The false alarm filter checks every alarm before an operator sees it.
Who it is for: Admins and shift supervisors.
Watch:
The false alarm filter checks every alarm that GC Surge receives, using the pictures of the alarm. It gives each alarm one of two results:
Result | Meaning | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
Real alarm | The pictures show a person or a moving vehicle. | The alarm goes to the queue and then to an operator. |
False alarm | The pictures show no person and no moving vehicle, for example moving plants, rain, light changes or animals. | The alarm is filtered. It is stored, but no operator sees it and it is not forwarded as a confirmed alarm. |
Rules that always apply
The false alarm filter works without settings from your side. There is nothing to train and nothing to switch on per camera. You influence the result with the following.
What | Where | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Picture quality | On the camera | The false alarm filter and the operator decide from the pictures. Clean lens, enough light at night, a sensible camera angle and pictures attached to every alarm give better results. |
Detection on the camera | On the camera | The detection area, sensitivity and schedule on the camera decide how many alarms are sent at all. Fewer useless alarms mean less usage against your fair-use quota. |
Which devices send alarms | Sites & Cameras > device Actions > Disable device | A disabled device is not received, not filtered and not billed. |
What happens without an operator | Settings > Alarm routing > Forward after (NOA) | How long GC Surge waits before it forwards a real alarm automatically. |
Find the cameras that cause the most false alarms
On the dashboard
Alarm by alarm
Good to Know
Symptom | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
An alarm with a person or a vehicle was filtered | The filter was wrong for this alarm. Typical reasons: the person is very small or far away, the picture is dark or blurred, or the object is only partly in the picture. | Copy the link of the alarm and send it to NXGEN support. Check the camera: light, focus, angle, detection area. |
Operators get many alarms that are not real | The filter passed alarms that are not relevant for you, for example staff or vehicles that are allowed on the site. The filter checks for persons and vehicles, not for permission. | Use the schedule and detection area on the camera, so that it does not send alarms during working hours or from public areas. |
Almost every alarm of one camera is filtered | The camera triggers on something that is not a person or vehicle. | This is the filter working. Improve the detection on the camera to reduce usage. |
Alarms filtered by NOVA99x shows 0 | No alarms arrived in the time range, or all were real. | Check the time range and the filters. Check Recordings. |
Nothing is filtered and nothing reaches operators | The trial has ended or the subscription is inactive. | Open Billing. |
An alarm has no pictures | The device did not send any. | Configure the device to attach pictures. |
Can I switch the false alarm filter off for one camera? No. The false alarm filter checks the alarms of every camera.
Can I define my own rules, zones or schedules in GC Surge? No. Set zones and schedules on the camera.
Does the false alarm filter work with thermal cameras? Alarms are marked as Thermal or Optical in Recordings (Modality). You can filter by it to review the results for each type.
Does a filtered alarm count for billing? See Billing Page. The Billing page shows the alarm count per camera.
Who can see filtered alarms? Admins, in Recordings. Operators only see real alarms on the wall.
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