Rapid Response Integration Guide

Modified on Tue, 21 Jul at 6:29 PM

Overview

This guide explains how Cornerstone integrates with Rapid Response to allow dealers to set up accounts in one location and either Push or Pull account information — including Customer, Site, Contact List, and Zones. It covers how to get started, how data flows between the two systems, which fields are communicated, and step-by-step instructions for creating and managing accounts, contacts, and zone lists.

This article is intended for alarm dealers who use Rapid Response as their central monitoring station and manage billing and subscriber records in Cornerstone.

Before You Begin

Before Cornerstone can integrate with Rapid Response, you will need to complete a few preparatory steps. Contact Cornerstone and we can help set up the connection with you and Rapid Response.

Step 1 — Verify Central Station Numbers

Make sure that you have your Central Station numbers in your accounts. These numbers must include the dealer code before the assigned central account number, preferably without hyphens. This is the linking field between Cornerstone and Rapid Response. If it needs to be tweaked, Cornerstone can help.

Step 2 — Provide Credentials

Give Cornerstone your Rapid Response Dealer Site Account number.
Provide your representative's email address.
Cornerstone will set up the handshake.

Step 3 — Determine Edit Protocol

Decide whether edits need to flow only through your office/Cornerstone, or whether subscribers can call Rapid Response directly to make changes. Cornerstone has built the ability to Push (new accounts or edits to accounts) and Pull data (one-time Pull for new accounts set up by Rapid Response, or existing accounts in Cornerstone). It can also Push fields edited in Cornerstone to Rapid Response, or Pull/Synchronize updated data from Rapid Response.

⚠️ IMPORTANT — Recommended Workflow

We recommend that you continue to create accounts at Rapid Response and then Pull the account information — including Customer, Site, Contact List, and Zones — into Cornerstone. We also recommend you treat Cornerstone as the Main Record Keeper for the Customer Site, Contacts, and Zones. Edits to any of the Rapid Response required fields in Cornerstone will immediately Push the new field values to Rapid Response.

If you allow edits to be made at Rapid Response, those changes do not automatically communicate back to Cornerstone. However, you can set the protocol for Rapid Response to notify you of changes so that you can use the Get from Central Station button to Pull information and update the record in Cornerstone. For example, if a subscriber calls Rapid Response with a new codeword or a contact update, they simply need to let you know which field(s) changed so you can synchronize the records with Cornerstone.

⚠️ IMPORTANT — Life Safety

If Rapid Response changes a Code Word and you do not update Cornerstone, Rapid Response will have the new code word and Cornerstone will not. This errs on the side of life safety, where the correct record is with Rapid Response.

Step 4 — Tasks to Complete Directly in Rapid Response

Some things must be done directly in or with Rapid Response:

Close Accounts / Take Them Off-Line — Closing an account in Cornerstone will only stop the recurring billing. Cancellations must be handled directly with Rapid Response using whatever established protocol you have. There is a Central Station Notice function in Cornerstone where you can email your request and have it recorded in the Correspondence log.
Special Protocol Instructions — Some accounts may require special instructions that need to be handled and recorded directly with Rapid Response.
Review of or Changes to the Responding Authority — When Cornerstone pushes the subscriber's site address (street, city, and zip code), Rapid Response produces GPS coordinates and the responding authority is automatically selected and stored at Rapid Response. If a valid GPS coordinate is not returned, you will get a warning that you need to review it with Rapid Response. You must also set the medical and fire responding authority.

Setup and Data Fields

System Configuration

Cornerstone will enter your Dealer/Site Account Number in two places: the System Header and the Central Station List. User Defined fields 18 and 20 will be set to Rapid Response Device and Dispatch Type respectively.

⚠️ IMPORTANT

Multiple Central Station prefix numbers can be accommodated.

Accounts Monitored Elsewhere

If you have accounts that are monitored elsewhere or not at all, choose a Central Station option on the list other than Rapid Response so that data changes to those accounts do not attempt to communicate with Rapid Response.

Creating an Account in Cornerstone

Accounts can be created in Cornerstone and pushed to Rapid Response, or if Rapid Response created the account, you can download the customer record from Rapid Response.

⚠️ IMPORTANT — Recommended Approach

We highly recommend Option A, where accounts continue to get created in Rapid Response and then the information is downloaded into Cornerstone. This way, the information for responding authorities is complete and any special protocols are established properly.

Option A — If Rapid Response Created the Account (Recommended)

This is the easiest method and does not change current processes for many dealers.

Enter the Cornerstone Account number you want (if not auto-generated) or pull up your Prospect account.
Select Rapid as the Central Station.
Enter the Central Account # — the number assigned when Rapid Response created the account.
Click the Download Customer button to pull the data from Rapid Response into Cornerstone. This will fill in the account information from what was entered in Rapid Response and will also download the contacts and zones.

Once the information is downloaded, you will see a Get From Central Station button that allows you to pull into Cornerstone any changes that are made directly at the Central.

Option B — Creating an Account in Cornerstone to Push to Rapid Response

Use auto-numbering or enter a Cornerstone Account number.
Leave the Central Acct # BLANK.
Enter all of the customer data.
Click OK. This communicates with Rapid Response to assign the next available Central ID number, records it, and then creates the account in Rapid Response.

⚠️ IMPORTANT — Multiple Prefixes

If you have been assigned more than one prefix for your central station numbers by Rapid Response, you will be prompted to select the appropriate prefix. These additional central station number prefixes are device types and will require the appropriate device selection.

The communication link between Cornerstone and Rapid Response is the number in the 1st Central Station # Field. If you have multiple prefixes, that means you have been assigned different numbers based upon the devices. While the site info and contacts are shared between devices, the devices may have different zones. Cornerstone's system only records one set of zones per site.

Solution for Different Zones: If you need to keep different zones for each device for a subscriber in Cornerstone, you will need to have a customer record with the communicating device/Rapid Response # in the 1st Central Station Number field for each device. If you do not need the zones for that second or third central station number, they can be stored in the 2nd and 3rd Central Account# fields.

The 1st Central Acct# communicates with Rapid Response. You can put additional device numbers in fields 2 and 3 to keep track of devices for that customer without needing their zone info stored in Cornerstone.

Separate Accounts for Different Services

Most dealers create two separate accounts in Cornerstone when the same customer has both Burglary and Fire services. This allows for recording different equipment installed, separate service tickets, and different reminders for each service. Billing can always be consolidated in one account.

Data Fields for Push to Rapid Response

⚠️ IMPORTANT

After customer information is downloaded or submitted, there is a Synchronize Customer button that allows you to pull in information that was updated at the Central (if you allow edits to be made directly at Rapid Response).

Required Fields to Enter in Cornerstone

Field	Notes
Account	Your 2 letters will appear and you enter the remaining digits.
Central Acct#	Leave Blank — the Rapid Response ID number is assigned by Rapid Response.
Customer	Company name or last name.
First Name	First name if residential customer.
Address	Address line 1 is the street address.
City, State	Fill in.
Zip	Enter the zip code (allows for USPS address validation).
TaxCty	Select the list box and choose the city. Does not get submitted to Rapid Response but is needed for billing. You will need to enter this if you download from Rapid Response, as they do not ask for the Taxing County.
TZ	Time Zone automatically fills in from Zip Code and is communicated to Rapid Response.
Type	Select RES or COMM (sends R or C).
Equipment	You can enter the panel type if you wish. The Rapid Response required Device type selection is entered later (on the User Defined Tab).
Code Word	Enter the password. If there isn't any, enter NoPCRequired so the operators know. Leave blank if there are individual pass codes for individual contacts.
Site/Premise — Contact 1	Enter a name (Recommended, not required).
Phone	Premise phone number (Recommended, not required).

User Defined Tab Fields

Click on the User Defined Tab to enter the following required fields:

Field	Notes
Device Type	Choose type from the dropdown list. Required.
Dispatch Type	Choose type from the dropdown list. Required for 2 Way Devices and recommended for all other devices. The device number is assigned Event Codes and Event Types at Rapid Response.

? TIP

Click on the green list box for the validated options. If you know your option is on the list, you can type it in to save time.

Address Validation

Click OK and you will be prompted to validate the address as a USPS recognizable mailing address. If recognized, the Zip+4 will be available. Select Update to update the Cornerstone entry. The envelope icon will also call the USPS API lookup for the mailing address.

Contacts

The customer record has a space for the premise contact name and phone number. The Contacts list provides the call list for the account.

Entering Contacts

If you are entering data in Cornerstone to push to Rapid Response, enter the required data. Clicking OK will submit it to Rapid Response.
Download Contacts will pull in the contact information if it already exists in Rapid Response and is not in Cornerstone.
If contacts have been either downloaded or submitted to Rapid Response, a Synchronize Contacts button will be available to pull updates that were made directly with Rapid Response.

Required Contact Fields

Field	Notes
Priority Sequence	Enter the priority sequence for the contacts. Additional contacts need to be numbered in increasing values.
Person to Contact	Enter first and last name. Anything before the 1st space will be treated as the first name. Anything after the space will be considered a last name.
Phone 1	Fills in the first phone number field in Rapid Response for the contact.
Phone 2	Fills in the second phone number field in Rapid Response for the contact.

Contact Updates

If you allow contacts to be changed at Rapid Response, once you receive notification of changes, the Get From Central Station button will pull from Rapid Response the available contacts and update the information in Cornerstone.

If a contact was deleted at Rapid Response, you will be notified of the deletion and instructed to delete that contact in Cornerstone.

Zone Lists

Zone lists are device specific and the get data link ties to the Central Station number in the 1st field. If you have multiple devices installed for the same site, they share the site and contact information. If you need to record different zone information in Cornerstone, you will need to create a second account so that the second device is recorded in an account in the 1st Central Station field.

Entering Zones

If you are pushing information to Rapid Response, enter the data directly.
If the account was originally created by Rapid Response, Download Zones will pull the zones from Rapid Response (if the data is already there and does not exist in Cornerstone).
Once downloaded, the Get From Central Station button is available should a change in zones be made directly with Rapid Response.

Required Zone Fields

Field	Notes
Zone ID	Enter the zone number in the Zone ID field.
Zone Description	Enter the zone description (tells operators the type and location).
Service Type	Use the list box to select the Service Type.
Location	Use the list box to select the Location.

Important Reminders

Please keep in mind that the following tasks must always be completed directly in or with Rapid Response:

Close Accounts / Take Them Off-Line — Closing an account in Cornerstone will only stop the recurring billing. Cancellations must be handled directly with Rapid Response using whatever established protocol you have. There is a Central Station Notice function in Cornerstone where you can email your request and have it recorded in the Correspondence log.
Special Protocol Instructions — Some accounts may require special instructions that need to be handled and recorded directly with Rapid Response.
Review of or Changes to the Responding Authority — When Cornerstone pushes the subscriber's site address (street, city, and zip code), Rapid Response produces GPS coordinates and the responding authority is automatically selected and stored at Rapid Response. If a valid GPS coordinate is not returned, you will get a warning that you need to review it with Rapid Response. You must also set the medical and fire responding authority.

Need Additional Help?

Our Customer Success team is here to assist you.

Phone: 847-405-9517
Email: customer.success@alarmbills.com