How alarm monitoring works for commercial buildings
A plain guide for business owners and property managers in Alberta and BC.
The quick answer
When a monitored alarm goes off, the panel sends a signal to a monitoring centre. The operator follows your written response plan: checking the zone, calling your contacts in order and, when needed, dispatching police. Adding cameras lets the operator see the area first, which cuts down false alarms.
What happens when an alarm goes off
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. A sensor trips | A door contact, motion sensor or glass-break sensor triggers the alarm. |
| 2. The panel reports | The alarm panel sends the zone and alarm type to the monitoring centre. |
| 3. The operator checks | The operator sees which zone tripped, and video if cameras are connected. |
| 4. Your plan is followed | Your contacts are called in order, and police are dispatched where the plan says so. |
| 5. It’s logged | Every alarm, call and action is recorded for follow-up. |
Phone line, internet or cellular
Older panels report over a phone line. Most new systems report over the internet, with a cellular communicator as the main path or as a backup, so the alarm still reports if a line is cut or the internet goes down. We check how your panel reports during the site walk.
Video-verified alarms
When cameras are connected, the operator can see what tripped the alarm before calling anyone. With remote video monitoring through our monitoring partner, the cameras themselves can be watched live and people warned off through a speaker. See video verification in the glossary.
Your call list and response plan
Keep the call list current: who is called, in what order, and who can cancel an alarm. Decide when police should be dispatched and when a keyholder should check first. Out-of-date lists are one of the most common reasons alarms go unanswered.
Cutting false alarms
Most false alarms come from user mistakes, doors left open, sensors in the wrong place or old equipment. Good zone planning, the right sensor for each space, user training and regular testing fix most of them. Check whether your municipality has false alarm rules or fees.
Alarm not working right now?
If your alarm won’t arm, keeps going off or has stopped reporting, our 24/7 emergency service can help.
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Stuck with a system nobody will fix?
We repair and take over cameras, access control, intercoms and alarms installed by other companies, when your current provider has fallen short.
Questions
Who watches our alarm?
A monitoring centre watches it around the clock and follows your written response plan.
Does the monitoring centre call police right away?
It depends on your plan. Many businesses ask for their contacts to be called first, with police dispatched for confirmed alarms or certain zones.
Does our alarm need a phone line?
No. Most new systems report over the internet, with a cellular communicator as the main path or as a backup.
What is a video-verified alarm?
An alarm where the operator can see camera video of the area before calling anyone, so false alarms are filtered out.
Can you connect monitoring to the alarm we already have?
Often, yes. We check the panel and how it reports, then connect it to monitoring or recommend an upgrade.
How do we reduce false alarms?
Plan zones carefully, use the right sensor for each space, train users, keep the call list current and test the system regularly.
Do we get admin access?
Yes. We hand over admin access and full documentation on every project.
More answers: Alarm questionsGlossary: alarm monitoringglass-break sensor
Get an alarm quote
Tell us about the building and the alarm you have now, if any. We’ll follow up to book a site visit.
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