Alarm.com In-APP Cancel or Verify feature
The New Alarm.com Cancel/Verify gives the opportunity for users to respond to alarm events directly and to communicate to a monitoring station when the cause might be accidental or a real emergency. This feature is added to all Alarm.com customer with interactive services. If you wish to opt-out of the Cancel/Verify feature please email Service@AdvancedSecurityLLC.com and include your Name, Address and password along with your desire to Opt-out of this feature.
Important: Cancel/Verify only appears when the panel has registered that sensors have been tripped and the system is in an alarm state.
To cancel an alarm using the Customer app:
- When the system is in alarm, log into the Customer app.
- Use the Time Remaining to quickly review video cameras or communicate with those at home.
- Press and hold Cancel Alarm for three seconds.
- A confirmation screen will pop-up to let users know the signal has been canceled.
To verify an alarm using the Customer app:
- When the system is in alarm, log into the Customer app.
- Use the Time Remaining to quickly review video cameras or communicate with those at home.
- Press and hold Verify Alarm for three seconds.
- A confirmation screen will pop-up to let users know the signal has been confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
Why use Cancel/Verify?
The Cancel/Verify monitoring station supported feature has the potential to help reduce the number of accidental alarm dispatches made each year. A user can quickly resolve an alarm situation with the press of a button if the cause is known, accidental or emergency.
Additionally, accidental dispatches can result in fines at all levels of accountability: users, dealer, and monitoring stations. Not to mention distracting emergency personnel from potential real emergencies. With the press of a button and without needing to wait for a call from a monitoring station, an entire situation can be resolved saving time and money.
When can Cancel/Verify be used?
Whenever an alarm is triggered at the home location and the entry delay timer has elapsed, the alarm signal will be sent to the monitoring station, and the Cancel/Verify card will appear in the Alarm.com app. Cancel/Verify appears for all alarm events but will not appear in the app outside of an alarm event.
How long is Cancel/Verify active during an alarm?
Cancel/Verify will remain active in the Alarm.com app until 2 minutes past the alarm signal was sent.
What does the two minute counter represent?
The two minutes is the estimated amount of time for a monitoring station to receive, process, act on, and dispatch based on an alarm signal or event. Response times vary between monitoring stations so a user’s signal may be sent after dispatch has occurred while still in the two minute Cancel/Verify window. Monitoring stations will still receive the signal if sent before the time has elapsed and may adjust their response accordingly. This time varies between monitoring stations. Contact the monitoring station account rep to learn how they handle Cancel/Verify.
Are alarm signals held until a Cancel/Verify button is pressed?
No. All alarm signals still send as expected and no communications are inhibited in any way. The user is able to interact with the Cancel/Verify buttons once the signal has been sent to and received by the monitoring station.
What happens when users press a button?
When users press and hold either False Alarm or Confirm Alarm, a signal is sent from the Alarm.com app through Alarm.com’s backend to the monitoring station and communicates the selection. Depending at what stage the monitoring station is at with handling the original alarm signal, the selection may resolve situational concerns or may help influence post-dispatch communications between the monitoring station and the emergency personnel.
When pressing False Alarm, a disarm signal is also sent to the panel indicating a safe environment, similar to disarming directly at the panel.
Note: The disarm command in the Event History will list from which login name the disarm was sent.
Why is there a five minute refresh period?
It is likely that alarms triggered within a five minute period are linked to the same situation. Monitoring Stations will still receive all alarms as expected, and the Cancel/Verify signal will provide a contextual clue to the cause/urgency, and the reps will interpret for the scenario based on the signal sent from the user. The monitoring station may deem within their own protocol to still call in any situation as a follow-up, each monitoring station is individually consulted prior to providing support for the features.
