Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Alarm Validation Scoring (AVS) is transforming how security systems and emergency services work together. Developed by The Monitoring Association (TMA), AVS standardizes how alarms are classified based on their severity, enabling faster, more accurate responses to real threats.
Why is this important?
False alarms have become a massive problem, with 95% of alarm responses in the U.S. proving unnecessary. These false alarms overwhelm police, delay responses to genuine emergencies, and lead to expensive fines for businesses. Video verification is gaining traction in many states as a solution, but AVS goes further by offering a scalable, standardized approach that tackles the root of the problem. In this article, we’ll explain how AVS works, its benefits for public safety, and why it’s quickly becoming essential for modern alarm systems.
Why is this important?
False alarms have become a massive problem, with 95% of alarm responses in the U.S. proving unnecessary. These false alarms overwhelm police, delay responses to genuine emergencies, and lead to expensive fines for businesses. Video verification is gaining traction in many states as a solution, but AVS goes further by offering a scalable, standardized approach that tackles the root of the problem. In this article, we’ll explain how AVS works, its benefits for public safety, and why it’s quickly becoming essential for modern alarm systems.
What is The Alarm Validation Scoring Standard (AVS-01)?
The Alarm Validation Scoring Standard (AVS-01) is a framework created by The Monitoring Association (TMA) to improve how alarms are classified and communicated. This standard provides a consistent method for scoring alarms based on their severity, helping monitoring centers and emergency services prioritize responses more effectively. The Alarm Validation Scoring Standard (AVS-01) was introduced earlier in 2023 and while its adoption is voluntary, many major central monitoring stations across the U.S. have already started implementing it, and it’s quickly moving toward universal use. AVS-01 emphasizes verification. Real-time data—like video or audio evidence—is used to validate alarms and determine their severity. This approach reduces false alarms, streamlines communication, and ensures that public safety resources are used efficiently.
AVS-01 categorizes alarms into five levels, ranging from Level 0 (no response required) to Level 4 (imminent threat to life). Each level reflects the urgency and type of threat involved, with higher levels triggering faster and more resource-intensive responses. This system gives first responders a clearer understanding of the situation before arriving, enabling better decision-making and safer outcomes.
With AVS-01 quickly gaining adoption across North America, it’s setting a new standard for alarm monitoring and response, making it a crucial element for businesses and monitoring centers aiming to improve their security systems.
Some of the major cities in both Canada and the US where verification is required include:
AVS-01 categorizes alarms into five levels, ranging from Level 0 (no response required) to Level 4 (imminent threat to life). Each level reflects the urgency and type of threat involved, with higher levels triggering faster and more resource-intensive responses. This system gives first responders a clearer understanding of the situation before arriving, enabling better decision-making and safer outcomes.
With AVS-01 quickly gaining adoption across North America, it’s setting a new standard for alarm monitoring and response, making it a crucial element for businesses and monitoring centers aiming to improve their security systems.
Some of the major cities in both Canada and the US where verification is required include:
- New York City
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- Dallas
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Toronto
- Edmonton
- Winnipeg
- Calgary
How does The Alarm Validation Scoring Standard (AVS-01) work?
Here’s a breakdown of the five AVS-01 alarm levels:
Level 0: No Call for Service
The alarm is canceled, or there is no evidence of a threat. No response is required.
Level 1: Minimal Information
The alarm was triggered, but no additional evidence (e.g., video or audio) is available to confirm a threat. A call for service may be made, but it is treated as low priority.
Level 2: Human Presence Detected
Evidence, such as video or audio, indicates a person is on the property, but their intent is unclear. This level prompts a higher-priority response.
Level 3: Confirmed Threat to Property
Evidence confirms a legitimate threat to property, such as a break-in or vandalism. This level demands a prompt response from emergency services.
Level 4: Confirmed Threat to Life Evidence confirms an immediate danger to human life. This is the highest-priority alarm, requiring an urgent response with full resources.
Each alarm starts at Level 1, with operators escalating or de-escalating the level based on real-time data such as video feeds, audio recordings, or eyewitness accounts. This ensures that emergency services are provided with the most accurate and actionable information, reducing response times and improving public safety outcomes.
Level 0: No Call for Service
The alarm is canceled, or there is no evidence of a threat. No response is required.
Level 1: Minimal Information
The alarm was triggered, but no additional evidence (e.g., video or audio) is available to confirm a threat. A call for service may be made, but it is treated as low priority.
Level 2: Human Presence Detected
Evidence, such as video or audio, indicates a person is on the property, but their intent is unclear. This level prompts a higher-priority response.
Level 3: Confirmed Threat to Property
Evidence confirms a legitimate threat to property, such as a break-in or vandalism. This level demands a prompt response from emergency services.
Level 4: Confirmed Threat to Life Evidence confirms an immediate danger to human life. This is the highest-priority alarm, requiring an urgent response with full resources.
Each alarm starts at Level 1, with operators escalating or de-escalating the level based on real-time data such as video feeds, audio recordings, or eyewitness accounts. This ensures that emergency services are provided with the most accurate and actionable information, reducing response times and improving public safety outcomes.
The importance of verification
Verification is the cornerstone of effective alarm management. Without it, monitoring centers and emergency services are left guessing about the nature of a triggered alarm, leading to unnecessary deployments or missed opportunities to address real threats. Verification—whether through video, audio, or other real-time evidence—bridges the gap between uncertainty and action.
For businesses, verification isn’t just about improved security—it’s also about saving money. Many jurisdictions impose steep fines for repeated false alarms, with some cities even suspending police response for frequent offenders. Verification helps prevent these costly mistakes by validating alarms before dispatch, ensuring only credible threats trigger a response.
By leveraging real-time video feeds, audio clips, or sensor data, monitoring centers can assign appropriate alarm levels and give first responders a clearer picture of the situation. This precision allows emergency teams to allocate resources efficiently, prioritize critical incidents, and reduce the risk of harm during responses. In short, verification transforms alarm systems from reactive tools to proactive solutions.
For businesses, verification isn’t just about improved security—it’s also about saving money. Many jurisdictions impose steep fines for repeated false alarms, with some cities even suspending police response for frequent offenders. Verification helps prevent these costly mistakes by validating alarms before dispatch, ensuring only credible threats trigger a response.
By leveraging real-time video feeds, audio clips, or sensor data, monitoring centers can assign appropriate alarm levels and give first responders a clearer picture of the situation. This precision allows emergency teams to allocate resources efficiently, prioritize critical incidents, and reduce the risk of harm during responses. In short, verification transforms alarm systems from reactive tools to proactive solutions.
How to be AVS-compliant with Solink Video Alarms
Given the severity of false alarms and the rapid adoption of AVS by major cities, providers like Solink are leading the way in eliminating false alarms with video-assisted alarm technology, helping businesses meet AVS compliance.
Solink Video Alarms turns ordinary security cameras into reliable video-based alarm systems. It automatically detects, records, verifies, and alerts on unauthorized motion inside and outside a property during scheduled hours, as part of Solink’s comprehensive video security and analytics platform. Our platform uses video evidence to help monitoring centers assign proper alarm levels, escalating to Level 3 or Level 4 when threats to property or life are confirmed. With Solink, businesses can meet AVS requirements today without reinvesting in expensive alarm equipment.
Solink Video Alarms turns ordinary security cameras into reliable video-based alarm systems. It automatically detects, records, verifies, and alerts on unauthorized motion inside and outside a property during scheduled hours, as part of Solink’s comprehensive video security and analytics platform. Our platform uses video evidence to help monitoring centers assign proper alarm levels, escalating to Level 3 or Level 4 when threats to property or life are confirmed. With Solink, businesses can meet AVS requirements today without reinvesting in expensive alarm equipment.
Shareable video alerts
Solink equips any run-of-the-mill security camera with monitoring software, enabling monitoring agents or business owners to see what’s happening the moment an alarm is triggered through motion, which can easily be shared with dispatch to give police and other responders a clear picture of the situation before they arrive, improving response times and safety. This context ensures alarms can be escalated quickly and accurately when real threats are present.Intelligent verification
Solink takes a verification-first approach by using your existing cameras to create intelligent monitoring zones, eliminating the need for traditional motion sensors. Our AI analyzes camera footage to detect when a person or vehicle enters these zones, saving each motion trigger as an alarm event. Alerts are then sent for human verification—whether self-monitored, handled by your security team, or managed by a third-party agency. This method ensures every alarm is backed by real evidence, drastically reducing false alarms and delivering a smarter, more reliable security solution.Cost-effective integration
The beauty of our platform is that we leverage cameras already installed as alarm sensors. There’s no need to buy additional motion detectors or purchase new cameras. Everything—from monitoring to alerts to scheduling—is managed through our VMS and saved in the cloud for easy remote access. By prioritizing verification through tools like video and analytics, Solink helps businesses navigate a security landscape plagued by false alarms and outdated hardware. This fragmented ecosystem has overwhelmed police resources, making swift responses to real threats increasingly difficult.
The AVS-01 standard was developed to bring clarity and focus, ensuring police resources are used effectively. As AVS rapidly becomes an industry standard, Solink empowers businesses to adhere to these guidelines and improve security today—leveraging existing cameras without the need to reinvest in costly new hardware. This approach not only enhances emergency response but also builds trust with law enforcement, reduces liability, and keeps people and property safer.
The AVS-01 standard was developed to bring clarity and focus, ensuring police resources are used effectively. As AVS rapidly becomes an industry standard, Solink empowers businesses to adhere to these guidelines and improve security today—leveraging existing cameras without the need to reinvest in costly new hardware. This approach not only enhances emergency response but also builds trust with law enforcement, reduces liability, and keeps people and property safer.
