GC SurgeDocsReceive an alarm
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Receive an alarm

GC Surge receives alarms from your cameras automatically once they are connected. This article explains how alarms flow into the platform, where to find them, and how to act on the first one.

How an alarm reaches GC Surge

  1. A camera detects motion and sends an event to GC Surge (via SMTP, REST API, or FTP — configured during device setup).
  2. NOVA99x analyses the event and classifies it as real or a false positive.
  3. Real alarms appear in the Alarm Center and are routed to an available operator.
  4. The operator reviews the alarm in ZenMode and closes it with a closure tag.

As a Super Admin — monitor incoming alarms

  1. Click Alarm Center in the left sidebar.
  2. Open the LIVE ALARMS tab to see real-time alarm activity.
  3. Each alarm card shows: site name, camera name, timestamp, alarm type, and snapshot.
  4. Use the filters (site, date range, operator, result) to narrow down the view.
  5. The Sites with Unattended Open Alarms table shows sites that have open alarms but no operator currently assigned to them.

For the full alarm table, filter options, and KPI breakdown, see .

As an Operator — process alarms in ZenMode

  1. Click Start Shift to go on duty. The Sites with Unattended Open Alarms table appears, showing sites that need coverage.
  2. Click the assign icon next to a site to take it. ZenMode opens and alarm cards start loading automatically.
  3. Each alarm card shows the site name, camera name, snapshot, and timestamp. Review the image carefully.
  4. Mark the alarm using the verification buttons: real if a genuine security event, or false positive if not.
  5. Close the alarm by selecting a closure tag that describes the outcome (e.g. Intruder confirmed, False alarm — animal).
  6. The next alarm loads automatically. Continue until the queue is clear.

For the full ZenMode interface and alarm actions, see and .

Confirm alarms are flowing after setup

After connecting a new camera, use these three checks to confirm alarms are reaching GC Surge correctly:

  1. Video Search — events from the new camera should appear here. This is the fastest way to confirm the alarm pipeline is working.
  2. Home Dashboard — KPI metrics (alarms received, APT, CPO) should update to reflect activity from the new site.
  3. Alarm Center — LIVE ALARMS — the new site should appear in the list once the first real alarm arrives.

If no alarms appear after 10–15 minutes, check that the camera status in Configuration shows Active and that alarm forwarding credentials are correctly entered in the camera’s settings. See for setup steps.

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