How Do I Set Up An Emergency Profile?

General Profile Information to be read first

Emergency profiles are controller profiles that typically turn all lights on. Occupancy sequences and switch configurations are usually left unconfigured in these profiles, so switches in the building won’t function, or will have limited function, generally just enough to exit the emergency profile.

On a single controller, profiles can be triggered directly from switches and absolute inputs. For a networked site, use a system variable to distribute the emergency state to multiple controllers. System variables are regularly reasserted on the network, so any controller that misses the initial change will still receive it on a later broadcast.

Once in an emergency profile, all scheduled profile changes will not occur.  To exit from an emergency profile you can:

• Have a button configured in the profile that triggers the "Exit to scheduled" function

• If the time is known, you can schedule a sequence to run to carry about the exit to scheduled sequence action

• Manually change the profile via the app / cloud

To return to a normal profile afterwards, it’s recommended to create a schedule for that profile so the controller knows which one to go back to. Note that, due to a quirk of the system, a schedule must have triggered at least once before the controller can exit to it. This means “exit to scheduled” may not work on a new installation until that schedule has run for the first time. Alternatively, on a control system with only one profile, you can use the “Go to Profile (Ignore Priority)” action instead.

Profile Setup

Instructions here

Create your system variable

Instructions here

Triggering the emergency Profile

The most common method of triggering the emergency profile is by way of an absolute input.  Pushbuttons on touchscreens are also common.  If you are simulating the emergency profile, you may opt to run a scheduled sequence to carry out the profiles.

Absolute Input

In the absolute input section (Instance Types->Absolute Input), configure your absolute input to be a binary (or inverted binary input, depending on orientation of the switch) for all profiles, including the emergency profile.  

Give the absolute input a system variable to trigger a sequence on.  This will often instead be a zone - so as to broadcast a broader trigger out to multiple controllers.

Click here for information on zones

Creating The Sequence To Exit / Enter Emergency Profile

Create a sequence to enter/exit the emergency profile.  This is a 2 action basic sequence that uses the absolute input value to either go into the emergency profile or return to the scheduled profile (which can be used to exit a high priority profile).

Action 1

Condition "IF input at value 0" do Action Profile Function -> Enter Profile -> "3 - Emergency Profile"

Action 2

Condition "IF input at value 1" do Action Profile Function -> Return to scheduled profile (can also use Go to Profile (ignore priority).  This would depend on whether the system was running schedules or not.  If the system is running schedules (multiple profiles), the control system carries the last scheduled profile change heard.  If the system does NOT have schedules, the last scheduled profile change may never have been set, and thus, return to scheduled profile may not work.

(Note that the below image happens to use profile number, 65333 instead).

Defining Triggers To Point To the Emergency Profile 

Apply a trigger entry (Triggers & Sequences ->Trigger), type System Variable, with target of the System Variable you created for your Absolute input.  Select to run on target "Broadcast" and place the sequence in ALL profiles in the "Standard" position (Normal Hours, After Hours and Emergency).  Each time the absolute input is changed, the evaluation sequence will be triggered.   

Turning The Lights On, When Entering The Emergency Profile

To ensure that the lights are all turned on in the Emergency profile, create a single action sequence to broadcast recall maximum level to all lights and apply this sequence (named "Emergency Mode" in the image below) to the emergency profile row already set up as an "On entry" sequence.  

It would be advisable to leave all other switches, sensors and other sequences disabled from operating in this emergency profile, to ensure that all lights remain on.