All About Alarms
Get peace of mind with our award-winning UL-certified monitoring station. We’ve got all the steps that put you in command of your system, including what to expect in case of an emergency and how to avoid a false alarm.
Arming and Disarming Your System
Your Touchscreen Control Panel, Homelife mobile app, and other optional entry devices can all arm or disarm your system.
Your Guide to Arming Modes:
Arm Away
Everyone leaves home
Perimeter (doors, windows)
Interior (motion detectors)
60 seconds
30 seconds
Arm Stay
Someone stays home
Perimeter (doors, windows)
2 minutes
30 seconds
Arm Night
Household goes to bed
Perimeter (doors, windows)
Interior (zones set for Arm Night)
2 minutes
none
How to arm/disarm your system with the Homelife mobile app:
Learn how to use your Homelife system’s security features with the Touchscreen Control Panel.
What Happens When an Alarm is Triggered
- Whether you're at home or away, don't panic if an alarm sounds.
- Remain calm. If it's a non-emergency, simply enter your keypad code. If not, have your secret word ready and await our call. Be sure to save the Central Monitoring Station's phone number (1-800-633-2677) to your phone's contact list with a familiar name, like "Cox Central Station," that you'll quickly recognize.*
- Upon notification of an alarm, the Central Monitoring Station will attempt to contact you or persons listed on your Emergency Dispatch Contact list - only those who are set as “verify alarm before calling police”.
- Your Central Station Passcode (secret word) must be provided to the Operator in order to cancel a false alarm.** This is different from your 4-digit keypad code used to arm and disarm your system.
- If there is no answer or an incorrect secret word is given, the operator will immediately dispatch the police or other emergency personnel.
- Additional emergency contacts may be notified after dispatching emergency personnel, if applicable.
Different Alarms, Different Responses
Intrusion (Burglary) or Police Panic
Operator calls two numbers on your emergency contact list to verify alarm. If there is no response, or an incorrect secret word is given, the police will be dispatched and responding parties will be notified.
Medical Panic
Operator calls two numbers on your emergency contact list to verify if assistance is required before dispatching paramedics, and then responding parties are notified.
Smoke/ Carbon Monoxide or Fire Panic
Operator calls the first number on your emergency contact list before dispatching fire rescue, and then responding parties are notified. For CO alarms, operator calls both “call to verify” numbers on your list.
Duress or Silent Police Panic
Silent alarm signal is sent to the Central Monitoring Station. For silent panic signals, operator calls the first number on your emergency contact list before dispatching police. For duress signals, police are dispatched immediately. Then responding parties are notified.
Water Sensor
Operator will call two numbers on your emergency contact list to verify the alarm. If there is no response, responding parties will be notified, but authorities will not be dispatched.
Panic Alarms
In an emergency, a panic alarm can be sent directly from your Touchscreen Control Panel or other optional entry devices, like a wireless keypad or key fob. A panic alarm is reported immediately to the monitoring station without delay.
To activate a panic alarm:
Press the Panic Alarm button
on the lower right of your Touchscreen.Select Fire, Medical or Police.
Tapping Fire
or Police 
will sound a repeating high-pitched siren.Tapping Medical
will sound a repeating three-beep signal.
on the lower right of your Touchscreen.Note: A silent option is available when pressing the Police Panic Button.
Canceling an Alarm
Follow the steps below to easily cancel an alarm. Save our Central Monitoring Station’s caller ID number 1-800-633-2677 to your phone’s contact list so you can quickly recognize incoming alarm notification calls. Choose a name such as “Cox Central Station” or something similar.
- Enter your 4-digit keypad code on the Touchscreen's security screen or keypad to disarm your system. If you forgot your code or take too long, wait by the phone you set as your primary Emergency Contact Number.
- When the operator calls, speak or spell your secret word to the operator to cancel dispatch of emergency personnel.
Note: Some communities charge a fee for responding to a false alarm so please ensure your Emergency Contact Numbers are always up-to-date. More Info.
See Cox Homelife service details. See important information in the Residential Customer Service Agreement for full coverage details. See Annual Notice information for related information and your privacy rights as a Cox customer. See also the Annual Customer Notices. For all Cox Communication policies regarding our services and business practices visit www.cox.com/aboutus/policies.html.
Cox Homelife Service provided by Cox Advanced Services: Arizona, LLC - ALARM License No. 18141-0, ROC License No. 310876; Arkansas, LLC – License No. E 2014 0026/CMPY.0002278; California, LLC–Alarm License #7196 & Contractor’s License #992992; Connecticut, LLC–License #N/A; Florida, LLC–License No. EF20001232; Georgia, LLC–License: Bryan David Melancon #LVU406595; Idaho, LLC 024933; Iowa, LLC– License #C121646 & AC268; Louisiana, LLC–License F 2006; Nebraska, LLC–License #26512; Nevada, LLC dba Cox Homelife – License #78331; Ohio, LLC–License #53-18-1671; Oklahoma, LLC–License #2002; Rhode Island, LLC–License #9314; Kansas, LLC – Topeka License No. 109 & Wichita License No. 2015-36492; and Cox Advanced Services Virginia, LLC–DCJS License #11-7776; DPOR License # 2705164725.