Tag Archive for: The Monitoring Association

ESX 2018 Redefines Traditional Events, TMA Members Engage and Win

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TMA members had the opportunity to network with fellow members at the TMA booth at ESX. Some lucky members who participated in TMA drawings for special prizes walked away winners. eDistSecurity won a free membership for the rest of 2018; Inna Rabkin of Blackline Safety won a complimentary registration to this November’s Fall Operations Management Seminar; and three members won Amazon echodots: Katie McAlister, Compliance Management Solutions, Fred Bohr, umboCV, and Heather Galbraith of Blackline Safety.

ESX 2018 Raffle Winners

Katie McAlister, Compliance Management Solutions (left), and Fred Bohr, umboCV, were two of the winners of Amazon echodots. Photo by Celia Besore.

The Electronic Security Expo (ESX) is quickly becoming the “UNevent,” redefining the traditional purpose of industry shows within the electronic security and life safety channel. With a mission to bring leaders together to learn more, share more and interact more, this year’s event held last month in Nashville did just that. Check out the complete report, including the inspiring video (you may be in it!). And mark your calendar now for Indianapolis June 2-6, 2019!

Alarmnet’s Collins is New Co-Chair of TMA Associates Committee

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Chuck Collins2

TMA is pleased to announce that Chuck Collins, Director of Business Development at AlarmNet, is the new co-chair of the TMA Associate Members Liaison Committee.

A summer job installing alarm systems while attending trade school to be an electrician turned into a lifelong career in the alarm industry for Chuck Collins. Over the years, he has held positions of increasing management responsibility with rapidly growing central stations alarm companies as well as some of the industry’s leading manufactures.

“I’m a strong supporter of the industry associations,” said Collins. “I have learned so much meeting with colleagues at association events over the years. There is no better way to share industry best practices than participating in The Monitoring Association events. I’m excited to serve the association as co-chair on the Associate Members Committee.”

The committee advises the TMA Board of Directors of the needs and concerns of Associate Members (industry suppliers and manufacturers), and it provides input to the Membership, Technology, and Education Committees in areas of Associate Member services. Collins will join the current chair, Johnson Controls’ Nigel Spinks, in leading Associate Committee activities and initiatives.

A Practical Guide to Central Station Burglar Alarm Systems — Updated for 2018

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A Practical Guide to Central Station Burglar Alarm Systems 5th Edition JANUARY 2018 coverThe fifth edition of “A Practical Guide to Central Station Burglar Alarm Systems” is now available!

This updated edition of TMA’s best-selling burglar alarm guide is designed for insurance agents, underwriters and loss-prevention specialists and is also an invaluable resource for monitoring center managers and designers.

This revised version of the definitive guide for burglar alarm systems contains the following information, updated for 2018:

  • Burglar Alarm Systems
    Types of Burglar Alarm Systems
    Components of a Central Station Burglar Alarm System
  • The Burglar Alarm Certificate Service of Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
    Purpose
    UL Listings for Central Station Alarm Companies
    UL Certificate Verification Service (ULCVS)
    UL Procedures for Issuing Alarm Certificates
    Conclusion
  • Protection for Commercial Risks
    Physical Security
    Safe and Vault Protection
    Central Station Burglar Alarm Service
    Central Station Burglar Alarm Certificate Service
    Conclusion
  • Selecting a Central Station Burglar Alarm System
    Risk Analysis
    Loss Potential
    Loss Probability
    Determining Protection Level
    Levels of Protection
  • Glossary of Terms
  • Technical Descriptions of Alarm Systems
    Detection Devices
    Alarm Signaling Systems
    Line Supervision
    Line Security
  • Technical Descriptions of Safes and Vaults
    Burglary — Resistant Safes
    Burglary — Resistant Vaults

Order your print copy here. Cost: $62.50. TMA members receive a 20% discount. 

TMA thanks Stanley Oppenheim, president of DGA Security Systems, for his efforts to produce the 5th edition of this important publication.

TMA to Welcome Board Members from Kimberlite, Doyle, and Acadian in October

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At the June 19, 2018 General Membership meeting in Nashville at ESX, TMA members voted to add three accomplished industry members to the TMA Board of Directors. These three professionals will officially join the Board following the close of the 2018 Annual Meeting on October 17. The Board members-elect are:

  • Brandon Niles, Acadian Monitoring Services
  • Joey Rao-Russell, Kimberlite Corporation
  • Kevin Stone, Doyle Security

Brandon Niles  Joey Rao-Russell Headshot  Kevin Stone
From left: Niles, Rao-Russell, Stone

Brandon Niles, Director of Operations for Acadian Monitoring Services, has been with the company since 2010, when he was originally hired as legal counsel. He is responsible for the management of all departments and the strategic development of key partnerships inside and outside of the security industry. He is the license holder for Acadian in a number of states and was instrumental in helping Acadian significantly grow a number of the non-traditional monitoring services that it currently offers.

Acadian is an employee-owned monitoring company with three UL-listed, redundant central stations, each of which has earned the coveted “Five Diamond” designation trm TMA. Acadian has offices in Louisiana, Illinois and Texas; its parent company is Acadian Ambulance Service, which is the world’s largest privately-owned ambulance company.

Niles stated that he is “joining the board in hopes of being a voice for the small- to mid-size monitoring company.” He plans to be involved with the Education Committee, Video Committee, and Contract Monitoring Council as they work on initiatives that benefit all members of The Monitoring Association.

Joey Rao-Russell, President and CEO of Kimberlite Corporation, serves as chair of the Law Enforcement subcommittee of TMA’s Public Safety Liaison Committee. She has worked in the security industry for 16 years, working in all aspects of the business including operations and sales up to her current position as the President and CEO of Kimberlite, the world’s largest independent Sonitrol franchisee. Based in Fresno, California,  Kimberlite has consistently been ranked in the SDM Top 100 companies and integrators for the last 15 years and operates an award-winning central station specializing in audio- and video-verified security solutions. Rao-Russell currently serves as Past President of the Sonitrol National Dealers Association and President of PPVAR.

Kevin J. Stone, CPP, Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President for Doyle Security Systems, Inc., is a 29-year veteran of the industry.  He has responsibility for Sales, Installation and Service for Doyle Security’s five branches in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Erie, Pennsylvania. In addition, he is responsible for the Doyle Medical Monitoring division and the Locksmith and Safe division. During this time, The Monitoring Association awarded the Central Station of the Year to Doyle Security. Doyle Security has been recognized as the SDM Dealer of the Year, won an award for Marketplace Excellence from the Better Business Bureau and was recognized for Superior Business Ethics by the Rochester Area Business Ethics Foundation. Doyle Security ranks 41st on the 2018 SDM Top 100 list.

Stone currently sits on the Advisory Board of the American Cancer Society and Rochester Area Crime Stoppers. He is past President, a Paul Harris Fellow and Rotarian of the Year of the Akron Newstead Rotary Club and is past Chairman of the Western New York Chapter of American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS). “I am excited to join the board and I’m looking forward to helping to further advance the mission and goals of the TMA,” said Stone.

 

TMA Education Committee Welcomes New Co-Chair Erik Young

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TMA Education Committee Chair John Brady announced that Erik Young, Senior HR Manager for Brinks Home Security, has stepped into the position of co-chair of this important TMA committee.

Brady recently issued a call for new volunteers to join the committee with the goal of building “a stronger breadth of people and talents” on the education committee in order to accomplish its initiatives. Erik Young fits that bill.

Erik YoungYoung, who holds an MBA as well as a Master’s degree in Adult Education and Training, oversees all Learning and Development efforts within Brinks Home Security. His team provides new hire and ongoing training to dealers and team members as well as leadership development and compliance training.

“Being in the home security industry entails a tremendous responsibility to our customers,” said Young, who joined Brinks Home Security in January 2014. “Everyone deserves to be safe in their own home, and it’s up to us to deliver on that promise. Fast response is critical, but it’s also important to have respect, empathy, and understanding. That’s why effective learning and development play such a critical role.”

“Erik brings a level of expertise that will bring additional value to TMA’s educational goals to elevate the student experience,” adds Julie Webber, TMA VP of Education and Training.  In his new position, Young will be working closely with Brady, Webber, TMA leadership, and other committee volunteers on initiatives including the planned Level 2 Operator Training, 2018 Fall Ops, and TMA education events in 2019 including The Technology Summit, ESX, and the Annual Meeting.

TMA Annual Meeting: Thanks to Our Sponsors

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TMA2018-Banner

TMA thanks our many sponsors for their support of our 2018 Annual Meeting, coming up in Palm Beach October 13-17. Their generosity helps us present the kind of high-quality networking and education event our members expect!

Companies can sponsor speakers, entertainment, technology support, and even t-shirts. See current sponsorships. 

We welcome additional support from interested associate members. There are still a few sponsorship opportunities open that bring with them visibility at the event and special access to attendees. Contact John McDonald at meetings@tma.us for a brochure and more information.

TMA Launches Virtual Product Review Series; Altronix Leads Off

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TMA is pleased to offer the first of a series of TMA Virtual Product Reviews. These reviews were inspired by the popular two-minute “lighting round sessions” we offer at TMA Annual Meetings, where our Sponsors and Associate Members have an opportunity to speak about their products. The Virtual Product Review expands the lightning round concept into a 15-minute virtual live product review, where the attendees will not only learn more about a new/improved product or service, but will be able to ask questions.

Please join TMA Member Altronix on July 18, 2018 at 2:00 PM EDT to learn more about Altronix’s latest Ethernet over coax solutions.

The virtual product review will highligh the eBridge800E 8-Port EoC Switch and introduce the eBridge1600F which is Altronix’s 16-port EoC switch with Ethernet and Fiber uplinks. eBridge1600F_FrontbackAltronix Ethernet over Coax (EoC) media converters seamlessly facilitate the upgrade of analog to IP by repurposing coax cabling. These media converters deliver the additional benefit of providing both power and data over a single coax cable.

Altronix’s comprehensive line of EoC solutions eliminate the need to rip and replace existing cabling with tremendous flexibility and substantial savings.

Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6042583145371717635 and learn how to save money and time!

 

Alarm Detection Systems in Aurora, IL Wins PDQ for Second Time

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 TMA member Alarm Detection Systems in Aurora, IL has won the Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award for the second time. They were honored at ESX in Nashville, TN last month.
Electronic Sercurity Expo1_1806

Pictured, left to right: Keith Baird of Honeywell; Ed Bonifas, Melissa Hodgetts and Ed Lubic of ADS; SSI Editor-in-Chief/Associate Publisher Scott Goldfine. Photo by Matthew Lynn Photography.

The Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award program targets the alarm management issue by recognizing those installing and monitoring companies that follow established industry practices and partner with law enforcement to achieve the highest quality in minimizing police dispatch requests. It was established jointly in 2005 by the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA) and SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION, and now also officially endorsed by the Installation Quality (IQ) program and sponsored by Honeywell.

ADS has been a leader in dispatch reduction efforts for over two decades. They were one of the very first companies to appoint a staff position to review the previous day’s dispatches, call customers, determine corrective actions required and apply the necessary resources to resolve the issue.

The goal of the PDQ program is to raise industry-wide awareness, motivate alarm companies to be proactive and provide models that work for others to follow. TMA thanks and congratulates Alarm Detection Systems of Aurora, IL!

Affiliated Monitoring is TMA 2018 Monitoring Center of the Year

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ADT, Vector and Affiliated Honored with Personnel Awards

The four winners of the 2018 TMA Monitoring Center of the Year Awards were announced at the 2018 Electronic Security Expo (ESX) on June 19. They are:

  • Monitoring Center of the Year: Affiliated Monitoring
  • Monitoring Center Support Person of the Year: Beth Bailey, ADT LLC
  • Monitoring Center Manager of the Year: Carmelo Mosca, Affiliated Monitoring
  • Monitoring Center Operator of the Year: Patricia Fody, Vector Security

Single logo - color“All of us at Affiliated Monitoring are gratified to receive this honor,” said Daniel Oppenheim, Executive Vice President, Affiliated. “It validates our deeply held beliefs in professionalism, kindness and technological innovation. The Monitoring Association represents the best of our industry and being recognized in this way is very fulfilling. Affiliated looks forward to supporting our dealers and their customers through this exciting era of growth and opportunity.”

From left: Carmelo Mosca, Affiliated; Patricia Fody, Vector; Beth Bailey, ADT LLC

Affiliated 2

From left: Affiliated’s Stanley Oppenheim, SDM Editor Laura Stapanek, TMA President Ivan Spector

“This award belongs to our ADT team members on the phones right now protecting our neighbors, family members, and our communities,” said Support Person of the Year Beth Bailey, ADT Sr. Manager, Customer Care. “It is my honor to support them and my passion to find ways to make it easier for them to do what they do best – take care of our customers.” ADT had finalists in all four categories this year.

“I feel grateful and honored to receive this award from The Monitoring Association,” said Manager of the Year Carmelo Mosca, Managing Director, Monitoring Operations, Affiliated. “It’s a pleasure to go to work every day with the hundreds of caring and hardworking monitoring specialists in Texas and New Jersey. I’m proud of this personal award and how it reflects positively on the entire Affiliated family.”

The TMA Monitoring Center Excellence Awards recognize any FM Approvals, Intertek/ETL or UL-listed monitoring center (TMA 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 professional monitoring 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 monitoring centers.

The TMA Monitoring Center Excellence Awards Program is sponsored by SDM Magazine, which will publish a feature story detailing the accomplishments of the winners later this summer. Entries are judged by a blue-ribbon volunteer judging panel appointed by TMA.

“Each nominee must submit an extensive application detailing company systems like disaster recovery plan, education and training programs, technical innovations, and even community outreach,” said Lasko. “In the case of individual nominations, we ask for examples of how these employees go above and beyond their job descriptions to pursue excellence. Our judges had an extremely difficult time choosing winners from the amazing submissions we receive each year. We hope everyone will read SDM’s profiles of the winners this summer for inspiration!”

For past winners and more information, visit www.tma.us.

 

NMC Wins Inaugural TMA/SSI Monitoring Technology Marvel Award

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Winner of Inaugural Award Revealed at ESX on June 19;
Ackerman Security and COPS Monitoring Were Finalists

The Monitoring Association and Security Sales & Integration announced that NMC (National Monitoring Center) has won the “the Marvel” — the inaugural TMA/SSI Monitoring Technology “Marvel” Award. This new award honors innovations in monitoring center technology. It is co-sponsored by TMA and Security Sales & Integration (SSI) and coordinated by the TMA Technology Committee.

NMC submitted an application that outlined how the company has used video technology to tie video verification to an alarm, which in turn triggers a video camera to generate a clip in an intrusion/reaction model that records criminal activity. They recently partnered with Netwatch to be the first and only entity to offer proactive video monitoring tied to a vast analytics program that filters non-suspicious activity and IDs threatening ones.

Read SSI’s report on the 2018 winner, NMC. 

NMC Woodie Andrawos at Booth with Marvel Award 2018

From left: TMA President Ivan Spector, TMA Technology Committee Co-Chair Steve Butkovich, NMC CEO Woodie Andrawos, SSI Editor Scott Goldfine, TMA Technology Committee Co-Chair Sascha Kylau with the Marvel Award at the ESX Expo on June 20 in Nashville.

 

NMC Accepts Marvel Award 2018

Members of the TMA Technology Committee are pictured with NMC and Netwatch represenatives who received the TMA/SSI Marvel Award during a June 19 presentation. (l to r:) Steve Butkovich (TMA/CPI Security Systems), Mark Mariotti (Netwatch), Nicola Oakie (NMC), Sascha Kylau (TMA/Onetel Security), Tatiana Abramek (NMC) and Kurtis Erdman (NMC).

 

“This kind of service is impressive and raises the bar for new video monitoring capabilities,” said Steve Butkovich, co-chair of the TMA Technology Committee. “This is where the industry is going next in our goal to protect life and property, and NMC is leading the way.”

The purpose of the Marvel is to provide recognition for monitoring centers creating and/or using cutting-edge technology and to raise awareness of these new technologies. “Technology is consistently mentioned as one of the most important challenges our industry faces. We are pleased to team up with SSI to spotlight these innovators in our industry,” said Butkovich.

The winning Marvel entry was chosen for the “best adoption of new technology to advance your business.”

NMC was announced as the winner of the Marvel on June 19 in Nashville (as part of the 2018 Electronic Security Expo). NMC will be featured in the August 2018 Monitoring Issue of SSI. Runners-up Ackerman Security and COPS Monitoring will also receive coverage in the issue.

Ackerman detailed their move to a new cloud hosting solution which they believe provides customers with increased protection without the concerns of alarm errors due to legacy panels or aging infrastructure. By being an early adopter of hosting alarm monitoring software in the cloud, Ackerman has been able to set the trends for what is possible for an alarm monitoring company.

COPS Monitoring submitted an entry focusing on redundancy to provide “failsafe” monitoring above “disaster recovery”.  Their technical architecture of 6 UL listed monitoring centers along with off-site servers in one of the world’s most advanced data centers provide a higher level of redundancy than other professional monitoring companies.