*Published: 2025*
*Author: Carefree Support*
Each Site page in CarefreeSCADA includes alarm controls that allow authorized users to view site-specific active alarms and adjust how individual alarms behave. Making any changes to alarm settings requires an authenticated web session.
For authentication instructions, see [[Manage User Account#Authenticating Your Web Session]].
For information about alarm notifications and escalation, see [[Alarm Notification and On-Call Roster]].
## Viewing Site-Specific Alarms
Every Site page has a **Bell icon** in the top right corner. Clicking it opens the alarm panel for that site, showing only the alarms tied to that specific location. This is a quick way to check alarm status for a single site without navigating to the global alarm list.
## Changing an Alarm's Operating Mode
An alarm's operating mode controls whether it sends notifications and at what priority level. Changing a mode requires an authenticated session.
1. Authenticate your session using the padlock icon in the top right of the web page. (See [[Manage User Account#Authenticating Your Web Session]])
2. Navigate to the Site page containing the alarm you want to modify.
3. Click the **Bell icon** in the top right of the page to open the site alarm panel.
4. Locate the alarm in the list and click on it to expand its settings.
5. Change the **Mode** to one of the following:
- **Disabled** — The alarm will not activate or send notifications. A diagnostic indicator will remain visible in the alarm list to show the alarm is off.
- **No-Call** — The alarm will appear in CarefreeSCADA but will not send SMS or email notifications. Sets the alarm to **Low** priority.
- **Callout** — The alarm will send notifications through the full escalation pipeline (Initial → Backup → Administrative). Sets the alarm to **High** priority.
6. Save your changes.
> **Note:** Operator-L1 and Operator-L2 users can change alarm modes. Changing alarm limits requires Operator-L1 or Manager access. See [[User Permissions]] for the full breakdown.
## Changing Alarm Limits
Alarm limits define the high and low setpoints at which an alarm becomes active. Requires Operator-L1 or Manager role.
1. Authenticate your session. (See [[Manage User Account#Authenticating Your Web Session]])
2. Navigate to the Site page and click the **Bell icon**.
3. Locate the alarm and expand its settings.
4. Adjust the **High Limit** or **Low Limit** values to match the correct operating thresholds for the process.
5. Save your changes.
## Configuring Alarm Delay
The Alarm Delay setting prevents brief, transient spikes from triggering a full alarm. It defines how many seconds the alarm condition must be continuously present before the alarm is marked active.
- The **default** delay is 10 seconds.
- To change it, expand the alarm settings in the site alarm panel and enter the desired delay (in seconds) in the **Alarm Delay** field.
- This setting is useful for processes that naturally fluctuate briefly above or below a limit without indicating a real problem — for example, a pressure spike during pump startup.
## Enabling Send Acked Notification
The **Send Acked Notification** toggle, when enabled, sends a message to everyone on the **Administrative Call List** whenever the alarm is acknowledged. This message includes the name of the user who acknowledged it and how much time passed between the alarm becoming active and the acknowledgment.
- To enable it, expand the alarm settings in the site alarm panel and toggle on **Send Acked Notification**.
- This is useful for supervisors and managers who want confirmation that on-call staff are responding to high-priority alarms promptly.
- For more about the Administrative Call List and how escalation works, see [[Alarm Notification and On-Call Roster]].
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