CSAA Signals
Vol. 7, No. 15—August 9, 2001
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CSAA Signals |
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Tentative Interim Amendment Would Clear the Way for Packet Data Networks for Fire Alarm Transmission Lou Fiore, who heads up CSAA's Standards Committee and is the Vice-Chair of the Security Industry Standards Committee (SISC), has proposed a Tentative Interim Amendment (TIA) to the 1999 National Fire Code (NFPA 72) regarding prioritization of fire alarm signals. This proposed change would clear the way for UL to list equipment using packet switched data over intranet networks and the Internet for fire alarm signaling. Last February UL issued a bulletin to UL 1610 defining the use of this technology for burglar alarm systems using line security. The full text of the TIA is available in the July/August issue of NFPA News, available on the Internet at NFPA.org. You can down load this newsletter as a .pdf document. You can also click here. Basically public comments should be addressed to Casey Grant, Secretary, Standards Council, NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269-9101. It is important that each letter indicate that they are commenting on NFPA 72-1999 TIA Log No. 664, Reference 5-5.4.11. Letters must be received by September 4, 2001." Popular syndicated writer Tony Kornheiser wrote yesterday, Wednesday, a column for the Los Angeles Times' Home Edition in which he lambasted the alarm monitoring industry. With his usual humor, Mr. Kornheiser described his experiences when his alarm was triggered at 1:15am. "Then we waited for the response. That's what you pay $30 a month for, right?, said Kornheiser. "Nothing happened. Not even a phone call." he added. He called the company where a woman with the "IQ of Kale" responded. After calling again and talking to another operator, Kornheiser concluded with "This is the modern world, you see. You pay for a home security quick response, and they route it through Kansas City or Omaha or Anchorage. And it doesn't matter how they route it--because they tell you your alarm isn't shrieking. You're standing in your front yard in your underwear at 1:30 a.m., listening to an alarm jack hammering into the night, and someone 1,000 miles away tells you it didn't go off. I hate technology. I'm turning this system off and tying paint cans to my front door, like in "Home Alone." This column will probably appear in your local newspaper this weekend. Perhaps a "Letter to the Editor" setting the record straight may not be a bad idea. Due to copyright issues, we are unable to enclosed the full article. However, you can access it by clicking on this SDM Daily Industry News link: this article will be accessible through this link until September 8. Security Associates Announces New Management Security Associates International (SAI) recently announced the appointment of Raymond A. Gross, formerly President and CEO of Alert Centre, Inc. and Senior Vice President of ADT Security Services, Inc., as its new CEO and a Director. The company also announced that Stephen J. Ruzika, formerly President of ADT will join the Company's Board as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Executive Committee. Thomas J. Salvatore, Managing General Partner of TJS Partners, L.P., SAI's largest shareholder, will assume the role of Chairman of the Board. James Brannen, President and CEO, will retire on August 15, 2001, and Ron Davis, Chairman of the Board, will remain on the Board of Directors and become Chairman Emeritus. Steve Rubin, a founder of SAI, will continue as Senior Vice President of Marketing. Number of CSAA Members Growing CSAA is experiencing the strongest increase in new members in decades. Membership has increased by 13% so far this year. The new member companies are:
CSAA is also planning a meeting of the Board of Directors with the chief executives of the top independent monitoring companies in the industry to take place at the ISC Show in NY. We would like to thank our current members, the Board and the Membership Committee for doing such a great job of telling others about the great benefits of joining CSAA. The Education Committee Needs YOU! The CSAA Education Committee, Chaired by Bud Wulfurst, has formed two new subcommittees to help with meeting programming and future education projects of the association: the Business Development Subcommittee and the Technical Review Subcommittee. The Business Development Subcommittee will explore business issues and suggest topics that relate to all of the top level financial reporting, marketing, human resources, administrative and operational issues CEO's and owners face. The Technical Review Subcommittee will evaluate topics (i.e. technologies, codes and standards that are relevant to our members, emerging technologies and their potential impact) that will affect our industry presently or in the future. If you are interested in serving on any of these two subcommittees please contact Bud Wulforst, Chair of the Education Committee at bwulforst@a-1security.com or Suzanne Gerhart George, CSAA's Director of Meetings & Conventions at meetings@csaaintl.org. The Distance Learning Committee is another Educations Committee subcommittee. It is continuing its work with SIA and APCO to bring on-line education to the Central Station industry. Remember, if you have any topics you would like to have explored at a future meeting or have suggestions for a speaker, please let us know. Look for the upcoming Call for Presentations for the 2001 North American Monitoring Technology Symposium and Exhibition (NAMTSE) at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, AZ April 26-30, 2001. Standards Committee Meeting: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 during ISC/East at the Javits Convention Center, 4:00 to 5:30 PM, Room JJ-1E08. AICC Meeting: September 6, 2001, 10:00am, SIA headquarters, VA 2001 Annual Meeting: October 26-November 1, The Ritz Laguna Niguel, CA. Click here for more information.
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