TMA President Appoints New Committee Chairs

The Associate Members’ Liaison Committee and the Proprietary Council both welcomed new chairs in October.

Jennifer Holloway, CIBC Bank USA, is joining DMP Vice President of Marketing Mark Hillenburg, as co-chair of the Associate Members’ Liaison Committee, which represents suppliers and Associate Members to the TMA Board of Directors. “As a long-time member of the Associate Members’ Liaison Committee I look forward to partnering with Mark Hillenburg to represent my fellow associate members’ needs and concerns on the TMA Board and with general membership,” Holloway stated. “Every member plays a role in reaching TMA’s goals, and I am grateful to have this new opportunity as co-chair.”

With the resignation of TMA’s longtime Proprietary Council Chair Dan Jackman, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Don Young appointed Michele Levcik, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., to the position of Council chairman. “I am very excited and honored for the opportunity to serve on the TMA board. My goals are to increase proprietary participation and retention and continue to build relationships and knowledge in the industry,” commented Levcik.

Richard Flores, Puget Sound Energy, will support Levcik on the Proprietary Council as her new vice-chair. Flores has served as the Council’s Secretary since 2017.

DMP to Introduce its FirstNet Ready™ alarm panels in Nov. 4th VPR

Register now to attend TMA’s next Virtual Product Review (VPR) where DMP will introduce its groundbreaking FirstNet Ready™ alarm panels.

FirstNet is built with AT&T in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority and is the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built specifically for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community. It’s the solution to decades-long interoperability and communications challenges first responders have long been experiencing.

“The FirstNet network is an important step forward in our nationwide first responder infrastructure, and DMP is pleased to support public safety nationwide,” says Mark Hillenburg, vice president of Marketing at DMP. “Also, we are very excited to work with The Monitoring Association (TMA) and AT&T to deliver alarm panel communications using the highly secure and reliable FirstNet service.”

The transmission of public safety related alarms via FirstNet Ready™ alarm panels qualifies for FirstNet extended primary service. Alarm service companies qualify to use the FirstNet network by first obtaining a TMA Certificate of Verification that verifies they are in compliance with accepted Alarm Industry Standards. The Certificate of Verification ensures the company transmits public safety related alarms (e.g. burglary, fire, emergency medical) to a central monitoring station that confirms and verifies the authenticity of the alarm before notifying a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for relay to a public safety agency for the purpose of initiating an emergency response. In addition to the TMA certification, alarm service providers must enter into a FirstNet Agreement with AT&T before they can offer FirstNet Ready alarm panels with FirstNet service.

With DMP’s FirstNet Ready communicator, the XR Series control panels are among the first available for use on the FirstNet network. This gives alarm companies the advantage of using Band 14 – nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the federal government specifically for FirstNet.

How to use the FirstNet Network for Alarm Panel Communication
Wed., Nov. 4, 2020 | 2:30PM/EST

Speakers:
Mark Hillenburg, Vice President of Marketing, DMP
Aaron McGhee – Product Manager, Control Panels, DMP

REGISTER

Spector, Schmit Honored For TMA and Industry Contributions

On October 21, 2020, in the course of TMA’s General Membership Meeting, TMA President Don Young had the honor of presenting TMA’s two highest awards – Stanley C. Lott Award for Exemplary Service and the Mel Mahler Award for Outstanding Service to the Monitoring Industry.

Stanley C. Lott Award for Exemplary Service Presented to Ivan Spector, President, Sentinelle Alarms
In presenting the award, President Young stated, “This year the award is given to a man who has not only served TMA through many leadership positions on committees and the TMA Board, but who was a founding member and longtime board member of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC).

In addition, he has been a leader in advancing alarm management in both Canada and the United States. For CANASA, he served on the Board of Directors, was national president, and chair of the Response Committee. In that role he proved instrumental in driving many false dispatch reduction initiatives. He is also a Superior Court of Canada-acknowledged and accepted expert witness.
This year’s winner is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal and is the owner of Sentinel Alarm. I am pleased to award the 2020 Stanley C. Lott Memorial Award to Ivan Spector.”

Mel Mahler Award for Outstanding Service to the Monitoring Industry Presented to Steve A. Schmit, Senior Staff Engineer, UL
In presenting the award, President Young commented, “When deciding on a recipient for this year’s Award, one name came immediately to mind. He is an individual who has served our industry for more than 39 years, but with the onset of Covid 19 earlier this year, he worked tirelessly on behalf of the TMA membership to develop work at home standards that would allow our industry to continue to operate under safe conditions. This year’s winner is an experienced Engineering Manager with a history of working in the public safety industry.

He holds a BS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves as Senior Staff Engineer for Underwriters Laboratories. I am very grateful for all of the help and guidance this year’s recipient provided on the establishment of the new standard and I am honored to present this year’s Mel Mahler Award to Steve Schmit.”

Please join TMA in congratulating Ivan and Steve on these esteemed honors.

DMP to introduce new FirstNet Ready™ alarm panels in TMA VPR, Nov. 4th

FirstNet™ is built with AT&T in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority and is the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built specifically for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community. It’s the solution to decades-long interoperability and communications challenges first responders have long been experiencing.

“The FirstNet network is an important step forward in our nationwide first responder infrastructure, and DMP is pleased to support public safety nationwide,” says Mark Hillenburg, vice president of Marketing at DMP. “Also, we are very excited to work with The Monitoring Association (TMA) and AT&T to deliver alarm panel communications using the highly secure and reliable FirstNet service.”

The transmission of public safety related alarms via FirstNet Ready™ alarm panels qualifies for FirstNet extended primary service. Alarm service companies qualify to use the FirstNet network by first obtaining a TMA Certificate of Verification that verifies they are in compliance with accepted Alarm Industry Standards. The Certificate of Verification ensures the company transmits public safety related alarms (e.g. burglary, fire, emergency medical) to a central monitoring station that confirms and verifies the authenticity of the alarm before notifying a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for relay to a public safety agency for the purpose of initiating an emergency response. In addition to the TMA certification, alarm service providers must enter into a FirstNet Agreement with AT&T before they can offer FirstNet Ready alarm panels with FirstNet service.

Benefits for the Alarm Industry

With DMP’s FirstNet Ready communicator, the XR Series control panels are among the first available for use on the FirstNet network. This gives alarm companies the advantage of using Band 14 – nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the federal government specifically for FirstNet.

Register now to attend:

How to use the FirstNet™ Network for Alarm Panel Communication
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020 | 2:00PM/EST

Speakers:

  • Mark Hillenburg, Vice President of Marketing, DMP
  • Aaron McGhee, Product Manager, Control Panels, DMP

REGISTER

Scott Stanton, Cisco To Deliver OPS-TECH 2020 Keynote

TMA is pleased to announce that Scott Stanton, Sr. Director, Americas Network Transformation, Cisco, will deliver a keynote address at its upcoming OPS-TECH 2020. Mr. Stanton’s remarks will speak to the future of networking and WiFi 6 and the impact on how this technology enables IoT devices and fills in the gaps of LTE and 5G buildouts. The keynote address will be delivered virtually via Zoom on Wed., Nov. 18th at 11:10 AM [EST].

OPS-TECH is the new combination of two of TMA’s most popular annual education and networking events – the Fall Operations Management Seminar and the Tech Summit. TMA is pleased to introduce a reimagined meeting structure and delivery format this year with the intention that the virtual platform will open up new opportunities for additional attendees to actively take part in these valuable programs. By focusing on three main areas of interest, TMA will offer education that will appeal to operations, video surveillance and installation professionals, and IT managers who want to take their companies to the next level. This solutions-based event will offer attendees the opportunity to come with a problem and leave with a solution.

The program will be presented in three sections over the course of several days:

  • Focus on Operations: November 9-11
  • Special BONUS– Focus on Video: November 12 (included in the Operations package or stand-alone)
  • Focus on Technology: November 17-18

Industry sponsors of the event include Full Meeting Sponsors: BOLD Group and MAS. Event Meeting Sponsors include OneTel, SentryAI, and TRG Associates, Inc., SDM Magazine and Security Business Magazine/SIW.com are the official media sponsors.

View complete program details and registration options.

Leadership In Crisis Topic For Closing Keynote At TMA’S 2020 Annual Meeting, Oct. 29

TMA is pleased to announce that Susan B. Swenson will deliver the closing keynote address at its upcoming 2020 Annual Meeting. Ms. Swenson has been the president and CEO of some of the largest and most influential telecom companies in the US. She was also the second Chairman at FirstNet (First Responder Network Authority). In her career, Ms. Swenson has been recognized as a turn-around leader during challenging times. Ms. Swenson will speak virtually via Zoom on Thurs., Oct. 29th at 2:35PM [EST]. Full details and registration options are available at www.tma.us/annual-meeting/.

“We’ve moved from a time of seeing people at the copy machine or the break room to a time of video calls, email exchanges coupled with burnout and personal hardships,” stated Ms. Swenson. “I’ll share insights into what leaders can do to help employees navigate these challenging times and what leaders need to do for themselves to be able to run this marathon.”

“It is often said that the strongest of leaders come forth in times of crisis. Without question, the scope of challenges presented to companies of all sizes across our industry in 2020 has pushed leaders into crisis-mode. Every aspect of our businesses have been tested and our leaders called upon to examine and analyze internal and external processes, policies, and services to best prepare for the new, yet unknown, unstable marketplace in which we now operate,” stated TMA President Don Young. “Susan Swenson has built a solid and highly-respected reputation as an exceptional leader in times of crisis. We’re pleased and grateful to have her as one of our keynote speakers for our Annual Meeting this year. Leaders, as well as rising leaders, who take part in our meeting will benefit immensely from her firsthand insights into her experiences of leading a number of companies through critical periods into recovery, and ultimately, renewed stability and future success.”

Susan G. Swenson has been the head of 13 different companies, and currently occupies the position of Non-Executive Chairman of Vislink Technologies, Inc. Ms. Swenson is also on the board of Harmonic, Inc. and Sonim Technologies, Inc.

Learn more and register to attend.

TMA Virtual Product Review: Unlocking Hidden Value from Digital with Advanced Data Analytics

Discover innovative opportunities for your company to create new value through better connected devices and advanced data analytics and how new TMA member Thalamus Labs’ approach get you on a fast-track to digital value creation. Thalamus Labs’ Managing Director Sugath Warnakulasuriya will challenge you to take a fresh look at how you’re doing business today.

Thursday, October 22, 2020 | 12:30-1:00PM [EST]

Register now to attend this presentation.

 

Google’s Thorsen to Keynote TMA’s 2020 Annual Meeting

TMA is pleased to announce Wayne Thorsen, Managing Director, Hardware Business Development for Google will deliver the keynote address at its upcoming 2020 Annual Meeting. Mr. Thorsen will speak virtually via Zoom on Tues., Oct. 27th at 11:10 AM [EST].

“This has been a year like no other where we are reminded of how essential our service is to the homes and businesses of this country and of this world,” said Don Young, president of TMA. “TMA has come together, in partnership with many other organizations dedicated to the well-being of our customers and employees, to educate and advise on how to navigate through these uncharted waters. I am truly blessed and proud to serve amongst so many selfless individuals who have volunteered their time these last nine months to share best practices and help guide each other regardless of competitive pressure. I believe that crisis brings clarity and I am inspired by the meaningful work TMA has done this year to deal with the pandemic, but more importantly, to give our members the opportunity to share in the benefits of what the future holds for our industry. Two of those benefits will be the continued development of standards as referenced in our latest edition of TMA’s Dispatch and exploring how machine learning and artificial intelligence could play key roles in that effort. We are fortunate to have Wayne Thorsen from Google as our keynote speaker this year who will share his thoughts on how he sees this technology advancing and accelerating in the months and years ahead. He will provide some insight on how Google views the opportunities in our industry going forward,” added Young.

In his current position, Mr. Thorsen leads the global business development teams that manage partnerships for a portfolio of Google products and services, including: Google Home; Nest; Chromecast; Google WiFi; Google Pixel; Google ATAP (Advanced Technology And Projects); and, Google Daydream (Augmented Reality and Google Lens). Prior to joining Google in May 2018, Mr. Thorsen served as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Strategic Partnerships for San Francisco-based So-Fi. He also previously led the Corporate Development team at Viacom, where he was responsible for leading M&A and strategic partnerships across the international media company.

View full details and meeting registration options.

TMA Welcomes its 74th ECC to its ASAP-to-PSAP Service

The Raleigh – Wake County NC Communications (RWECC) is the 74th ECC in the United States and 10th NC to implement TMA’s Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).

RWECC went live with Rapid Response at 8am EDT on Wednesday, October 7th followed by Vector Security, Quick Response, ADS, Alert360, Tyco, Affiliated Monitoring, National Monitoring Center(NMC), AT&T Digital Life, Brinks Home Security, Protection One, Guardian Protection and Vivint. ADT, CPI Security, Security Central, Holmes Security and Wegmans Security will go live with RWECC in the near future.

Learn more about TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP.

TMA Past President Named ESA’s 2019 Person of the Year

The Electronic Security Association (ESA) presented its 2019 Morris F. Weinstock Person of the Year Award to TMA Past President Bud Wulforst in honor of his lifetime of achievements in the security industry. Wulforst has been involved in ESA throughout the years as part of many initiatives and as a mentor to other businesspeople in the industry. 

Upon receiving his award, Wulforst stated, “I’m truly humbled as we stand here with 50 years of award recipients. I am so very proud to receive this wonderful ESA award. I’ve learned so much from so many over the years,” said Wulforst as he received the award. The associations are the catalyst for bringing it all together. The power of networking and participating in our associations should never be underestimated. When I say thank you, I say thank you to you all.”

TMA extends its sincere congratulations to Wulforst.

Read more.