Brinks Home, one of North America’s major home security and alarm monitoring companies, announced that its Monitoring Centres have earned UL certification for Alarm Validation Scoring (AVS-01).
With only a handful of certified companies, it marks a significant advancement in alarm verification practices, and through Brinks Home’s achievement, the certification reinforces the company’s commitment to improving emergency response and reducing false alarms.
The AVS-01 certification
Designed by TMA, the AVS-01 is a framework for alarm validation scoring
The AVS-01 certification comes at a time when the security industry is grappling with the growing challenge of false alarms, which place unnecessary strain on Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs) and local law enforcement.
Designed by The Monitoring Association (TMA), the AVS-01 is a framework for alarm validation scoring that provides ECCs with the information needed to accurately assess the severity of an alarm and pass that information to the appropriate authorities before they arrive on-site.
Brinks Home categorise alarms with specific threat levels
With this scoring standard, monitoring centers like Brinks Home can categorize alarms with specific threat levels — from no threat to a confirmed threat to life — ensuring law enforcement understands the situation and can respond accordingly.
“Accuracy in security monitoring is critical to ensure the most effective response to an alarm,” said Rick Sheets, Vice President of Monitoring and Compliance at Brinks Home, adding “Through the AVS-01 certification, we can provide ECCs with the most accurate information possible, reducing false alarms and improving safety for everyone involved.”
Brinks Home adopts the necessary technology
To achieve this certification, Brinks Home adopted the necessary technology in its monitoring systems
To achieve this certification, Brinks Home adopted the necessary technology in its monitoring systems and underwent a UL audit for compliance.
The process also involved integrating new workflows into the monitoring platform, training Emergency Dispatch Operators (EDOs) to gather and score information accurately, and implementing a quality assurance program to ensure adherence to the new standards.
The AVS-01 certification is a new development in the security industry, and Brinks Home’s certification underscores the company’s dedication to innovation and customer safety.
Brinks Home explores advanced verification methods
As technology evolves, Brinks Home is exploring advanced verification methods, including video monitoring and AI recognition, in order to further enhance alarm assessment. The AVS-01 system will continue to refine alarm prioritisation, aiming for police to respond to the most critical alarms first with more accurate information to make better decisions and improve emergency response.
Brinks Home remains committed to leveraging new technologies to reduce false alarms, enhance safety, and provide greater peace of mind for homeowners.
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