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Alarm Priorities

Alarm Priorities​

Screen Overview​

The Alarm Priorities screen lets administrators search, view, and manage the priority definitions used to classify alarms across systems and facilities. Each priority can have a color and optional sound that are used in alarm consoles and notifications to visually and audibly distinguish events.

Field Definitions​

Field LabelDefinitionNotes
SystemDrop-down to choose the BluSKY system to filter results.The refresh icon reloads available systems. Leaving this blank returns all systems you have access to.
FacilitySelector to limit results to a specific facility within the chosen system.“All” applies the priority to every facility in the selected system. Clear (x) removes the filter. The refresh icon reloads facilities.
Search TextFree-text search against priority Name.Help (?) shows search guidance. Clear (x) removes the text. Case-insensitive.
NameThe display name of the alarm priority.Appears in alarm consoles and reports. Click a row to edit.
PriorityNumeric rank that determines the relative urgency of the alarm.Integer value; smaller numbers are commonly treated as higher urgency in many deployments. Follow your organization’s standard.
System (grid column)The system the priority belongs to.Read-only in the list.
Facility (grid column)The facility scope of the priority.“All” indicates the priority applies to every facility in the system.
ColorThe visual color associated with the priority.Shown as a swatch with “Sample Text.” Used in alarm views.
SoundThe audio tone played for alarms with this priority.“Not Assigned” results in no special tone.

Screen Actions and Functions​

  • Submit – Runs the search with the selected System, Facility, and Search Text.
  • Reset – Clears all filters and restores default values.
  • Create – Opens the form to add a new alarm priority (name, priority value, color, sound, scope).
  • Edit – Opens the selected row for modification.
  • Delete – Removes the selected priority from the system.
  • Refresh picklists – Circular arrows next to System and Facility reload the available options.
  • Clear selector – The X icon next to Facility removes the current selection.

Usage Instructions & Examples​

How to find an alarm priority

  1. Optionally choose a System and Facility.
  2. Enter a keyword in Search Text (for example, “Critical”).
  3. Click Submit to display matching priorities.

How to create a new priority

  1. Click Create.
  2. Enter a Name and a Priority number.
  3. Select the target System and set Facility to a specific site or All.
  4. Choose a Color and, if desired, assign a Sound.
  5. Save. The new priority appears in the grid and is available to alarm consoles.

How to update color or sound for an existing priority

  1. Select the priority row and click Edit.
  2. Change the Color and/or Sound.
  3. Save. New alarms will use the updated settings.

How to remove a priority

  1. Select the row to delete.
  2. Click Delete and confirm.
  3. Verify that dependent alarm rules or consoles no longer reference the deleted priority.

System Behaviors and Edge Cases​

  • If no System is selected, the list returns priorities from all systems the user can access.
  • The Facility list is dependent on the selected System; selecting a different System refreshes facilities.
  • “All” facility scope applies the priority across every facility in the chosen system.
  • If Sound is Not Assigned, alarms with that priority will not trigger a special tone.
  • Changes to Color or Sound take effect for new alarms immediately; open monitoring pages may require a browser refresh to show new colors.
  • Priority is stored as an integer; use a consistent ranking scheme within your organization to avoid confusion.

Permissions​

  • Access requires roles with Setup access to Alarm Priorities (e.g., Global Administrator, Tenant/Facility Administrator with appropriate privileges).
  • Create, Edit, and Delete require corresponding manage permissions for alarm configuration.
  • Users without edit rights can search and view but cannot modify records.

Linked Workflows​

  • Control > Alarm Console: Displays alarm colors and plays the assigned sounds for incoming alarms.
  • Notifications/Rules (if enabled): May reference priority to decide routing or escalation behavior.
  • Reporting: Alarm reports use the Name, Priority, and Color for clarity and sorting.

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