Tag Archive for: CSAA

Electronic Security Industry Joins Forces to Fight Deceptive Sales Practices

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With the summer selling season in full swing, door-knocking scams are on the rise. Companies like ADT are reporting nearly twice the number of consumer complaints versus the prior year as awareness increases of a major issue threatening the image of the security industry. Representatives from business and industry organizations are teaming together to help fight this major problem.

On June 23 at the Baltimore Convention Center, against the bustling backdrop of ESX 2015, CSAA participated in a news conference about Deceptive Sales Practices in the Alarm Industry. CSAA Executive Director Jay Hauhn was among those addressing members of the local and industry press on this sensitive topic.

David Bleisch, General Counsel of ADT, noted that ADT continues efforts to thwart these practices, including offering a reward to anyone who can provide lawfully-obtained information showing how alarm companies are training employees to engage in deceptive sales practices. “Another new addition is that we are requiring all ADT sales representatives to provide their ADT ID number when asked by a customer,” he said. “With that information, the customer would then call ADT to verify the sales representative’s employment status.”

Baltimore resident Diane Pruitt described how she was recently solicited by a scammer, as did former Baltimore police officer Derrick Layton.

CSAA’s Hauhn said that CSAA members are committed to trust between companies and customers. “We are not knocking door-knocking,” he said. “Door to door selling is a very effective tool, practiced for decades. But it must be done the right way. Companies must train their sales reps to follow the ESA Code of Ethical Conduct and take swift and actionable responsibility when they fail.” His words were echoed by ESA President Marshall Marinace.

From left, CSAA Executive Director Jay Hauhn; ESA President Marshall Marinace

From left, CSAA Executive Director Jay Hauhn; ESA President Marshall Marinace

Casey Callaway of the  Council of Better Business Bureaus closed the session with the following information to help members of the public thwart would-be scammers.

  • Always check bbb.org first. Do your research and read customer reviews and complaints before you do business with anyone.
  • Think of your safety first. Always remember that you don’t have to invite salespeople into your home.
  • Ask for ID. Sales people should be able to provide proof that they actually work for the company they claim to represent, and you can also ask to see a sales license if your jurisdiction requires it.
  • Read everything. Don’t default to trust and quickly sign contracts without fully understanding what you are agreeing to.
  • Don’t give in to high-pressure sales tactics. “Must act now” offers and overly aggressive salespeople should raise a red flag.

— Reported by Elizabeth Lasko, CSAA, and Bob Tucker, ADT

Richmond, VA’s Bill Hobgood is Recipient of Inaugural CSAA Public Sector Award

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Public Safety Project Manager Recognized for Tireless Work on Behalf of the ASAP® Program

Bill Hobgood, Project Manager, Public Safety Team in the Department of Information Technology for the City of Richmond, Virginia, is the recipient of CSAA’s inaugural Public Sector Award. This special honor is given by CSAA in recognition of a public sector individual’s contribution to the alarm industry.

“Over the past several years, Bill has worked tirelessly to promote and implement ASAP®, a program that increases the efficiency and reliability of emergency electronic signals from central station alarm companies to Public Service Answering Points (PSAPs),” said CSAA President Pamela J. Petrow. “Bill is the ideal recipient of this inaugural award–he has been an indefatigable advocate for the ASAP program, which benefits both the private and public sector.”

Bill Hobgood

Bill Hobgood

“I am deeply honored to receive CSAA’s Inaugural Public Sector Award,” said Hobgood. “Having personally developed the first ASAP to Computer-Aided Dispatch interface for York County, VA and the City of Richmond, VA that was launched in 2006 as a two-and-a-half year pilot, I realized from day one that the ASAP program would become the win-win that it has for public safety and the alarm industry with the primary beneficiary being the community that we serve. The ASAP program has a proven track record of successes across the United States made possible due to faster responses by public safety responders.”

Hobgood was nominated for the award by Vector Security and by CSAA Past President Louis T. Fiore. “This award is so well-deserved!” said Fiore. “Bill has done a great deal for CSAA, ASAP and the industry as a whole, and I congratulate him on this recognition.”

ASAP was launched in 2011 as an initiative by the alarm industry in a cooperative effort between the Association of Public Communications Officials (APCO) and CSAA. With ASAP, critical life safety signals and accurate information is processed in seconds, not minutes, through the Nlets system of state-to-state PSAP communication, insuring that critical time is not lost, and that complete and accurate information is transmitted to the PSAP every time. The ASAP program also helps reduce false alarms, and may save the PSAPs and emergency services potentially millions of dollars.

“ASAP is a critical initiative that will improve public safety,” said Petrow, “and it is being implemented all around the country thanks to Bill.”

Hobgood will be presented with the award at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) Public Sector luncheon on Wednesday, June 24, at the Baltimore Convention Center. For more information, contact Elizabeth Lasko at CSAA, 703-242-4670 or ewlasko@csaaintl.org.ASAP-Concept1D

Economist Alan Beaulieu Has Economic Forecasts You Won’t Want to Miss at ESX

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ESX 2015 is right around the corner and the week is guaranteed to be filled with unparalleled education and networking opportunities for security and life safety dealers and integrators. Take advantage of all the main stage events including the closing keynote luncheon on Friday, June 26 at 12 p.m. at the Baltimore Convention Center.

This year’s event will conclude on a high note with guest speaker, economist Alan Beaulieu, president of ITR Economics. Beaulieu is well versed in the security industry and his presentation will cover economic forecasts that apply directly to your business. Beaulieu’s company, ITR Economics, is the oldest privately-held, continuously-operating economic research and consulting firm in the U.S. ITR Economics forecasted major economic events, such as the 2008 recession, well in advance and possesses a long-term 94.7% accuracy rating.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear first-hand which economic indicators owners and executives should monitor, as well as learn proven strategies for leveraging economic forecasts to make the right decisions to drive future prosperity. The chance to hear from an expert like Beaulieu doesn’t come along very often, so make plans to be there! 

For more information, please visit www.ESXweb.com.

At June AICC Meeting, Important Security Industry Trends and a Birthday Celebration

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06 04 2015 AICC

At head table, left to right: AICC Chair Lou Fiore; CSAA Past President Bob Bonifas; Rep. Chris Collins (NY); AICC lobbyist Bill Signer; CSAA Past President Bob Bean, CSAA Counsel Mary Sisak. Photo by Steve Surfaro.

At the June 4 AICC meeting in Washington, DC, alarm industry leaders gathered to discuss the latest technological trends and legislative issues affecting the security industry.

Two members of Congress addressed the committee: Representative Christopher Carl “Chris” Collins, 27th District, New York, and Representative William H. “Billy” Long II , 7th District, Missouri.

Other presenters included Alexandria, VA Police Chief Eddie Reyes discussing “Body Cameras and Their Data Storage and Transmission,” Matthew Meade, co-chair of the Cybersecurity and Data Protection Group for Buchanan Inghersoll & Rooney PC, and Axis Communications’ Steve Surfaro on “The First Responder of the Future.”

Bob 2

Bob Bonifas. Photo by Elizabeth Lasko

During the meeting, members also celebrated the birthday of CSAA Past President Bob Bonifas.

CSAA Remembers Chief Chris Vinson of Highland Park, TX

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VinsonCSAA extends sincere condolences to the family of Chief Chris Vinson, who passed away unexpectedly on June 1. A great friend of the alarm industry, Chief Vinson was with the Highland Park, Texas, police department for more than 30 years, serving as chief since 2008. He was a strong advocate of the ASAP-to-PSAP program, speaking out in support of it at ISC West in April. We welcomed him to CSAA headquarters in February for meetings on the revision of Alarm Verification and Notification Standard, CS-V-01. Chief Vinson will be greatly missed by his community in Texas and by the larger public safety community to which he gave his time and talents so generously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

NFPA Revision: VOTE NEGATIVE on Motions 72-8 and 72-9

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Alarm industry participants from across the nation are encouraged to help defeat two items by voting NEGATIVE on motions 72-8 and 72-9 during the NFPA meeting in Chicago on June 25, 2015. To be an eligible voting member of NFPA, you must have been a member as of December 24, 2014. The meeting starts at 8:00 am. (June 16, 2016 update: this meeting has now passed.)

The defeat of these motions is necessary due to a cluster of fire-service personnel in the Chicagoland area who filed Certified Amending Motions to rescind newly proposed language written during this revision cycle for the 2016 Edition that would clearly ALLOW Listed Central Stations to provide Remote Station Service.

Specifically, within the proposed final edition – which the IESA supports – is a paragraph which reads “26.5.3.1.3 Alarm, supervisory and trouble signals SHALL be permitted to be received at a listed central supervising station.”

Opponents of this code progress would remove SHALL and keep the word MAY, thus allowing the exclusion of a central station from being recognized as a remote station. This is occurring in some Chicago suburbs in which fire departments operate their own alarm-monitoring centers. In those communities, the AHJ designates a single remote station, typically operated by the AHJ itself, as “approved” under the Code and then REJECTS all forms of private fire-alarm monitoring, including monitoring via a listed central station. This eliminates all private competition and leaves the AHJ as the sole provider of a service.

It is this sort of practice that has resulted in two federal lawsuits in the northern district of Illinois.

If you will be voting at the Chicago NFPA meeting in June, please contact Kevin Lehan, IESA Executive Director, at 773-632-3140 or ExecDirector@IESA.net.

VOTE NEGATIVE ON THESE MOTIONS

Motion Seq# 72-8

Certified Amending Motion: Accept Public Comment No. 140

Recommended Text if Motion Passes:

26.5.3.1.3 When permitted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, alarm, supervisory, and trouble signals shall be permitted to be received at a listed central supervising station

Recommended Text if Motion Fails:

26.5.3.1.3 Alarm, supervisory, and trouble signals shall be permitted to be received at a listed central supervising station.

Motion Seq# 72-9

Certified Amending Motion: Accept Public Comment No. 192.

Recommended Text if Motion Passes:

The proposed new text (26.5.3.1.3) is not recommended for inclusion in the 2016 edition of NFPA 72.

Recommended Text if Motion Fails:

26.5.3.1.3 Alarm, supervisory, and trouble signals shall be permitted to be received at a listed central supervising station.

Law Enforcement Support for ASAP-to-PSAP

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At ISC West in April, a panel of law enforcement officers took the stage to discuss “Verified Alarms and Priority Response” presented by the Partnership for Priority Verified Alarm Response (PPVAR). A big part of the conversation was ASAP-to-PSAP. Check out the video to hear Chief Chris Vinson of Highland Park, TX, Chair of the Texas Police Chiefs Alarm Committee, and Commander Scott Edson of Los Angeles weigh in on the ASAP program and its benefits.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKRwEnoOAFU&w=560&h=315]

ASAP Resources

Meet Stan Stahl, 2015 CSAA Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker

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Take a minute to meet Stan Stahl, Ph.D., who will discuss cyber security challenges for central stations at the 2015 CSAA Annual Meeting in October.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMEYMUowmD4&w=560&h=315]

Dr. Stahl’s presentation is sponsored by Honeywell Security Products.

Cyber Security, Understanding Personalities in Your Workforce, and Crisis Communications Are Featured Topics at 2015 CSAA Annual Meeting

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Keynote Address by Stan Stahl, Ph.D. on Cybercrime Challenges Leads Strong Roster of Speakers and Sessions

And now for something a little different! CSAA International has just announced the first three featured speakers for its 2015 Annual Meeting in Sonoma, CA, October 10-14. (Education sessions will be held October 12-14).

The 2015 meeting marks the beginning of a multi-year reimagining of CSAA’s annual event. “Over the next several years, CSAA will be restructuring our traditional annual meeting in order to bring the greatest possible value to our members who attend,” said CSAA President Pamela J. Petrow.

”Members will start to see these changes in Sonoma, where we have already assembled an exciting roster of speakers to present on topics that will help them advance their businesses,” said Petrow. The announced speakers are:

Keynote Speaker: Stan Stahl, Ph.D. — “Meeting the Information Security Management Challenge: The Financial Implications of Cybercrime on the Alarm Monitoring Industry” (Sponsored by Honeywell Security Products)

Stan Stahl low resStan Stahl, President of Citadel Information Group, an information security management services firm, says that cybercrime costs businesses and non-profits billions of dollars annually in theft, fraud, embezzlement, and other losses, and that meeting the cyber security challenge requires Executive Management and their Boards to take cyber security as seriously as they take operations and finance. His keynote address will illustrate the dangers of cybercrime, show how we let cyber-criminals onto our networks and provide actionable management strategies and tactics every business can take to effectively manage its cyber-risk.

“Managing cyber-risk has become the new normal, whether it’s protecting your network from cyber-criminals who want to steal your online bank credentials, dishonest competitors wanting to steal your customer lists or thieves wanting to disrupt the IP connection between you and your customers,” said Stahl. “Statistics suggest that more than 30% of cybercrime victims are small businesses like many of those in CSAA, and that 60% of these victims are out-of-business within 6 months of being hacked.”

Featured Speaker: David Margulies –“Protect Your Reputation: Crisis ManagementMargulies in the Cyber Age”

Communications guru David Margulies frequently reminds audiences that in the Cyber Age, “A lie can be halfway around the world before the truth has an opportunity to put its pants on.” At his presentation in Sonoma, he will demonstrate to attendees that “what you don’t know about crisis management in the Cyber Age can kill your business.” He will share strategies and tactics for managing unforeseen events to protect company brand and reputation.

Featured Speaker: Robert A. Rohm, Ph.D. — “Why Can’t You Be Normal…Like Me!”

Robert_A_RohmRobert A. Rohm is a dynamic speaker, best-selling author, educational consultant and guest lecturer whose message focuses on transforming people into leaders who can maximize their individual potential. Describing his special session at the CSAA Annual Meeting, Rohm says, “In the normal course of a day we meet all kinds of people. Some of them we really connect with and others… well – let’s just say we don’t quite understand them. Have you ever considered the fact that most people do not do things against you as much as they do things for themselves? This will be a lively, interactive session that will help you understand yourself and others better than you ever thought possible.”

Read the complete announcement.

Schedule and Housing Info

For more information, contact Elizabeth Lasko at CSAA, 703-242-4670 x 16 or ewlasko@csaaintl.org.

Pamela J. Petrow Named President of CSAA International

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Pamela J. Petrow, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vector Security, Inc., is the new President of CSAA International. Her term will extend through October 2017.

Pam-Petrow[1]“It is an honor and a privilege to be able to lead CSAA during this period of transformation for the alarm industry,” said Petrow. “As president, I will build on our past successes, looking to transition the Association to meet the current and future needs of our members.”

Petrow says that her vision for her term focuses specifically on member engagement and membership value. “My objectives are threefold,” she said. “One, to improve membership value and relevance; two, to help our members position their companies for the future; and three, to grow membership overall.”

“I believe in the power and value of associations, and I also understand the challenges they face in communicating their benefits to members, both current and prospective,” said Petrow. “We have already begun a review of the structure of CSAA, because our members are diverse and need more customized benefits than they have received in the past. Over my term, CSAA leadership and I will talk to every member to discuss their individual needs and determine how to bring them relevant and valuable benefits.”

In addition, she said, “One of my biggest challenges will be to reawaken enthusiasm and participation among our members. We will discover new ways that every member can make a contribution, to volunteer and share in our association community.”

“We must build on our members’ passion and tap into their expertise to improve and advance the whole alarm industry,” concluded Petrow.

Read the complete release

–Elizabeth Lasko, CSAA, May 4, 2015