COURT OVERTURNS FTC’S BAN ON NON-COMPETE CLAUSES. SEPT. 4 DEADLINE FOR NOTIFYING EMPLOYEES IS CANCELLED

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On August 20, the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas overturned the FTC’s recently-adopted ban on the use of non-compete restrictions in employee contracts.  The rule was scheduled to go into effect on September 4, which would have required employers to proactively notify their employees as of that date that most existing non-compete clauses would not be enforced, and no new non-compete arrangements could be imposed. The Court set aside the Non-Compete Rule in all respects, finding it to be arbitrary and capricious, and beyond the authority of the FTC (especially since the ban applied to all non-compete clauses with no attempt to identify only those restrictions that were harmful to competition and did not serve a legitimate need). Consequently, the Court made it clear that “the Rule shall not be enforced or otherwise take effect on its effective date of September 4, 2024 or thereafter.”  The FTC may appeal this decision to the US Court of Appeals, so employers will need to stay abreast of any further rulings in this matter.  But it is clear that employers do not have to send their employees a non-compete notice on September 4 (unless a higher court issues a stay of the District Court’s decision, which is unlikely since postponing the Sept. 4 deadline simply maintains the status quo).

Please consult with employment counsel if you have any questions.

Florida’s Broward County Goes Live with ASAP

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Broward County in Florida became the 147th Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in the United States and the 12th ECC in the state of Florida to implement TMA’s Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).

Broward County went live the week of August 12, 2024 with the following alarm companies: Rapid Response Monitoring, ADT, Affiliated Monitoring, Alert 360, Brinks Home Security Protection, Doyle, Dynamark, Guardian Protection, National Monitoring Center, Protection One/Everon, Quick Response, Security Central, Securitas (Stanley Division), Tyco (Johnson Controls), United Central Control, Vector Security, and Vivint.

Learn more about ASAP HERE

View the agency’s press release HERE

 

City of Tacoma, WA, Seeks to Reduce False Alarms

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The city of Tacoma, Washington, Department of Tax and License reached out to TMA and SIAC in an effort to raise awareness of their efforts to reduce false alarms in their jurisdiction. If your company monitors accounts in Tacoma, here are their goals:

  1. Overall reduction of multiple false alarm calls generated from one location
  2. Specifically, reduce false alarm calls from video/sensor triggered alarms on properties with high volume of traffic – vehicles and people (i.e. car lots)
  3. Improve response/communication between alarm companies and the city

For more information, please contact:

Jasmin Flores
Business Systems Analyst
City of Tacoma | Finance Department | Tax & License
747 Market Street, Room 212, Tacoma, WA 98402
Email: JFlores1@cityoftacoma.org

Orange County, NC ECC Goes Live with ASAP

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The Orange County Emergency Services, Public Safety Communications Division became the 146th Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in the United States and the 14th ECC in the State of North Carolina to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).

“The ASAP program provides our ECC with most accurate and timely alarm notifications possible while reducing the workload of our Public Safety Telecommunicators.  The implementation of ASAP provides significant benefits to our Department, our partner public safety agencies, and the community we serve,” stated Christopher H. Ward, division chief – Public Safety Communications for Orange County Emergency Services.

Orange County went live on July 22, 2024 with the following companies: Rapid Response Monitoring, Vector Security, Alert360, Securitas, Holmes Security, Brinks Home Security, Dynamark Monitoring, United Central Control, Protection One, Guardian Protection, National Monitoring Center, Johnson Controls (Tyco), Vivint, CPI Security, Wegmans Security, Affiliated Monitoring, ADT and Security Central with Alert360 being brought online soon.

Learn more about ASAP at https://tma.us/programs/asap/

 

Industry Pioneer Ted Simon Passes

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Alarm industry leader and pioneer Ted Simon passed away peacefully, on Tues., July 23rd  surrounded by family.

Ted was born in Brownsville Brooklyn, on March 28, 1936. He graduated from Printers Vocational high school in Brooklyn and went on to join the Navy in the 1950’s where he served as a Plank Owner on the USS DuPont.

His engineering journey began at the City College of New York. Of note, Ted became the first person in his family to graduate from college. His head was always turning and spinning with ideas. For those who knew him, Ted’s ideas would become reality. In the 1970’s, he took a risk and established a company that would become Fire Burglary Instruments, Inc. [FBII]. He became a master in the alarm industry and an inspiration to many young engineers. His patented ideas and products were widely used in homes and companies. He eventually joined with Honeywell to develop and redevelop intricate systems to secure homes and lives.

Ted’s sense of humor was also infamous. He always had a joke to tell, but never revealed where he heard them.

Ted is survived by his wife Arlene and his two daughters, Michelle and Jamie. He was predeceased by his son Scott, who was also an innovator and creator of the company 2Gig. He is also survived by his seven (7) grandchildren.

TMA Details Plan for ASAP’s Next-Generation, Cloud-Based Solution at APCO 2024

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TMA will introduce its plans for the next-generation, cloud-based solution for its ASAP service at the APCO International 90th Annual Conference and Exposition 2024 (APCO 2024). Visit TMA in Booth 1453 on the exhibit floor, which is open August 5-6, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

The leading digital alarm dispatch service, ASAP, provides a low-cost, standards-based, non-proprietary solution to Emergency Communication Centers (ECCs) and delivers a faster, more informed, and intelligent emergency response. It is currently deployed in ECCs in 23 states and the District of Columbia, covering a population exceeding 54.5 million. The 30 ASAP-enabled monitoring centers serve 80% of all monitored customers in the U.S. Since 2011, ASAP has been reducing the time to dispatch by an average of two minutes (after call-answer time) for improved outcomes and saving lives and property. All major computer-aided dispatch (CAD) vendors support ASAP.

“ASAP offers significant benefits to monitoring companies and 9-1-1 emergency communications centers by streamlining alarm notification processing,” said Mel Maier, CEO and Executive Director of APCO International. “Automating alarm workflows through ASAP significantly reduces response times and manual intervention, ultimately enhancing public safety response.”

Also, promoting ASAP at APCO 2024 will be our longtime implementation partner, CommSys, Inc. (Booth 1832), and our new partner, Mission Critical Partners (MCP) (Booth 2013).

TMA announced in June that it had signed a new agreement with MCP for the management of the lifesaving ASAP Service. The managed service provider will also assist in the design and development of the next-generation alarm signaling message broker for the ASAP service that will deliver expanded capabilities, integration options, and an ongoing roadmap for the platform.

Another key partner also attending and exhibiting at APCO is TMA’s long-standing implementation partner CommSys, Inc. CommSys served as the original architect of ASAP and its protocol, pioneering its implementation process. CommSys has provided assistance and guidance to interested PSAPS, software automation providers, and alarm dealers with professional services and software tools to connect to ASAP Services. CommSys will continue in this integral role under the leadership of MCP.

Robert Turner, President and Founder of CommSys, stated, “CommSys applauds TMA’s win-win approach to the nationwide acceleration of the ASAP Service. With a deep commitment to ASAP’s impact on public safety, CommSys stands ready to continue what we do best, which is ASAP implementation. Be assured, we are already scaling to meet anticipated ASAP implementation demand.”

“It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child, the same can often be said for technology evolutions,” said Darrin Reilly, MCP’s president and chief executive officer. “ASAP is the result of a collaborative effort between the alarm and public-safety sectors, and we’re thrilled to be part of this effort going forward to increase the service’s penetration and to develop new and exciting capabilities.”

Learn more about the ASAP Service at https://tma.us/programs/asap/ or visit TMA in Booth 1453 at APCO 2024.

TMA Members Contribute to ASAP 3.0 Next Generation Fund

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TMA announced on Wed., June 26th it had signed a a multi-year managed services agreement with Mission Critical Partners (MCP) to power the future growth of its Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) Service.

The partnership with MCP will expedite the rollout of the next-generation of the ASAP Service and drive the development of a new, cloud-based solution. The next-generation solution will allow for the real-time sharing of rich data, including camera video streams, live location, health information, photos, and interior blueprints, dramatically improving situational awareness for emergency responders.

The primary goal for the Service is to achieve 80% coverage of the populating by 2028.

This partnership and technological advancements have been made possible by the generous support and commitment of TMA members that contributed to our ASAP 3.0 Next Generation funding program. TMA extends its gratitude to the following donors:

  • ADT, LLC
  • Affiliated Monitoring
  • Alarm Detection Systems, Inc.
  • Alert360
  • AvantGuard Monitoring Centers
  • COPS Monitoring
  • CPI Security Systems
  • Doyle Security Systems, Inc.
  • Dynamark Monitoring, Inc.
  • Holmes Electric Security Systems
  • National Monitoring Center
  • Per Mar Security Services
  • Quick Response
  • Rapid Response
  • Securitas
  • Security Central
  • United Central Control
  • Vector Security, Inc.
  • Vivint Smart Home
  • Washington Alarm, Inc.

Learn more about the new partnership and goals for enhancements to the Service by reading the full public announcement HERE.

Tennessee Announces Overlay for 423 Area Code

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The new 729 area code will overlay the existing 423 area code in eastern Tennessee. The Tennessee Public Utility Commission issued a news release about this overlay recently. We want to make your organizations aware of the upcoming key dates for the overlay implementation:

  • August 5, 2024: Permissive 7- or 10-digit dialing begins for customers with the 423 area code
  • February 5, 2025: Mandatory 10-digit dialing begins for customers with the 423 area code
  • March 5, 2025: The new 729 area code becomes effective, and mandatory 10-digit dialing is required in the new 729 area code too

Read the notice HERE

APCO webinar to address OMB SOC revision, July 17

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On June 12th, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced the beginning of a multi-year process to revise the Standard Occupational Classification. Through this process, OMB will consider whether to change the classification of public safety telecommunicators from the administrative/clerical category to the category for Protective Service Occupations.

APCO’s Government Relations Committee will present a webinar July 17th to explain APCO’s strategy for providing input to OMB, how this effort relates to the 9-1-1 SAVES Act and what you can do to help ensure that OMB finally corrects this outdated classification.

Register now to attend at https://www.apcointl.org/courses/reclassification-update-omb-requests-input-for-soc-revision-webinar/

Reclassification Update: OMB Requests Input for SOC Revision – Webinar
Wednesday, July 17 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Free for everyone

Industry veteran William Tenney named ASIS International CEO

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ASIS International today announced the appointment of William “Bill” Tenney as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 July 2024. Tenney brings close to 35 years of security leadership experience from both public and private sectors to his new role heading the acclaimed global security association.

As ASIS International’s CEO, Tenney will spearhead the organization’s strategic vision, working closely with members, partners, and stakeholders to advance the mission of fostering excellence in the security profession worldwide. With a commitment to collaboration, and continuous improvement, he is poised to lead ASIS International into a new era of growth and impact.

“We are thrilled to welcome William Tenney as the next CEO to guide ASIS in our mission to support security practitioners across all disciplines,” said Cy A. Oatridge, CPP, 2024 President, ASIS International. “His diverse background spanning national security and global corporate security makes him exceptionally qualified to lead our organization and advance our strategic priorities.”

Oatridge added, “The successful completion of our chief executive search was made possible by our partner, Spencer Stuart, one of the world’s leading global executive search and leadership consulting firms, along with our CEO Search Committee led by 2023 ASIS President, Tim McCreight, CPP.”

Tenney joins ASIS after serving as Chief Security Officer and Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Security for MetLife, Head of Global Operations Risk for Bloomberg, and Director of Global Security at Target Corporation. Previously, he served in the national security community as a civilian and for eight years as a U.S. Naval Officer.

“After an extensive global search, we are confident Bill is the ideal leader to guide ASIS International into its next chapter of growth and success,” said Tim McCreight, CPP, Chair, ASIS International CEO Search Committee. “With his proven track record of strategic leadership and deep expertise within the security profession, Bill has the vision and capabilities to provide the highest level of business continuity while propelling our organization to new heights. His appointment reinforces our commitment to operational excellence and positions us to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the ever-evolving security landscape.”

Tenney succeeds Peter O’Neil, FASAE, CAE, who has served with distinction during his tenure 2016-2024. Tenney will become the eighth executive to lead this organization in its nearly seven-decade existence.

“I am truly honored and excited to assume the role of CEO for this prestigious global security association with more than 34,000 members representing more than 150 nations worldwide,” said Bill Tenney, newly appointed CEO of ASIS International. “ASIS International plays a pivotal role in advancing the security profession and addressing the complex challenges facing our increasingly interconnected world. I look forward to collaborating closely with our diverse membership, volunteer leaders, and staff to drive innovation, share best practices, and elevate the critical importance of effective security strategies across all sectors and regions. Together, we will continue building a safer and more resilient future on a global scale. I am committed to strengthening our association’s position as the preeminent authority and go-to resource for security management professionals everywhere.”

A graduate of St. Olaf College and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Tenney has completed executive education from Harvard, Northwestern, and MIT. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Veterans Defense Project and advisor to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.