Vector Security President and CEO Pamela Petrow has been appointed to the board of directors of the Philadelphia Contributionship (TPC) Mutual Holding Co., the oldest property insurance company in the United States. Vector Security, based here, is a sister company of TPC. “We are pleased to welcome Ms. Petrow to The Philadelphia Contributionship Board of […]
TMA welcomed its 86th, 87th, and 88th ECC to its ASAP-to-PSAP within the last two weeks.
Learn more about TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP service.
Volusia County FL Sheriff’s Office Communication Center (FL)
The Volusia County FL Sheriff’s Office Communication Center is the 86th Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in the United States and the 9th ECC in the state of Florida to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Volusia County went live on Monday, May 17th with Rapid Response Monitoring, Vector Security, Security Central, Securitas, Tyco (Johnson Controls), Quick Response, ADS (Nashville), Alert 360, Guardian Protection, Affiliated Monitoring, National Monitoring Center, AT&T Digital Life, Protection One, Vivint, and Brinks Home Security. Those companies were followed by Stanley Security and ADT on Tuesday, May 18th.
Iredell County Emergency Communications Center (NC)
The Iredell County Emergency Communications Center is the 87th ECC in the United States and 10th ECC in the State of North Carolina to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Iredell County went live with Rapid Response and Vector Security on Thursday, May 20th followed by Quick Response, Securitas, Stanley Security, Guardian Protection, Affiliated Monitoring, Tyco (Johnson Controls), ADS Security, Vivint, Alert360, National Monitoring Center, AT&T Digital Life, Brinks Home Security, Protection One and ADT. CPI Security and Security Central will be online with the agency in the near future.
Director Miller stated, “This partnership with the public sector alarm monitoring providers will reduce phone calls by sharing information via computer. Additionally, this will improve accuracy eliminating the need for manual entry, allowing the emergency signals to be processed within seconds and shared to the emergency responders.”
Prince William County VA Public Safety Communications Center (VA)
The Prince William County VA Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC) is the 88th ECC in the United States and the 16th ECC in the state of Virginia to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Prince William County went live on Tuesday, May 25th with Vector Security, Rapid Response Monitoring, Stanley Security, Security Central, Richmond Alarm, National Monitoring Center, Vivint, Wegmans Security, Protection One, AT&T Digital Life, Guardian Protection, and Brinks Home Security. Those companies were followed by Securitas, Tyco (Johnson Controls), Affiliated Monitoring, and ADT on Wednesday, May 26th.
View Prince William County press release on their website announcing the ASAP implementation.
Wayne Alarm Systems, Inc., a local family owned and run life safety and security provider with UL central station monitoring, announced that it has acquired North Shore Protection, Inc.
The purchase further increases Wayne Alarm’s share in the greater Boston area as the company continues to grow and expand.
The combination of North Shore Protection with our company increases our market share, adds to our geographic presence and provides our new clients with even greater access to new security technologies including video, access control, fire and intrusion,” said Ralph Wayne Sevinor, President of Wayne Alarm Systems.
North Shore Protection, Inc., founded by Jim Wiswall and Richard Colangelo, has had a focus on premier security services for over 35 years, serving more than 700 customers in the Boston area. Wayne Alarm has provided North Shore Protection with monitoring services from the beginning.
Because of the customer service and employee care provided by Wayne Alarm, Richard Colangelo, President of North Shore Protection stated that they would not entrust their customers to any other security company.
“It takes a great team to navigate the technological and customer demands of today and we are fortunate to have a great team at Wayne Alarm Systems,” added Sevinor. “Our goal is to be the best provider of life safety systems solutions by exceeding expectations in our Massachusetts service area.”
Due diligence for the acquisition was provided by TRG Associates, Inc., Dennis Raimo PC CPA, financing supported by Eastern Bank, and legal services by Finneran & Nicholson, P.C.
Mac Hammond, a long time TMA member and, together, with his wife Bonnie, a long time association supporter, celebrated his 90th birthday in early May of this year. Both Mac and Bonnie, and indeed the larger family, are familiar faces to TMA members who saw the family across the years at our association functions. TMA’s […]
The Monitoring Association (TMA) is pleased to announce the addition its 50th FirstNet certificate, systems integrator Convergint Technologies, LLC. (Renton, WA). FirstNet is the nationwide public-safety wireless broadband network platform, built and deployed through a first‐of‐its‐kind public‐private partnership between the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) and AT&T. The FirstNet Authority is an independent authority of the U.S. Department of Commerce. In April 2019, under an agreement with AT&T, TMA began issuing a Certificate of Verification to qualified alarm companies for the use of FirstNet services for alarm transport communications.
For companies to obtain a who meet accepted alarm industry standards that result in the transmission of public safety related alarms from systems designed primarily to protect life and/or property (e.g. robbery, burglary, unlawful intrusion, fire, emergency medical) to a Central Station Monitoring Facility that confirms and verifies the authenticity of the alarm and notifies a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for relay to a public safety agency for the purpose of initiating an emergency response.
Public‐safety related alarms are critical to alerting first responders of emergencies requiring their urgent response.
As we mentioned above, for an alarm services company to apply to use FirstNet services for alarm transport communications as an extended primary user in support of public safety, it must first verify compliance through receipt of a TMA Certificate of Verification.
The alarm services company can then seek approval for eligibility to use FirstNet services by presenting the TMA Certificate of Verification to AT&T along with their contract(s) and/or service order(s), or to another alarm services company who will be providing FirstNet services from AT&T.
The TMA Certificate of Verification must be renewed every 12 months from when the initial TMA Certificate is issued.
For more information, please contact Tara Compher at 703‐660‐4913 or tcompher@tma.us.
The APCO/TMA ANS 2.101.3-2021 Alarm Monitoring Company to Emergency Communications Center (ECC) Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) has received final approval from ANSI and has been published on the APCO website.
Read it here: www.apcointl.org/standards/standards-to-download/.
There are 82 area codes currently permit 7-digit dialing and also use 988 as a central office code. Starting on October 24, anyone that attempts to call a local number in those area codes by using only seven digits will instead be connected to a recording that tells them to hang up and redial using the area code. This change impacts all landline phones, cell phones and VOIP calling systems.
Ten-digit dialing will soon be necessary to make sure that calls to 988 get directed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 988 hotline was established by the FCC in July 2020 to make it faster for people to connect to crisis counselors and get help without having to remember a longer toll-free number.
If someone has a seven-digit number that starts with 988, the phone switch will not know whether this call needs to go to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline or to the seven-digit number. By requiring 10-digit dialing, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator is able prevent any confusion to the system.
We wanted to make sure that our members with clients in those areas are aware of this upcoming change.
Additional Resource:
Area Code Overlay Approved for the Virginia 757 Area Code (PDF)
The AICC’s Petition for Emergency Relief regarding the 3G Sunset was submitted to the FCC on May 10th.
A special note of appreciation to those TMA member companies who contributed to the petition.
Look for future updates.
Jim Boyce, President, Chief Business Development Officer, has announced his decision to retire effective May 31, 2021. The company is grateful for Jim’s leadership, wisdom, and dedication, and for his many contributions as CEO of Defenders and its successful integration into ADT. Boyce will continue to advise the company’s President and CEO Jim DeVries on a consultative basis.
Keith Holmes will join ADT later this month as Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, reporting directly to DeVries. Holmes comes to ADT from Cox Communications, Inc., where he served most recently as Executive Vice President, Head of Cox Business. At ADT, Holmes will lead go-to-market activities and teams, including marketing, sales execution, offer development, and pricing – all key drivers of the company’s long-term revenue growth.
Don Young, who was serving as the company’s Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President, Field Operations, has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he will now also oversee all aspects of service delivery to customers.
Jill Greer joined ADT in April 2021 as Senior Vice President – Finance, Investor Relations and Communications, reporting to Jeff Likosar. Greer comes to ADT after a long career with Delta Air Lines, where she served as Vice President – Investor Relations.
“I want to congratulate Jim Boyce on a well-deserved retirement and thank him for being a trusted friend and partner for many years,” said ADT’s President and CEO Jim DeVries. “With Jim’s upcoming departure and our renewed focus on growth, we’ve realigned and enhanced our team, ensuring we’re building a strong leadership group that will serve ADT well into the future.”
Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp has signed a bill that bans counties or municipal corporations from fining alarm companies for false alarms generated by a customer and through no fault of the alarm system’s contractor.
“We appreciate the support of Governor Kemp and lawmakers in supporting our industry and the millions of citizens and businesses we protect,” said John Loud, Vice President of Electronic Security Association (ESA) and President of LOUD Security Systems. “Lawmakers recognized that our industry has worked diligently with law enforcement leaders to develop and implement a Model Alarm Ordinance that significantly reduces the demand on police resources by penalizing individuals or businesses that cause false alarms primarily through user error.”
The introduction of the legislation follows a bitter three-year fight after the City of Sandy Springs passed a punitive ordinance that fined alarm companies. The city’s success in defending the legislation in court caused the legislature to act. Only one other Georgia city, Brookhaven, followed Sandy Springs’ lead.
A number of other states have passed bills similar to the Georgia bill in recent years including California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Tennessee and Iowa.
“The model ordinance, which fines alarm users, obtains an average 60% reduction in false dispatches and impacts those causing most of the problems. In fact, 85% of alarm systems generate no calls to the police in any given year,” Said Stan Martin, Executive Director of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC).
Under the law companies are responsible for false alarms they cause due to faulty equipment or installation or failure to use a mandated system requiring two calls to an alarm site before notifying police.
“Common sense prevailed,” said Loud. “Our industry stands ready to work with any community that wishes to reduce unnecessary dispatches with a proven model and experts ready to assist.”
