The Manitou Alarm Handling Options cover all features related to processing alarms in Manitou.
Action Pattern Call List Format
Call List contacts display either by name only or Name and Job Title. This is most often displayed with just their name. However, some operations, often proprietary or educational operations prefer to also include the person's title to ensure proper notifications and communications.
Alarm handling mode
This option allows you to select whether Alarm Handling status is activated only in Alarm Handling, or in both Alarm Handling and the Alarm Queue.
- Alarm Handling status ONLY in Alarm Handling form notes the user is only considered an active alarm handler when the alarm form is active on their screen.
- Alarm Handling and Alarm Queue notes that the operator is considered handling alarms when EITHER the Alarm form or the Alarm Queue is open.
Alarm Notifications
This option allows you to select how Operators get notified when an Alarm arrives and what kind of Operator acknowledgement is required. The options are:
- Pop-up Dialog - RECOMMENDED - Displays all alarm related notifications in a dialog box.
- Ribbon (Acknowledgement is Optional) - Flashes the values on the ribbon bar.
- Ribbon (Acknowledge Notification Before Next Action) - Flashes the items on the ribbon bar but will not allow the alarm operator to take actions until they load and acknowledge those items.
- Ribbon (Acknowledge Notification Before Closing Alarm) - Flashes the items on the ribbon bar, allows alarm processing, but will not allow alarm closure until all are reviewed and acknowledged.
Bold recommends the Pop-up dialog because the key information displays to the operator in front of them as the alarm loads and allows the user to suppress items such as runaway additional alarm notifications. While the Ribbon display is useful for large operations, medium and smaller organizations have found pop-up to work best to ensure that opearators pay attention to the messages presented in alarm processing.
Alarm queue display style
The options for display style are "Detailed" and "Summary by Master Customer". The detailed option displays all active alarms for a particular Monitoring Group. The summary option shows one Alarm per Master Customer.
Alarm queue event color scheme
The options for the color scheme are "Default", "Age-Based", and "Event-Based".
- Age-based - (DEFAULT) This displays the Alarm Queue in the color style defined in the Manitou CS Alarm Queue color options.
- Event-based - This displays the Alarm Queue differentiating the events by the Alarm color defined in Event Codes for each event
- It adds an LED indicator to the alarm queue grid to show aging based on the Manitou CS Alarm Queue color options.
All action pattern commands are optional
Each operation has a standard for processing alarms. Some are more relaxed as to when and how operators process the action patterns on their events. Here are the options:
- "None are Required" - No action Pattern lines must be completed to close the alarm.
- "All are Required" - ALL action pattern lines require completion in order to close the alarm.
- "Required, if Action Pattern Detail is set" - Action Pattern items receive a flag that alarm action pattern piece MUST be completed to close the alarm. This is configured in the Action pattern creation. This is preferred when using Enhanced Action Patterns.
Allow Autoclient to close alarms that have "system ignored" actions
Selecting No means that Alarms with "system ignored" actions are deferred back to the Operator. This essentially disables the ability for the auto-client to close an alarm with no usable, thereby "system ignored", actions despite the presence of the Close action.
Allow Operator validated pre-cancels
This otpion, whe set to Yes, allows Operator password validation for pre-cancels. This means that an operator MAY use their own user password to create a Pre-canceling events that can prevent processing alarms for a short period of time.
This is NOT recommended. Pre-cancel of events should be authorized by the end customers.
Allow operator-validated temporary schedule changes
This otpion, when set to Yes, allows Operator password validation for making changes to the customer schedules. This means that an operator MAY use their own user password to create a Temproary schedule events that can prevent processing alarms.
This is NOT recommended. Schedule changes should be authorized by the end customers.
Authority References
Bold recommends all three of these values are set to Yes. These values determine if the Authority Contact dialog dispalys while handling alarms.
- Ask for Fire Reference
- Ask for Medical Reference
- Ask for Police Reference
Auto Dial Auto-Dialer
Selecting "Yes" results in the system automatically initiating a call in the Auto-Dialer without Operator intervention. This value depends on the phone system integration with Manitou.
Auto-client continues processing alarm even if maintenance issues exist for account
When there are Maintenance Issues linked to the alarm customer, this option chooses if the automatic actions available in the Aciton Pattern may continue or an operator must look at the alarm first.
We recommend selecting Yes to ensure the Auto-client may continue to process the alarm actions.
Automatically transfer two-way audio call
When two-way calls are available for an alarm operator, this option determines if the call is transferred automatically or the operator must select accept the call to make the transfer. Business practices determine which value is most effective for the operation.
- Yes transfers two-way audio associated with an Alarm to the Operator's extension upon alarm arrival.
- No prompts the operator to transfer the call to their workstation.
Batch Cancel System Comment
This is a standard note that is added to the alarm activity when Bulk clearing of alarms from the Alarm queue.
For Example, "This event closed through a Batch Cancel." This appends to the alarm activity for any events closed through batch cancel from the alarm queue.
Call attempt count
This option defines the minimum number of failed call attempts before the Operator is prompted to determine if the action is complete. Business standards determine this value.
Call List Must Contact
When set to Yes, any persons within a Call List with the value of "Must Contact" require notification or override in order to close the alarm.
Check for audio alarms in alarm handling
When set to Yes, the system checks for audio alarms associated with same account in alarm handling. If audio alarms are available, the user receives a prompt offering the abiltiy to switch to the audio alarm for processing.
Default PSAP Service
The option defines the default number lookup system to be employed by PSAP. This requires licensing for PSAP.
Disable Auto Exit of VCC
The Video Control Center (VCC) displays video for alarm operators related to the alarm they are processing. The default behavior is to exit the VCC when the operator defers or suspends the alarm related to the VCC display. When set to Yes, this adds a prompt asking if the VCC should or should not remain open when defering or suspending the alarm.
Disable Auto-Purge of Pre-Cancel
When users create Pre-cancel records, the Purge time out determines how long that record stays in the Pre-cancel list. This option when set to Yes, turns this off and the only way to remove a pre-cancel is from the customer's pre-cancel values.
Disable prompting the user to send contact extension when auto-dialing
Depending on the phone system used to auto-dial in alarm handling, this option determines if the auto-dialer should prompt the operator to send the extension number run automatically based on the phone dialing rules. Yes means that if a contact's phone number contains an extension, the system will not display the usual message box prompting the Operator to send the extension as part of the phone call.
Duress Code Policy
The Duress Code Policy is a text-entry field. This value displays when an operator validates a named duress code from a user in Manitou. An example of this value is: "You verified the Duress code. Thank the Customer. Hang up. Dispatch Immediately."
Force password validation if last Operator is logging off in Monitoring group
When the last person within an alarm Monitoring Group extis the group the system generates a warning that they are the last person within that group. Depending on the overflow options this may be acceptable. However, if the user is exiting out of all groups, there would be no persons available to handle alarms. When this value is set to Yes the system prompts the Operator for their password showing that they are knowingly exiting out as the last member of a Monitoring Group.
Maximum number of call list levels
This option determines how many nested call lists the Signal Handler will attempt to find the active call list before the system will stop. This prevents potential recursive loops that can break a database. It is fine to leave this at the default installed value.
Maximum open alarms
When alarms are processing alarms, this option defines how many active Alarm forms an Operator may have open at the same time.
Monitoring group overflow allowed
When an operation uses Monitoring Groups, this option determines if the alarms should remain within that specific group or allow for the alarm flagged for that monitoring group may present back into the primary Monitoring Group for management. When set to Yes, this option determines that any unattended Monitoring groups send their alarms back to the Primary Monitoring Group (Monitoring Group 0).
See Monitoring Groupsfor more information related to overflow.
Off-test warning
This option defines the number of minutes after an expired On Test event before the system warns the Operator that the Customer was recently On Test. This ONLY applies to On Test values that EXPIRE, not those returned to service by alarm operators or technicians.
Require comments when closing an alarm
This option, when set to Yes, forces Operators to enter comments prior to closing any Alarm. Often alarm operations will enter comments throughout the process of alarm handling, therefore, this may not be as important as edit comments.
Require resolution code when closing an alarm
This option, when set to Yes, forces Operators to enter a Resolution Code prior to closing an Alarm.
Schedule Change Requirements by Type
This enables the Extend Schedule features based on the selected types.
The Required column, selects the types of Events for which the system may require a Temporary Schedule change. This value enables the Extend schedule feature within alarm processing.
The Warning column, enter the maximum number of hours the Temporary Schedule change may last. If exceeded, the system generates a warning to the Operator. The maximum duration is 23 hours. If set to 0 hours, the system will not generate an Operator warning.
Schedule Change to be Applied to All Schedules
This option, when set to Yes, applies an Alarm Handling quick schedule change to all other schedules on the alarm's record.
Stop waiting for Email, Fax, Pager, and SMS Publisher response
This option, when set to Yes, allows operators to continue processing their alarm actions, without forcing them to wait until the publisher returns the value of success, or failure, for sent emails, sms messages, faxes, pages, and the like, to continue.
UL warning text
This option defines the text that automatically displays to operators when they load an alarm for a UL Customer. See the Script Messages for details when creating this for use on this option.