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Alarm Prioritization

Ensure critical events receive immediate attention through tiered prioritization and intelligent routing.

Overview​

Not all alarms are created equal. GCXONE prioritization ensures that life-safety events (Fire, Panic) always appear at the top of the operator queue, ahead of low-priority events like technical faults or scheduled heartbeats. The system uses a sophisticated multi-level priority system with visual indicators and automatic sorting for efficient triage.

Priority Tiers​

The GCXONE alarm prioritization system uses four distinct priority levels:

  • Priority 1 (Critical): Fire, Panic, Burglary in progress. Immediate operator intervention required. These alarms appear at the top of the queue with red indicators.
  • Priority 2 (High): Line crossing in restricted areas, known trespassers, intrusion detection in armed zones. High-priority alarms are color-coded orange/yellow.
  • Priority 3 (Medium): Motion detection in standard areas, suspicious activity, environmental alerts. Medium-priority alarms appear with standard indicators.
  • Priority 4 (Low): Technical faults, battery alerts, communication heartbeats, routine maintenance notifications. Low-priority alarms are visually de-emphasized.

Event Grouping and Severity Routing​

GCXONE groups related alarms into a single Event to provide operators with comprehensive context. For example, if a motion sensor triggers at the same time a door contact is breached, the system groups them into one Event.

Severity-Based Sorting​

Alarms are sorted in the queue by:

  • Priority Level: Critical alarms always appear first
  • Timestamp: Within the same priority, newest alarms appear first (or oldest, depending on configuration)
  • Site Status: Alarms from armed sites are automatically elevated in priority
  • Device Type: Life-safety devices (fire, panic) are prioritized over routine monitoring

Configuration In Talos​

1. Alarm Code Priority Assignment​

Assign a priority level to each unique alarm code in the Talos configuration:

  1. Navigate to Talos CMS Configuration
  2. Select Alarm Codes or Event Types
  3. For each alarm code, assign a priority level (1-4)
  4. Configure dynamic priority rules based on site status

2. Dynamic Prioritization​

Alarms can be dynamically re-prioritized based on contextual factors:

  • Site Arming Status: A "Motion" alarm becomes Priority 1 if the site is in "Armed" mode
  • Time of Day: Configure different priorities for business hours vs. after-hours
  • Zone Configuration: Restricted zones automatically elevate alarm priority
  • Device Health: Technical alarms from critical devices may be elevated

3. Queue Sorting Configuration​

The Talos Alarm Queue is automatically sorted by:

  1. Priority level (Critical → High → Medium → Low)
  2. Urgency (time since arrival)
  3. Site importance (if configured)
  4. Operator assignment status

4. Workspace-Based Routing​

Operators can be assigned to specific Workspaces to route high-priority alarms to specialist teams:

  • Language-Specific Workspaces: Route alarms to operators fluent in specific languages
  • Expertise-Based Routing: Route technical alarms to technical specialists
  • Geographic Routing: Route alarms to operators familiar with specific regions

Visual Indicators​

The alarm queue uses color-coding and icons to indicate priority:

  • 🔴 Red: Critical priority (Priority 1)
  • 🟠 Orange: High priority (Priority 2)
  • 🟡 Yellow: Medium priority (Priority 3)
  • ⚪ Gray: Low priority (Priority 4)

Best Practices​

Priority Assignment Guidelines​

  • Life-Safety First: Always prioritize fire, panic, and medical emergencies as Critical
  • Context Matters: Consider site type, time of day, and arming status when assigning priorities
  • Avoid Over-Prioritization: If too many events are marked as "Critical," the queue becomes cluttered, defeating the purpose of prioritization
  • Regular Review: Periodically review your priority mappings to ensure they reflect the evolving security needs of the customer

Queue Management​

  • Monitor Queue Depth: Keep an eye on the number of unassigned alarms in each priority tier
  • Balance Workload: Distribute high-priority alarms across available operators
  • Use Auto-Feed: Enable automatic assignment for high-priority alarms to ensure rapid response
  • Escalation Rules: Configure automatic escalation if high-priority alarms remain unassigned

Need Help?​

If you're experiencing issues, check our Troubleshooting Guide or contact support.