With your support and participation, TMA has advanced the following initiatives over the past year:

• To support TMA’s Alarm Validation Standard (AVS-01), three free operator training modules and a Training Manager guide were released to excellent reviews. Over 332 individuals from 35+ companies have completed the course. APCO International offers 1 CDE for course completion, which may encourage AVS-01 adoption in the public safety community.
• The 2024 Mid-Year Meeting was delivered virtually in April. It covered AI, government affairs, litigation strategies, marketing, diversity, tech and video monitoring advancements, and leadership/industry trends.
• In October, TMA will hold its Annual Meeting on St. Thomas in the USVI. Senior leaders and members of public safety organizations will gather to discuss overarching issues that impact the professional monitoring industry.
• In November, TMA’s OPSTech program will take place in Charlotte, NC, featuring a visit to Security Central in Statesville. The hybrid format includes two days of operations and tech education, with a third day of three concurrent tracks covering deep-dive sessions on video monitoring, cybersecurity, big data, and GSOC best practices. Eight of the 14 sessions will be available virtually.
• Since January 1, 2024, nearly 1407 Operator Level 1 & 2 courses have been sold, with over 1236 students successfully completing the courses.
• TMA announced in June that it had signed a new agreement with Mission Critical Partners (MCP) to manage the lifesaving ASAP Service. The managed service provider will also assist in designing and developing the next-generation alarm signaling message broker for the ASAP service, which will deliver expanded capabilities, integration options, and an ongoing roadmap for the platform.
• The ASAP service continues its exponential growth this year, with 147 active ECCs and plans to reach 160 by year-end. ASAP now covers over 17% of the US population, over 56,000,000 nationwide!
• The TMA-ATN-01 Monitoring Center Notification of Active Threat Detection is a brand-new Standard that has been in development since mid-2023. Monitoring centers are increasingly receiving what may be classified as non-traditional alerts, such as shot detection.  These events require immediate notification to Public Safety.  Alert and situational information may be received in the monitoring center from a human source, initiated by technology, or a combination of both.  Monitoring centers increasingly monitor shot detection, weapons detection, manual lockdown notification, and other innovative threat technologies.  Human interaction initiated during the alert may indicate an active shooter situation.  These detection technologies and subsequent alerts are typically from facilities with high human presence.
  • The Project’s Need:
    • When a monitoring center receives electronic notification that one of these systems has been activated, a standardized workflow is needed to ensure timely and accurate notification to identified entities, such as first responders, employees, students, etc.
    • The standard is developing an efficient means for the monitoring center to provide responding authorities with information that assists with an efficient and safe response.
    • The standard will also facilitate means to initiate other actions, such as “shelter in place,” “wait for further instructions,” and notifications via multiple methods.
  • ATN-01 will be an ANSI Recognized National Standard by the end of 2024.
• TMA presented the first Louis T. Fiore Electronic Communications Scholarship to Destini Spain, an engineering student at VCU in Richmond, VA. The scholarship, established to honor Mr. Fiore’s enduring contribution to the alarm industry and the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC), is intended to promote careers in electronic communications. The 2024 recipient will be announced at the 2024 TMA Annual Meeting in October.
• The 2024 TMA/SSI Marvel Award, presented in partnership with Security Sales and Integration magazine (SSI), was awarded to Elite Interactive Solutions. The 2024 TMA/SDM Excellence Awards, presented in partnership with SDM magazine, drew a combination of entries from small-to-medium and enterprise-sized member companies. 2024 winners included: Monitoring Center of the Year – Enterprise: ADT; Monitoring Center of the Year – SMB: Stealth Monitoring; Monitoring Center Manager of the Year: Erik Chalifour, TELUS Smart Security & Automation; Monitoring Center Operator of the Year: Brenda Eichfeld, COPS Monitoring; and Monitoring Center Support Person of the Year: John Turner, ADT Security Services. The application period for the 2025 awards opens Dec. 2, 2024.
• TMA has published the spring, summer, and fall issues of TMA Dispatch magazine and 38 issues of TMA Signals weekly e-newsletter. Engagement in TMA’s social media communities, which include LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, has continued to grow in 2024.
• A process was approved to offer translation and exam proctoring services for TMA’s monitoring center operator courses, available to Five Diamond program applicants on a case-by-case basis, ensuring non-English speaking operators have equal access to course materials and certification opportunities.
• This year, we are pleased to celebrate the achievement of 104 Five Diamond Designated companies and counting! The program is a testament to an unwavering commitment to excellence, quality, and service in professional monitoring. A company bearing the Five Diamond designation exemplifies the best in business.
• TMA’s Installation Quality Certification Program, known as “IQ Certification,” continues to make significant strides. This year, we proudly recognize 15 companies that have achieved this esteemed certification, highlighting their excellence in installing, maintaining, and servicing electronic security systems.
• We are excited to announce that 56 companies have achieved FirstNet Certification this year, marking a significant milestone in our commitment to public safety and emergency response.
• The Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC) diligently monitors federal issues impacting the alarm industry’s ability to use telecommunications technology for public protection services. With the backing of legal counsel and a lobbyist, AICC effectively interfaces with the FCC, regulatory agencies, and Congress on behalf of its members. The committee addresses a range of critical issues, including Right-to-Repair, the interference on alarm systems and other 900 MHz devices, Non-Compete Restrictions, Net Neutrality, the Chevron Doctrine, and NG911, among others, ensuring the industry’s interests are well-represented and protected.
• TMA’s Government Relations (GR) Committee continues collaborating closely with the AICC and other industry GR Committees and educating TMA members on vital legislative priorities.
• TMA’s Compliance Committee continues to work actively on summarizing licensing requirements across all 50 states, having already summarized 15 states, ensuring that industry standards are met nationwide.
• The Surveillance and Video Verification Committee has completed 8 modules of video monitoring operator training, which will inform a future video monitoring standard. Modules will be released online as they become available.
• The Technology Committee is conducting a due diligence review of TMA’s online operator technology training for potential updates.
• The NextGen Committee has launched the New Empowering Leadership Series with Chairs Jessica Lambert and Amy Becht. The series offers engaging discussions on influential resources that have shaped our industry mentors. Stay tuned for more to come!
• TMA Staff and leadership participated in public safety associations’ meetings to promote ASAP and AVS-01, exhibiting at APCO, hosting a dinner for the Fire Life Safety Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and attending the NENA Annual Meeting. Plans are underway for a reception in honor of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). TMA will host again the top leadership of the main public safety organizations at its Annual Meeting: APCO, IACP, IAFC, NENA, NLETS, and NSA.
• We continue to enhance the member portal, the InfoHub, adding resources and continually work to improve the member experience. Make sure to update your profile!

TMA acknowledges and thanks our many volunteers; your efforts allow us to succeed in elevating the professional monitoring industry. With your continued support and engagement, we look forward to another productive year. Many thanks to each of you!

For more information please reach out to membership@tma.us.

Telguard introduced its latest innovation: the TG-7FM 5G LTE-M multi-carrier communicator. Setting a new standard in commercial fire applications, the TG-7FM offers unparalleled reliability and connectivity by harnessing groundbreaking multi-carrier capability, supporting all three major U.S. carriers – AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

The TG-7FM provides superior connectivity right out of the box. Designed to ensure continuous coverage, it employs a patent-pending selection process during installation. This process intelligently chooses the carrier with the best signal strength and data quality in the area, automatically selecting it as the primary network. In the event of a service disruption, the unit seamlessly transitions to the next best connection, guaranteeing uninterrupted protection for businesses.

“Telguard is committed to delivering best-in-class life safety solutions to the market. We are very proud to bring this industry-first innovation to the commercial fire market,” says George Brody, President of Telguard. “The TG-7FM represents the first of our next generation of communicators, offering users unprecedented peace of mind with its three-carrier coverage and automatic failover.”

The TG-7FM comes complete with a wide array of features and benefits. It offers universal compatibility with any panel and seamlessly integrates with any central station. It connects to the panel DACT (dialer) to replace expensive landlines and communicates using 5G-LTE-M technology to ensure uninterrupted signal and product longevity The TG-7FM selects the optimum primary and backup carriers based on performance analysis. No AC outlet is needed; it operates on 12/24-volt panel power, complies with NFPA 72, and is UL 864 Listed, meeting the highest standard for sole path fire communications. For more information, please visit https://www.telguard.com/product/tg-7fm.

PureTech Systems Inc., a leader in geospatial AI-boosted video analytics for perimeter and border security, is proud to announce the appointment of Ben Renshaw as Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Mr. Renshaw brings over two decades of experience in security technology, having founded Veltek International Inc. in 1998 and played key roles in leading companies like Optellios, Duos Technologies Inc., and 4D Security.

His most recent position was Vice President of Sales at Comm Port Technologies Inc., where he oversaw global sales of Under Vehicle Surveillance Systems.

Mr. Renshaw holds a degree in Political Science and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, including INSR, ASIS, and Intersec. In his new role at PureTech Systems Inc., he will focus on expanding the company’s presence in the MENA region.

“We are excited to have Ben Renshaw lead our MENA operations,” said Larry Bowe, CEO of PureTech Systems Inc. “His experience and deep industry knowledge will be invaluable as we continue to grow in this key region.”