The Calladine: parkade door alarms in Vancouver

The problem: a parkade exit door left open

The Calladine, at 2626 Alberta Street in Vancouver, had a practical security concern: people were leaving doors open. A door that remains open can leave a route into shared building areas available longer than intended. For a strata council, the difficulty is knowing that it has happened when nobody responsible for the building is standing nearby.

The project focused on two parkade exit doors. Council needed awareness of door activity, while anyone near a door needed an audible warning if it was left open. WeTech addressed those needs with a local door-held-open alarm and a separate system for remote notifications. Each has a clear role in the building's daily routine.

What WeTech installed on the two doors

Each monitored door has a Detex door-prop alarm and an Ajax door contact. The Detex unit watches how long the door remains open and sounds at the door after the configured 15-second period. The Ajax contact reports the door opening and closing through the Ajax system, providing notifications to council users configured to receive them.

The installation photos show both parts of the arrangement: the Detex alarm mounted at the door and the separate black Ajax contact near the frame. These are independent systems. The Ajax sensor does not wait for the Detex siren before reporting an opening, and the local Detex warning is not an app notification.

How the door alarm works during everyday use

The easiest way to understand the setup is to follow one door opening from start to finish. Opening the door creates an Ajax event; leaving it open beyond the set time creates a local Detex warning. Closing the door creates another Ajax event, so council can distinguish an opening from a reported return to the closed position.

• The door opens: the Ajax contact detects the change and council users receive an opening notification.
• The door closes within 15 seconds: Ajax sends a closing notification, and the door has not remained open long enough to trigger the configured Detex warning.
• The door stays open for more than 15 seconds: the Detex alarm sounds locally to draw attention to the open door.
• The door is closed after being left open: Ajax sends the closing notification. Council can also check the contact's current open or closed state in the app.

What council sees in the Ajax app

For council members, the useful change is being notified of activity without having to be at the door. A normal opening followed by closing produces two notifications: one for each change. The app also provides a way to check the door contact's current state when a council member needs to follow up.

If an opening notification is received without a corresponding closing notification, council can check the device state in the Ajax app and arrange a physical check when appropriate. A missing notification alone should not be treated as proof that a door is still open. Remote notifications depend on the system's connectivity and the recipient's app and phone notification settings.

The 15-second siren and phone notifications are separate

This installation does not send an additional phone alert specifically saying that a door has been open for 15 seconds. That timed warning comes from the Detex unit and is heard locally. Ajax provides the opening and closing notifications independently, helping council stay aware of the door's reported activity while away from the building.

That distinction is useful when explaining the system to residents and council members. The local siren draws attention to a door that needs to be closed; the app provides remote information about the door contact. Neither event, on its own, identifies who used the door or why it was opened.

A practical improvement in door awareness

The completed setup gives The Calladine an audible response to doors being left open and a remote view of opening and closing activity. It addresses the specific concern that prompted the project, with a clear explanation of what happens at the door and what council receives on a phone.

The devices report and warn; they do not physically pull a door closed. Door closers, hinges and latches still need appropriate maintenance. A contact showing closed indicates the sensor's closed position, rather than independent proof that the latch has engaged or the door is locked. These distinctions help council use the information sensibly during follow-up.

Planning a similar strata door alarm installation in Vancouver

For a condominium or apartment building with a recurring door-left-open problem, start with the particular opening and the behaviour council wants to know about. Is it a parkade pedestrian door, an exit door or another shared entrance? Should a warning sound locally after a delay? Who should receive opening and closing notifications, and who will respond when follow-up is needed?

WeTech Security Solutions can assess the door hardware, sensor locations, communication coverage and notification requirements for a similar project in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Share the property address, photos of the affected doors and a short description of the problem to request a site assessment. The Calladine shows how local deterrence and remote door awareness can be added around a specific building concern.