vehicles to cross. ​

Loitering detection

Loitering detection allows you to define a region with a freeform polygon and define how long a person has to stay in that region before detection occurs.

Define up to 4 freeform polygon regions and define how long a person has to stay in that region before detection occurs.

How it works

1

Once the person’s trigger point intersects the loitering region, the timer begins.

2

If the trigger point remains in this region for the configured time (one minute default) a detection event occurs.

3

If the person’s trigger point briefly exits and re-enters the loitering region within 4 seconds, the counter continues.

4

If the camera loses track of an individual (for example, walking out of frame) or the trigger point is outside the loitering region for more than 4 seconds, the counter resets.

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Need more help? Contact Verkada Support.