TMA Dispatch - Spring 2024

14 GUEST

What are your company’s STATs when it comes to identifying and attracting top performers to your team? TMA friend and past keynote presenter Joel Block, Bullseye Capital, shares some of his and a colleague’s essential steps to master the art of attracting top performers.

15 RESEARCH

Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates, dives into the latest residential market facts and figures in her monthly column. Just for starters, her research reports that 43% of US internet households now own a security solution and 32% subscribe to a security service. The news is quite exciting.

16 GSOC

TMA’s GSOC Committee Co-Chair Richard Flores, IV, tackles redundancy in GSOC operations and systems. In doing so, he asks the reader to consider the difference between redundancy and resiliency. Are they interchangeable?

Annual growth of 30-40%?

Discover what the buzz is about and what’s got many excited and some a bit fearful when it comes to AI in monitoring. Recent market projections estimate potential annual growth of 30-40%, low single-digit customer attrition rates, and average contract values that blow traditional burglar alarms out of the water. One area where monitoring companies and dealers who are “new to the game” are concerned about is the camera conditions that AI can work well with and those they don’t work well with. In this issue’s cover story, TMA member and AI guru, Sonny Tai, Actuate, hopes to help clear this up. Learn more about the primary factors impacting camera accuracy.

Be Your Own Best Advocate

When it comes to your health, finances, personal growth, and success at work they say you’re most successful when you become your own best advocate. Taking ownership of your success and advocating for it is the target of this article where I’m inviting you to become your own best advocate with regard to your monitoring center’s quality of service, speed of response and cost control. I believe the focused pursuit of your use of TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP will bring about these outcomes for you and your customers.

In 2018, my company, CPI Security, implemented TMA’s Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP-to-PSAP). The service is designed to increase the efficiency and reliability of emergency electronic signals that are sent from monitoring companies to the local PSAPs (now referred to as ECCs). Our data has shown that we have realized time savings of up to 2 ½ minutes per dispatch by using the protocol, resulting in faster response to alarm signals, better improved public safety response, improved public safety relations, and FTE (Full-time Employee) labor savings for both our monitoring center and ECC’s.

ASAP-to-PSAP utilizes ANSI standard protocols that were developed cooperatively by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and

TMA and released in 2011. With ASAPto-PSAP, critical life safety signals are processed in seconds, not minutes, through the Nlets system of state-tostate PSAP/ECC communication. This process ensures that complete and accurate information is transmitted to the PSAP/ECC every time.

The network of active ECCs has grown steadily since the protocol’s launch but has seen significant increases in the last two years. There is a total of 142 ECCs that utilize the ASAP-to-PSAP service across the United States today. Combined, these ECCs protect nearly 53 million people. In January, we welcomed our first ECC in the state of Illinois. Most recently, The King County WA Sheriff’s Office Communications Center became the 142nd ECC in the United States and the 8th ECC in the state of Washington to implement ASAP-to-PSAP. This ECC serves a population of 2M.

Once using ASAP-to-PSAP, it’s important to have a business process and focus on continuing to update and add new ECCs as they become available. With new ECCs coming online nearly every month, it is important for established monitoring centers to constantly update their systems and connect with available ECCs. At CPI Security, we made the decision to dedicate an employee to monitor and update our communication systems so that all the participating ECCs in our business area are identified and connected. As a dealer or monitoring center, reviewing ongoing progress should be a part of monthly and quarterly review with your team to ensure you are advancing adoption for your subscribers.

I also recommend that monitoring centers identify the ECCs that receive their largest number of signals from your subscribers to extend an invitation to the centers to join the ASAP-to-PSAP net-

work. TMA is focused on expanding the network exponentially over the course of the next five years. Daniel Oppenheim, Affiliated Monitoring, and Pam Petrow, Vector Security, who co-chair the ASAPto-PSAP Committee, are working on an aggressive plan that dedicates additional resources to support the service’s important expansion to have 80% of the US population covered by 2028.

It’s an exciting time for this life-saving service. I encourage you to be your own best advocate for your company and your subscribers. It’s good for your business and it’s good for your customers.

If you are not currently an ASAP-toPSAP subscriber, go to www.tms.us/ programs/asap to learn more, or contact Bryan Ginn, the program’s manager at TMA, at bginn@tma.us or (703) 6604919, for detailed information.

Beyond Buzzwords: Rethinking Leadership in the Turbulent Terrain of VUCA

I recently came across a very interesting article on how the U.S. Army War College prepares its leaders to perform optimally during situations full of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). The article, “How to Be a Better Leader Amid Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity,” by Angus Fletcher, Thomas L. Gaines, and Brittany Loney1, caught my attention because it recommends approaches that are different from those in typical business articles.

The development of the VUCA approaches came in response to the instability created after the fall of the USSR in the late 1980s. When the War College analyzed affective leaders who performed very well under VUCA situations, they discovered that these leaders were capable of envisioning and communicating a positive future, while remaining innovative and adaptable to rapidly changing situations.

Years later, the Harvard Business Review published a series of articles on the core characteristics of visionary leadership under VUCA2: flexibility, collaboration, foresight, active listening, clear communication. These characteristics became THE core characteristics of good leadership. But in 2010, Army researchers discovered that while the VUCA principles were great to describe the skills of great leaders, they were not as good for producing good leaders.

Fletcher, Gaines and Loney worked with U.S. Army Special Operations to develop new techniques that would help develop good leaders in VUCA environments. The techniques were further tested at the NFL and in Fortune 15 companies. The authors’ discoveries were so effective that they were recognized by the U.S. Army with a Commendation Medal for “groundbreaking research.”

What were these discoveries?

• More data is not always the answer. More data is useful in situations that are easily defined. In VUCA situations, looking for more data may lead to “passivity, mission creep, and hesitation.” In fact, the authors identify low-data decision making as the key to intelligent leadership in VUCA situations, and make the point that the human brain is superior to AI when engaging these kinds of low-data decisions. In their experience, “volatility causes AI to become brittle and prone to catastrophic error.” They recommend targeting “exceptional information,” rather than more data. Exceptional information is “an exception to an existing rule. It’s the initial sign of an emergent threat or opportunity.” How do we arrive to that way of thinking? The authors recommend we avoid our adult brain’s bias toward abstract reasoning and experience the “childlike power to dream new tomorrows, imagining what could happen next.”

Once you have reset your mindset, the authors recommend three techniques to be a better leader in VUCA situations:

• Don’t rely on active listening. Do use the new science of active questioning. So many leadership articles emphasize the need for active listening, a concept that was developed in the 1950s by Carl Rogers and Richard Farson. While active listening may be desirable in low urgency/high transparency situations, active questioning is the right approach in VUCA situations. And active questioning does not involve asking why. When you ask why, your brain tends to come up with past solutions/ answers instead of coming up with new and unexpected ideas. Instead of asking why first, the authors recommend prioritizing asking What, Who, When, Where, and How. These questions can provide answers that trigger surprise, which makes the brain develop new rules and

judgments, helping the leader imagine new futures.

• Don’t optimize the plan. Do optimize the planner. U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower reflected, in a speech3 at the National Defense Executive Reserve Conference in 1957, on his early days at the Army Staff College, where they planned for wars that never happened. While many people would think it was a waste of time, he believed that the value of the exercise was not in the plans developed, but in developing planning skills. These skills got them ready to plan for anything. The authors agree that the key is to develop plans “that encompassed, not just the most probable contingencies, but all possible contingencies, with a particular emphasis on the extreme and unprecedented.”4 And the goal is not on the plan developed, but in the planning skills developed through the exercise.

• Don’t dissociate from fear and anger. Do use emotion reset. Leaders are typically counseled to suppress fear and anger. But experiencing fear and anger can be necessary especially in VUCA situations because they generate a flight-or-fight response, which is a kind of a warning system that points to the need to switch approaches. How can you use fear and anger appropriately? The authors call the technique, “emotion reset.” This technique is based on recalling similar situations to remind your brain that you have dealt with them before. If your fear and anger disappear when you recall the past, then your flightor-flight response is an overreaction; if they do not, it is then a true VUCA situation which will require using some of the techniques described before to re-plan quickly, innovatively, and decisively.

While businesses will not face the type of situations faced by Special Operations soldiers, in an ever-evolving world where uncertainty is the only constant, the traditional playbook of leadership may fall short. By embracing unconventional strategies and redefining our approach to VUCA environments, leaders can navigate the tumultuous seas of change with agility and foresight. As we heed the lessons learned from the U.S. Army War College and beyond, let us remember that in the face of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, it is not just about surviving – it’s about thriving and leading with resilience, innovation, and unwavering determination towards a brighter tomorrow.

1Fletcher, Angus; Gaines, Thomas L.; and Loney, Brittany. “How to Be a Better Leader

Amid Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity.” Harvard Business Review, September 28, 2023.

2Kail, Col Eric G. “Leading in a VUCA Environment: V Is for Volatility.” Harvard Business Review, November 3, 2010.

3Eisenhower, Dwight D. Remarks at the National Defense Executive Reserve Conference. November 14, 1957. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-the-national-defenseexecutive-reserve-conference.

4 Fletcher, Gaines, and Loney, loc. sit.

TMA Dispatch, Spring 2024

7918 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 510 McLean, VA 22102

703-242-4670; Fax 703-242-4675

About TMA

The Monitoring Association (TMA) is the trade association representing the professional monitoring industry. Our membership community is composed of companies spanning all industry sectors, including monitoring centers, systems integrators, service providers, installers, consultants, and product manufacturers. TMA is dedicated to the advancement of the professional monitoring industry through education, advocacy, standards, and public-safety relationships.

Our Mission

Our mission is to promote and advance professional monitoring to consumers and first responders through education, advocacy, and the creation of standards.

Our Vision

A safer world through professional monitoring.

TMA Officers

President: Steve Butkovich, Charlotte, NC

Vice President: Alan Gilmore IV, Cleveland, OH

Vice President: Wes Usie, Shreveport, LA

Vice President: Daniel Oppenheim, Union, NJ

Secretary: Justin Bailey, Ogden, UT

Treasurer: Shannon Woodman, Seattle, WA

Immediate Past President: Morgan Hertel, Corona, CA

TMA Staff

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Celia T. Besore, FASAE, MBA, CAE

Vice President of Education and Training

Julie N. Webber

Director of Membership and Programs

Illeny Maaza

Director of Marketing and Communications

Leigh A. McGuire

Director of Meetings

Keely Anderson

Information Systems Manager, ASAP Service Manager

Bryan Ginn

Programs and Administrative Coordinator

Karen Monroe Copyright

• Mobile armed/disarmed and partitioned video zones for cameras

• Instant multi-view of live and recorded video events for end users

• Patented VPN, cybersecurity, and automatic registration of all devices

• Voice down & remote activation of devices (doors, gates, etc.)

• Automated and scheduled reports with embedded video events ...and much more!

FACTORS THAT IMPACT AI PERFORMANCE IN MONITORING

By Sonny, Tai, Co-Founder and CEO, Actuate

In early February, I had the privilege of addressing a room full of Alarm Dealers at Criticom Monitoring Services’ Annual Conference. As usual, the atmosphere was buzzing with a mixture of excitement and fear. They’re excited because they see the market opportunity: 30-40% annual growth, 50%+ gross margins (if you execute well), low single digit customer attrition rates, and average contract values that blow traditional burglar alarms out of the water.

But they’re also fearful. They’re fearful because it is a materially different business that requires different processes, technologies, and skill sets. They’re fearful because 50%+ gross margins can quickly become negative gross margins. And they’re fearful because AI technologies are still imperfect, and they’ve heard stories of misses leading to losses.

Warren Buffet once said“be greedy when others are fearful but be fearful when others are greedy”.

In the monitoring industry, we’re still at the stage where fear overpowers “greed” (or rather, the prospect for rapid and profitable growth). If that wasn’t the case, there would be a lot less discussion and a lot more decisiveness in building a video business.

However, that also means that there’s an opportunity for the decisive actors to take a lot of market share and drive growth before competition seriously heats up.

One area where monitoring companies and dealers who are “new to the game” are concerned about is that they are unclear about the camera conditions that AI can work well with and don’t work well with.

In this article, I hope to help clear this up. There are four primary factors that impact detection accuracy in security cameras.

These are:

1. Distance and Resolution

2. Lighting

3. Occlusion

4. Aspect Ratio

DISTANCE AND RESOLUTION:

This might sound obvious, but the number of pixels of the object impacts the ability of an AI model to identify it reliably. Increased distance and lower resolution will both lower the number of pixels on target, and the inverse is also true. The same person can comprise of 20 pixels far away, or 2,000 pixels when they are closer, or they could comprise 20 pixels in an ultra-low-resolution stream, or 2,000 pixels in a much higher resolution one.

Unfortunately, increasing resolution to the maximum is often not an option due to constraints in computing and network bandwidth.

The number of pixels in a frame increases exponentially, not linearly with increased resolution. In other words, you can expect it to be exponentially more expensive for your AI vendor and exponentially more taxing on your network bandwidth.

For example:

• 240p = 352 x 240 (84,480 pixels)

• 360p = 480 x 320 (153,600 pixels)

• 480p = 640 x 480 (307,200 pixels)

• 720p = 960 x 720 (691,200 pixels)

• 1080p = 1440 x 1080 (1,555,200 pixels)

As you can see, the difference in number of pixels between 1080p (1 megapixel)

and 480p is 5x instead of the 2.25x that the number would suggest.

That means it would cost 5x as much computing power and consume 5x as much network bandwidth to process a 1-megapixel frame as opposed to a 480p frame.

That’s why it’s not feasible to simply increase resolution to the maximum, as much as we’d want to. For 90% of use cases, the “sweet spot” is 480p, or the closest thing to it that your NVR / VMS allows for on the sub-stream.

In cases where longer distance detections are necessary, resolution can be bumped to 720p or 1080p on a case-by-case basis, but you should consult with your AI vendor, as they typically will have additional data science techniques they can apply to increase the probability of reliable detections.

LIGHTING:

Lighting can also play a key role in generating reliable detections. Computer vision relies on something called “gradient descent”, which is a series of complex matrix algebraic calculations that looks at the shading differential between adjacent pixels to calculate the probability of an object existing in the frame.

Poor lighting minimizes the differential between pixels, thus making these calculations a lot more difficult to make accurate predictions. In addition, poor lighting can increase motion blur, as the camera has to keep the shutter open for longer to let in more light, thus distorting moving objects.

To put this in layman’s terms, “if a human has a hard time seeing it, a computer will as well.” Cameras with “night mode” or thermal cameras can help mitigate this issue, as it increases the contrast between objects being detected and the environment around them.

Below you can see an example of a camera with poor lighting and no

infrared night mode. It is almost impossible to see, and an AI model would struggle with a detection unless the person walked pretty close to the front of the frame.

Contrast the image above with a thermal camera view below. As you can see, the heat generated by the animals creates substantial contrast with its surroundings, making the shape and contour of the target object very easy to identify.

Below you’ll find a consumer-grade Wyze camera with infrared night mode – while the target object isn’t “white hot” like you’ll see in a thermal image, the shading differential between the object and its environment is still more than enough for an AI model to reliably detect this.

Note: It also helps that the house behind provides some additional lighting as well.

OCCLUSION:

Occlusion means that the target object is either being fully or partially blocked, so the AI model can’t see it.

Like the subject of resolution, distance, and lighting above, it might sound obvious, but there are some intricacies that you should be aware of when installing a site:

Intermittent occlusion can impact detection reliability:

Some AI models sample a series of frames during an event, and if a certain number of those frames exceeds the confidence threshold, an alert is sent, but otherwise an alert is not.

An example of this is a highly cluttered environment where an intruder may be weaving in and out of objects such as container boxes and vehicles. In these cases, you should work with your AI partner to make the AI model more sensitive while implementing measures such as selective masking to control potential false alerts.

The top AI providers in the industry should have thousands of similar sites deployed on their platform, so they

should have a lot of experience working with this kind of complexity.

Occlusion can be imposed by not just physical objects, but technology as well:

One of the issues that we sometimes run into when onboarding a new site is interference from the lower-grade video analytics that come with the NVR or camera.

Here is an example below:

That is a person walking across the camera view, but the existing onboard analytics (which usually have a far higher false alert rate) have completely obscured the shape and contour of the target object, thus rendering it impossible to detect by a computer vision model.

Keep in mind, AI is based on mathematics, and there are limitations to mathematical predictions. While a human brain will see an upright rectangular box moving in a way a human being would and easily infer “well, that must be a human being, it’s just that the onboard analytics are blocking the view”, it is extremely difficult for an AI model to make such a probabilistic determination.

Because of this, we usually strongly recommend that the edge-based analytics be disabled if you want to use a more powerful third-party analytic.

Aspect Ratio:

This one isn’t as obvious, but unusual aspect ratios can also present a challenge to computer vision models. One thing we started seeing more and more is the dualview cameras from Mobotix. When the frames are sampled, they come in at 5:2, whereas most computer vision models run on 4:3.

Share your knowledge and experience in video monitoring with your peers.

Speak at a TMA meeting or webinar.

Email education@tma.us to learn more.

When a video analytics platform receives a view like this, the frames need to be “resized” before the AI model can process it. After resizing a 5:2 frame, it might look something like this:

As you can see, in more extreme cases, the objects in the frame can get distorted and make it more difficult for an AI model to make reliable predictions.

Another issue that comes up is with fisheye cameras. As far as we know, Axis Cameras are the only brand that can send de-warped fisheye views. All the other cameras will send the original, warped fisheye view.

An AI vendor can mitigate each of these issues – for example, in the case of the dual-view Mobotix cameras, one can automatically detect them and cut the image down the middle to prevent distortion when resizing.

We can also dewarp fisheye images in the cloud, but because it is highly computationally expensive to do so, one needs to rely on the customer to

inform us of the images that need to be dewarped before doing so.

In Conclusion:

Dealers looking to get into video monitoring might feel intimidated by the many considerations required to minimize risk and maximize success in protecting their customers’ sites.

My advice to dealers is – just get started, even if it’s on a small scale. With small scale operations, you can quickly draw from lessons learned and figure out what works well and what doesn’t; and once you build a playbook that you feel is “scalable and repeatable”, you’ll be able to invest more resources in efficiently growing your RMR business.

Strategic Surveillance: Advanced Techniques in Camera Positioning

Wed., April 24 3:20-4:20 PM/ET

Speakers:

Tanner LaRocque, Evolon Technologies; Sonny Tai Actuate; James Marcella, AXIS Communications; Jamie Bradford, Evolon Technologies Register to attend TMA’s Virtual Mid-Year Meeting at tma.us/ events/2024-virtualmid-year-meeting/

Below: a 5:2 dual-view Mobotix camera

Below: A fisheye camera view

Attracting and Identifying Top Performers

By Joel Block, Hedge Fund Manager, & Venture Capitalist, Bullseye Capital

In the world of Advantage Players®, questions like, “What questions do you ask to identify and attract top performers?” are a hot topic. But let’s be clear, there’s no one-size-fits-all list of questions that’ll work for every situation. It’s all about strategy. I bounced this question off of my good friend and colleague Bill Humbert, a top drawer recruiter and an Advantage Player® in his space. Together we came up with these essential steps to master the art of attracting top performers.

• Understand Your Environment: Like in a casino, you need to know the lay of the land. Consider your company’s Culture, Industry, Field,

and Position. These factors shape the questions you should ask.

• Know Your Players: Are your questions coming from Human Resources or a Manager? Different roles require different approaches. Get your team in sync.

• Anticipate the Moves: Think about the expected responses to your questions. In the world of Advantage Players®, we don’t leave anything to chance. Be prepared for every scenario.

• Reorganize for Success: I’ve been around the block in business, and I’ll tell you this - recruiting is like

a game of high-stakes blackjack. I recommend my clients reorganize Recruiting into Operations. Why? Because it’s time to take recruiting seriously, just like sales.

• The Sales Connection: The Recruiting Process is a mirror image of the SALES Process. If you want to win at attracting top performers, put a Sales Manager in charge of recruiting. It’s a no-brainer.

• Be a Magnet: Want to attract top performers? Start by becoming a recognized leader in your field. Successful businesses are like magnets for the best candidates. That means make winning a priority for your team. Prospective customers and team members want to be associated with a winner.

• Know Your Target: Hiring managers are the experts on the positions they need to fill. They might even have a specific person in mind. Network with that individual and sell them on your business, culture, and opportunity. Don’t just post a job online and hope for the best.

In the world of Advantage Play®, winning is inevitable when you play your cards right. Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to attracting top performers like a pro.

State of Residential Security

By Elizabeth Park, President, Parks Associates

Parks Associates latest research, Residential Security Dashboard, reports that 43% of US internet households now own a security solution and 32% subscribe to a security service. Since July 2022, there has been a 5% increase in adoption of either a video doorbell or a camera without a system, which represents approximately six million homes that have added this type of solution in the past 18 months.

Ring and SimpliSafe now account for one-fifth of the professional monitoring market for systems, as both companies have steadily added subscribers since 2019. New options are emerging for consumers; for example, in 2023, Residential Security Dashboard started tracking Noonlight, which provides monitoring services for Wyze, Canary, Roku, and Eufy products.

Consumers continue to buy security solutions, but the growth is coming from security devices, where households buy a networked camera and/or a video doorbell, rather than a traditional security system. Systems still dominate, but 13% of US internet households — or more than 15 million households — own just a smart camera or video doorbell and use that as the safety and security solution for their home.

These devices support security services that generate recurring monthly revenue, and the increase in paid services to the video device is following the increase in ownership of devices. At the same time, the amount from paid security services attached to a security system dropped in the second half of 2023.

To remain competitive, traditional security system providers need to prove the value of their systems and attached services. Providers are pivoting towards aggressive marketing, competitive pricing strategies, and the creation of new value propositions in lifestyle services to regain market share.

Security providers are in a great position to serve the consumer with professional monitored services, which can capture a variety of use cases in security, health, and energy. The value in the future will come from a combination of services and applications providing and expanding on peace-of-mind services.

From the dealer view, Parks Associates research finds security dealers are branching out into new areas to bolster revenues and add applications that require or enrich professional installation and monitoring. The survey reveals that 30% of dealers sold DIY systems in 2023, and nearly all retained their core business of selling professionally installed systems as well. The research quantifies the dealers’ view of the security market, with data compared across multiple surveys, and analyzes competitive pressures, industry conditions, and new trends, including the addition of smart home and interactive technologies.

In 2023, dealers faced many challenges. High interest rates and low home sales meant fewer consumers were moving into resales, a critical time for acquiring a new security system and monitoring

GSOC Redundancy: Systems and Operations

By Richard Flores IV, CPP, Puget Sound Energy

The words redundancy and resiliency are often used interchangeably. While you cannot have resiliency without redundancy, they are not the same thing. To build a resilient GSOC operation you need to have systems and operational components in place that may not seem necessary on face value, but are there in case other components fail. Without these measures in place, you will not be able to withstand, or recover from, a failure of key functions.

In general, you need to look at your redundancy in two parts. They systems used to keep your GSOC functioning and the operations that are needed to ensure the GSOC runs as expected.

GSOCs use a wide range of systems to ensure the protection of their company’s people and assets. This includes the software components of your GSOC, such as access control systems, video management systems, physical security information management systems, phone systems, and the network where these things all talk to each other. This also includes things like file storage and hardware systems.

Whenever possible each key piece of software should have a primary instance installed in one data center, and a secondary instance installed in different data center, preferably in a different geographical area. These systems should be replicating across both data centers so

that both instances are always current. If the primary should fail, it should seamlessly and automatically switch to the secondary instance. This failure should also trigger alerts that initiate a response from your company’s IT team to get the systems back online. Work with your IT teams to ensure each of your systems are tiered correctly and have the right recovery time objectives for your business needs. These should be applied to everything from file storage and phones all the way to the alarm management systems and access control.

You must not forget the hardware that connects to these software components. Do you have back-up phones that can be easily activated should a hard phone fail? If using your computers to answer phones, do you have back up hard phones if needed? Often times GSOCs need special-built computers to handle the software used, which means that your IT team cannot just take a standard desktop to replace one of yours should it stop working. Consider purchasing extra to have on hand as replacements.

Operationally, you need to consider where your GSOC can function in the event your physical location is compromised. Some organizations choose to have two active GSOCs in different areas, with one prepared to take the other’s work should the need arise. Others may not be able to achieve this, GSOC Redundancy, continued on page 24

Member CEO Q&A

Name: Jack Doyle

Title: President & CEO

Company: Doyle Security Systems, Inc.

Company Location: Rochester, NY

Number of years with the company: 9

Number of years in your current position: 6 months

What is the scope of your executive role and responsibilities currently?

I’m currently responsible for strategic planning and general long-term planning. I also personally oversee our commercial fire integration branch as well as our marketing, IT department, and emergency response center.

Briefly share your company’s mission and goals.

Our mission is to provide peace of mind to our customers through the design, installation, service, and monitoring of security and life safety systems. Our goal is to deliver top-quality service through our highly skilled professional team. By doing this we will become the most sought-after security company in Upstate New York and surrounding areas.

What has been your greatest professional achievement to date?

Over the past five years we’ve grown our company RMR by 38%, from $1.3 to $1.8 Million. I helped play a role in this for sure, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the rest of our incredibly talented team.

What are some of the most significant challenges facing our industry today and, in your mind, what do companies need to do to succeed?

Workforce development is a challenge that’s facing almost every alarm dealer. It’s become more difficult than ever to hire, train and retain highly technical talent. The complexity of our industry is increasing every day and the talent pool continues to shrink. I think we need to come together as an industry

to try and find ways to encourage the development of new talent, find ways to enhance training and generally raise the interest in security and life safety as a career. I think organizations like TMA can (and to a large extent already do) play an important role here. For those companies that aren’t involved in supporting these efforts, they should consider it.

What advice would you give to a young professional in the security/ monitoring industry today?

I would advise a young professional in our industry to try and get exposure to as many elements of the business as you can. There is an incredible amount of depth to our industry, multiple disciplines, codes and regulatory concerns. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. The more knowledgeable you are, the better a resource you will be to your company and your customers. Consumers will increasingly rely on us for our expertise in security and life-safety applications, put yourself in a position to be that trusted resource and it’ll serve you well in your career.

How do you like to spend time outside of work?

I like to get involved the local community. I’m on the board of the Rochester chapter of Crime Stoppers. I’m also involved with St. Ann’s community in Rochester, a non-profit senior living organization that I’m very passionate about.

I have 3 kids under the age of 7 so they keep me incredibly busy too. We love going to sporting events, especially the Buffalo Bills.

My wife and I love trying new restaurants and enjoy trying interesting wines from around the world.

The Wireline Report

Latest FCC news impacting your business

By Salvatore Taillefer, Partner, Blooston Law (sta@bloostonlaw.com)

AICC Files Comments on Net Neutrality

On December 14, AICC filed comments on the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking of October 2023, in which it seeks comment on classifying fixed and mobile broadband internet access service (“BIAS”) as an essential “telecommunications” service under Title II of the Communications Act. The proposal also seeks to restore nationwide open internet rules that would prevent Internet Service Providers from blocking legal content, throttling speeds, and creating paid prioritization schemes for internet traffic.

In its comments, AICC focused on showing that large BIAS providers continue to have the incentive and ability to discriminate against alarm companies, and on encouraging the FCC to adopt the proposed conduct and bright-line rules to prevent the

blocking or hinderance of alarm data transmission by BIAS providers that also offer alarm services. At the same time, AICC urged the FCC not to repeal or dilute existing protections, such as the section 214 discontinuance process that allows alarm companies to maintain awareness and act on potential service disruptions before they occur, and section 275’s level-playing field requirements.

A.I.-Generated Voices in Robocalls Declared Illegal Under TCPA

On February 8, the FCC adopted a Declaratory Ruling confirming that the TCPA’s restrictions on the use of “artificial or prerecorded voice” encompass current AI technologies that generate human voices. As a result, calls that use such technologies fall under the TCPA and the Commission’s implementing rules, and therefore require the prior express consent of the

called party to initiate such calls absent an emergency purpose or exemption

Specifically, the FCC held:

AI technologies such as “voice cloning” fall within the TCPA’s existing prohibition on artificial or prerecorded voice messages because this technology artificially simulates a human voice. Voice cloning and other similar technologies emulate real or artificially created human voices for telephone calls to consumers. They are “artificial” voice messages because a person is not speaking them and, as a result, when used they represent the types of calls the TCPA seeks to protect consumers from.

The FCC’s finding is consistent with its finding on the use of soundboards, which involves a live agent on a call selecting prerecorded messages to be played. According to the FCC, this rationale also applies to AI technologies, including those that either wholly simulate an artificial voice or resemble the voice of a real person taken from an audio clip to make it appear as though that person is speaking on the call to interact with consumers.

Pallone Introduces “Do Not Disturb” Act

On January 29, Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) introduced the Do Not Disturb Act, which is designed to protect consumers from unwanted calls and texts in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid. The legislation was introduced by Pallone and cosponsored by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Darren Soto (D-FL), and Eric

Sorensen (D-IL), who are each leading specific provisions in the legislation

The Facebook, Inc. v Duguid decision narrowed the definition of “autodialer” to equipment making calls or sending text messages to telephone numbers using a random or sequential number generator. Several jurisdictions had adopted a broad definition of the term, finding liability where the equipment has the future capacity to store or produce random or sequentiallygenerated numbers (even if the capacity was contingent upon the installation of hardware or software in the future) and because it can dial a stored number automatically.

In light of the holding in Duguid, the Do Not Disturb Act would define robocalls to encompass a range of robocall technology not covered under current law, including text messages; require disclosure of the use of AI to emulate human interaction over text or phone; double penalties for any robocall violations of the TCPA or Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) when using AI to impersonate someone; and require network service providers to offer robocall detection and blocking services at no additional cost to customers instead of charging a premium for the service.

April

November 10-13, 2024 Annual Meeting

In-person Westin’s Beach Resort and Spa at Frenchman’s Reef

October 5-9, 2024

Interesting in speaking?

We’re always looking for new speakers! If you have a session topic in mind for one of our 2024 meetings, contact education@tma.us.

Interested in sponsorship?

Sponsor support make it possible for TMA to deliver the highest quality educational programs to our members and others within the monitoring and security industry. In return, your company’s brand receives valuable exposure across the marketplace. To learn more about our 2024 sponsorships, email meetings@tma.us.

Go to tma.us for the latest information and news on TMA’s 2024 meetings and events.

The Wireless Report

Spectrum usage; New mobile laws offer survivors protection

By John A. Prendergast, Managing Partner, Blooston Law (jap@bloostonlaw.com)

FCC Launches Enhanced Competition Incentive Program

The FCC has now implemented the Enhanced Competition Incentive Program (ECIP), which is designed to incentivize wireless license holders to sell or lease underutilized spectrum to small carriers, Tribal Nations, and entities serving rural areas. The program creates incentives for all parties to qualifying transactions, ranging from longer license terms, an extension of construction obligations, and more flexible construction requirements. The FCC is now in the process of taking comments on further tweaks to the program that would allow “small carriers” to provide custom-designed services anywhere in the country – which may open the door for alarm manufacturers and monitoring companies to negotiate arrangements

that would accommodate present or future advanced alarm services relying on wireless connectivity.

The ECIP program was established to meet Congressional mandates of the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless Act (MOBILE NOW Act). Small carriers can buy or lease spectrum from existing license holders – including the spate of auction winners that will be trying to figure out how to meet their FCCmandated coverage requirements in the coming years. If a licensee leases spectrum to a small carrier, it can count any coverage offered by the leasing carrier toward satisfying the buildout requirement. The small carrier can lease or purchase all or a portion of the available spectrum and/or geography

of the underlying license, putting the licensee in a position to reduce its construction obligations; and the FCC rewards them by extending the buildout deadline for both parties in most cases.

In its current form, the small carrier must provide “common carrier” services, which may limit how much a service could be customized for a customer, such as an alarm company. But if the FCC decides to allow tailored “non-common carrier” services pursuant to the pending rulemaking, it could open the door for the alarm industry to approach licensees and smaller carriers with proposals for specialized services (especially for spectrum hungry 5G based systems, including much more robust video and data). Large numbers of licenses have been auctioned off by the FCC for a variety of spectrum bands over the past several years.

California Court Lifts Stay on Privacy Law Enforcement

On February 9, 2024, California’s Third District Court of Appeals overturned a California Superior Court decision delaying enforcement of the latest California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) regulations. Accordingly, these regulations are now in effect in California and can be enforced by the State.

The CPPA, as recently amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), is considered one of the model privacy regulations in the US. It includes several consumer protections, e.g., subjecting businesses’collection of personal information to minimization and

purpose limitations, and creating a right to sue businesses for data breaches that include personal information (including usernames and passwords).

The CCPA applies to any for-profit business that operates in California and meets any of the following requirements:

• Has a gross annual revenue of over $25 million;

• Buys, sells, or shares the personal information of 100,000 or more California residents, households, or devices; or

• Derives 50% or more of their annual revenue from selling California residents’ personal information.

Certain nationwide and Californiabased alarm companies likely satisfy the first two criteria, thereby triggering a compliance requirement even if they do not meet the third criterion.

AT&T To Invest $8 Billion in FirstNet Upgrades, Hints at Eventual LTE Sunset

AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) have announced a ten-year, $8 billion investment to expand and upgrade the nationwide public safety network. These strategic investments are designed to expand and evolve FirstNet so public safety stays at the forefront of innovative, lifesaving technologies.

According to a statement from AT&T, the next phase of FirstNet will include the addition of 1,000 purpose-built FirstNet cell sites within the next two years. The next phase will also create a 5G Standalone (5G SA) core, which will enhance current 5G functionality with specific public safety features on FirstNet “and support the transition of public safety’s Band 14 spectrum from LTE to 5G.” AT&T noted the transition to a full 5G network will enable FirstNet “to keep pace with current evolutions in technology and 3GPP standards-based mission critical advancements.” It added it would keep the existing 4G network active during the transition to 5G.

With the initial buildout of FirstNet complete, this investment initiative will expand access to public safety’s Band 14 spectrum in the near term, with plans for additional coverage enhancements on a recurring basis. The FirstNet Authority will work closely with public safety across the states, territories, and tribal lands to identify areas that could benefit from broader coverage.

As of Q4 of 2023, FirstNet covers more than 2.91 million square miles, which the public-private partnership says is 250,000 square miles more than commercial networks. In all, FirstNet boasts more than 5.5 million connections and about 27,500 public safety agencies and organizations on the network.

Alarm industry members have access to the use of FirstNet, pursuant to TMA/ AICC and industry negotiations with the Authority and AT&T. Alarm companies using FirstNet may thereby benefit from the planned upgrades.

But the alarm industry should also note this public pronouncement that the transition of LTE to an all 5G network is now on the drawing board, and a timetable for this LTE sunset is no doubt being formulated. It is not yet clear if the LTE sunset will apply to just FirstNet for now, or to the entire AT&T network; but given the interrelation between the two networks, the latter is a possibility. While the press has conjectured that LTE could sunset by 2030, one could wonder if the announcement concerning the FirstNet transition to all 5G could affect AT&T’s timetable. Most wireless alarm devices fled the 3G sunset to LTE devices, because 5G alarm equipment had not hit the market in 2022. The industry will want to reach out to AT&T and the other large carriers for an updated timeline on an LTE sunset, and determine the best way to sunset LTE alarm devices in an orderly and affordable manner.

FCC Action Expected Soon in 12 GHz Proceeding

The FCC is likely to issue an order this spring in its 12 GHz band proceeding that would open the 12.2-12.7 GHz and 12.7-13.25 GHz bands for fixed wireless broadband use, analysts report. The development would be a win for DISH, increasing the value of its spectrum holdings, and it would create opportunities for high-power, two-way point-to-point and point-to-multipoint operations in rural areas. But the alarm equipment manufacturers will also want to determine if this spectrum availability creates any opportunities for new alarm technologies.

“We understand the staff is wrapping up its work and expect an item to finalize the rules in one of the next few FCC monthly meetings,” New Street Research LLP Policy Advisor Blair Levin said in a research note.

In May of last year, the FCC adopted a Report and Order and FNPRM protecting current and future satellite operations in the 12.2-12.7 GHz (12.2 GHz) band while further investigating the potential to expand fixed use or unlicensed use of the band. The 12.2 GHz band is currently allocated on a co-primary basis to Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), non-geostationarysatellite orbit, fixed-satellite service (NGSO FSS) systems, and fixed service. The Report and Order rejected a proposal to authorize two-way high power mobile operations in the 12.2 GHz band, but proposed expanded use of the 12.7-13.25 GHz (12.7 GHz) band for mobile broadband. The 12.7 GHz in the US is allocated on a primary basis for non-Federal use to the Fixed Service, the Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) (Earth-tospace), and the Mobile Service.

The “5G for 12 GHz Coalition”, an advocacy group consisting of 35 public interest groups, trade associations, and companies in the telecommunications sector, has urged the FCC to expand the 12.2 GHz band for terrestrial fixed use

and to develop a pipeline of mid-band spectrum for mobile broadband or other expanded uses in the 12.7 GHz band. The Coalition is confident that, under the appropriate sharing framework, the 550 megahertz of mid-band spectrum in the 12.7 GHz band can be brought to market for mobile and fixed broadband and other terrestrial uses and can serve as another important tool in helping close the digital divide in communities across the country.

The most immediate opportunity for exclusive use licensing of nextgeneration services involves the 12.7 GHz band. The FCC believes the 12.7 GHz band is ideally suited for mobile broadband uses because it is already allocated for terrestrial mobile service on a primary basis domestically. The band appears to be lightly used, and is currently shared among fixed microwave services, broadcast auxiliary services, cable television relay services and fixed satellite services.

AT&T, Google, and Vodafone Make Strategic Investment in Space-Based Cellular Operator

Could 2024 be the breakout year for space-based cellular direct-to-device service? That prospect appears increasingly likely as AST Space Mobile today announced a $155 million strategic investment from AT&T, Google, and existing backer Vodafone.

This substantial investment by established network operators, first reported by Inside Towers, underscores confidence in AST’s technology and the emerging space-based cellular directto-device market. AST said that its BlueWalker 3 satellite currently has the largest-ever commercial communications array in low Earth orbit.

“Each new partnership signifies that market leaders worldwide have tremendous confidence in our vision and ability to ensure that the future of cellular broadband is borderless,” said AST Chairman and CEO Abel

Avellan. AST conducted successful tests with AT&T, Vodafone, Rakuten and Nokia in 2023 demonstrating it could achieve 14 Mbps download speeds in 5 MHz channels directly from space to commercially available smartphones. For the company’s planned operational satellites, beams are designed to support up to 40 MHz channels that could enable download speeds of up to 120 Mbps.

Last March, the FCC issued its Single Network Future NPRM (GN Docket No. 23-65) proposing a new regulatory framework to facilitate innovative collaborations between satellite operators and wireless companies. Under the proposed framework, satellite operators collaborating with terrestrial service providers would be able to obtain FCC authorization to operate space stations on certain currently licensed, flexible-use spectrum allocated to terrestrial services.

A satellite operator could then serve a wireless provider’s customers should they need connectivity in remote areas, or certain areas where the terrestrial cell signal is weak due to terrain or other factors. The network could also support access to emergency response systems like 911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts when a consumer is out of range of cell towers.

Just as the introduction of traditional cellular service changed the means of communicating with guard services, and enabled quick and inexpensive installation of wireless alarm devices, the new capacities of satellite-direct cellular service may impact alarm communications and signaling operations.

FCC Changes Rules to Modernize and Expand Access to the 70/80/90 GHz Bands

At its Jan. 25 meeting, the FCC approved a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that adopts new rules and updates preexisting rules for the 71-76 GHz, 81–86 GHz, 92–94

GHz, and 94.1–95 GHz bands. The order authorizes certain point-to-point links to “endpoints in motion” (i.e., moving antennas) in the 70 GHz and 80 GHz bands for aeronautical and maritime use; provides for smaller, lower-cost antennas to facilitate backhaul service (especially for high-capacity 5G service) in those bands; and adopts changes to the link registration process.

Currently, in the 70 GHz band and 80 GHz band, Fixed, Mobile, and Broadcasting services must not cause harmful interference to, nor claim protection from, Federal Fixed-Satellite Service operations located at 28 military installations. In addition, in the 80 GHz band, and in the 92–94 GHz and 94.1–95 GHz bands (collectively, the 90 GHz band), licensees proposing to register links located near 18 radio astronomy observatories must coordinate their proposed links with those observatories. The 94–94.1 GHz frequencies are allocated for federal use for Earth Exploration Satellite (active), Radiolocation, and Space Research (active) and for non-federal use for Radiolocation. Additionally, the adjacent 86–92 GHz band is allocated for Federal and non-Federal Earth ExplorationSatellite (passive), Space Research (passive), and Radio Astronomy services and is subject to footnote US246 of the spectrum allocation table. In 2003, the FCC established service rules for non-federal use of the 70/80/90 GHz bands through a two-step, non-exclusive licensing regime. Users first obtain a nationwide, non-exclusive license for the entire 12.9 gigahertz of the 70/80/90 GHz bands, and then register individual links in a database administered by third-party database managers. In order for a link to be registered, it must be coordinated successfully with federal operations—typically through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA’s) online, automated mechanism.

The FCC also seeks comment on the potential inclusion of Fixed Satellite Service earth stations in the light-

licensing regime for the 70 GHz and 80 GHz bands. (WT Docket No. 20-133)

Alarm system manufacturers will want to determine whether the expanded rules for these bands create any opportunities or obligations for the alarm industry. For instance, if wireless carriers start using these bands (which offer tremendous bandwidth but very short propagation) for backhaul, would it impact the ultimate reliable transmission of alarm messages, data and video?

The AICC monitors issues at the federal level that impact the ability of the alarm industry to use telecommunications technology in providing protection services to the public. With the support of legal counsel and a lobbyist, the AICC interfaces and coordinates with the FCC, other regulatory agencies, and members of Congress.

Research column continued from page 15

services. Inflation continues to temper consumer spending while DIY products competed with security systems for consumers’ wallets.

Security Dealer Perspectives quantifies shifting demand for smart home devices during the initial sale and as an aftermarket upgrade. It highlights dealer perspectives on how artificial intelligence (AI) and the Matter standard will impact their businesses. Like Matter, AI stands to disrupt the security and smart home market over time.

The research reveals dealer familiarity with the Matter standard has increased to 24% in 2023, up from 16% in 2022, but the overall rate is still low, with the standard officially launched in December 2019. Security companies need more awareness of this initiative given the implications of the standard for the future of the industry. Matter has received widespread support from technology and security giants, including ADT, Amazon, Google, and Apple, along with 600+ other member companies, and device types supporting Matter now include smart lights, HVAC controls, smart shades, security sensors, door locks, smart TVs, smart bridges, smart appliances, smoke and CO detectors, and robotic vacuums, among others.

devices. In the end, this will help expand the market.

Integration of AI solutions are also impacting the security market. Core technologies like facial recognition and video verification are leveraging AI to help reduce false alarms. This is the top benefit dealers report from AI today, but they also have concerns about these technologies:

 Just 15% of dealers highlight AI in their customer messaging today

 36% of dealers are concerned AI will confuse or scare customers

Generative AI tools are forging a new expectation of how consumers interact with, and what they can expect from, smart home devices and systems. In September 2023, Amazon showed off a generative AI-infused version of Alexa that moves the assistant several rungs up on the evolutionary ladder, greatly improving its knowledge base and conversational style. More intuitive assistants will smooth the friction users encounter in having to specify which smart home device an app or assistant should control in a complex installation. It also stands to raise the perceived benefits of creating a smart home.

Next Meeting:

June 6, 2024

Louisville, KY

(In conjunction with 2024 ESX.)

For more information, contact TMA CEO

Celia T. Besore at cbesore@tma.us or (703) 660-4913..

Matter’s implications are a double-edged sword for security service providers. By lowering the barriers for smart home device interoperability, Matter stands to reduce installation time and costs of creating and upgrading smart homes. Greater interoperability between products benefits all adopters but can also attract new entrants that will compete with established security vendors. It also lowers the barriers to offering a smart security solution, thus encouraging even more competition from DIY players.

Ultimately, the greatest impact from Matter will be to make installation easier for new and already owned customer

The landscape for security solutions continues to change and shift. Companies need to recognize and appreciate the new value provided to the customer, and the impact operationally to add new technologies into security solutions.

Parks Associates is hosting a special Dealer Day at the 2024 CONNECTIONS Conference on Wednesday, May 8 in Dallas. For more information, visit: https:// www.parksassociates.com/event/connections/connections-dealer-day

Parks Associates is a market research and consulting company. For more information on our research in the security and smart home market visit www.parksassociates.com.

and instead have a location in which they would move the entire operation. Either way, this needs to be tested on an annual basis at a minimum. If your backup locations are unmanned, then on a regular cadence someone needs to visit the site and make sure the computer are working, and the center is ready when it is needed. I recommend doing so monthly.

But operations is more than just having another working location to move your GSOC to. Randy Rickert, Manager, Global Security Operations at Thrivent says, “When thinking about redundancy in the GSOC we often think in terms of our physical location and the power and data connections we have into the GSOC. Do we ever think about the employees that staff the GSOC and if they are affected by disasters as well?”

The people that staff your GSOC are a critical part of how you maintain your operations. Will they be able to arrive to work in a major disaster? Aside from roads being blocked or unusable, they might be closed by local or state officials. If they have to report to a new working location, that may be an unreasonable commute for them, and make it difficult to come into the office. Is your GSOC built for your staff to have to work long shifts for multiple days in a row?

Work with your local and state agencies to get business reentry cards that can

be shown to local officials to allow them access to closed areas to get to work. Set up hotel plans for your staff to have accommodations if they can’t get home, have to work long hours, or have to work far from home. Consider travel arrangements, such as a plan to pick up workers if needed. Encourage your staff to have plans in place to communicate to their families during these events as well.

On face value, you might consider allowing the ability for your GSOC staff to work from home as a solution to this. “First is making sure the employees are not affected by the same disaster,” says Randy. “While our organization maintains generators to keep our buildings and core systems functional, staff may not even have a generator at their home. Second roadblock is the quality and speed of the internet connection employees have at their home.”

While this is in no way meant to be a guide on how to have full GSOC redundancy, I hope that this will help you consider the two most important things: Systems and Operations. Once you start drilling down into your operational needs, you can begin to put solutions in place. They do not have to be massive changes, even simple planning and preparation can go a long way to building redundancy, leading you to a more resilient GSOC.

MEMBER NEWS

Peak Alarm has had a lot to celebrate lately! The company celebrated its 55th anniversary and was named SDM magazine’s 2023 Dealer of the Year. Look for more in the next issue of the TMA Dispatch.

CPI Security had a spectacular evening celebrating its employees who have worked for the company for 10, 20, and 30 years! The company expressed its gratitude to all for their commitment to CPI Security and the communities it serves.

Urban Ahlin, Swedish Ambassador to the United States toured the AXIS Communications Experience Center in Washington D.C. This was Ambassador Ahlin’s second Axis AEC visit, having participated in the grand opening of its new Toronto AEC two years ago. Shout out to the company’s Mid Atlantic team for hosting the visit: Dennis Harmsen, Chris Rhoades, Aaron Kahn, and David McCarthy.

Everon, formerly ADT Commercial, announced the purchase of Newtech Systems of Ashland, Ky. The transaction marks the first M&A activity for Everon since its establishment as a standalone.

The company went on to acquire Portland Safe; Apex Integrated Security Solutions, Inc.; Customized Service Concepts; Riverside Integrated Systems; and DIGIOP.

Alram Detection Systems marked its 55th anniversary and honored its founder Bob Bonifas for his service.

Washington Alarm was recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal as a 2024 Honoree of the Family Business Award. Now in its third generation of leadership under Shannon Woodman, the company is celebrating 80 years in business.

The New DICE has been awarded U.S. Patent No. 1,863,534 for its Cybersecure Automated Network Management Tool. This technology automates, streamlines, and manages on-site devices, delivering unparalleled security and ease-of-use for the security industry. The patent was issued on January 2, 2024.

Milesight and 3dEYE announced their strategic collaboration to deliver enhanced cloud video solutions to their mutual security and monitoring industry customers.

Elite Interactive Solutions (EIS) announced its final 2023 year-end crime prevention results have shattered the company’s previous high-water marks. Elite’s remote guarding services achieved more than double the voice-down command center interventions since 2021 and teaming with law enforcement on 80% more arrests as compared to 2022.

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Michael Barnes, president of Barnes Associates Inc., was elected as Treasurer and will serve as Chairman of the ESA

Finance Committee. Barnes succeeds Kevin Stone, who assumes the role of Chairman Elect from 2023-2024.

Mario J. Doyle, CPP, founder, president, and CEO, Doyle Security Services, has been elected to serve as Executive Chairman of the National Security Alliance (NSA).

Pamela Coppola-Columbia, president, Statewide Security, presented Kenneth Gould with the New York Fire Alarm Association (NYFAA) with its Distinguished Person of the Year Award.

The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named John E. Mack, III its 2024 recipient of the SIA Chair’s Award, an award presented annually and selected by SIA’s Board of Directors chair recognizing SIA members’ diligent efforts in furthering the association’s mission and commitment to its future. SIA will present Mack with the award during ISC West.

Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp Partner Nimish Patel was appointed to the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations by President Joe Biden.

Tim Creenan, founder and Vice President of Amherst Alarm and a long-time leader in the field of electronic security, has been elected chairman of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC).

DMP welcomed several new employees. These include:

• Ed Keiser as the regional sales manager for X1 East.

• Reid Larkin as the regional sales manager for Ohio.

• Warren Hill to DMP as the executive director of product management.

• Josh Simon as the regional sales manager for Los Angeles.

• Justin Osborne as new Regional Sales Manager.

Telguard announced the appointment of Nathan Wilkinson, a new representative to serve the Canadian market. This strategic move marks an important step in Telguard’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge security solutions to clients across Canada.

PRODUCT NEWS

Immix is pleased to introduce Site-Link, a new solution that serves as an ‘easy button’ for integrators and monitoring centers to instantly connect the technology at any site to Immix. SiteLink simplifies and expedites the set-up process to begin providing monitoring services and generating RMR quickly without the need for IT assistance.

DMP announced the release of a 24V standalone fire panel. The XF6 is an addressable and wireless fire control panel, equipped with network and optional cellular communications. With a commercial UL fire-rated wireless offering, the XF6 Series can support up to 500 wireless devices.

MEMBERS GIVING BACK

AXIS Communications and Genetec helped to support representatives from each organization when they summited California’s Mount Whitney on August 23, 2023. In support of the climb, Axis and Genetec each donated $2,500 to Mission 500, a nonprofit organization that works closely with the security industry to serve the needs of children

and communities in crisis in the United States.

ADT volunteers participated in Kickoff to Rebuild, an annual event led by non-profit Rebuilding Together to provide home repairs for six families and community improvements in a Las Vegas-area neighborhood.

CPI Security supported its local police department at the 14th annual Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Foundation Luncheon. Thank you to the keynote speaker Gary Sinise for his support of the foundation and our officers. And a special thank you to the first responders who sacrifice their lives every day for our safety.

Rapid Response Monitoring Services’ Syracuse team raised $5,000 for the Upstate Galisano Children’s Hospital

INDUSTRY NEWS

The new 738 area code becomes effective on November 1, 2024. Mandatory 1+10-digit dialing is already required in the 213 and 323 area codes and will be required in the new 738 area code as well.

FirstNet Certified Companies

TMA is pleased to introduce and recognize the following companies who have become FirstNet certified as of April 5, 2024.

 ADT, LLC, Boca Raton, FL

 Advance Alarms Inc., Broken Arrow, OK

 AFA Protective Systems, Inc., Syosset, NY

 Affiliated Monitoring, Union, NJ

 Alarm Systems (DC Electronics Two Inc dba IE Alarm Systems), Riverside, CA

 Allstate Security Industries, Inc., Amarillo, TX

 Arco Security Central Station Corp., Miami, FL

 AvantGuard Monitoring Centers, LLC Ogden, UT

 Bay Alarm Systems, Concord, CA

 CenterPoint Technologies, LLC, Brentwood, MD

 COPS Monitoring, Williamstown, NJ

 Criticom Monitoring Services, Longwood, FL

 DGA Security Systems, Inc., New York, NY

 Dispatch Center Ltd., San Antonio, TX

 DMP, Springfield, MO

 Doyle Security Systems Inc., Rochester, NY

 Electronix Systems Central Station Alarms, Inc., Huntington Station, NY

 Emergency 24, Des Plaines, IL

 Engineered Protection Systems, Inc. Grand Rapids, MI

 Federal Response Center, Inc., Springfield, MO

 First Alarm, Aptos, CA

 Force Security Solutions, LLC, Manassas, VA

 Interface Security Systems, Earth City, MO

 Intruder Alert Systems of San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

 Kansas City CCTV, LLC DBA Kansas City CCTV & Security, Kansas City, MO

 Kings III of America, Coppell, TX

 Midwest Alarm Company, Inc., Sioux Falls, SD

 NAPCO Security Systems, Inc., Amityville, NY

 National Monitoring Center (NMC), Lake Forest, CA

 Nationwide Security Corporation, Branford, CT

 Per Mar Security Services, Davenport, IA

 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, LLC, Doral, FL

 Rapid Response Monitoring, Syracuse, NY

 Safe Tech USA, Ltd., Melville, NY

 SCN Security Communication Network, Inc., Corona, CA

 Securitas Technology, Plymouth, MN

 Security Equipment, Inc., Omaha, NE

 Sentinel Alarm Company, Stowe, VT

 Southwest Dispatch Center, Richardson, TX

 Tech Electronics, Inc., St. Louis, MO

 The Fireline Corporation, Baltimore, MD

 Triple S Alarm Co., Little Rock, AR

 United Security Communications, Inc., Lothian MD

 Vector Security, Inc., Warrendale, PA

 Vivint Smart Home, Provo, UT

 Washington Alarm, Inc., Seattle, WA

 Wayne Alarm Systems, Inc., Lynn, MA

 WH International Response Center, Rockford, MN

IQ Certified Companies

TMA is pleased to introduce and recognize the following companies who have become IQ certified as of April 5, 2024.

 Advance Alarms, Inc., Broken Arrow, OK

 Advanced Alarm, Inc., Tonawanda, NY

 Affiliated Monitoring Inc., Union, NJ

 Allstate Security Industries, Inc., Amarillo, TX

 Amherst Alarm, Inc., Amherst, NY

 COPS Monitoring, Williamstown, NJ

 Genesis Security Services, Carolina, PR

 Guardian Protection Warrendale, PA

 National Monitoring Center, Lake Forest, CA

 Rapid Response Monitoring Services, Inc., Syracuse, NY

 Securityhunter, Inc., Baltimore, MD

 Solid Security Services, Inc. Buford, GA

 SSC Services Inc. dba Cen-Signal, Columbus, GA

 Statewide Monitoring Corporation, Staten Island, NY

 Wayne Alarm Systems, Inc., Lynn, MA

Join us in welcoming our new and returning members to the TMA community! To view a complete list, go to https://tma.us/membership/new-members/.

GSOC Monitoring

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated

Columbus, OH

Huntington.com

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $189 billion asset regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1866, The Huntington National Bank and its affiliates provide consumers, small and middle-market businesses, corporations, municipalities, and other organizations with a comprehensive suite of banking, payments, wealth management, and risk management products and services. Huntington operates more than 1,000 branches in 11 states, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies.

Huntington is a full-service banking provider primarily operating across an eleven-state banking franchise of Ohio, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Our “Welcome” philosophy centers around deep relationshipbuilding capabilities to best meet each customer’s specific needs. We serve our customers through a banking network of over 1,000 full-service branches, including 11 Private Client Group offices, and over 1,600 ATM locations.

Huntington has a long history of looking out for our communities. We are committed to giving back by focusing on racial and social equity, small business, home and consumer lending, and community development lending and investing.

Listed Monitoring

Elite Interactive Solutions

Los Angeles, CA (877) 435-4832

eliteisi.com

Elite Interactive Solutions was founded in 2007 by current CEO Aria Kozak, who is often referred to as “The Father of Remote Guarding.” Elite is a real-time crime prevention provider incorporating leading-edge technologies including custom-calibrated video analytics & artificial intelligence, highly skilled Security Operations Command Center (SOCC) agents, and trusted law enforcement partnerships. Services span system design, installation, monitoring and maintenance for myriad vertical markets including commercial, multifamily housing, auto dealerships, shopping centers and campuses. With its primary offices and state-of-the-art, UL-Listed SOCC located in downtown Los Angeles, the company currently employs more than 70 people and provides premium service to thousands of clients nationwide in more than a dozen states. Elite deep ties to the first responder community are evidenced by

its endorsement by the prestigious FBILEEDA organization and institution of a Law Enforcement Advisory Board (LEAB) within the company comprised of former high-ranking law enforcement professionals.

Everon

Irving, TX (877) 357-1808 everon.com

Everon, also known as ADT Commercial, is a leading national integrator and premier service provider of commercial security, fire and life safety. We support more than 300,000 customer locations, backed by our national strength, and over 5,000 employees, including 2,300 technicians, across more than 100 branches. Our company draws on an outstanding legacy of service excellence that is strengthened by our people’s decades of industry expertise to emerge as an innovator and service excellence champion, protecting commercial property, people, and assets. Corporate offices are based in Boca Raton, Florida with our Innovation & Operations HQ in Dallas, Texas. Everon – Powered by Experience. Driven by Excellence.™

MasterVision Technologies

Tampa, FL (813) 704-0832

mastervisiontech.com

Technology is a rapidly evolving and increasingly complex part of our daily lives, whether you are looking for expert advice on technology for your business, home or auto. MasterVision Technologies has the resources, expertise and customer service that you demand.

Who is MasterVision Technologies?

Residential & Commercial

We provide quality professional services to Residential & Commercial clients anywhere in the US.

24/7 Service

Your IT doesn’t take a break and neither do we! We have service available to you 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Licensed and Insured

Every job is covered under our GL Insurance. Rest assured that if an accident happens we are covered for the repairs.

Affordable Solutions

We provide quality professional services to Residential & Commercial clients anywhere in the US.

Our goal is to provide technology related field service and installations at an affordable price and with personal service.

Non-Listed Monitoring

Maximum Security Video Monitoring

Moncton, NB (888) 383-3260

admin@msvmonitoring.com

msvmonitoring.com

Maximum Security Video Monitoring stands as a source of pride within the Canadian landscape, boasting a bilingual monitoring station that exemplifies excellence. Our central hub, nestled in the vibrant city of Moncton, New Brunswick, serves as the heartbeat of our operations. Every member of our dedicated team shares an unwavering

commitment to delivering the finest service achievable, guided by unwavering adherence to ULC compliance and industry best practices. Our journey commenced just two short years ago, initially specializing in AI video monitoring. Over time, our expertise, experience, and dedicated staff have witnessed exponential growth, driven by the tangible impact we’ve had in safeguarding valuable assets. Facilitating round-the-clock, uninterrupted monitoring services.

International Monitoring

CMS Info Systems

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India cms.com

CMS Info Systems is a leading business service company providing logistics and technology solutions to banks, financial institutions, organized retail, and e-commerce companies in India. We are committed to enable financial inclusion by providing access to formal banking services and driving seamless physical payments in India ensures uninterrupted service delivery to Indian consumers in 97% of districts in India.

CMS plays an essential role in connecting banks, businesses, retail merchants, and consumers by enabling commerce in a convenient and secured environment. Our services and solutions are designed to power India’s growth story without interruptions. Our extensive pan-India network guarantees uninterrupted business operations and reinforces our commitment towards serving Indian consumers. With our cost-effective cash logistics services and comprehensive Brown Label ATM network, we facilitate seamless access to money and ensure secure transactions.

Securens Systems Pvt. Ltd. Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India +91-022-61799-505 securens.in

Securens is an Enterprise IoT company providing SaaS-based E-Surveillance products and services, including business intelligence and analytics.

Securens masters in Protecting Assets and Information. It believes that from securing the network to safeguarding assets, corporates must protect themselves against both, external and internal threats.

New Year New Goals

New Opps New is Good

Looking to hire or be hired?

Congratulate TMA’s 2024 Five Diamond Designees

The monitoring centers listed below are designated TMA Five Diamond through April 2025. This designation marks a commitment to the highest industry standards. Visit TMA.us for the most up-to-date listing of certificants.

Audeamus DBA Sebastian CorpKerman, CA

www.audeamus.net

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 1/2024

a.p.i. Alarm Inc.

Denver, CO

www.apialarm.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 01/2023

a.p.i. Alarm Inc.

Toronto, ON

www.apialarm.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 01/2023

Acadian Monitoring Services, LLC

Lafayette, LA

www.acadianmonitoringservices.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 01/2005

ADT by Telus

Calgary AB

www.telus.com

Full-service and Wholesale

Designated since 12/2020

ADT by Telus

Saint Leonard QC

www.telus.com

Full Service and Wholesale MonitoringDesignated since 12/2023

New in 2023!

ADT Commercial LLC (formerly Protection One)

Irving, TX

www.adt.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 10/2014

Affiliated Monitoring Union, NJ

www.affiliated.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 09/2005

Affiliated Monitoring

Houston, TX

www.affiliated.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 05/2022

Alarm Detection Systems, Inc.

Aurora, IL

www.adsalarm.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 08/2003

Alarm Detection Systems, Inc. (formerly Safe Systems)

Louisville, CO

www.adsalarm.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 08/2004

Alarmco, Inc.

Las Vegas, NV

www.alarmco.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2006

Alarme Sentinelle/Sentinel Alarm

Montreal, QC

www.sentinelalarm.com

Full-Service Monitoring – Canada

Designated since 12/2010

Alert 360

Tulsa, OK

www.alert360.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 08/2018

Allied Universal Technology Services

Richardson, TX

www.aus.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 07/2013

Allied Universal Technology Services

Wyoming, MI

www.aus.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2021

Allstate Security Industries, Inc.

Amarillo, TX

www.allstatesecurity.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 08/2023

American Alarm and Communications, Inc.

Arlington, MA

www.americanalarm.com

Full-Service Monitoring

Designated since 04/2004

American Burglary & Fire

Fenton, MI

www.abfsecurity.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 11/2005

Returning in 2023!

American Electric Power

Columbus, OH

www.aep.com

GSOC Monitoring

Designated since 11/2020

Amherst Alarm Inc.

Amherst, NY

www.amherstalarm.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 03/2004

AvantGuard Monitoring Centers

Cedar City, UT

www.agmonitoring.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 05/2023

New in 2023!

AvantGuard Monitoring Centers

Ogden, UT

www.agmonitoring.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 01/2007

AvantGuard Monitoring Centers

Rexburg, ID

www.agmonitoring.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 08/2016

Barcom Security, Inc.

Swansea, IL

www.barcomsecurity.com

Full-Service Monitoring

Designated since 11/2007

Bay Alarm Company

Concord, CA

www.bayalarm.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 01/2006

Bell Canada

Toronto, ON

www.bell.ca/smart-home

Full Service Monitoring - Canada

Designated since 04/2015

Bell Canada

Winnipeg, MB

www.bell.ca/smart-home

Full Service Monitoring - Canada

Designated since 04/2020

Blackline Safety

Calgary, AB

www.blacklinesafety.com

Full Service Monitoring - Canada

Designated since 04/2018

Blue Ridge Monitoring (BRM)

Anderson, SC

www.blueridgemonitoring.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 07/2018

Brightspeed Security Systems (formerly CenturyLink Security)

Monroe, LA

www.brightspeedsecurity.biz

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 02/2005

Brinks Home™

(formerly Monitronics International)

Farmers Branch, TX

www.brinkshome.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 02/2005

Centra-Larm Monitoring Inc.

Manchester, NH

www.centra-larm.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 06/2009

Central Monitoring and Dispatch, Inc.

Pittsburgh, PA

www.cmdispatch.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 02/2022

Central Security Systems, Inc.

Fishers, IN

www.central-security.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 08/2013

Returning in 2023!

Clearview Securities, Inc.

Knoxville, TN

www.clearviewtn.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 05/2023

New in 2023!

Comporium SMA Solutions Inc.

Rock Hill, SC

www.comporiumsma.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 04/2012

Cooperative Response Center, Inc. (CRC)

Austin, MN

www.crc.coop

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 03/2011

COPS Monitoring

Boca Raton, FL

www.copsmonitoring.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 04/2014

COPS Monitoring

Lewisville, TX

www.copsmonitoring.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 06/2014

COPS MonitoringWilliamstown, NJ

www.copsmonitoring.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 05/2014

CPI Security Systems

Charlotte, NC

www.cpisecurity.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 08/2009

Damar Security Systems

Sarnia, ON

https://damarsecuritysystems.com/

Full Service Monitoring - Canada

Designated since 11/2012

DGA Security Systems, Inc.

New York, NY

www.DGA.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 02/2005

Dynamark Monitoring, Inc.

Hagerstown, MD

www.dynamarkmonitoring.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 02/2012

ECAM Secure

Long Beach, CA

www.ecamsecure.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2010

Returning in 2023!

Electronix Systems Central Station

Alarms, Inc.

Huntington Station, NY

www.electronixsystems.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2005

Ellijay Telephone Company

Ellijay, GA

www.etcbusiness.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 04/2015

Engineered Protection Systems, Inc. (EPS Security)

Grand Rapids, MI

www.epssecurity.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2004

ESC Central

Birmingham, AL

www.esccentral.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 12/2023

New in 2023!

Federal Response Center

Springfield, MO

www.federalprotection.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 01/2006

Fire Monitoring of Canada, Inc.

St. Catharines, ON

www.fire-monitoring.com

Full Service Monitoring - Canada

Designated since 05/2009

Guardian Protection Services Inc.

Butler, PA

www.guardianprotection.com

Full-Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2020

Guardian Protection Services Inc.

Warrendale, PA

www.guardianprotection.com

Full-Service Monitoring

Designated since 09/2006

Gillmore Security Systems Inc.

Cleveland, OH

www.gillmoresecurity.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 01/2009

GM Security Technologies

San Juan, PR

www.gmsectec.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 10/2011

Holmes Security Systems

Fayetteville, NC

www.holmeselectricsecurity.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 12/2017

Huronia Alarm & Fire Security, Inc.

Midland, ON

www.huroniaalarms.com

Full Service Monitoring - Canada

Designated since 06/2013

Interface Systems

Earth City, MO

www.interfacesystems.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 08/2004

Interface Systems

Plano, TX

www.interfacesystems.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 11/2012

iWatch Communications

Beaverton, OR

www.iwatchcomm.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 01/2008

Kastle Systems

Falls Church, VA

www.kastle.com

Full-Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2014

Kroger Central Alarm Control

Portland, OR

www.kroger.com

GSOC

New in 2023!

Life Alert Emergency Response, Inc.

Encino, CA

www.lifealert.com

Full-Service Monitoring

Designated since 11/2014

Life Safety Monitoring, LLC

Munhall, PA

www.mylifesafetymonitoring.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 01/2018

Metrodial Corporation, Inc.

Hicksville, NY

www.metrodial.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 11/2004

Mutual Security Services

New York, NY

www.mutualstatland.com

Full-Service Monitoring

New York, NY

Designated since 04/2007

National Monitoring Center

Irving, TX

www.nmccentral.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 06/2016

National Monitoring Center

Lake Forest, CA

www.nmccentral.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 06/2016

Nationwide Central Station Monitoring Corp.

Freeport, NY

www.nationwidedigital.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 04/2007

NextEra Energy, Inc.

Juno Beach, FL

www.nexteraenergy.com

GSOC Monitoring

Designated since 12/2022

Northern911

Sudbury, ON

www.northern911.com

Full-Service Monitoring – Canada

Designated since 05/2014

Operational Intelligence Center

Indianapolis, IN

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 01/2020

Paladian

Victoria, BC

Full Service and Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 6/2016

Peak Alarm Company, Inc.

Salt Lake City, UT

www.peakalarm.com

Full-Service Monitoring

Designated since 02/2006

Per Mar Security Services

Davenport, IA

www.permarsecurity.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2005

Quick Response

Cleveland, OH

www.quickresponse.net

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 10/2005

Retail Business Services (MD) (formerly Ahold USA)

Columbia, MD

www.aholddelhaize.com

Proprietary Monitoring

Designated since 02/2012

SecurTek Monitoring Solutions, Inc.

Winnipeg, MB

www.securtek.com

Full-Service Monitoring – Canada

Designated since 05/2022

SecurTek Monitoring Solutions, Inc.

Yorkton, SK

www.securtek.com

Full-Service Monitoring – Canada

Designated since 05/2010

Securitas Electronic Security, Inc.

Honolulu, HI

www.securitases.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 12/2003

Securitas Electronic Security, Inc. (formerly known as FE Moran Security Solutions, LLC)

Champaign, IL

www.securitases.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 12/2006

Securitas Electronic Security, Inc.

Charlotte, NC

www.securitases.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 03/2022

Securitas Electronic Security, Inc. (formerly known as Supreme Security Systems, Inc.)

Union, NJ

www.securitases.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 12/2004

Returning in 2023!

Securitas Electronic Security, Inc

Uniontown, OH

www.securitases.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 11/2003

Security Alarm Corporation

Port Charlotte, FL

www.securityalarmcorp.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2012

Security Equipment, Inc. (SEI)

Omaha, NE

www.sei-security.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 07/2004

Siemens Industry, Inc.

Irving, TX

www.siemens.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 03/2004

Sonitrol Great LakesGrand Blanc, MI

www.sonitrolverified.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 02/2022

Statewide Central Station

Tampa, FL

www.statewidecs.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 5/2023

New in 2023!

Superior Central Station, Inc.

McAllen, TX

www.superiorcentral.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 06/2007

Tech Systems Inc.

Buford, GA

www.techsystemsinc.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 12/2019

Telsco Security Systems

Edmonton, AB

www.telsco.com

Full Service Monitoring - CA

Designated since 02/2016

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Salt Lake City

http://churchofjesuschrist.org

GSOC Monitoring

Designated since 05/2012

The Las Colinas Association

Irving, TX

www.lascolinas.org

GSOC Monitoring

Designated since 11/2021

The Watchlight Corporation

El Cajon, CA

www.watchlight.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 03/2014

Titan Protection

Overland Park, KS

www.tpcsecurity.com

Full Service & Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 10/2022

U.S. Monitoring, Inc.

Oklahoma City, OK

www.usm-ok.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 08/2018

United Central Control

San Antonio, TX

www.teamucc.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 08/2004

Universal Atlantic Systems (UAS)

Paoli, PA

www.uas.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 04/2004

Valley Security and Alarm

Fresno, CA

www.valleysecurityandalarm.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 10/2017

Vancouver Fire & Security

Richmond, BC

www.radiussecurity.ca

Wholesale Monitoring - Canada

Designated since 07/2012

Vector (East)

Plymouth Meeting, PA

www.vectorsecurity.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 08/2003

Vector (West)

Warrendale, PA

www.vectorsecurity.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 08/2003

Not Five Diamond certified, yet?

Contact Karen Monroe at kmonroe@tma.us to learn more.

Vigilante Security, Inc.

Troy, MI

www.vigilantesecurity.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 05/2016

Vivint Inc. - MN

Eagan, MN

www.vivint.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 03/2014

Vivint Inc. - UT

Provo, UT

www.vivint.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 03/2014

Vyanet Operating Group, Inc.

Bend, OR

www.vyanet.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 12/2014

Wayne Alarm Systems, Inc.

Lynn, MA

www.waynealarm.com

Full Service Monitoring

Designated since 11/2003

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. Rochester, NY

www.wegmans.com

GSOC Monitoring

Designated since 04/2008

WH International Response Center

Rockford, MN

www.whirc.com

Wholesale Monitoring

Designated since 12/2004

TMA DISPATCH, SPRING

2024 ADVERTISERS INDEX

 Altronix, page 5

 CIA, page 34

 DICE, page 8

 NAPCO, page 41

 PureTech Systems, page 2

Email communications@ tma.us for information on TMA advertising. Options are available for every budget.

Ask about some of our new offerings such as custom emails and social media postings.

Sponsorships are available for our 2024 events.

Contact Keely Anderson at kanderson@tma.us.

Central Insurance Agency, Inc (CIA) is a specialized agency for the security and alarm industry. CIA contracts with several insurers to provide customers with competitive prices, broad coverage and wide line of products. The agency strives to provide each customer with responsive expertise. We provide insurance to companies that offer Burglar, Fire, CCTV, Access Control, Home Automation, PERS/Medical Alarms, Armed & Unarmed Guard/Patrol Response, Fire Suppression and Armored Car Services.

As an insurance professional focused on the security and alarm monitoring industry for twenty five years, Alice Cornett Giacalone is known throughout the United States as the premier specialist to this industry. Her client list includes the “who’s who” of the security, medical monitoring and low voltage contracting industry.

Monitoring Center Operator Level 1

Training Graduates

USA and international graduates completed November 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024

Jace

Dejon

John

Mary Ishimwe

Reginald

Akasha

Gavin Jackson

&

Ashley Jarrett United Monitoring Services

Jami Jedlicka Pro-Vigil, Inc.

Darius Jeffres SimpliSafe

Eric Jewkes

Operator Level 2 Training Graduates

TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP Reaches 142

ASAP saves time, improves accuracy, and increases efficiency between PSAPs and Monitoring Centers. Learn more on TMA’s website.

Alabama

Montgomery

Morgan County

Talladega County

Arkansas

Little Rock

Arizona

Chandler

Paradise Valley

Phoenix

Tempe

Tucson

California

City of Riverside

Colorado

City & County of Denver

El Paso County

Jefferson County

Florida

Boca Raton

Bradenton

Charlotte County

Collier County

Manatee County

Pasco City

Riviera Beach

Sarasota County

West Palm Beach

Volusia County

Georgia

Alpharetta

Atlanta

Augusta/Richmond

Chatham County

Dekalb County

Henry County

Illinois

City of Lawrence

Indiana

City of Glenview

Hendricks County

IndyMarion County

Kentucky

Kenton County

Owensboro-Daviess

Maryland

Baltimore City

Prince George’s County

Queen Anne County

Minnesota

Anoka County

City of Bloomington

Dakota County

Ramsey County

Rice and Steele County

Missouri

Boone County

North Carolina

Cary, Apex and Morrisville

Durham

Fayetteville/

Cumberland County

Guilford County

High Point

Iredell County

Johnston County

Kernersville

New Hanover County

Raleigh – Wake County

Union County

Wilson County

New York

Broome County

Cayuga County

Gennessee County

Lewis County

Monroe County

Oneida County

Onondaga County

New York, con’t

Ontario County

Oswega County

Seneca County

Suffolk County

Ohio

Cincinnati

Delaware County

Dublin

Hamilton County

Licking County

Westerville

Oregon

Deschutes County

Pennsylvania

Bucks County

Chester County

Crawford County

Cumberland County

Dauphin County

Elk County

Monroeville

Tennessee

Bradley County

Brentwood

Hamilton County

Memphis

Murfreesboro

Nashville

Williamson County

Texas

Allen

Beaumont

Bell County

Burleson

Denton County

Fort Worth

Galveston County

Grand Prairie

Harris County

Highland Park

Irving

Houston

Texas, con’t

Missouri City

Plano

Rockwall

Williamson County

Virginia

Arlington County

Chesapeake

Chesterfield County

City of Richmond

Colonial Heights

Fairfax County

Hanover County

Harrisonburg-

Rockingham

Henrico County

James City County

Leesburg

Loudoun County

Martinsville-Henry

County VA

Mecklenburg County

New River Valley

Newport News

Portsmouth

Powhatan County

Prince William County

Roanoke

Virginia Beach

York County

Wisconsin

Brown County

Dane County

Kenosha County

Washington

City of Seattle

Clark County

Kings County

Kitsap County

Snohomish County

Tacoma Pierce County

Thurston County

Valley Comm, Kent, WA

Washington DC