Tag Archive for: CSAA

NFPA 72: Action Needed Now from Alarm Industry

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A Message from CSAA Standards Committee Chair Steve Shapiro:

Steve Shapiro

Steve Shapiro

One of the most important challenges facing CSAA members in the near future is the issue of NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. In 2015, language favorable to our industry was removed from the 2016 code revision.

Our next chance to affect change in the code is the 2019 revision. That seems a long way away, but in fact, activity is already happening on this revision, and CSAA members need to take action now so that our concerns are heard. The deadline for submitting public input for the 2019 edition of NFPA 72 is June 29, 2016.

Please review the 2016 edition (it is free to read online, though you need to create a profile if you are not an NFPA member) and send feedback as soon as possible to Dr. Shane Clary, chair of the CSAA Public Sector Liaison Committee subcommittee on Fire, at shane.clary@bayalarm.com and to me at sshapiro@adt.com , with a CC to communications@csaaintl.org. We will review your suggestions and propose recommendations that members should submit via the NFPA web portal by June 29.

Your action is needed now! Thank you.

Steve Shapiro
Chair, CSAA Standards Committee

CSAA Education Program Answers Members’ Demand for Up-to-Date Operator Training

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Revised Level One Operator Training Course to Launch in 2016

More than 20,000 people in 30+ countries have registered for CSAA Online Training. CSAA members have been clamoring for the all-important Level 1 Online Operator Training course to be updated to reflect today’s central station environment. That demand is about to be answered as CSAA prepares for the launch of the revised course in summer 2016.

Watch our video summary below. 

“Education is one of the CSAA programs that brings the most value to members, and one of our most important focus areas,” said CSAA Executive Director Jay Hauhn. “With the coming launch of the revised course, CSAA has made great strides in providing education opportunities that are of value to our members and their employees.”

The Level 1 review and revision began some 18 months ago and resulted in a complete reorganization of all the course content. The original plan to simply correct dated content was changed when it became apparent that both the content and the student interface were in need of overhaul.

The new modules are:

  1. Industry Overview
  2. Code of Excellence
  3. The Alarm Process
  4. Effective Communication
  5. Technology and Professional Monitoring
  6. Automated Security Alarm Protocol (ASAP)
  7. NRTLs and Industry Standards
  8. Disaster Preparedness

 “The first two modules have been updated to reflect the current industry and to emphasize the importance of professionalism and integrity in the Central Station,” said CSAA Education Committee Co-Chair Teresa Gonzalez, President, UCC. “Modules 4 and 6 on communication have been combined and renamed Effective Communication. In addition to a complete update of the Technology module, a separate module on ASAP has been added. Revision recommendations were incorporated from ETL, FM Approvals and UL for Module 7.  And Module 8 on Emergency Procedures was revised and renamed Disaster Preparedness.”

 

Course Capture

To see the CSAA members who generously have given their time and expertise to the Level 1 revision project, check out your Summer 2016 issue of CSAA Dispatch. Stay tuned for updates on the launch date of the course later this summer.

Act by August 1: Annual AICC Communications Survey

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AICC Chair Louis T. Fiore has issued a call for participation in the annual AICC Communications Survey. The results of the survey assist the AICC in planning messaging and strategy for legislative efforts involving Congress and the FCC.

This survey, now in its fifth year, focuses on the percentages of monitored accounts using POTS (plain old telephone systems), VoIP digital dialers (DACT), or other technologies either as a sole method of transmission or in conjunction with another technology. The ten-question survey will take no more than a few minutes to complete.

Survey participation is not limited to AICC or CSAA members. Industry-wide input will strengthen the findings. Input is anonymous and individual answers will be kept confidential.

Results will be presented at the September 2016 AICC meeting.

Rapid Response is the 2016 CSAA Central Station of the Year

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Vivint and Vector Also Honored at ESX on June 9
CSAA is pleased to announce the four winners of the 2016 Excellence Awards:

Central Station of the Year
Rapid Response Monitoring Services, Inc.
Central Station Manager of the Year
Michelle Lindus, Vivint Smart Home

Central Station Operator
of the Year
Amy Cerney, Vivint Smart Home

Central Station Support Person of the Year
David Carter, Vector Security, Inc.

Excellence Winners with Pam June 2016

From left: Vivint’s Amy Cerney and Michelle Lindus, CSAA President Pam Petrow, Rapid Response President Jeff Atkins, and representing Vector’s David Carter, Vector Central Station Manager Sal Calafato following the presentation of the 2016 Excellence Awards. Photo by Elizabeth Lasko.

 

Rapid Response’s core belief is three-pronged: people, training, and technology. The Excellence Awards judges determined that this outstanding company proved to deserve the spot at the pinnacle of our industry. Rapid’s application detailed extensive plans for disaster recovery, false alarm reduction, education and training, technology innovation, customer relations, and community outreach efforts including charitable activities. Its leaders are heavily involved in bettering the industry through volunteering with industry associations to advance important issues such as standards, public sector engagement, and legislation.

Michelle Lindus is Central Station Manager at Vivint, where she leads a team of 140. She participated in the establishment of Vivint’s HOME Quality Service policy to ensure world-class customer service and heads the team that specializes in false alarm reduction. A perpetual student who is always reading, researching and testing new ideas, Michelle has a passion for service in the alarm industry that compels her to work holidays alongside her team and volunteer her off time to CSAA education programs.

David Carter is East Central Station Tech Support Leader at Vector, where he started in 1997 as an operator in data entry. He is a key member of the Disaster Recovery Team and excels at quickly troubleshooting and solving phone carrier issues. Always striving to expand his knowledge, David is known for his willingness to travel to other sites for technical projects and to stand in as an operator or tech support representative whenever needed, and for his commitment to ensuring no piece of equipment ever fails.

Amy Cerney has been a Monitoring Representative at Vivint for ten years. Her responses are frequently featured in company-wide reports of exceptional service; she ably mentors new representatives; and is known as a comforting voice of calm for customers. She is a shining example of Vivint’s and the security industry’s core values to protect lives – last year, she donated a kidney to save the life of a Vivint co-worker.

The CSAA Central Station Excellence Awards recognize any FM Approvals, Intertek/ETL or UL-listed central station (CSAA members and non-members) and outstanding personnel who perform in the highest professional manner, thereby making a significant contribution to the betterment of the alarm industry and the alarm profession while demonstrating exceptional service to their customers and community.

The purpose of the awards program is to:

  • Establish and promote the inherent value of central station services in general.
  • Honor those who have made the most significant contributions to the service.
  • Promote the distinct level of professionalism attained by NRTL-approved central stations.

The CSAA Central Station Excellence Awards Program is sponsored by SDM Magazine.

Entries are judged by a blue-ribbon judging panel appointed by CSAA. The four winners were announced at the 2016 Industry Excellence Awards Breakfast at ESX in Fort Worth on Thursday, June 9. For past winners and more information, visit csaa.org/csaa-excellence-awards.

CSAA-Excellence-Awards

 

Chief Harlin McEwen is Recipient of 2016 CSAA Public Sector Award

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Chief Harlin McEwen is the recipient of CSAA’s 2016 Public Sector Award. This special honor is given by CSAA in recognition of a public sector individual’s contribution to the alarm industry. He will be presented with the award at the 2016 Electronic Security Expo (ESX) Public Sector Luncheon on Thursday, June 9, at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Harlin McEwen headshot June 2016

Chief Harlin McEwen at the June 2, 2016 meeting of the Alarm Industry Communications Committee at which he briefed members on FirstNet developments. Photo by Elizabeth Lasko.

“It is our pleasure to recognize Chief McEwen for his tireless efforts to advance the relationship between monitoring companies and our partners in the public sector,” said CSAA President Pamela J. Petrow.

Chief McEwen served for 13 years as the Chief of Police for the Cayuga Heights, New York Police Department before moving on to serve as the Deputy Commissioner for the NY State Division of Criminal Justice Services. He later returned to police work, serving as the Chief of Police for the City of Ithaca, NY, before taking the position of Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI.

In addition, he served for more than 37 years as the Chairman of the International Association of Chiefs  of Police (IACP) Communications & Technology Committee. During that time he was the principle representative and spokesperson for the IACP on matters relating to Communications & Technology. For this ongoing work, in 2000, the IACP honored him with a presentation of the first (and only) Lone Star Distinguished Award, and in 2006 he was elected as IACP Honorary President.

McEwen has also served as a distinguished Member of the Executive Steering Committee of the Global Advisory Committee, a Federal advisory group to the U.S. Attorney General. The GAC has been responsible for the development and implementation of numerous innovative justice information sharing standards and programs.

Since 2012 he has served as the Chair of the FirstNet Public Safety Advisory Committee. In this role he is leading the efforts of the 42-member PSAC to interact with the FirstNet Board and staff and the nationwide public safety community to develop and implement a new Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Wireless Network.

McEwen played a critical role in the launch of CSAA’s ASAP program and has worked tirelessly in its promotion.

“I am deeply honored with being selected for this prestigious award and have enjoyed working with the members of the Central Station Alarm Association for many years,” said McEwen.  “The continued close working relationship between the public safety community and CSAA is resulting in greatly improved public safety services to the public.”

 

The award recipient must be nominated by one or more CSAA members in good standing. Two CSAA Past Presidents, Lou Fiore and Jay Hauhn, put McEwen’s name forward for consideration. Fiore noted that, “An essential component of ASAP is its connection to the Nlets network. Chief McEwen was instrumental in bringing CSAA’s ASAP program together with Nlets.”

“Chief McEwen’s leadership of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)’s Public Safety Advisory Committee, and his commitment to engaging the alarm industry in FirstNet’s activities, has been critical to the advancement of our relationship with FirstNet and our favorable positioning for the future,” said Hauhn.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Lasko at CSAA, 703-242-4670 or ewlasko@csaaintl.org.

 

 

CSAA’s Hauhn Joins ESA, ADT in Warning of Deceptive Alarm Sales Practices

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On May 25, CSAA Executive Director Jay Hauhn participated in a press event in Salt Lake City to raise awareness of deceptive home security sales practices. The event was co-hosted by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and ADT. Merlin Gilbeau, executive director of ESA, also spoke at the event, which featured two individuals who had been the target of sales scams relating their stories to the media. Hauhn and Gilbeau both spoke about the deep integrity of the vast number of security companies.

In 2015, consumer complaints about home security sales ranked in the top 25 of the 3500 business categories BBB tracks. CSA members can share BBB tips about buying a home security system with their potential customers; visit www.bbb.org/homesecurity.

Check out media coverage of the event at the links below.

 

WS of Room

ESA’s Merlin Gilbeau, CSAA’s Jay Hauhn, and BBB CEO Jane Driggs address the media. Photo by Bob Tucker. 

Mark Baum to Head ASAP Outreach Committee

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Mark Baum headshotThe chair of the ASAP Outreach Committee plays a critical role in advancing the ASAP service by coordinating volunteers effort to unite PSAPs and alarm companies. CSAA is pleased to announce that Mark Baum, Program Manager, Information Technology for Protection One, assumed this role in May. Baum has been working in the security industry for fifteen years with much of this time spent as a project manager for data conversion and system integration projects.  He has been working with ASAP for the last 4 years.

As well as leading personal outreach to PSAPs around the country, the commASAP-Concept1Dittee members have coordinated resources such as training materials, videos, and data collection for PSAPs to spur program growth.

CSAA thanks past chairs Kathleen Schraufnagel and Joe Carr for their efforts on behalf of the committee for the last several years.

Find out more about ASAP at csaaintl.org/asap.

Public Sector Liaison Committee Aims to Increase Engagement

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CSAA’s Public Sector Liaison Committee (PSLC) “manages strategy for dealing with public sector/first responders, law enforcement, police, sheriffs, fire community, fire chiefs, and state fire marshals,” said Graham Westphal, Co-President of Bay Alarm Company and chair of the committee. “It’s important that we keep these responders informed of our technology and tools that benefit them. The committee also engages with the NRTLs, and coordinates with SIAC to complement its activities.”

The committee is in the process of launching several new engagement initiatives. “We are very fortunate that recently Shane Clary has volunteered to chair the subcommittee in fire matters and that Jon Sargent has assumed a similar role for burglary,” said Westphal.

Shane Clary headshotShane M. Clary, Ph.D., Vice President, Codes and Standards Compliance at Bay Alarm Company, has been in the alarm industry since 1974, with Bay Alarm Company since 1984, and a member of NFPA 72 since 1993.  He is a past president of the California Automatic Fire Alarm Association, a past chairman of the Automatic Fire Alarm Association and is currently the Co-Chair of the AFAA Codes and Standards Committee.

 

Jon Sargent, Corporate Industry Relations/Government Affairs Jon Sargent headshotManager at Tyco Integrated Security, has 43 years in the security industry. A Past President of the California Alarm Association, he is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriff’s Association, and the North American False Alarm Reduction Association, among others. He is currently the Secretary of ESA and the Industry/Law Enforcement Liaison for SIAC.

 

For more information, contact membership@csaaintl.org.

 

 

Finalists for 2016 CSAA Excellence Awards Announced

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Four “Phenomenal” Winners to Be Revealed at ESX on June 9

Once again, the nominees for CSAA’s annual Excellence Awards were, in the words of one of the judges, a “simply phenomenal” group of companies and individuals. CSCSAA-Excellence-AwardsAA is pleased to announce the twelve finalists for 2016. They are:

Central Station of the Year
ADT LLC; Rapid Response Monitoring Services, Inc.; Vector Security, Inc.

Central Station Manager of the Year
Ernie Cole, Doyle Security Systems; Michelle Lindus, Vivint Smart Home; Tom Tardiff, Kastle Systems

Central Station Operator of the Year
 Hollie Smith, Universal Atlantic Systems; Morgan Dieterle, Tyco (Fifth Third Bank); Amy Cerney, Vivint Smart Home

Central Station Support Person of the Year
David Carter, Vector Security, Inc.; William Sims, Kastle Systems; Dave Mann, Kings III

“Our finalists are to be congratulated for being recognized as the best of the best,” said Elizabeth Lasko, Vice President of Communications, CSAA. “Our judges related the extremely difficult time they had choosing not only the winners, but just the finalists from all the nominations. There were some amazing stories of customer relations, innovation, and corporate culture.”

The CSAA Central Station Excellence Awards recognize any FM Approvals, Intertek/ETL or UL-listed central station (CSAA members and non-members) and outstanding personnel who perform in the highest professional manner, thereby making a significant contribution to the betterment of the alarm industry and the alarm profession while demonstrating exceptional service to their customers and community.

The purpose of the awards program is to:

  • Establish and promote the inherent value of central station services in general.
  • Honor those who have made the most significant contributions to the service.
  • Promote the distinct level of professionalism attained by NRTL-approved central stations.

The CSAA Central Station Excellence Awards Program is sponsored by SDM Magazine.

Entries are judged by a blue-ribbon judging panel appointed by CSAA. The four winners will be announced at the 2016 Industry Excellence Awards Breakfast at ESX in Fort Worth on Thursday, June 9. For past winners and more information, visit csaa.org/csaa-excellence-awards.

 

Five Questions for Brivo’s Steve Van Till

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CSAA welcomed Brivo, Inc. as a new associate member earlier this year. Read on to learn a little about the company and CEO Steve Van Till.

What is your company’s mission and how does it intersect with the alarm industry?

Steve Van Till

Brivo CEO Steve Van Till

Our mission is to provide the best cloud-based hosted access control in the world. For the alarm industry, this means an opportunity for an RMR-based business model that is completely parallel to the way monitoring services have been delivered for many years.Both the technology and the financial model strengthen the relationship between central stations and their dealers and end users.

Share a personal experience you’ve had with alarm monitoring or public safety.
I was once working in a high-rise building on the weekend, and became trapped in an elevator when I was leaving to head out for lunch.  Had it not been for the emergency phone that dialed into a central station, I might have been stuck there all weekend.  As it turned out, they were able to dispatch someone to let me out, and fix the elevator so that it didn’t happen to anyone else.

Why did you join CSAA — what are your goals for your membership?
We joined CSAA because we see an increasing convergence between alarm, access and video surveillance services. Customers really want to have all three in a single package, from a single provider. As a cloud service provider, we also see many commonalities of interest between central stations and the work we do. We have many valuable “cloud lessons” to share, and look forward to more and more alarm services migrating to this type of platform.

What makes your company special?
Our company has always been known as the first Software-as-a-Service company in the physical security space. We actually launched our cloud-based access control services in 2001, which was long before anyone was talking about “the cloud.” We achieved another “first” in 2009 when we added fully integrated cloud-based video to this same offering.  Just this past year, we launched Brivo Mobile Pass, a cloud-based mobile credential that works with no change-out to existing field hardware, and was therefore immediately available to all 8,000,000 credentialed users in the Brivo system.

Tell us something about yourself that drives the way you do business.
I’ve always had a lot of outside interests, from running and cycling and music to photography and reading and motorcycles. I’m avid about acquiring new skills, and I learned something different from each one of these activities. The biggest thing, though, is getting to know and interact with the fairly different kinds of people that tend to surround each of these areas. The perspectives I’ve gained from that are useful every single day in thinking about how to shape our corporate culture for the best.

Steve Van Till is the Founder, President and CEO of Brivo Inc., the leading worldwide provider of cloud-based access control and Software-as-a-Service solutions for physical security. He has previously served in a variety of senior management roles in high technology companies spanning Web development, healthcare, and satellite communications. A Board Member of the Security Industry Association (SIA), he also currently serves as Chairman of the SIA Standards Committee. He is a frequent author and speaker, as well as the inventor of numerous patents.   Steve has been honored by Security Magazine as one of “The Top 25 Most Influential People in the Security Industry.

— Elizabeth Lasko, May 2, 2016

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