Partnership for Priority Verified Alarm Response
TMA-AVS-01 Alarm Validation Scoring Standard
TMA-AVS-01 Alarm Validation Scoring Standard History
PPVAR is collaborating with TMA to create AVS-01 (the Alarm Validation Scoring Standard). As an ANSI Accredited Standards Development Organization, TMA often serves as the lead organization for the development of various standards impacting the security monitoring industry. PPVAR members continue to participate in the development of the standard, as chairs and members of the TMA AVS-01 Standards Committee and sub-committees.
About the TMA-AVS-01 Alarm Validation Scoring Standard
AVS (Alarm Validation Scoring) is an intrusion alarm classification standard. The standard defines intrusion alarms based on various threat levels and the process to determine the alarm level. This process can be done manually by a central station operator or can be adapted by automation providers or other parties for automated processing. It also includes language on communicating these classified or scored alarms to Public Safety through Emergency Communication centers (ECCs/911) as well as language regarding compliance for centrals.
There are five alarm levels:
0
Alarm Level 0
No call for police response
1
Alarm Level 1
Police response request with no or limited additional information
2
Alarm Level 2
Police response request with confirmed or ‘highly probable’ human presence with unknown intent
3
Alarm Level 3
Police response request with confirmed threat to property
4
Alarm Level 4
Police response request with confirmed threat to life
Prior to AVS-01, video, as well as other verification technologies, played a large role in better situational awareness for law enforcement. If a Central Station were to inform an ECC/911 operator there was video of the onsite presence of an unknown, or unauthorized person, police would likely respond with a higher sense of urgency, certainly with a different enhanced and informed awareness.
Following AVS-01, the key difference is that information will be passed along in a standardized format. Simply, if an unknown person that was unable to be verified by the call list is determined to be on site, that will always be reported as an Alarm Level 2. That report will include whatever added information is available that the central station operator is observing or had observed.
The benefit to the Central Stations is standardization of the observe and report elements as identified in the standard elements.
The benefit to Public Safety—including the ECCs/911 centers, and law enforcement—is improved information that can be applied to determining the levels of and logistics of response. Instead of an alarm notification that is generic without more detailed information, the AVS-01 scoring standard creates a scaled metric of observations for reporting. This process heightens what public safety refers to as actionable information. This further enhances greater credibility and confidence.
PPVAR Position
PPVAR has been instrumental in the collaboration with all stakeholders in the creation of this standard and fully supports the ratification of AVS-01 as an ANSI standard.
The AVS-01 ANSI 60-day public comment period closes on September 13th, 2022.
In line with this formal comment period, TMA’s Standards Committee has held five, stand-alone Virtual Town Hall question and answer forums for TMA members and other stakeholders. Security, monitoring, and public safety practitioners are encouraged to review the recording of a session to learn about the proposed standard.
To view the Town Hall recording, access the public comment form and see the latest on AVS-01, go to:
AVS-01 Standard Video Storyboard
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