Body camera and Fleet activation

When using Fleet 3, a connected Axon Body 4 (AB4) can self-activate. This gives officers synchronized in-vehicle and body-worn recording without needing to manually start both systems. This is useful when exiting a vehicle during a fast-moving incident, or when starting a response from inside the vehicle and all cameras need to be recording together.

This is a separate feature from Nearby Body Camera Activation, which uses proximity-based Bluetooth broadcasting to allow nearby AB4 cameras to self-activate, and from Axon Signal, which uses Signal-enabled hardware (such as a light bar or Signal Vehicle device) to trigger activation. Agencies using Axon Signal Vehicle can continue to do so. This feature is an additional activation pathway, not a replacement.

How it works

Body camera activates Fleet

  1. An officer double-presses the Event button on an AB4 that is connected to Fleet 3.
  2. The body camera sends an activation signal to the Fleet 3 Hub over Bluetooth.
  3. Configured Fleet cameras (front camera only or all Fleet cameras) self-activate and begin recording, typically within 1–3 seconds.
  4. Fleet Dashboard shows a notification confirming the recording was activated by a connected body camera.

Fleet activates a body camera

  • Notify All button (Fleet Dashboard) – Starts all connected Fleet cameras and up to two connected body cameras. Notify All only starts body camera recordings; it can't be used to stop them.
  • Dual-View Camera buttons – An admin can configure the Primary and Secondary buttons on the Dual-View Camera to also activate connected body cameras. When a button is configured this way, double-pressing it starts the configured cameras (including body cameras), and a long press stops that Fleet camera. A single press does nothing, which prevents an officer trying to stop a Fleet camera from accidentally starting a new body camera recording. If a button isn't configured to include body cameras, its normal single-press behavior is unchanged.

Stopping a recording

Body camera and Fleet recordings stop independently of each other. Stopping the Fleet recording doesn't stop the connected body camera, and stopping the body camera doesn't stop Fleet. Stop each recording on its own device. You can also stop Fleet recordings from Fleet Dashboard.

Requirements and limitations

Supported devices

Axon Body 4, connected to Axon Fleet 3.

Not supported

Axon Body 3, Axon Body 2, Axon Body Mini, and older body camera models. Axon Fleet 1 and Fleet 2.

Connection requirements

Unlike Nearby Body Camera Activation, which uses proximity-based broadcasting, this feature requires an active Bluetooth connection between the body camera and the Fleet 3 Hub. The body camera must be connected to the Hub at the moment of activation for either direction to work. To connect a body camera, see Body cameras.

Firmware

Requires current generally available firmware for Axon Body 4 and Fleet 3.

Configure in Axon Evidence

Go to Axon Evidence Admin > Devices and Applications > Axon Fleet 3. These settings are also available from the Fleet Dashboard app on iOS and Android, and from Axon Commander for on-premise agencies.

Three settings control this feature:

  • Activation of Connected Fleet Cameras via BWC Double-Press – Choose whether a body camera double-press activates the Front camera only or All Fleet cameras (front and interior).
  • Primary Button Activation – For the Dual-View Camera Primary button, choose Front camera only, Front camera and Interior cameras, or All Fleet cameras + BWCs to also activate connected body cameras from that button.
  • Secondary Button Activation – For the Dual-View Camera Secondary button, choose Front camera only, Front camera and Interior cameras, or All Fleet cameras + BWCs to also activate connected body cameras from that button.

The Notify All button doesn't have a separate setting. It activates connected body cameras automatically once this feature is turned on for the agency.

This feature is controlled at the agency level. No additional license is required; it's included for Axon Body 4 customers with Fleet 3.

Evidence and audit trail

Recordings started by this feature are logged in the following audit trails. To protect officer privacy, the serial number or officer ID of the activating device is not captured in any of these entries.

  • Agency Audit Trail – Timestamp, user name, and setting change when an admin enables or disables this feature.
  • Fleet Hub Device Audit Trail – Timestamp and activation mechanism when Fleet recording starts because of a connected body camera double-press.
  • BWC Device Audit Trail – Timestamp and activation mechanism when body camera recording starts because of a Notify All button press or a Dual-View Camera Primary or Secondary button press.
  • Hub Audit Trail – Timestamp of when the Notify All button is pressed and when the activation event is sent to connected body cameras.

For answers to common questions, see Body-worn camera FAQs.