Are false alarms costing your business time and money?
Don’t worry, with a video verification alarm system, you can pair the video footage of the security breach to an alarm system.
And here’s the interesting part – these video footage verifications are conducted by top-notch remote video monitoring centers, speeding up the verified response protocol which are mandated by authorities for swift action!
Video verification alarm systems are not just another security solution; they’re a big improvement over traditional ones. Video verification means a visual confirmation of the security threat from a remote live video monitoring center.
This means that when an alarm is triggered, the system provides real-time video footage, allowing remote operators to visually assess the situation.
This speed of detection, verification, and prompt action on security breaches is exactly what we’re all seeking, right?
This article is for you if you want to understand the workings of a video verification alarm system, why your business should consider having one, and what are the added benefits of this extra layer of security.
So first let’s find out what a video verification alarm system is.
What is a video verification alarm system?
A video verification alarm system is a combination of two processes:
- First, an alarm is triggered in response to a security breach or suspicious activity. This security breach may be caused by intrusion, smoke & fire, or loiterers.
Various methods to detect security breaches may be photoelectric beams, microphone/glass break, fence detection, PIR/IR motion detectors, microwave sensors, and door contacts.
- Next, the video feed is assessed or verified to determine whether the alarm is true or false. This verification is normally done by a third party, such as a remote operator at a remote video monitoring center.
Think of your alarm video verification system as a guardian dog. Just as a dog barks when it senses danger, the alarm goes off in a similar situation.
In response, just like a dog’s owner checks what caused the barking, security operators investigate the triggered alarm by reviewing live footage from the security cameras installed at your business premises.
This entire system of alarms triggered and verification adds another layer of security to your business and is called the video verification alarm system.
Video alarm system components:
CCTV security cameras:
The basic component of a video alarm system is the strategic placement of CCTV security cameras, sensors and motion detectors.
Remote video monitoring center:
A top-notch remote video monitoring center offers swift detection and prompt action via your connected security cameras.
When an alarm is triggered by one of your security devices, the security operators at the live remote video monitoring center verify real-time video feeds and assess whether the alarm triggered is real or fake.
Video alarm verification is when the remote operator accesses cameras to check if an alarm is real or just a false alarm. It adds a visual component to confirm if there’s a real threat.
The remote operators react to the situation by intervening through voice interventions, notifying your emergency contacts, or alerting local authorities, supplying them with precise details from the scene.
How does the video alarm verification system work?
An alarm is triggered:
When a security breach occurs, it triggers an alarm — a critical warning signal. An alarm system is like a watchman for your home or business. It has sensors that can detect things like movement, door opening, or glass break.
When these sensors notice something odd, they trigger an alarm. This warns you or a security company that something might be wrong, and action can be taken to check or stop any trouble. This alarm can be further strengthened with the integration of video verification.
Remote operators validate the alarm:
The remote operators validate the alarm by carrying out verification protocols that involve specific procedures to confirm the accuracy and legitimacy of alarms in a security system.
These include swiftly accessing the live video feeds via multiple cameras and assessing the situation. This visual alarm verification adds an extra layer of certainty to security alerts, reducing the likelihood of false alarms.
Direct intervention via voice talk-downs:
Upon conducting a visual alarm verification, the remote operators can differentiate between a fictitious alarm and an actual criminal act. Next, the remote operators react to the video by using audio talk-downs.
These are verbal warnings to deter the criminal or prompt them to call the video monitoring center to confirm their identity.
The required authorities are dispatched:
These audio interventions often deter criminal behavior, but in some cases, remote operators need to escalate their response by contacting necessary personnel or dispatching emergency services like the police or fire department.
Why does your business need a video verification alarm system:
Verified alarms reduce false alarm penalties:
A video verification alarm system is necessary because false alarms can cause delays for police and fire department personnel responding to actual emergencies.
When a video alarm is detected, it triggers a response that includes visual verification of the potential threat. This strengthens the legitimacy of the alarms.
In some cities, laws mandate that businesses must use an alarm video verification service to minimize useless and costly disruptions.
An unmonitored security system lacks verification:
The main distinction between a monitored and unmonitored security system lies in the thorough verification of alarms.
In an unmonitored system, when an alarm is set off, you may not assess the situation properly all by yourself.
Research indicates that in an unmonitored system, there is a tendency to contact authorities more frequently. This rate is particularly high for fire alarms.
According to John McKearney, chief of the Vancouver fire and rescue Service, fire crews respond to roughly 7000 false fire alarm calls annually.
Prompt police response:
The biggest benefit of alarm video verification is enhanced response time by the authorities when called for “a crime in progress”.
As mentioned before, in regions with a high false alarm rate, some law enforcement agencies implement a verified response protocol, where authorities may not dispatch without confirmation of an actual crime.
A report by Canada’s law enforcement magazine confirms that Toronto police service is changing how they respond to burglar alarms.
Instead of automatically going to an alarm just because a monitoring station asked them to, they will now require some kind of verification that a break-in is actually happening.
York regional police also follow a verified alarm response and have seen a significant drop in false alarms.
Out of a yearly total of 5,000 alarms that were not confirmed, 99.5 percent were found to be false, resulting in 4,000 hours gone wasted of officers responding to false alarms.
Why rely on a top-notch remote video monitoring center for video verification alarm system
1. Uptime monitoring of infrastructure:
Uptime monitoring of infrastructure is a key aspect of the remote video monitoring center’s responsibilities. It regularly monitors the health, functionality, and performance of all your systems and applications.
These regular checks ensure that the system operates smoothly and does not generate false alarms. If there is any anomaly in your security infrastructure, you can receive notifications via SMS or email.
2. Direct intervention in security incidents:
Video alarm monitoring provides real-time visual feedback, so remote operators can intervene in the situation directly.
This system can issue verbal warnings to intruders. It also offers two-way communication for instant confirmation or clarification of incidents.
3. Customized solutions for enhanced accuracy:
Remote video monitoring systems offer customized solutions based on the specific needs and characteristics of your business.
The video verification system will be different for condos, retail setups, cannabis, or automotive dealerships. Tailoring the system to your unique requirements will improve the accuracy.
Real-life example of video verification alarm system vs the traditional alarm system:
Now, to emphasize our point a little more, let’s take a real-life example of how the verification alarm system outsmarts traditional security systems in the following aspects:
Imagine receiving an alert on your phone notifying you of a potential intrusion at the parking lot. The traditional alarm system has detected an intrusion, triggering the alarm.
Considering it’s 2:00 AM, the probability of a false alarm caused by a stray cat or other environmental factors is also high.
In this case, with the traditional alarm system, you face a dilemma. Do you ignore the alert, assuming it’s a false alarm, or do you make the effort to travel to the parking lot to investigate? The lack of visual confirmation makes it challenging to assess the situation accurately.
Video Verification Alarm System:
Now, consider the same scenario with a video verification alarm system. You receive an alert, but this time, the notification includes a live video feed from the parking lot. You immediately see the source of the motion – a stray cat roaming around the area.
Furthermore, if you are using the services of a security operations center, the trained remote operator is already on the case, assessing the situation through various live camera feeds.
The video verification system eliminates the uncertainty associated with traditional alarms.
In this real-life example, the video verification system proves its value. It saves you a trip to the parking lot and protects you from false alarm penalties.
Additionally, it provides a more accurate assessment through visual confirmations.
Alarm video verification recap:
Conclusion:
The video verification alarm system pairs triggered alarms with live video feeds, reducing false alarm penalties and prompting swift police responses.
The video verification alarm system is elevating security measures across diverse industries, including but not limited to automotive dealerships, retail stores, and more.
Contact us today for a customized video verification alarm system for your business.
