A plurality of sensors are operably coupled to a system controller. Each sensor includes a detection mode in which the sensor applies one or more detection algorithms to sensor data generated by the corresponding sensor to detect a possible event and to report the possible event to the system controller, but does not report the system data to the system controller. Each sensor also includes a sensor data mode in which the sensor data is reported to the system controller. When one of the plurality of sensors reports a possible event to the system controller, the system controller instructs one or more of the plurality of sensors to switch from the detection mode to the sensor data mode. The system controller is configured to receive the sensor data and to process the received sensor data to confirm or otherwise provide a measure of confidence in the reported possible event.