Technology Automates Emergency Response for More Speed and Accuracy

Prince George’s County, MD is the latest municipality to implement Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP), a service designed to automate communication between alarm monitoring central stations and public safety dispatch/911 centers. Prince George’s County is the 37th PSAP to implement ASAP, and at 499 square miles, the second largest.

Electronic data transmission results in the following benefits for residents and first responders:

• Fewer phone calls to emergency response centers. Alarm center data is passed to public safety dispatch/911 operators electronically within seconds and then provided to first responders upon dispatch to the location.
• Quicker processing times. Data doesn’t have to be input manually or communicated verbally, resulting in reduced hold times, less chance of human error and faster responses.
• Greater accuracy of information transmitted.
• More prompt action during natural disasters. It’s common for public safety dispatch/911 centers to be overwhelmed with calls during these types of emergencies.

With ASAP delivering alarm notification information directly from central stations to public safety answering points (PSAPs) and public safety dispatch centers via computer rather than by phone, the municipality expects alarm response times to drop significantly. These benefits will extend across Prince George’s County police, fire and emergency medical services.

Vector Security customers went live on March 21, followed by customers from other security companies. Nearly 3,400 Vector Security customers in the county will benefit from improved emergency response times. “We are constantly working to provide a safer environment for the public,” said Anita Ostrowski, Vice President of Central Station Services, Vector Security. “We’ve come a long way since being the first alarm company to introduce ASAP to Richmond, VA in 2012, and we are glad to see the technology make its way into more communities across the nation.”

ASAP was formed following a partnership between The Monitoring Association (formerly the Central Station Alarm Association) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Professionals.

For more information on the benefits and features of ASAP, visit www.tma.us/asap.