Illinois ECC becomes 148th to go live with TMA ASAP

METCAD 911, IL, became the 148th Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in the United States and the 2nd ECC in the state of Illinois to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).

METCAD 911 went live the week of October 7th, 2024 with the following alarm companies: Rapid Response Monitoring, ADT, Affiliated Monitoring, Brinks Home Security, 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.

TMA/AICC Meet with Congressional Committee on Privacy Act

AICC attorney John Prendergast, Managing Partner, Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens & Prendergast, LLP, and lobbyist Bill Signer, Carmen Group, Inc., met this morning with House Energy and Commerce Democratic staff to discuss the American Privacy Rights Act. Several issues were raised  – two which are specific to the alarm industry and three which are generic to the bill and will impact any company subject to the Act.

Read update.

Next steps:

  • A memo containing recommendations for modifications and the needed legislative language will be drafted.
  • Outreach to the majority staff has been made.
  • Outreach to the Senate Commerce staff will also be made.

View the Spring Issue of TMA Dispatch

The spring issue of the TMA Dispatch is now available! Login to the InfoHub to read.

One area where monitoring companies and dealers who are “new to the game” are concerned about is the camera conditions that AI can work well with and those they don’t work well with. In this issue’s cover story, TMA member and AI guru, Sonny Tai, Actuate, hopes to help clear this up. Learn more about the primary factors impacting camera accuracy.

In our Guest column, TMA friend and past keynote presenter Joel Block, Bullseye Capital, shares some of his and a colleague’s essential steps to master the art of attracting top performers. What are your company’s STATs when it comes to identifying and attracting top performers to your team?

Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates, dives into the latest residential market facts and figures in her monthly column. Just for starters, her research reports that 43% of US internet households now own a security solution and 32% subscribe to a security service. The news is quite exciting.

TMA’s GSOC Committee Co-Chair Richard Flores, IV, tackles redundancy in GSOC operations and systems in this new sanding column. In doing so, he asks the reader to consider the difference between redundancy and resiliency. Are they interchangeable?

Read these and more in the first issue of 2024!

TMA Welcomes its 126th ECC to ASAP-to-PSAP

The Henry County GA Emergency Communications Center is the 126th ECC in the United States and the 5th agency in the state of Georgia to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).  The Henry County ECC went live April 18, 2023 with: Rapid Response Monitoring, Vector Security, Johnson Controls (Tyco), Securitas, Stanley Security, Guardian Protection, Security Central, United Central Control, CPI Security, Alert360, Affiliated Monitoring, Brinks, National Monitoring Center, Protection One, ADT, Vivint and ESC Central.

The ASAP implementation was managed by Glen Parnell.

TMA Members Honored by SIA

The Security Industry Association (SIA) announced the 2023 winners of its SIA New Products and Solutions (NPS) Awards, the flagship awards program presented in partnership with ISC West recognizing innovative security products, services and solutions.

Top among the winners recognized March 29 during an award ceremony on the ISC West show floor, was Alocity, which received the 2023 Best New Product Award for its Alocity Access Control Platform product, submitted in the Access Control Devices and Peripherals – Wireless category.

“[Alocity Access Control Platform] is an intelligent security platform to manage access control with video and connected sensors, a multifunction reader with 3D face verification, mobile credentials over Bluetooth and NFC,” notes Alocity. “Video intercom with remote unlock. Onboard zigbee module provides integration with zigbee motion, door/window contact, lights, locks and environmental sensors with automated workflows.”

The Judges’ Choice Award was presented to IPVideo Corporation for its Sentry ERS product, submitted in the Emergency and Mass Communication Systems category.

“[Sentry ERS is] a lockdown and emergency response system purposely built with schools in mind,” states IPVideo Corporation. “With a single button push, lockdown protocols are initiated and immediate alerts are sent to police providing superior incident awareness with live video, voice, text and GPS location data from areas where traditional video cameras cannot be deployed.”

A list of TMA member company winners includes:

SIA NPS Merit Award

  • Winner: Bosch Security Systems

Category Awards

Commercial Monitoring Solutions

  • Winner: Bosch – B6800-SR Software Central Station Receiver

Loss Prevention and Article Surveillance Solutions

  • Winner: IronYun – AI Vision Analytics for Loss Detection and Prevention

Mobile Solutions (Connected)

  • Winner: Resideo – ProSeries Security and Smart Home Platform With Apple HomeKit Compatibility

Video Surveillance Cameras

  • Winner: Axis Communications – Q156-DLE Radar Video Fusion Camera

Video Surveillance Management Systems

  • Winner: Honeywell – 35 Series Embedded NVR-HN35

 

Hertel and Butkovich Present 2022 TMA Awards

TMA President Morgan Hertel and TMA Vice President Steve Butkovich had the honor of presenting TMA’s 2022 awards on Monday, October 31, 2022 on the opening day of TMA’s 2022 Annual Meeting at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.

Steve presented the inaugural DEI Leadership Award to Kimberlite Corp. Joey Rao-Russell accepted the award. She encouraged other TMA members to engage in DEI initiatives – noting the value her company had drawn from such activities.

Morgan presented the following awards to TMA members for their outstanding contributions to TMA:

Mel Mahler Award was presented to:
Anita Owstrowksi, Vector Security
John Brady, TRG Associates

Stanley C. Lott Memorial Award was presented to:
David Carter
Don Young, ADT

Lastly, Morgan presented a special recognition award to Lou Fiore for his decades of service to TMA and AICC. In doing so, he also announced the establishment of a scholarship fund in his name.

Please join in congratulating all of our winners!

SightLogix Introduces New Line of Thermal-Color Smart Cameras

SightLogix has introduce a compelling new line of thermal-color detection cameras, specifically designed for the mainstream perimeter security market.

The SightSensor TC4 is a dual-imager smart camera that combines the power of thermal detection and visible color to detect targets with exceptional reliability over critical, industrial, and commercial perimeters.

Featuring a 384×288 high-clarity thermal array, the TC4 offers 44% more pixels and a higher resolution than standard 320×240 thermal cameras, delivering economic benefits as well. Long-range and wide area detection means fewer cameras are needed to protect large outdoor areas. And combining thermal and visible in one device means one camera on the pole instead of two, with a single network drop, one mounting bracket, and simpler installation overall.

“The new SightSensor TC4 line solves the most pressing challenges for outdoor security, delivering outstanding performance, high reliability, and ease of use, offering an extraordinary value for our customers,” said John Romanowich, SightLogix president and CEO.

Like all SightSensors, the TC4 works at the edge and includes integrated video analytics, automatic stabilization, and a toolbox of filters to manage application conditions, analyzing the scene for security threats, and communicating alerts and video of the event in real time. TC4 is IP66 rated and built for high reliability and longevity in harsh environments.

Unlike other dual-imager security cameras, SightSensor TC’s thermal and visible imagers are optically aligned to create a rapid, real-time assessment tool. This also empowers Dual-Sensor Analytics (DSA), a SightLogix innovation that analyzes detected targets from both thermal and visible sensors simultaneously for improved detection accuracy and reduced false alarms. By placing a red alarm box on both thermal and visible streams, users get comprehensive details about the intrusion and can make a quick and informed response.

SightSensor TC4 is available now, with three models that detect inbound targets at 50 meters (164 feet), 110 meters (360 feet) and 160 meters (525 feet). Both thermal and color video streams are viewable through a wide range of third-party VMS systems.

Visit https://www.sightlogix.com/products/sightsensor-tc/ to learn more.

.For more information on SightLogix perimeter security and outdoor surveillance solutions, call +1.609.951.0008, email info@sightlogix.com or visit www.sightlogix.com.

Ian Emergency Resources

The following is a list of emergency information for those who are impacted by IAN:

Lend your support to those helping on the front line:

TMA to Introduce New Standard in 5/2 Webinar

Register now to attend TMA Signature Webinar Series: Impact on the Security Industry and Public Safety of AVS-01.

Join committee leaders to hear about the latest updates on the TMA-AVS-01 Alarm Validation Standard, scheduled for comment later this year. TMA-AVS-01 provides a standardized method of creating an alarm scoring or classification metric for unauthorized human activity detected by alarm systems that will assist law enforcement with resource allocation and Call for Service prioritization.

Borrowing from a successful UL practice, TMA will conduct a preliminary comment period for the TMA-AVS-01 standard. This 30-day preliminary comment period is an optional process, not required by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The preliminary comment period will provide an opportunity for TMA members and other interested stakeholders to provide feedback on the draft document, prior to the formal ANSI Public Comment period. Hear about what you’ll need to know to participate in the preliminary comment period. Time will be set aside for Q&A.

Please register for TMA Signature Webinar Series: Impact on the Security Industry and Public Safety of AVS-01 on May 2, 2022 1:00 PM EDT at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7869550389177568779

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.