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For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

Configure an Alarm Response

This article is a guide for new Alarms. Refer to this article if you have classic Alarms. See New Alarms vs Classic Alarms if you are unsure which version of Alarms you have.

Configuration

Multiple partitions can share the same alarm response. Events from these partitions flow into a single alarm during an alarm-raised event.

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Alarms.

2

Select the Alarm site that you want to configure.

3

On the left navigation, select Response.

4

Next to Alarm Response, click .

  1. Enter a unique name.

  2. (Optional) Toggle on Silent Alarm.

  3. Select a response mode to define how the system responds when the alarm is triggered.

    • Self-Monitored: The internal security team reviews incidents and contacts emergency services directly without monitoring center involvement. This option is ideal for organizations with internal SOC teams or for events that require rapid response without police dispatch, such as Door Held Open (DHO) events, water leak sensors, or maintenance alarms. See Self Monitored Response Level for more information.

    • Video Verification Only: The system notifies contacts via SMS and does not dispatch emergency services.

    • Standard: The system calls contacts first, then dispatches emergency services.

      • Choose how soon you want the police to be dispatched if your contacts do not answer.

      • By default, After 5 minutes is selected.

    • Immediate Dispatch: The system dispatches emergency services first, then calls contacts.

  4. Select who should be contacted during this alarm. By default, the user who creates the alarm site is added as an alarm contact.

    1. Click Add Contact.

    2. Select a Command user from the list.

    3. Under Contact via, choose how each contact will be notified:

      • SMS (required and enabled by default)

      • Email (optional)

      • Push notification (optional)

  5. Click Add.

  6. Click Save.

To receive push notification, the user must be logged in to the Verkada Commnd app.

If an alarm is raised for a Standard Response with no contacts, police will not be dispatched. The alarm will be snoozed for 30 minutes, during which users can still request dispatch from Command.

Automated Phone Call: For Video Verification Only response flows, you can enable automated phone calls during an alarm. Enable this option under the Contacts will be notified section of the Response Level.

Each user is called twice in the specified order and can:

  • Resolve the alarm and disarm the partition, or

  • Acknowledge the alarm to manage it via the incident link or Command, which stops further calls to additional users.

Automated calls are available in English, French, and Spanish.

Edit an Alarm Response

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Alarms.

2

Select the Alarm site that you want to edit.

3

On the left navigation, select Response.

4

On the left, drag and drop partitions to move them between alarm responses.

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Alarms.

2

Select the Alarm site that you want to edit.

3

On the left navigation, select Response > your Response Level.

4

In the top right, select a new response mode from the dropdown.

  • Self-Monitored: The internal security team reviews incidents and contacts emergency services directly without monitoring center involvement. This option is ideal for organizations with internal SOC teams or for events that require rapid response without police dispatch, such as Door Held Open (DHO) events, water leak sensors, or maintenance alarms. See Self Monitored Response Level for more information.

  • Video Verification Only: The system notifies contacts via SMS and does not dispatch emergency services.

  • Standard: The system calls contacts first, then dispatches emergency services.

  • Immediate Dispatch: The system dispatches emergency services first, then calls contacts.

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Alarms.

2

Select the Alarm site that you want to edit.

3

On the left navigation, select Response > your Response Level.

4

Select Contacts will be notified. From here you can:

  • Add:

    1. In the top right, click .

    2. Select a Command user from the list.

    3. Under Contact via, choose how each contact will be notified:

      • SMS (required and enabled by default)

      • Email (optional)

      • Push notification (optional)

    4. Click Add.

  • Edit:

    1. Hover over a contact and click .

    2. Edit the contact as needed.

    3. Click Save.

  • Reorder: Click and drag a contact to the desired position.

  • Remove: click .

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Alarms.

2

Select the Alarm site that you want to edit.

3

On the left navigation, select Response > your Response Level.

4

Move all partitions to another alarm response.

5

In the top right, click > Remove Response.

Click Yes to confirm.

Additional settings

Variations of the following options will be available based on your chosen response level.

  • Deterrence: Use AI-powered Deterrence to deter unwanted activity before an alarm is raised.

  • Automated Announcement: Enable automatic announcement over selected BZ-11 speakers when an alarm is raised.

    1. Click No automated announcement.

    2. Toggle on Announcement.

    3. Choose the message source:

      1. Text-to-Speech – type the announcement you want played.

        Note: There is a 500-character limit.

      2. Audio File – upload an MP3 file.

        Note: There is a 5 MB upload limit.

    4. Select the BZ-11 speaker(s) to play the message.

    5. Testing the automated announcement: Click Preview to play the announcement on your computer or local device, or press Test on Speakers to play it through the BZ-11 speaker.

    6. The message will be played through the selected speakers when an alarm is raised in the configured alarm response.

  • Access Control lockdown: Select a lockdown scenario to initiate automatically when an alarm is raised.

Resolving the alarm does not release the lockdown. You must release it separately.

  • Verification by agent via video: Contains the cameras used as triggers and those used for video verification for configured sensors.

  • Agent Talkdown on triggering camera (Only available in Standard response flow): Enable talk down and select the context camera.

  • For Standard response, click Agent will call contacts before dispatching emergency services.

    Then, select when emergency services should be dispatched if your contacts cannot be reached.

  • AI-powered deterrence plays a message through a speaker to deter unwanted activity before an alarm is raised.

  • Automated announcement plays a message through a speaker after an alarm is raised.

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