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Please thank our 2006 CSAA Electronic Security Forum & Exposition Sponsors: ADI (Thursday Opening Social Event Beverages); Altronix (Thursday CSAA Board of Directors Luncheon); Bosch Security Systems (Thursday CSAA Board, Sponsors & Exhibitors Dinner); DICE Corporation (Saturday Continental Breakfast); Digital Security Controls (Sunday Continental Breakfast); DMP (Saturday Afternoon Coffee Break and hotel keycards); FireLite (Friday Spouses/Guests Hospitality); GE Security (Happy Hour at the Exhibit Hall); HID Corp. (Luncheon at the Exhibit Hall); Honeywell Security (Sunday CSAA Excellence Awards luncheon); Innovative Business Software (Saturday Morning Coffee Break); LaSalle Bank (Friday Afternoon Coffee Break); Micro Key Software (Opening Reception Food (partial)); NAPCO Security Group (Friday Continental Breakfast); Security Industry Association (Forum Sponsor); and System Sensor (Friday morning Coffee Break and Saturday Spouses/Guests Hospitality).
AICC Takes Its Message to Capitol Hill
The Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC), which is composed of the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA), the Security Industry Association (SIA), and other prominent manufacturers and companies, took their concerns to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, February 8, 2006.
The issues that were discussed with Members of Congress and their staff were:
- The need for Congress to address the issue of alarm monitoring across state lines, as defined in the Alarm Monitoring Licensing and Reciprocity Act of 2004;
- the need for VoIP providers to place customers on notice before they connect a broadband phone service and to test a customer's alarm or health alert systems to see if they will lose those services;
- and to request their assistance to influence the FCC to extend the AMPS analog-cellular sunset provisions.
Over 35 members of the AICC and related organizations met with 40 Members of the House and Senate Commerce Committees and their staffs, as well as representatives of their home states, to discuss the issues. According to early reports back from these individuals, the concerns of the AICC members were met with very positive and favorable interest and most Congressional Members were considerably disposed to helping the alarm industry with these issues.
According to Lou Fiore, Chairman of the AICC, "it's been over ten years since we've needed to bring important industry-wide issues to our representatives on the Hill. During the crafting of the 1996 Telecommunications Bill, we were successful in conveying our concerns to Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. This is our industry's first major combined effort since that time. We are asking Members of Congress and their staffs to understand and recognize that rapid changes in the telecommunications industry are having an impact on our ability to provide life safety protection services to those whom we serve. These issues must be addressed in the pending rewrite of the telecommunications law.”
“Conveying three major concerns in a relatively brief visit to a Members' office is often difficult," said Bill Signer, the AICC lobbyist. "However, the AICC participants were well briefed and presented the industry’s concerns in a very professional and appropriate manner. The visited Members and staff were generally very supportive of our concerns. Many of them committed to helping us. Currently, the leadership of the Committee, Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX), Fred Upton (R-MI), John Dingell (D-MI), and Ed Markey (D-MA) are developing legislation that they hope to vote on in March."
"Now is the time for everyone who visited to follow up with their Members of Congress and ask them to contact those Members on our behalf. Everyone else who is concerned about these issues should be contacting their Members of Congress (Congressman and two Senators) and ask them for their help in addressing our concerns," added Signer.
Bill Signer teamed up with John Chwat, NBFAA’s legislative representative, to coordinate the visits of the AICC members with Senators, Congressmen and their staffs--no small feat in this day and age of hundreds of issues before the Congress!
To learn more about the AICC and its issues, please visit www.csaaul.org/AICCCommittee.htm
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The members of the Alarm Industry Communications Committee include: Ademco, ADT Security, AES Intellinet, Bosch Security, Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA),
Digital Security Controls (DSC),
Digital Monitoring Products (DMP),
GE Security,
HSM ( formerly Honeywell Security Monitoring),
National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA),
Security Industry Association (SIA),
Security Network of America (SNA),
Telular and
Vector Security.
Vector Security First Recipient of the Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award
New Award Honors Companies That Reduce False Alarms
CSAA wants to congratulate our president, John A. Murphy, and the staff at Vector Security on its receiving the first ever Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award.
The PDQ Award recognizes companies that excel in their efforts to reduce alarm dispatches. It is the brainchild of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA), and Security Sales & Integration magazine.
To even be considered, applicants must have shown a renewed commitment to work with law enforcement, implement proven practices, and even develop their own models of success to share. Vector was at the top of the list.
“This company is a role model for security providers across the country,” said SIAC Executive Director Stan Martin. “Our industry must recognize that false alarms create problems for the police and our customers,” said Martin. "Vector’s impressive program that significantly reduced the amount of dispatches their customers receive each year.”
Vector reports dispatches are down 1.37 to .8 per customer. The company credits external training, counseling offenders, inspecting system designs, enhanced call verification (ECV), user introductory training periods and new technology control panels compliant with the Security Industry Association (SIA) CP-01 standard.
“We track the 10 highest false alarm abusers each month and also the 10 highest year to date,” said Vector President John Murphy. “That makes 400 alarm situations each month that I personally review with my managers. It is an enormous investment we make; we spend a lot of time doing it. I encourage other companies to do the same thing.”
The mid-Atlantic company has more than 150,000 residential and commercial customers, including 50 of the largest retailers in North America. It will be officially honored at the SAMMY Awards in Las Vegas’ Venetian Hotel and Casino on April 4th. As a PDQ sponsor, Honeywell will donate $1,000 to Vector for travel expenses.
