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 […]
With your support and participation, TMA has advanced the following initiatives so far this year: With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, TMA initiated many efforts to assist and protect our members: When members contacted TMA about the potential impact of stay-at-home orders and social distancing on their UL-listings if their operators […]
Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) has revised its March 16th Virtual Workplace Guidelines and seeks feedback from security industry practitioners prior to publication.
Since the initial release of the Guidelines, it’s become clear that health risk mitigation measures will likely be required for longer than any of us had anticipated. UL now seeks feedback from industry stakeholders that rely on UL Certifications as part of their own risk management programs to review the updated Guideline revisions, which are intended to better define virtual workplace security measures.
Please review the revised draft of the Virtual Workplace Guidelines.
Special thanks to AICC’s Chairman Lou Fiore for sharing these tips with us today! It seems many of us are getting adjusted to working remotely in recent days. The TMA staff went fully virtual on Wednesday of this week. I, for one, was void of any desire to work at home or, in fact, remote from any location. I liked the routine, structure, and social aspects of working with others in an office. After (my first) three full days of working from my kitchen table, I must admit that I do like it! My dogs, Beau and Blue seem to like it too.
We hope that wherever you are calling “work” these days amidst COVID-19 – you are safe, healthy, and at peace! Oh, and productive! Try these:
Until next week…From all of us at TMA!
Verizon hits goal of launching 5G in more than 30 cities
Re-post from The Verge, December 23, 2019
Author: James Vincent
One of the biggest barriers for 5G adoption is simply getting customers access to the new network. Carriers are racing to roll out 5G, and Verizon announced today that it’s reached its goal of launching the service in more than 30 US cities before the end of the year. In fact, 31 cities now have some access Verizon’s 5G network, along with 15 NFL stadiums.
But that figure needs caveats. As we’ve noted before, while 5G certainly delivers blazingly fast speeds, actual coverage is spotty and Verizon’s network is no exception. (This is partly because the millimeter wave technology used to create America’s 5G networks doesn’t travel as easily as other methods.)
In our tests of Verizon’s 5G access in Chicago, for example, the network was only available in a handful of locations, and was inconsistent even when it did appear. And while Verizon does offer coverage maps supposedly showing where 5G is available in each city, even these aren’t always reliable guides. It just goes to show: 5G is definitely a work-in-progress.
In other 5G news…
Politico reports the White House has named Robert Blair a security adviser to his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, a key point person on 5G wireless technology.
The White House named Blair, who will continue to advise Mulvaney, a special representative for international telecommunications policy. He will support 5G efforts led by White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, who has staked out support for a market-driven approach to 5G deployment amid administration debates over the best strategy.
Since its founding in 1950, TMA has worked to create and grow relationships between its members and various public safety organizations, including first responders. Nationally law enforcement responds to millions of calls to alarm systems where no crime or attempted crime has been committed. Research in this area tells us that over 75% of these false alarm calls are attributed to end user error rather than equipment failure.
The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) staff has worked with various jurisdictions to focus on updating the terminology that companies use to train new alarm users on how to manage their alarm systems. Efforts in Phoenix, Arizona have reduced the number of false alarms significantly by helping users conquer their fears by using simple to understand vocabulary when explaining how their alarm systems work. By reframing a technical manual into a language that is comfortable and straightforward, alarm users are stepping up.
Examples include moving from “arming and disarming your system” to “turning your system on and off” and “your home” instead of “the premises or protected property” and providing tips such as adding the alarm company to a customer’s cell phone contact list and having the customer use their cell phone as the primary contact number.
TMA, along with SIAC, law enforcement and member volunteers, created this course to help our member companies educate customers on how to use alarm systems responsibly: “2019 False Alarm Impact Awareness Training: How You Can Prevent False Alarms.” This 30-minute narrated customer training helps alarm owners identify the most common mistakes they make and how to avoid them.
The bottom line is false alarms cost you, your customers, and your community money and resources. Once customers are comfortable with their alarm systems, they will avoid false alarms and maximize their security investment.
Included in the review are how alarm systems work and what your customers can do to avoid mistakes that cause false alarms.
By avoiding false alarms, users will be able to get the most out of their alarm systems and not worry about fines or suspension of services. Your customers can rest easy knowing that when unexpected emergencies occur, their alarm company is there to respond to any alarms generated from their systems.
As more homes become automated in the era of The Smart Home, more people are including alarm systems as part of their connected space. Parks Associates recently reported in their May 2019 newsletter that professional installation continues to be the dominant choice for home security systems, but self-installation experienced strong growth in 2017 and 2018. Self-installed DIY security systems are increasing as systems are set up to interact with the user through a mobile device or a computer.
False alarm reduction is everyone’s responsibility. By setting up easy to follow steps, and reinforcing communication with the monitoring center, everyone can benefit from protecting their home and avoiding false alarms.
For more information, contact education@tma.us.
Security Industry Veteran and Leader Walker to serve as TMA Treasurer
The Monitoring Association [TMA] today announced the appointment of Steve Walker, vice president of Customer Service for Minneapolis-based Stanley Convergent Security Solutions, to the Executive Committee of its Board of Directors. Walker brings over 20 years of leadership experience in security operations and IT to his new role on the TMA Board of Directors.
“I have been proud to serve on the TMA Board of Directors for many years and have been grateful to be part of an organization that serves our industry in so many important ways,” Walker commented. “As I step into this new role, I look forward to helping and serving our leadership team as we navigate the waters of change in the years ahead.”
TMA President Ivan Spector remarked, “Steve’s vast wealth of industry knowledge and experience, coupled with his business acumen, is a tremendous asset to TMA as we look to grow, diversify, and keep pace with new technologies impacting our members. We are grateful for his continued service and his many contributions to TMA on behalf of our members.”
Walker’s career in security began at Honeywell Security where he followed its transition to private equity ownership (HSM Security). He later went on to work for Stanley Black & Decker. In addition to previous service on the TMA Board and his current co-chairmanship of the Surveillance and Video Verification Committee, Walker has served on the Board of Directors (past president) of the Partnership for Priority Verified Alarm Response (PPVAR).
Here are the highlights from a most eventful year. TMA thanks our members for your support and participation! January With an eye to safeguarding the interests of monitoring company customers, TMA begins the NFPA-72 engagement campaign to help ensure monitoring companies can perform the public safety services needed to protect lives and property. March TMA […]
