What kind of VARDA does your department have?

[sigcopper]

I want to approach the chief concerning the department purchasing a VARDA. I've found 2 manufactuers of "VARDAs". Who made your VARDA? Anybody aware of any grants that would cover such a purchase? Any good VARDA stories?

[luckydog]

what's a varda?

[JePerkinWA]

what's a varda?

That is what I was thinking!

[SgtCHP]

A mythical angel!

From the dreaded Wikipedia...

Varda is one of the Valar, a group of divine beings similar to archangels. Also known as "Queen of the stars", she is said to be too beautiful for words; within her face radiates the light of Ilúvatar (God). She resides with her husband Manwë, with whom she shares a complementary power. When they are together, Manwë "sees further than all other eyes, through mist, and through darkness, and over the leagues of the sea" and Varda "hears more clearly than all other ears the sound of voices that cry from east to west". Varda created the stars before the Valar descended into the world, and later with the dews from the vats of Telperion she made the constellations, most significantly The Sickle of the Valar (The Big Dipper).

When the evil Vala Melkor first began to create his discord, Varda saw his mind, and rejected him. Melkor fears and hates Varda the most out of the Valar.

It is remarked that high elves sing to her. In general, Varda seems to represent the goddess of beauty in Tolkien's legendarium.

[ateamer]

VARDA is a remote alarm system. It's used for things like burglary-prone locations, and is set up for a suspect to trip the alarm. It broadcasts a recorded message on your dispatch channel. You record the message yourself, and use some phrase that your troops are aware of, but won't sound like anything but routine radio traffic to a crankster with a scanner.

[DACP]

our guys would **** it all up, umm dispatch do you need me to respond to the alarm.........but what an interesting idea

[sigcopper]

Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. http://www.karastech.com/

[10-31Mike]

That might be ok for a security company, or for some kind of industrial use but it would be insane to put that on a police radio channel.

Example:

Me: Help I'm getting my *** beat at "attention all units, there's a motion sensor activated at ACME paper supply, this is a recording" send me some backup!

[sigcopper]

10-31 You might want to check around your area and see how many departments deploy VARDAs. It a very common tool used and has been in service since the 1960's. We have one from the 60's thats how I know. Not only can they be used in businesses but also bait cars to combat car thefts and also car break ins.

[SgtCHP]

Oh. I see, you meant "VARDAMS"

Sentinel Radio Alarms

Voice Annunciated Radio Dispatch Alarms and Monitoring Systems

If you had used that term, we would have known what you were talking about~

[luckydog]

we have something similar but it alerts dispatch without puting it out over a primary channel. and there are a bunch of cameras linked to them.

[ateamer]

Oh. I see, you meant "VARDAMS"

Sentinel Radio Alarms

Voice Annunciated Radio Dispatch Alarms and Monitoring Systems

If you had used that term, we would have known what you were talking about~

VARDA is used by my agencies and others in this county. It's VARDA - none of us have ever seen an M or S on it.

[10-31Mike]

10-31 You might want to check around your area and see how many departments deploy VARDAs. It a very common tool used and has been in service since the 1960's. We have one from the 60's thats how I know. Not only can they be used in businesses but also bait cars to combat car thefts and also car break ins.

Maybe 20 or 30 years ago, but there's no way in the world that would work anywhere around here now. It would be one thing to have something that automaticly calls dispatch (not legal here, but I can't remember if it's city code or state code at the moment), but to have something jamming up a radio channel would simply be insane.

We have enough problems with Officers and Dispatchers that don't know when to keep their mouths shut, computers calling in might be the thing that put me over the cliff.

[just joe]

We have a similiar system (ours is pretty old) that we use very rarely. I believe it simply calls the dispatch center and says the alarm has been activated. Why do you feel the need for such a system? Out of curiosity, what do they cost?

[Seventy2002]

VARDA is an acronym for Voice Alerting Radio Detection Alarm. The device is built by the Varda Company in Bakersfield, CA. The term is trademarked, only Varda builds the Varda.

My agency has several. They're well-built, simple, and reliable.

Good story? Years ago one of out detectives was interrupted by a burglar while he was installling a Varda. He called for backup by triggering the alarm manually.