Verified Alarm Response Program

Improving service delivery

In 2020, York Regional Police adopted a verified alarm response program to improve the quality of service we provide to alarm owners in the region, while remaining focused on our mission of ensuring the citizens of York Region feel safe and secure through excellence in policing.

What is verified alarm response?

Verified alarm response requires that alarm companies, monitoring centres and citizens to verify an alarm, confirming signs of criminal activity before police are dispatched. An alarm can be verified by one or more of the following options:

• Two-way voice communication confirming a security breach
• Video confirmation of a security breach
• Key-holder communication confirming unauthorized activation of the alarm system or a security breach
• Cross-zone activation (two or more independent alarm devices activated), no answer at premises and no keypad deactivation

York Regional Police will continue to respond to hold-up, panic, or duress alarms, and will not require verification in such circumstances.

Why is YRP moving to verified alarm response?

A review of our alarm response confirmed that York Regional Police officers were being dispatched to 5,000 unverified alarms each year. Of those calls, 99.5 percent were determined to be false, accounting for 4,000 hours our officers spent in response.

By implementing a verified alarm response program, we allow our officers to spend more time on the duties that make their communities a better, safer place to live, work and play. Similar programs have already been adopted by neighbouring police services in London, Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo and Toronto, with great success.

In 2020, York Regional Police notified the Canadian Security Association (CANASA) and registered monitoring stations of the service's change in policy with respect to verified response requirements.

Central monitoring stations

Central monitoring companies will be required to verify alarm calls prior to requesting police dispatch. If a premise is subject to a false or cancelled alarm, the alarm subscriber will be billed accordingly by the monitoring company.

The following numbers should be used for alarm dispatch services:

• 905-895-1221 ext. 7008
• 905-881-1221

Fees

False alarm fee

A fee of $210 + HST will be charged for every dispatched alarm call deemed false by the attending officer. An alarm is deemed false when the attending officer finds no evidence of criminal activity or a medical or fire emergency that requires police assistance. 

Cancelled alarm fee

A fee of $140 + HST will be charged for every dispatched alarm call cancelled prior to arrival. An alarm is deemed cancelled when the call is cancelled after an officer is dispatched but prior to arrival at the premise. 

Appeals

Appeals must be submitted in writing by the alarm company or monitoring company on behalf of customers. Only one appeal per subscriber will be accepted in a 365-day period.

Contact us

For more information, contact: 

Alarm Unit
1-866-876-5423 ext. 6626
alarmprogram@yrp.ca