What is an alarm verification feature?

An alarm verification feature is designed specifically to reduce false alarms in fire alarm systems. This feature typically requires a secondary action or confirmation before the alarm is fully activated or reported to the monitoring service. It serves as a safeguard to ensure that the alarm response is warranted, thereby minimizing unnecessary disruptions and false alerts that can occur due to transient conditions, such as low-level smoke or dust.

For example, in a system equipped with this feature, if a smoke detector is triggered, the system may wait briefly to see if the alarm continues or may require a second detector to confirm the presence of smoke before notifying the monitoring station or activating full evacuation procedures. This approach not only alleviates the burden on emergency services but also helps maintain the credibility of the alarm system over time, as frequent false alarms can lead to desensitization among users and responders.