What is Criticom?

Criticom is Alarm Grid's trusted partner for central station monitoring. When an alarm occurs on a system we monitor for central station service, the signal will be forwarded to Criticom. A highly trained operator will then respond to the signal and ensure that the customer receives help.

Criticom has been serving customers since 1978. The company operates three separate 24/7 monitoring stations across the country. These stations are located in Florida, California and New Jersey. In the event that one central station goes down, all calls will be automatically rerouted to ensure that customers stay protected. This way, the customer can be sure that they are protected in any given situation.

The operators at Criticom are all highly trained, and they will take immediate action whenever an alarm signal comes through. Most Alarm Grid customers ask that the central station attempts to contact them before sending out emergency dispatch. This is done for the purpose of reducing false alarms. However, if the central station fails to get a hold of anyone, dispatch will be sent out.

If the operator does manage to reach the customer, then the customer will have an opportunity to stop the emergency dispatch. The customer will need to provide their false alarm passcode to the operator. This is a secret phrase that lets the operator know that they are who they say they are and that everything is alright.

Alternatively, the customer can say that everything is not alright, and dispatch will be sent out immediately. If the customer is ever held in a hostage situation, they can provide a verbal duress code. This is a secret phrase that the customer can use to let the operator know that they are in danger and they need help immediately. Upon hearing the verbal duress code, the operator will hang-up the phone and send the authorities.

If the Criticom operator determines that dispatch is necessary, they will contact the local authorities on the behalf of the end user. The operator can pull up all of the end user's information, including their full address, cross-streets and any other information that will be helpful for ensuring that they can properly locate the customer's location. This method ensures that they end user always gets the help they need in an emergency situation.