Create your first calling rule

Delay rules define how CallOnAlarm reacts when your system sends an event. Without a delay rule, your connection will log events but will not trigger any phone calls.

What is a Delay Rule?

Whether via SIA protocol or API, alerts are processed instantly upon receiving an event code, following your specific configuration:

Action	Description
Delayed	Wait X seconds, then call contacts (allows time to disarm)
Instant	Call contacts immediately (no delay)
Cancel	Cancel any pending call (e.g., when user disarms)
Technical	Send email to technical contact
None	Log the event but take no action

Access Delay Rules

From your dashboard, click Delay Rules in the navigation bar.

Here you can:

• View existing rules with a summary of configured codes

• Create new rules

• Edit or delete existing rules

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Create a New Rule

Click Create Rule to open the configuration form.

Custom Code mapping are not covered on this page. For more details, please refer to the dedicated section: Custom Codes Mapping

1

Name Your Rule

Give your rule a descriptive name (max 100 characters).

Good examples:

• "Home Alarm - 30s delay"

• "Warehouse - Instant alerts"

• "Client ABC - Custom config"

2

Set the Delay

Use the Delay Before Calling slider to set how long the system waits before calling contacts.

Setting	Range
Minimum	10 seconds
Maximum	300 seconds (5 minutes)
Step	5 seconds

This delay only applies to codes set to Delayed. Codes set to Instant always trigger calls immediately, regardless of this setting.

Typical values:

• 30 seconds — Standard for intrusion alarms (time to disarm)

• 60-120 seconds — For environments with longer entry procedures

3

Configure SIA Codes

This is the core of your delay rule. For each SIA code, you decide what action the system should take.

Understanding the Columns

Column	Type	Description
Code	—	The 2-letter SIA code (e.g., BA, FA, OP)
Description	—	What the code means (e.g., BURGLARY ALARM)
Call?	Radio	Delayed / Instant / None
Cancel?	Checkbox	Cancels pending calls when received
Technical?	Checkbox	Sends email to technical contact

Call Options (Radio Buttons)

Choose one option per code:

• Delayed — System waits for the configured delay, then calls contacts. If a Cancel code is received during the delay, the call is cancelled.

• Instant — System calls contacts immediately, ignoring the delay setting.

• None — System logs the event but takes no action (default).

Cancel Checkbox

When checked, this code will cancel any pending call that's waiting for its delay to expire.

Typical Cancel codes:

• OP — Opening Report (disarm)

• OR — Disarm from Alarm

• CL — Closing Report (arm)

A code cannot be both "Call" and "Cancel" at the same time. Checking Cancel automatically sets Call to "None".

Technical Checkbox

When checked, this code sends an email notification to the technical contact configured in your connection's Advanced Settings.

Typical Technical codes:

• Battery troubles (YT, LT)

• Communication failures (NT, XT)

• Tamper alerts (TA)

• System status (AT, AR)

Technical can be combined with Call. For example, a Fire Alarm (FA) can be set to Instant + Technical — triggering both a phone call and an email.

4

Use the Toolbar

The toolbar helps you configure codes efficiently:

Button	Action
Search	Filter codes by code or description (e.g., type "fire" to see all fire-related codes)
Recommended	Apply a pre-configured setup based on security best practices
Reset	Clear all settings (set everything to "None")

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The "Recommended" Configuration

Click Recommended to apply a sensible default configuration. This is the fastest way to get started.

What "Recommended" Configures

⚡ Instant Call (no delay)

Critical emergencies requiring immediate response:

Code	Description
FA, FM	Fire Alarm
PA	Panic Alarm
HA	Holdup Alarm
QA	Emergency Alarm
MA	Medical Alarm
GA	Gas Alarm
KA	Heat Alarm
WA	Water Alarm
ZA	Freeze Alarm
SA	Sprinkler Alarm

📞 Delayed Call (uses your delay setting)

Intrusion alarms that benefit from a delay:

Code	Description
BA	Burglary Alarm
BV	Burglary Verified
BM	Burglary Alarm Cross Point
UA	Untyped Zone Alarm
UX	Undefined Alarm

Why delayed? Allows the user to disarm if they triggered the alarm accidentally. If not disarmed within the delay, calls are initiated.

🚫 Cancel

Disarm events that cancel pending calls:

Code	Description
OP	Opening Report
OA	Automatic Opening
OR	Disarm from Alarm
OS	Open Key Switch
OG	Open Area
OZ	Point Opening
OC	Cancel Report

Why cancel? These codes indicate the user has legitimately disarmed the system. Any pending call should be cancelled.

🔧 Technical (email only)

System issues requiring maintenance but not emergency calls:

• Tamper: TA, TT, TR

• Power: AT, AR, YP, YQ

• Battery: YT, YR, YM, LT, LR

• Communications: NT, NR, YS, YK, YC

• RF/Wireless: BJ, BZ, XT, XR, XQ, XH, XS, XJ,

• Equipment: ET, ER, IA, IR

• Supervisory codes: FS, PS, HS, QS, MS, BS, GS, KS, WS, ZS, SS, US

Why technical only? These are maintenance issues, not emergencies. An email to the technician is sufficient.

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Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Accidental Trigger (Call Cancelled)

09:00:00 — BA received (Burglary Alarm)
           → Rule: Delayed 30s
           → Timer starts, call scheduled for 09:00:30

09:00:15 — OP received (Opening Report / Disarm)
           → Rule: Cancel
           → Timer cancelled, no call made

Result: No phone call (user disarmed in time)

Scenario 2: Real Intrusion (Call Triggered)

09:00:00 — BA received (Burglary Alarm)
           → Rule: Delayed 30s
           → Timer starts, call scheduled for 09:00:30

09:00:30 — Timeout reached, no cancel received
           → Contacts called sequentially

Result: Phone calls initiated (potential intrusion)

Scenario 3: Fire (Instant Call)

09:00:00 — FA received (Fire Alarm)
           → Rule: Instant
           → Contacts called immediately

Result: Immediate phone calls (life-threatening emergency)

Scenario 4: Battery Trouble (Technical Email)

09:00:00 — YT received (System Battery Trouble)
           → Rule: Technical
           → Email sent to technical contact

Result: Email notification only (maintenance issue)

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Save Your Rule

Once configured, click Save Rule.

Your rule is now available to be applied to your connections.

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Apply the Rule to Your Connection

1

Go to Connections

2

Click Manage on your connection

3

In the Delay Rule Configuration section, select your rule from the dropdown

4

Click Apply Rule

Your connection will NOT process alerts or trigger calls until a delay rule is applied.

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Tips & Best Practices

1

Start with "Recommended"

• Click Recommended to get a sensible baseline

• Adjust specific codes based on your needs

• Save

2

Test Before Going Live

• Keep your connection Inactive while testing

• Trigger test events from your alarm panel

• Verify events appear in Recent Alerts

• Activate only when everything works correctly

3

One Rule for Multiple Connections : A single delay rule can be applied to multiple connections. This is useful if you manage several similar alarm systems.

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Technical Emails Usage Technical emails are designed for significant system issues only (battery failure, communication loss, tamper alerts).

While technical emails can be configured for any event, please note that 2 credits are consumed per 10 emails sent. We recommend using them only for events requiring attention that do not necessitate a phone alert.

Best practice: Only enable Technical for codes that genuinely require maintenance attention.

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What's Next?

→ Test your alerts