A method for detecting a contact event between a transducer and a recording medium is disclosed. The method includes positioning a transducer with respect to a recording medium, where the transducer includes a writer, a reader, a heater, and a thermally responsive sensor. The method further includes applying power to the heater to establish a fly height of the transducer; supplying a bias current through the thermally responsive sensor to generate a bias signal; measuring a root mean square (RMS) voltage VRMS of the thermally responsive sensor based on the bias signal; determining a threshold voltage VT; and detecting a contact event between the transducer and the medium based on VRMS being greater than VT.