Alarm Video Verification for Ontario Businesses
When your intrusion alarm trips, our operators check your cameras within seconds. If someone is there, police get a verified crime in progress with a description. If it is a false alarm, nobody is dispatched and nobody is billed.
- Meets the verified-response rules of Ontario police services
- Fewer false alarm fees and wasted keyholder trips
- Live voice warning while police are on the way
What is alarm video verification?
Traditional alarms say something happened. We tell police what is happening.
Alarm video verification means a monitoring operator checks live camera footage the moment an intrusion alarm is triggered, before anyone is dispatched. If there is a real intruder, the operator reports a verified crime to police. If the cause is harmless, the alarm is cleared and logged.
Most alarm activations are false: a door not fully closed, a balloon, an employee who forgot the code. Police services know this, which is why verified alarms are handled very differently from a plain panel signal.
Why it matters in Ontario
Police now need proof before they respond to an alarm
Several Ontario police services have moved to verified response. An alarm signal on its own is no longer enough to send officers.
Toronto Police Service
Verified response has applied since September 10, 2018. Before police are requested, there must be validation that a crime is occurring or has occurred, for example by audio, video, multiple zone activations or an eyewitness. False alarm responses can be billed.
York Regional Police
Alarm calls must be verified by audio, video or multiple activations before police are dispatched. A dispatched false alarm is billed at $240 plus HST if attended and $140 plus HST if cancelled, charged through the monitoring company.
Sources: Toronto Police Service Alarm Response Policy; York Regional Police Verified Alarm Response Program. Policies in other regions vary, and we follow the rules of the police service for your address.
Comparison
Traditional alarm monitoring vs. video-verified alarms
| Traditional alarm | Video-verified alarm | |
|---|---|---|
| Visual confirmation | None, only a zone number | Live video checked by an operator |
| Police response | May not be dispatched without verification | Reported as a verified crime in progress |
| False alarm fees | Billed when police attend a false alarm | False alarms are cleared before dispatch |
| Deterrence | Siren only | Siren plus a live voice warning |
| Evidence | Alarm log | Video clip and incident report |
How it works
How alarm video verification works
Alarm triggers
A motion sensor, door contact, glass break or beam detector sends an alarm to our centre.
Operator checks video
The cameras linked to that zone open automatically, with the clip from just before the alarm.
Voice warning
If someone is there, the operator speaks through the site speaker to stop them.
Police notified
A real intrusion is reported to police as a crime in progress, with a description.
Report sent
You get the video, the timeline and every action taken, for police and insurance.
Complete systems
Alarm and intrusion equipment we install and monitor
Video verification works best with detection at every layer, from the fence line to the doors. We work with your existing panel where possible.
Alarms and intrusion systems
- Wired and wireless intrusion panels
- Sirens and strobes for instant deterrence
- Panic buttons and duress alarms for staff
- Door contacts, glass break and vibration sensors
Perimeter detection
- Fence vibration sensors for cutting and climbing
- Infrared beam barriers across open ground
- Microwave and radar detectors for yards
- Video analytics on perimeter cameras
Who it is for
Sites where a false alarm is costly and a real one is worse
Each setup is planned around the site's layout, lighting and risk.
Construction and industrial
Large areas where a keyholder trip at 3 a.m. is expensive.
Dealerships and storage yards
High-value stock outdoors, often behind a simple fence.
Retail and warehouses
Stock inside, many doors, many possible false alarms.
Cannabis and pharmacy sites
Regulated product where every alarm needs a record.
Logistics hubs
Trailers and docks that stay loaded overnight.
Municipal facilities
Public buildings that sit empty on nights and weekends.
Why Supreme Surveillance
Why work with us
- Ontario-based operators who know each police service's verification rules
- Video from before and after the alarm, not just a live snapshot
- Direct voice-down deterrence on every verified event
- Event history and reports for every alarm, real or false
- 24/7 coverage, including holidays
Related services
Go beyond the alarm
Remote video monitoring
Catch intruders on camera before they reach a door and set off the alarm.
Learn moreVirtual guard tour
Scheduled camera patrols that find open doors and hazards between alarms.
Learn moreCase study: Northern Logistics, Brampton replaced a false-alarm-prone system and prevented $612,000 in cargo theft; one verified incident led to arrests within 8 minutes. Read the story
FAQ
Alarm video verification questions
What is a verified alarm?
A verified alarm is one where the monitoring company has confirmed a real crime or threat before asking police to attend. Verification can come from video, audio, several sensors triggering in sequence, or an eyewitness such as a guard. Video is the clearest proof because the operator can describe what they see.
Will police respond to my alarm without verification?
In areas with verified response, such as Toronto and York Region, police may not be dispatched to an unverified burglar alarm, and false alarms that are dispatched can be billed. Video verification gives police the confirmation they ask for.
How much are false alarm fees in Ontario?
It depends on the police service. York Regional Police charge $240 plus HST for an attended false alarm and $140 plus HST if it is cancelled after dispatch. Toronto Police Service can also bill for false alarms. The fee is usually charged to the monitoring company and passed on to the property owner.
Can you verify alarms on my existing alarm panel?
Usually yes, as long as you have cameras that cover the alarm zones and can be connected to our centre. We map each alarm zone to the cameras that see it, so the right video opens automatically when that zone trips.
What happens if the alarm is false?
The operator confirms there is no threat, logs the cause if it can be seen, and clears the event. If your plan asks for it, we let you know, for example when a door keeps being left unlocked. No police call is made.
Do I still need an alarm monitoring company?
We can take over alarm verification alongside your current alarm monitoring, or handle it together with our video monitoring. During the assessment we check your panel, your cameras and your current contract, and suggest the simplest setup.
Free site assessment
Get an alarm verification quote
Tell us about your alarm and cameras. We reply within one business day with a plan and monthly price.
- Toll free1-877-887-7110
- Office905-761-9992
- Emailinfo@supremesurveillance.com