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SOS case: when the alarm fires

A live SOS alarm: how the Sentinel operations center responds step by step, from detection to audited incident closure.

Published on April 18, 2026

Operational summary

When an SOS alarm fires, the operations center must act in seconds: locate the operator, dispatch a response mission, and notify the team through the agreed channels.

In the web hub, the map can focus the unit and the detail panel shows recent context. The tactical log records the incident for later review.

Deep dive

Picture the scene: Tuesday 22:14, a private security operator on an isolated patrol triggers SOS from his Sentinel node. The alert crosses LoRa, hits the gateway, climbs to backend, and shows up on the operations center dashboard in seconds. The center operator has a clear protocol and integrated tools to respond.

Step 1, see: the central panel raises the high-priority alert, the map auto-focuses on the last known position, and the node marker turns orange with accelerated pulse. The center operator opens the unit detail panel: name of the field operator, last heartbeat, current geofence, exact SOS time. All on screen in less than five seconds since the alert arrived.

Step 2, dispatch: with the situation confirmed, the center operator generates a response mission for a nearby unit (or backup team) from the missions drawer. The mission appears immediately in the receiver's mobile app with all the details. The center can also use fleet chat for parallel textual coordination while radio stays for critical voice.

Step 3, notify and close: in parallel to tactical coordination, the center operator follows the organization's SOP (notify supervisor, contact family if applicable, escalate to external forces if severity warrants). The tactical log records each action for audit. Once the incident is operationally resolved—not before—the SOS is closed in the panel and the complete incident remains in history for review and continuous process improvement.

Key takeaways

  • See: open the map and unit sheet; confirm identity and last position.
  • Dispatch mission: from Missions assign a task to the node or a response crew.
  • Notify: use fleet chat or voice protocol per your SOP; do not close the incident in software without operational sign-off.

Flow diagram

+-------------+     +-----------------+     +------------------+
   | SOS triggers| --> | Map + unit card | --> | Mission + alerts |
   | (app/node)  |     | View / focus    |     | Chat / protocol  |
   +-------------+     +-----------------+     +------------------+
          |                       |
          +-----------+-----------+
                      v
             Tactical log (audit)

Frequently asked questions

How long does the full response cycle take?
Depends on each organization's SOP. Detection and initial dispatch can happen in under a minute; field response depends on unit proximity and availability.
Is the response SOP part of the product?
Sentinel provides the tools (alerts, map, chat, missions, log). Each organization defines the SOP per industry, jurisdiction, and risk. The Prysma team advises during onboarding.
What if nobody in the center responds?
The system keeps the alert visible and recorded. For automatic escalations (notify guard, wake supervisor) you can integrate webhook flows in Enterprise plans.
Can I train the team with simulated SOS?
Yes. There are simulation flows for training. Announce simulations to the team beforehand to avoid unnecessary real responses.
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