Throwback to 1911: Rules for “Troublemen”

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Thanks to CSAA Past President Bob Bonifas for sharing a copy of the Chicago Telephone Company’s “Rules for Troublemen” from 1911.

“It looks like in 1911, ‘troublemen’ were still on horses, and I would assume the alarm industry techs were as well,” commented Bonifas. “I thought this was an interesting piece of history on communicating to employees in the jargon of the day — an interesting perspective from a bygone era.”

Check out the 1911 Rules. How do your present-day customer service rules compare?

 

Monitoring Company Outreach Spurs New York State toward ASAP Deployment

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ASAP-Concept1DRecent advancements towards ASAP deployment in New York demonstrate what can be achieved when monitoring companies engage in outreach to PSAPs.  The April issue of “eJusticeNY,” the newsletter of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, reports that ASAP is coming soon to New York:

“The state Office of Information Technology Services is working on developing the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol system for state law enforcement agencies that are dispatched using a computer-aided dispatch system. The system is a data exchange between alarm monitoring companies and 9-1-1 PSAP call centers that will replace telephone calls, promote better communication and decrease processing and response times to alarm related calls for service. As the project progresses, information will be distributed on how agencies can help get this innovative technology operational. The following alarm monitoring companies participate in this system and more are being added every month: ADS Nashville, Affiliated, Central Security Group, Diebold, Monitronics, Rapid Response, Safeguard Security, United Central Control, Vivint, ADT, American Alarm, CMS, Guardian Protection, Protection 1, RFI, Stanley, and Vector.”

This is a major step forward! A state communications system issue had been identified early in ASAP’s development as a major obstacle to ASAP deployment in New York. Doyle Security associates Ernie Coles, Kevin Stone and John Doyle, along with Lowitt Alarm and others, were undeterred by the technology challenge. They initiated an outreach program that simultaneously engaged the majority of the state PSAPs through the state’s 9-1-1 association. Once the association understood the program’s value to PSAPs, the association successfully lobbied state CJIS leadership to make ASAP compatibility a reality.

CSAA is pleased to report this exciting news to our members that monitor accounts in New York State. If your company is not yet ASAP-active, or you would like to participate in ASAP outreach efforts, please contact asap@csaaintl.org.

Read the complete issue of eJusticeNY.

 

CSAA Connects with CANASA and ALAS at ISC West

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On April 6 at ISC West 2016 in Las Vegas, CSAA staff had the opportunity to meet with the leaders of the Associación Latinoamericana de Seguridad (ALAS) and the Canadian Alarm & Security Association (CANASA). Discussion topics included ASAP, education resources, and the challenges facing associations, among others.

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From left: Heather Terrence, Executive Director of CANASA, and Jay Hauhn, Executive Director of CSAA, at ISC West 2016.

 

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From left: Alberto Alvarez, Chief Executive Officer of ALAS, and Becky Lane, Vice President of Membership, CSAA, at ISC West 2016.

 

Photos by Elizabeth Lasko.

CSAA Talks ASAP at APCO’s Emerging Technology Conference

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CSAA’s Becky Lane

ASAP activity continues across the country. On March 16 and 17, CSAA Vice President of Membership Becky Lane presented two sessions on the service at the Association of Public Communications Officials (APCO) Emerging Technology Conference in Kansas City, MO.

Lane’s first session was a “Tech Talk” program overview for law enforcement and 9-1-1 communicators. Her second, more in-depth session was tailored to PSAP directors and 911 Communications Coordinators, and included details on the service. At this session, several representatives of  those in attendance discussed  the process of becoming connected and  shared their experiences.

ASAP was launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, designed to increase the efficiency and reliability of emergency electronic signals from central station alarm companies to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). ASAP utilizes ANSI standard protocols developed cooperatively by APCO and CSAA. With ASAP, critical life safety signals and accurate information is processed more quickly, through the Nlets system of state-to-state PSAP communication, insuring that complete and accurate information is transmitted to the PSAP every time. The ASAP program has the potential to save PSAPs and emergency services millions of dollars.

ASAP-Concept1D“The ASAP service would not be possible without the relationships shared by APCO, CSAA, INLETS, and other respected Associations,” said Lane. “It is because of these relationships and belief in vision and steadfast commitment that the ASAP service is a reality. We are very appreciative of APCO’s invitation to attend these very important meetings.”

For more information about ASAP, contact asap@csaaintl.org or Becky Lane at 703-242-4670 x 18.

Call for Volunteers: CSAA Standards Committee

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CSAA, as an ANSI-approved SDO (Standards Development Organization), is reviewing the best path to establishing an up-to-date remote station standard. This standard will define the parameters of a remote station as well as its operational procedures.

The CSAA Standards Committee seeks volunteers to participate in this important project. To volunteer, contact CSAA Vice President of Membership Becky Lane (blane@csaaintl.org or 703-242-4670 x 18.

If you are not the right person at your company for this project, please share this message with subject matter experts in your organization! Questions? Contact CSAA Standards Committee Chair Steve Shapiro at sshapiro@adt.com.

Ownership Changes and Internal Corporate Reorganizations May Require FCC Approval

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Alarm service providers and equipment manufacturers should keep in mind FCC approval is required for most ownership changes.  If radio licenses are involved, prior FCC approval is generally required, although there may be ways to significantly reduce the usual 90 to 120 day approval time, using the FCC’s “conditional temporary licensing” mechanism (depending on the type of licenses involved).  For equipment manufacturers, the FCC generally must be notified of ownership changes that affect FCC equipment certifications within 60 days after the closing.  But some manufacturers also have radio licenses (such as demonstration licenses) that may require prior approval filings.

These entities should also keep in mind that many types of reorganizations, estate planning and tax savings activities and other transactions require prior FCC approval. Companies planning on such transactions should determine whether they must file an application for FCC approval, and obtain a grant, before closing the transaction.  Transactions requiring prior FCC approval include (but are not limited to):

  • The distribution of stock to family members in connection with estate planning, tax and other business activities, if there are changes to the control levels discussed above; Any sale of a company that holds FCC licenses;
  • Any sale, transfer or lease of an FCC license;
  • A change in the form of organization from a corporation to an LLC, or vice versa, even though such changes are not regarded as a change in entity under state law.
  • Any transfer of stock that results in a shareholder attaining a 50% or greater ownership level, or a shareholder relinquishing a 50% or greater ownership level;
  • Any transfer of stock, partnership or LLC interests that would have a cumulative effect on 50% or more of the ownership.
  • The creation of a holding company or trust to hold the stock of an FCC license holder;
  • The creation of new classes of stockholders that affect the control structure of an FCC license holder.
  • Certain minority ownership changes can require FCC approval (e.g., transfer of a minority stock interest, giving the recipient extraordinary voting rights or powers through officer or board position).
  • The conversion of a corporate entity or partnership into another form of organization under state law – e.g., from corporation to LLC or partnership to LLP and vice versa.

–Contributed by CSAA Counsel John Prendergast (Blooston, Mordofsky, Dickens, Duffy, and Prendergast, Washington, DC)

Alarm Industry’s Jerry O’Brien Laid to Rest

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Jerry O'Brien funeral

Photo by Lou Fiore

Former Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC) Chair Jerry Michael O’Brien was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on February 29. He passed away in Tampa, FL on August 30.

CSAA Past President and current AICC Chair Lou Fiore and CSAA Counsel Ben Dickens attended the burial service. Last fall, AICC members passed a resolution in honor of O’Brien’s contributions to the alarm industry.

The following is an excerpt from the remarks given by the Chaplain, Captain Scott Foustat, at the service.

“By the time Jerry was 18, he was married, he had enlisted in the Air Force, and he soon would be a parent. Jerry’s dream was to develop, design and launch rockets, but as many of us discover, the needs of the Air Force come first, so Jerry was assigned to become an air traffic controller … not rockets, but a very reputable career path nonetheless. Jerry made the best of it, and he excelled at his job, establishing air traffic control centers all over the world, often in very remote places.

“Jerry was eventually selected for officer training, and he commissioned as an AF Officer, one of the last to do so without a college degree. While in the Air Force, Jerry and his family moved 21 times in 20 years. Jerry’s service spanned the Vietnam War, and he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, among many others.

“Following his military career, Jerry took on various adventures, including managing a motion picture studio, representing an energy conservation business, managing API Security telecommunications, which led him to join Omnipoint-a start-up telecommunications company.

“Jerry will be remembered as a patriot, loyal friend, caring father, and beloved husband. Jerry rarely asked for anything in life (except maybe another cup of coffee), but he did have one request: to be buried at Arlington. It’s an honor for us today to grant that request!”

ADT Goes Live with ASAP in Boca Raton

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March 1, 2016 — ASAP Subject-Matter-Expert Bill Hobgood reported that today “ADT went live with Boca Raton at 1:30 p.m. and received the first actual alarm within one minute of going live.”

ADT Boca(Right to left) Tonya George, ADT MAStermind Administrator; Tammie Hilend, ADT Vice President of IT; Bill Hobgood, Project Manager, Public Safety Team, Department of Information Technology, City of Richmond, Virginia; and Cindy Cevallos, Boca Raton Project Manager. The picture was taken shortly after ADT’s go-live with Boca Raton.

ADT follows Vector Security, Rapid Response, Monitronics, Affiliated, Protection One, and Guardian as the first alarm companies to connect with ASAP in the state of Florida. For more information about ASAP, visit csaaintl.org/asap.

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Volunteers Collaborate to Update CSAA Online Training

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From left: Mary Jo Lakhal, West Safety Services; Caryn Morgan, Bold Technologies;  Laurie Mitchell, Siemens Building Technology; Julie Webber, CSAA;  Kate Brickner, Vivint. Photo by Elizabeth Lasko.

 

Over three days last week, members of the CSAA Education Committee met at the CSAA office to review and update the CSAA Level One online training course. Updating this course is a high priority for the committee and the association in 2016.

“Education and training is so important to the industry and to every company,” said Laurie Mitchell, Operations Director for Siemens Building Technology, a CSAA Five Diamond-certified company. “Keeping training programs current with technology and other changes is challenging, but critical to the success of our operations.”

Siemens was joined by Kate Brickner, Corporate Trainer, Vivint; Mary Jo Lakhal, Senior Program Manager, West Safety Services; and Caryn Morgan, Operational Excellence Specialist, Bold Technologies, meeting in the Alarm Industry Museum conference room with CSAA Executive Director Jay Hauhn and CSAA Vice President of Education Julie Webber. In addition, Michael Gelvin, Assistant Central Station Manager, United Central Control, participated by phone.

“It was great to gather face-to-face with a group of dedicated subject matter experts from different companies to work on such an important project,” said Lakhal. “We tackled the course module by module to shape the Level One training into a current representation of our industry. It was exciting to incorporate important technology trends in the industry like ASAP to PSAP and IoT.”

“The collaboration over the last few days has been excellent. We really needed to meet in person to get this project done,” continued Mitchell. “The first module took the longest. As we’ve proceeded, we’ve all gotten on the same page, started speaking the same language, and the result is going to be a much-improved training tool for central stations.”

“Without the support of the industry we would not be able to bring together a team of learning professionals to tackle this major revision,” noted Webber. “Their efforts will benefit CSAA members and our industry overall.”

More than 20,000 people in 30+ countries have registered for CSAA Online Training. The new Level One course is planned to launch in May. Watch for updates from CSAA.

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Michael Gelvin, United Central Control (pictured below), participated by phone. Photo by Elizabeth Lasko.

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Michael Gelvin. Photo courtesy of UCC.

 

 

Get Ready for Marco Island!

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It’s time to mark your calendar and reserve your hotel room for the 2016 CSAA Annual Meeting in Marco Island, FL! The preliminary schedule is now available. The event begins October 22 and ends October 26. (Education sessions will be held October 24-26.)

CSAA leaders and long-time attendees, make special note of some schedule changes this year. The CSAA Board of Directors Meeting will be held on the first morning of the Annual Meeting, Saturday, October 22, with the Board/AHJ dinner that evening. CSAA committees will meet the morning of Sunday, October 23. The opening reception will take place Sunday evening.

View the complete preliminary schedule. 

Last year’s Annual Meeting drew raves from attendees. Check out the video below to hear why they are coming back in 2016!

 

Our hotel block is now open! Click
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=14728076 to reserve online, or call 1-800-GET-HERE (1-800-438-4373) if you wish to book in person with the Marriott Resort Marco Island in-house reservations department.

Program details and registration information will be announced in the coming months. Stay tuned!