Our mission is to promote and advance professional monitoring to consumers and first responders through education, advocacy, and the creation of standards.
Our vision: A safer world through professional monitoring.
The Monitoring Association (TMA) is the trade association representing the professional monitoring industry. Our membership community includes companies spanning all industry sectors, including monitoring centers, systems integrators, service providers, installers, consultants, and product manufacturers. As an ANSI Accredited Standards Developing Organization (SDO), TMA develops and maintains American National Standards (ANS) for the benefit of member companies and the customers they serve. TMA is dedicated to the advancement of the professional monitoring industry through education, advocacy, standards, and public safety relationships.
TMA was incorporated on November 30, 1950 in Illinois as the Central Station Electrical Protection Association (CSEPA). In 1989, the Association formally changed its name to the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA). In 2017, the Association was renamed “The Monitoring Association (TMA).”
Since its founding in 1950, TMA has worked to foster and improve relations between its members and various related groups–law enforcement and fire officials, the insurance industry, equipment suppliers and government/regulatory agencies.
In addition, TMA recognizes other goals essential to the well-being of its members, including, but not limited to:
Bylaws
APPROVED BYLAWS
(As of March 4, 2025)
The name of the Association shall be The Monitoring Association (hereafter referred to as “the Association” in these bylaws).
The mission of the Association is to advance the professional monitoring industry through education, advocacy, standards and public-safety relationships.
The association shall have and continuously maintain a registered office and registered agent whose office is identical with that of such registered office and, in addition, may have such other offices within or without the State of Illinois as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.
Section 1. Classes of Membership. The membership of this Association shall be divided into voting and non‐voting classes. For purposes of these bylaws, “Listed” is defined as any firm, corporation, or division of a corporation for which participation in the installation, service, monitoring, and response to burglar and fire and/or other related alarms constitutes a significant portion of its business, which operates a central station that has been approved by FM, listed by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), Intertek/(ETL) or other Association‐approved NRTL.
Applicants for each class of membership agree to conduct themselves and their businesses in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the Association.
Section 2. Application for Membership. Applicants for membership, in each Class, shall submit to the Membership Committee a written application for membership, which may change from time to time, and which application shall be accompanied with the prescribed initiation fee and first year’s dues.
Section 3. Election to Membership. Applicants for all forms of membership shall become members after the Association verifies that they meet the requirements for membership to become members and after paying the membership dues. The Membership Committee shall determine if an applicant meets the requirements of membership. If the existing requirements for membership are met, the applicant shall then be notified that their application has been accepted and said applicant will immediately be considered a member in good standing.
Section 4. Membership Fees. The members of each class shall pay such initiation fees and such annual dues as are prescribed from time to time by a three‐fourths (3/4) vote of the Board of Directors. The members of each class shall pay such assessments, uniform to each class, as are prescribed from time to time by a 100% less one affirmative vote of the Board of Directors.
Section 5. Voting. Only Voting Members of the Association shall have a vote, and no group of Voting Members subject to common control shall have more than three votes. On all matters, voting may be by mail, email or other electronic medium; and, if a ballot is not voted and/or returned within ten (10) days after notification, such ballot will be counted with the majority of the votes returned. Any company that is more than ninety (90) days in arrears on their dues shall automatically and temporarily lose their voting privileges in all member and Board of Directors votes until such dues are paid in full.
Section 6. Change of Ownership. If a change in the control of a member occurs, the executive committee shall determine if the new entity is in compliance with association requirements. Upon satisfactory review by the executive committee, membership will be transferred to the new entity. If the new entity is not in compliance with association requirements, the Association reserves the right to terminate the membership. The Association reserves the right to change the membership category, and membership fees will be assessed at the applicable rate for a company of the size and classification of the new entity.
Section 7. Representatives. Each member shall designate the person or persons who will attend meetings on its behalf, and each Voting Member shall designate one person and one alternate who will cast its vote or votes.
Section 1. Annual Meetings. There shall be an annual meeting of the Association, which annual meeting shall succeed the previous annual meeting by no less than six (6) months and no more than fourteen (14) months.
Section 2. Special Meetings. Non‐annual and Special meetings of the members may be called by the President, or by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, or by not less than one‐third (1/3) of the members, and shall be conducted at the time and at the place or by the means designated in the call for such meeting. A regularly scheduled Non‐Annual Meeting shall be held at any time between April and June of each year, according to Notice as set out in Section 3, below.
Section 3. Notice of Meetings. Written notice of annual, special and Non‐Annual meetings of the members shall be mailed or emailed not less than fifteen (15) nor more than forty (40) days before the date set for such meetings. Such notice shall be effective when deposited in the United States Mail or other commonly acceptable means of written or electronic transmission.
Section 4. Quorum. The Voting members of the Association represented in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum of a meeting of members, except on such matters on which concurrence of a greater number is required by law or by these bylaws. If less than a majority of the Voting members are represented at a meeting, a vote of one‐third (1/3) or more of the Voting members so represented may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice.
Section 5. Proxies. Written proxies of voting members will be honored according to the terms of the proxies.
Section 6. Meetings of All Voting Members. If all the Voting members shall meet at any time and place and consent to the holding of a meeting at such time and place, such meeting shall be valid without call or notice.
Section 7. Informal Action by Voting Members. Any action required to be taken at a meeting of the Voting members may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing setting forth the action so taken shall be signed by all of the Voting members entitled to vote with respect to the subject matter thereof. Any notice required by law or by these bylaws may be waived in writing, and such waiver shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice.
Section 1. Number. The business and affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Board of Directors consisting of:
There shall be no more than one voting member of the Board of Directors from any one company or companies with common control. When a merger, acquisition, or other action causes two directors to come under common control, the resulting member company shall immediately designate which director will serve as their official representative. The director not designated as the official representative retains the Board seat, until a replacement is named by the president per Article VI, Section 4. Should the president not nominate a replacement, the director may serve until the election at the next non‐annual general membership meeting.
Section 2. Tenure. The term of office shall be two years or until their successors shall have been nominated and elected in accordance with ARTICLE VI, Section 3. Such terms shall begin after the close of the next Annual Meeting.
Section 3. Election. The Voting members at each non‐annual general membership meeting shall elect the appropriate number of directors as determined by term expiration, resignations, or other vacancy.
Section 4. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring in the Board of Directors shall be filled by appointment of the President. Such replacement shall assume the vacant seat upon a three‐quarters or greater affirmative vote of the Board of Directors for the remainder of the unexpired term. Such ballot may be conducted at a duly called meeting, conference call, mail ballot, e-mail or other permitted means.
Section 5. Regular Meetings. Annually, two regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held without notice other than this bylaw. One board meeting shall be held prior to the adjournment of, and at the same place as, the annual meeting of voting members. The second board meeting shall be held prior to the adjournment of, and at the same place as the association’s mid‐year event. The Board of Directors may provide by resolution the time and place for the holding of additional regular meetings without other notice than said resolution.
Section 6. Special Meetings. A special meeting of the Board of Directors may be called by, or at the request of, the President or any two members of the Board of Directors; and such meetings shall be held at the times and places designated in the call of such meetings.
Section 7. Notice. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given at least five days prior thereto by written notice mailed to each director, or by other commonly acceptable means of written or electronic transmission.
Section 8. Quorum. A majority of the whole Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors, except on such matters on which concurrence of a greater number is required by law or by these bylaws. The caucus of Honorary Directors shall count collectively as one attendee for purposes of determining a quorum.
Section 9. Manner of Acting. The act of the majority of the members of the Board of Directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors.
Section 10. Change of Representative. If a member of the Board of Directors shall no longer be the designated representative of a member company in good standing, the President of the Association shall declare that director’s seat on the Board of Directors vacant.
Section 11. Attendance at meetings. A director may be removed from the Board by a majority vote of the Board of Directors if such director shall have been absent from three or more meetings of the Board without excuse.
Section 12. Informal Action by Directors. Any action required to be taken at a meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting if consent setting forth the action so taken shall be received from all of the officers and directors entitled to vote with respect to the subject matter thereof. Any notice required by law or by these bylaws may be waived in writing; and such waiver shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. The Association secretary shall memorialize the action, to include officer and board consent.
Section 13. Honorary Directors. All past presidents of the Association, with the exception of the Immediate Past President, shall be Honorary Directors of the Association, and shall have collectively one vote. Past presidents need not be affiliated with a member company of the Association to be classified as Honorary Directors. The partial vote of a past president is not subject to the common control provisions of Article VI Section 1.
Section 1. Officers. The officers of the Association shall be a President, one or more Vice Presidents, a
Treasurer, a Secretary, such Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer as may be determined by the Board of Directors, and the most recent eligible past president, currently designated as the official representative of a Voting member in good standing. Any two offices may be held by the same person except the offices of President and Secretary. The officers shall have such powers and perform such duties as usually appertain to their offices and such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time. There shall be no more than one officer of the Association from any one Member Company or companies with common control.
Section 2. Election and Term of Office. The officers of the Association shall be elected by the members of the Association at a Non‐Annual meeting for a term of two (2) years or until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. Only Voting members shall be eligible to hold elective office in the
Association. Such elections shall occur at the Non‐Annual meeting of the Association. The President shall be selected from the currently serving Vice Presidents.
Section 3. Removal. Any officer or agent elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors whenever in its judgment the best interests of the Association would be served thereby; but such removal will be subject to the contract rights, if any, of the officers or agents so removed.
Section 4. Change of Ownership. If a change in the control of an officer’s or director’s company shall occur, Article IV, Section 6 shall apply.
Section 5. Vacancies. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal or otherwise may be filled by the Board of Directors for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Section 1. Standing Committees. The following shall be permanent committees:
The Executive Committee acts in place and stead of the Board of Directors between board meetings on all matters, except those specifically reserved to the board by these bylaws. The actions of the Executive Committee shall be reported to the board by mail, electronically or at the next board meeting.
The committee is responsible for maintaining the Association bylaws in accordance with Article XIII, Amendment.
The committee shall be responsible for recommending qualified slates of candidates to serve as officers of the Association and to fill vacant board seats, presented to the voting membership in accordance with these bylaws.
The Ethics Committee shall have a standing chair appointed by the President. Members of the Ethics Committee shall be appointed in accordance with Article XIV, Ethics Committee, and the Code of Ethics.
The committee provides coordination and advocacy in a variety of areas between the alarm industry, the Federal Communications Commission, the United States Congress, state governments, and other government and regulatory agencies. The Committee also represents the Association in certain legal matters in the judicial system.
Section 2. Ad‐Hoc Committees and Task Forces. The President is empowered to establish additional committees and task forces, as is deemed necessary for the proper fulfillment of the purposes of the Association. The chairs of ad‐hoc committees and task forces shall be appointed and may be removed by the President.
Section 3. Term. All Ad‐HOC committees and committee members shall continue to function until the installation of the next president unless removed and/or replaced by the current president.
Section 1. Suspension and Expulsion. Any member who shall fail to pay any dues or indebtedness to the Association within three (3) months after the same becomes due, or shall have retired from and no longer be associated with the industry, shall be suspended by action of the Board of Directors during the continuation of the delinquency; and, such member shall be promptly notified by certified mail. At the expiration of a three months period of suspension, the Board of Directors shall recommend the reinstatement or expulsion of such member. If a recommendation of expulsion is confirmed by a majority of the Voting members, such membership shall thereupon be terminated.
Section 2. Readmission. If an expelled member makes application to re‐enter the Association, the company shall submit with the application payment of all monies which were owed at the time of expulsion as well as the current initiation fees and dues. The company shall also pay, before readmission, all assessments incurred during their absence, other than convention expense. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to waive any or all of the above fees.
All meetings shall be conducted under the rules prescribed in Roberts Rules of Order.
Section 1. Corporate Seal. The Board of Directors shall provide a corporate seal, which shall be in the form of a circle, and shall have thereon, the name of the Association and words “Corporate Seal, Illinois.”
Section 2. Membership Certificates. The Board of Directors shall provide for the issuance of a suitable membership certificate to each member. Said certificate shall bear the seal of the Association and the signature of at least two officers.
The fiscal year of the Association shall be from January 1 through December 31 in each calendar year.
These bylaws may be amended, altered, or repealed by a majority vote of the Voting members present at a regular or special meeting, for which said meeting there shall have been mailed or emailed to each Voting member a notice in writing giving the substance of the proposed change not less than thirty (30) days prior to the date set for said meeting.
The Code of Ethics shall be a policy adopted by the Board of Directors and published outside of these bylaws in the membership section of the Association website.
When an ethics complaint is initiated, a five-member ethics committee shall be established to review the complaint. The committee will consist of the standing chair, and four members nominated by the president and approved by the Executive Committee. The President may nominate themself to serve on the Ethics Committee. The four members appointed to the Ethics Committee shall not have a material conflict of interest with the parties involved in the complaint.
The Association Executive Director shall serve as the nonvoting secretary of the committee.
If a party with a defined role in the creation and/or performance of the Ethics Committee has a material conflict of interest regarding the complaint, the Executive Committee shall appoint a substitute to fulfill the role.
The five members of the Ethics Committee shall not constitute a quorum of the Association’s Executive Committee.
The committee will remain in place until the successful resolution of the complaint.
Ethics complaints may be initiated by a member of the Association, or the Executive Committee. All complaints shall be in writing, shall state with specificity which policy or policies are alleged to have been violated and shall include all supporting materials that upon which the complaint is premised. Anonymous complaints generally will not be considered unless accompanied by compelling supporting materials.
Complaints of an alleged violation of the Code of Ethics shall be submitted to and processed by the Ethics Committee. Complaints may be made against a Member Company an Applicant Member or an Individual Representative of the member or applicant companies. The Ethics Committee may make an initial investigation into any complaint. The subject of the complaint shall comply with requests for information or documents. Failure to cooperate shall be deemed sufficient grounds to terminate membership.
The Ethics Committee may determine the complaint lacks merit on its face and no response shall be required. If, however, the Ethics Committee believes a complaint may have merit, the subject of the complaint shall be notified and be afforded the right to answer the complaint in writing or in person, and to present witnesses.
The Ethics Committee shall have full power to resolve all complaints. The Ethics Committee shall make its determination in writing. If the Ethics Committee determines that the representative, member or applicant has violated the Code of Ethics, the Ethics Committee shall also determine appropriate discipline. Discipline may include but not be limited to, terminating membership, declining application for membership, requiring a member to replace a representative to the association, probation, censure, reprimand, or written warning. Discipline may restrict voting rights, participation in awards and association programs or attendance at meetings.
Any representative, member or applicant who has been disciplined by the Ethics Committee shall have the right to appeal to the Executive Committee, in writing or in person. The appeal may be heard at the next meeting of the Executive Committee, or at a special meeting held for this purpose. The meeting may be conducted electronically, and final deliberations may be held in executive session. The Executive Committee shall place such determination in writing and shall be final.
The Association shall indemnify any and all of its Directors, Officers and Employees or former Directors, Officers or any person who may have served at its request as a Director or Officer of another entity, from any suit or proceeding, by reason of the fact that he or she was or is a Director, Officer, Employee or Agent of the Association or is or was serving at the request of the Association as a Director, or Officer of another entity, against expenses (including attorney’s fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, if said person acted in good faith, in a manner he or she believed to be in the best interest of the Association and had no reason to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Provided, however, no indemnification shall be made in respect to any suit or proceedings as to which such Director, Officer or Employee shall be judged to have committed an act including wanton or willful misconduct in the performance of his or her duty. Such indemnification shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those indemnified may be entitled, under any agreement, vote of members of the Association, or otherwise.
The Association will hold the necessary insurance policies at an appropriate level identified by TMA’s Executive Committee or designee. Policy coverages and levels should be reviewed yearly for potential changes.
Policies
It is the policy of The Monitoring Association (TMA) that employees and volunteers of TMA, including board members and committee members, will not disclose confidential information belonging to, or obtained through their affiliation with, TMA to any person unless TMA has authorized disclosure. It is the policy of TMA that such information must be kept confidential both during and after employment or volunteer service.
The Monitoring Association (TMA) is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment in all of TMA’s activities. All participants, including but not limited to committee members, attendees, speakers, staff, service providers and other volunteers, are expected to abide by TMA’s Code of Conduct.
The following principles are intended to aid member firms of The Monitoring Association and their employees, individually and collectively, to maintain a high level of ethical conduct.
The Monitoring Association (TMA) respects the privacy of its members and other visitors to its Web site. We strongly believe that members and web visitors must be assured that information provided online is used responsibly and appropriately
We will always be transparent with you about the information we collect, what we do with it, with whom we share it and who you should contact if you have any concerns.
You can use the TMA website without disclosing your identity. Details of the information that we gather as standard when you access the websites is described below. If you register for any of our services or contact us via forms, there will be detailed information about how your data is processed in connection to your registration.
When your company joins TMA, you become part of the association that promotes and defends the interests of the monitoring industry, through its work in government relations, regulatory advocacy, and standards development.
© 2025 The Monitoring Association. All rights reserved.
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