In 2020, an alarm scoring system was introduced to help law enforcement agencies prioritize calls, because the vast majority of alarm signals in North American were proving to be false alarms… or “operator error”.  Wrong codes punched in by bona fide employees, low battery signals that weren’t addressed in a timely manner, and other mistakes that prompted patrol cars and other emergency vehicles to be dispatched unnecessarily.

These codes are being enforced fully now in the US and many places in Canada – and could mean that you may need to rethink your building security system.  Or, at very least, consider a new approach to how you handle building security.  The key takeaways from The Monitoring Association Alarm Validation Scoring (AVS) Standard:

• Alarm Level 0 – No Call for Service

• Alarm Level 1 – Call for Service with limited to no additional information (Typically, this is the level associated with a motion sensor going off, without any other related information being provided.)

• Alarm Level 2 – Call for Service with confirmed or ‘highly probable’ human presence with unknown intent

• Alarm Level 3 – Call for Service with confirmed threat to property

• Alarm Level 4 – Call for Service with confirmed threat to life

Under the “new” system, all alarms start off at Level 1.  Then the monitoring agent will determine what action should be taken, based on any additional information available.

When there is audio that dispatchers can hear, or video they can see, it is easily for them to determine the threat level and know how to respond.  And how – and how quickly.  This reduces the time it takes to get the right kind of help, as well as reducing the likelihood of being charged for a false alarm response.

Without real-time verification capabilities, it’s likely there will be a longer response time… and the 30-minute average could be too late in some cases.  In most cases, it would certainly give intruders time to abscond into the night with their haul.

Not to sound alarmist (pun intended), but as the AVS codes and protocols are implemented in your area, your current alarm system may no longer provide peace of mind – and may no longer meet your insurance requirements.  At very least, it’s worth taking a little time to investigate, before a formal investigation is required.

One of our partners, Verkada, has a solution that works with cameras and other sensors to help dispatchers know whether fire, ambulance, police or no response is needed.  Its alarm offering includes professional monitoring with built-in video verification.  Other options can give first responders access to live and video footage – which can make all the difference in getting you the right help, as quickly as possible.

Verkada has a blog post, which talks about AVS-01 and what it means for your building security.

If you’d like to learn more, please contact us: [email protected] or call us at 416.429.0796 or 1.877.238.9944 (toll free).

Please note that we also are one of only two Platinum Verkada partners, and have OECM for Verkada, so we can offer you a very special rate, if interested.