TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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Inside Summer 2020
CONTENTS Networking Today
15
Business networking has taken on a whole new look and feel as the pandemic continues to rage across the U.S. and around the world. The handshake, long recognized as the accepted greeting between business associates meeting face-to-face, has given way to a new, virtual wave and a simple verbal exchange of sorts. The very nature of “doing business” has changed dramatically for most professionals. TMA’s fall meetings will offer a new, virtual learning and networking experience. Find out what to expect in our cover story.
DEPARTMENTS 12 TECHNOLOGY
28 RESEARCH
IN EVERY ISSUE
Video surveillance software and technology advances rapidly introducing new features and functionality, which opens new business and revenue opportunities. Discover the latest generation of video.
It goes without saying that the impact of COVID-19 on the way we conduct business and live has been significant. New research from Parks Associates reveals that consumers are seeking new monitoring services as a direct result of extended time spent in the home.
04 President’s Message
24 LAW Harassment in the workplace is in our daily headlines. Is your company’s leadership team prepared in the event that you receive a complaint? In this topical, timely article, you’ll learn the “dos” and the “don’ts” of how to react if you are faced with such a situation.
27 BUSINESS Do you know if your business is protected from ransomware in the event that you fall victim? Find out all you don’t know about this scary trend impacting the livelihood of unsuspecting business owners and operators.
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
14 STANDARDS
05 Executive Director’s Message 23 NextGen Interview 31 AICC Report
Read the latest on the UL 827 revision. Make certain you’re equipped for extended work-from-home and other emergencies that may arise.
32 Wireline Report
53 IMPACT
42 ASAP-to-PSAP
Learn how a couple and their pets were saved from carbon monoxide poisoning in their home.
26 SPECIAL FEATURE Did the pandemic catch your business off-guard? You’re not alone. Learn more about how to develop a business continuity and disaster recovery plan that you can turn to in an emergency.
34 Wireless Report
43 In TMA News 46 Five Diamond 48 Operator Online Graduates
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MESSAGE FROM TMA PRESIDENT DON YOUNG, ADT path for monitoring centers to create a Call-for-Service within the impacted PSAPs. ASAP has also proven to be helpful to PSAPs dealing with staffing issues which are especially important these days given their challenges with COVID and civil unrest. First responders are increasingly challenged with having accurate location information for Calls-for-Service. PSAP directors often tell us how pleased they are with ASAP’s process of verifying customer addresses in our monitoring automation systems to match the addresses in the PSAP’s CAD databases.
ASAP-to-PSAP... Finding its rhythm The Monitoring Association (TMA), as a trade organization, exists to provide collaborative support through member services to alarm monitoring companies and companies that support our industry. TMA focuses on providing member services that drive member value. One very valuable member benefit is the ASAP-to-PSAP (ASAP) service. There has been considerable momentum for the program over the last few months and I am pleased to update you on our recent progress. For those who don’t know, the vision for ASAP was inspired by the desire to improve upon 100-year-old technology in the form of a voice phone call to share critical information with 911 centers or PSAPs. With the creation of ASAP, we were able to leverage more modern data exchange capabilities that remove the necessity for the voice call and deliver the critical information faster and more accurately than ever before. For example, on average it takes about 90 seconds to create an alarm-related
Call-for-Service, a dispatch in alarm industry terms. The process primarily consists of a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) tele-communicator transcribing verbal information from a monitoring center agent. By replacing the 90-second phone call with a human-less data exchange, ASAP drives efficiencies in both PSAPs and monitoring centers. In the monitoring center, agent time to create a Call-forService is reduced to a simple mouse click. In a PSAP, ASAP inserts the Call-for-Service directly into the PSAPs Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, eliminating phone call handling. Human error resulting from transcribing a voice call is virtually eliminated. A PSAP is essentially a call center that provides critical Public Safety functions where uninterrupted communications capability is essential. When a hurricane followed by an earthquake disrupted PSAP voice telephony capability in Virginia, ASAP was the only consistent
One of the more complex challenges faced when ASAP was created nearly a decade ago was connecting hundreds of monitoring centers to thousands of PSAPs. That challenge was met by establishing a partnership with Nlets, a nationwide network that securely connects every state, local, and federal law enforcement and public safety agency. In addition to providing existing connectivity to over 4,000 PSAPs, Nlets provides hosting facilities for our ASAP servers. The Nlets partnership was key to getting the ASAP service up and running and as we continue to upgrade the ASAP infrastructure, Nlets, as an innovative service provider to public safety, continues to be key to our success. Although cloud services were in their infancy when ASAP was first launched by TMA (previously CSAA), a lot has happened since then, and I’m proud to announce our new commitment to leverage this technology for ASAP with our next upgrade. Our new cloud architecture will also facilitate replacement of the current hardware, ie. VPN routers, with software-based SSL and eliminate the need for additional hardware investments in the future. Along with this transition to the Nlets cloud architecture we will establish an additional cloud architecture with a continued on page 7
The views, thoughts and opinions in this article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to his employer.
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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MESSAGE FROM TMA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CELIA BESORE by encouraging participation in finding solutions together; by being open on the reasons behind decisions that will affect the way they work, their compensation and benefits; and by clarifying what are your key priorities now. Another top concern identified by the Vistage CEO survey mentioned above was a concern for a safe workspace. Our members continue to explore how to best staff their monitoring centers and their companies to ensure they can deliver their services, while keeping their employees safe. Sharing the steps that you are taking to keep your employees safe can ease these concerns.
Hold on! I was reading some articles from the Harvard Business Review and found two that covered the topic of Crisis Leadership from different perspectives. One article, “Leaders, Do You Have a Clear Vision for the Post-Crisis Future,1” emphasized the importance of looking beyond the “dark horizon” and be guided by a vision of a better future. The second article, “The Psychology Behind Effective Crisis Leadership,2” argued that the enchantment with “vision” arises from a “disembodied concept of leadership.” Having a vision on its own of where your company should be in the future is not enough. The author proposed that what really matters in a crisis is embracing a concept in psychology called “holding.” Holding, according to the author, refers to the ability for a person to soothe distress and help others make sense of the confusion. He posits that a vision arises when the employer and employees of an organization support each other and work together. A 2020 Vistage CEO Confidence Index survey of 900 small and mid-sized business leaders identified
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
maintaining and building morale among their leadership teams and employees as one of their top challenges.3 Holding does not mean that corporations shelter their employees from reality, but rather provide them with ways to manage the disruption. Managing makes them more comfortable and courageous. A potential by-product of this process could be that employees are more willing to look for new ways to solve problems. So how does this relate to you, our members? Judging by the number of attendees and the number of questions asked during our weekly TMA Virtual Town Halls, topics that are employeerelated are of great interest to our members. Leading and managing people is not easy under the most normal of circumstances; add to the equation a situation where there is a lot of uncertainty and no clear ending in sight, and leading and managing become even harder. So, how can you “hold”? You can provide institutional holding by, for example, putting in place policies and procedures that are clear and equitable;
What about the vision? With the uncertainty we are experiencing, it is very hard to trust forecasting models used previously. When the models we have been using are no longer reliable, leaders must seek multiple perspectives, use their instincts and judgment, and then make the best possible decision. As a leader supports his/her people and they collaborate on working on solutions, a vision will emerge. The leader must be willing to abandon or adjust the vision when the information points out it is no longer possible or desirable. Ceila T. Besore, CAE Executive Director
Mark W. Johnson and Josh Suske wicz, Har vard Business Re vie w, “Leaders, Do You Have a Clear Vision for the PostCrisis Future,” April 17, 2020. 1
Gianpiero Petriglieri, Har vard Business Re vie w, “The Psychology Behind Effective Crisis Leadership,” April 22, 2020. 2
Joe Galvin, Inc., Four Major Pandemic Challenges Facing Leaders and Ho w to Solve Them: Maintaining morale and gro wth are among top concerns for CEOs. August 1, 2020. 3
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TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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President’s column, continued from page 4
TMA Dispatch, Summer 2020
commercial cloud service. This new complementary cloud environment will extend ASAP connectivity to those Fire and EMS PSAPs that are not currently connected to Nlets, as well as private guard services.
7918 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 510 McLean, VA 22102 703-242-4670; Fax 703-242-4675
ASAP is currently connected to 72 PSAPs and is now available in municipalities serving 28 million citizens. We are experiencing impressive growth in densely populated major metropolitan areas that clearly recognize the value and importance of ASAP to their mission. Some recent examples include Harris County TX, Memphis TN, Nashville TN, and Cincinnati OH, but a major milestone was just reached when Suffolk County, NY connected. Suffolk was the first pure Fire/EMS PSAP to receive Call-for-Services via ASAP where previously a PSAP had to have a law enforcement component to connect. By opening up the ASAP service to Fire/EMS we’re hoping to accelerate our momentum in growing PSAP utilization. It is an exciting time for the ASAP program – both in terms of growth and technological advancement. The benefits of ASAP extend to TMA members, and likewise, as the program grows, the value increases. I encourage you to visit the TMA website for more detailed information, which is routinely updated by TMA staff. There, you’ll find a list of PSAPs, including those that are live, as well as those that are in process. If you have additional questions, contact TMA ASAP Manager Bryan Ginn directly at bginn@tma.us or (703) 660-4919. Don Young President The Monitoring Association
About TMA The Monitoring Association (TMA) is the trade association representing the professional monitoring industry. Our membership community is comprised 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. Copyright 2020 The Monitoring Association All rights reserved. TMA Officers President Don Young, Boca Raton, FL Secretary Steve Walker, Plymouth, MN Treasurer Alan Gilmore IV, Cleveland, OH Vice Presidents Steve Butkovich, Charlotte, NC Morgan Hertel, Corona, CA
28,000,000
The number of Americans protected under the ASAP-to-PSAP ser vice.
72
The number of active ECCs.
18
The number of ECCs in testing or implementation.
26
The number of active alarm companies/monitoring centers.
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Immediate Past President Ivan Spector, Montreal, QC TMA Staff Executive Director Celia T. Besore, MBA, CAE Vice President of Meetings and Conventions John S. McDonald Vice President of Education and Training Julie N. Webber Director of Membership and Programs Illeny Maaza Director of Marketing and Communications Leigh A. McGuire Information Systems Manager, ASAP Service Manager Bryan Ginn
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MEMBER NEWS >> PEOPLE MAKING NEWS ADT Commercial Announces New Appointments to Enterprise Security Risk Group ADT announced the addition of three senior-level security professionals to join ADT Commercial’s Enterprise Security Risk Group (eSRG). Chris Fowler has been named eSRG director of global risk services. Fowler brings more than 25 years’ experience in law enforcement, strategic planning and policy development to the role, and has also served as Brigadier General for the Washington Army National Guard. Patricia Coureas joins ADT Commercial as eSRG principal consultant, bringing 30 years’ experience with the FBI as well as a proven track record of success in building and managing global security for a Fortune 500 organization. David LaRose enhances ADT Commercial’s presence in the healthcare security arena as an eSRG Principal Consultant, showing industry leadership during his 35 years of experience providing healthcare security, safety and law enforcement solutions to customers. NAPCO Names Stephen Spinelli as Senior Vice President of Sales NAPCO appointed Stephen Spinelli as senior vice president of sales for all its corporate divisions, which include NAPCO Security, Alarm TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Lock, Marks USA, and Continental Access. Spinelli comes to NAPCO with a long, successful career as a sales driver and leader in security and access control companies Nortek Security & Controls and IEI, as well as with considerable experience in distribution. Johnson Controls Appoints Diane Schwarz as Chief Information Officer Johnson Controls announced Diane Schwarz has joined the Company as its chief information officer (CIO). Brown Appointed CEO of Immix Chris Brown takes over as CEO after having served for the past six-plus years as Vice President of the Immix Central Station and Guard Force business units, where he lead a team that was instrumental in maximizing returns and increasing recurring monthly revenue options for both the company and its customers. He will oversee the global business from endto-end.
PRODUCTS MAKING NEWS Alarm.com Adds Push Notifications to MobileTech App Techs can now stay fully up-to-date on the latest information regarding system checks, network rediscoveries, firmware upgrades and more during a customer visit in real-time. Johnson Controls Unveils UL-Tested Skin Temperature Scanning Solution A healthy and safe environment starts with a holistic approach that encompasses not only a building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) infrastructure, but adds temperature screening among protocols including contact tracing, frictionless entry and exits, and the practice of social distancing. The new solution can act as another tool in the first line of defense for building owners and operators as part of their pandemic safety measures.
AXIS Introduces Explosion-Protected Positioning Camera The XP40-Q1785 Explosion-Protected PTZ Camera offers comprehensive fieldof-view, with 32x optical zoom, 360° continuous pan rotation and 180° tilt movement. Enclosed in a stainless steel housing with IP66/IP67 ratings, this robust camera can withstand extreme temperatures ranging from -60 °C to 60 °C (-76 °F to 140 °F), depending on the model. Powered by 24 or 110/230 V AC, the high-performance PTZ camera offers long-distance connections using fiber optics or Ethernet cabling. Axis Communications Launches Compact Recorder AXIS S3008 Recorder is an easy-to-install ultra-high definition recording solution compatible with AXIS Companion video management software. Axis Communications Releases AXIS D2110-VE Security Radar The smart, network-based security device uses advanced radar technology to offer extensivearea coverage and minimize false alarms. Calipsa and Immix Launch of AI Video Verification Solution for Central Alarm Monitoring Stations in the Americas Starting Sept. 1, Immix customers will have the option to add Calipsa’s False Alarm Filtering technology to their cameras directly via the AI Link feature in Immix Central Station (CS) and Guard Force (GF).
COMPANIES MAKING NEWS ADT and Google Partner To Create Leading Smart Home Security Offering ADT and Google entered into a longterm partnership to create the next generation of smart home security offerings.
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TECHNOLOGY >> ADT Named Premier Provider of Smart Home Tech for D.R. Horton ADT has been named as the premier provider of smart home security and automation services for D.R. Horton, the nation’s largest homebuilder by volume. D.R. Horton homes will be outfitted with “Home Is Connected,” a suite of smart home and ADT securityready products. ADT Joins the Zigbee Alliance ADT has joined the Zigbee Alliance and the Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP) working group. ADT will help to develop and promote the adoption of Project CHIP, a new royalty-free connectivity standard to increase interoperability among smart home products, with security as a fundamental design tenet. Bosch Building Technologies Makes Data Visible and Usable with Intelligent Insights Bosch has introduced an affordable software solution called ‘Intelligent Insights’ that enables customers to use data in new ways. It completes the data journey from scene to screen and helps users quickly understand the context of various situations, enabling them to make informed decisions. Johnson Controls Acquires Qolsys, Inc. Johnson Controls has acquired the remaining stake of Qolsys Inc., a leading residential and commercial security and smart-home manufacturer, after owning a majority since 2014. Axis Communications Recognized as a Best Workplace in Canada Axis Communications, the market leader in network video is being recognized as one of this year’s Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work®. Axis ranked #42 on the list of top companies. Axis Communications Celebrates Two Wins from SIA’s New Product Showcase Awards Axis won the “Communications and Networking Solutions” category for the TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
AXIS C8210 Network Audio Amplifier and the “Video Surveillance Advanced Imaging Technologies” category for the AXIS Live Privacy Shield. The awards were presented virtually on July 9th. Pro-Vigil Launches Partner Program for Remote Video Monitoring Service Pro-Vigil, a provider of remote video monitoring and crime deterrence solutions, announces the launch of its Pro-Vigil Partner Program. The new program enables organizations, such as commercial security dealers, to leverage the company’s remote video monitoring service to grow their businesses with recurring monthly revenue (RMR). SSI Names Vector Security Large Installer of the Year, Once Again In 2020, Vector Security continued to innovate its business and effect positive industry change and advancement. The firm closed one of the flashiest transactions of the year by acquiring Nashville, Tenn.-based ADS Security. The company was previously recognized with the award in 2016. Sonitrol of SW Ohio Acquires Sonitrol of Butler County Ohio Sonitrol of SW Ohio has acquired Sonitrol of Butler County and its nonSonitrol company Southwestern Ohio Security. The acquisition officially closed July 6. The firm, which operates an independent franchise of Sonitrol, has served the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas since 1971. Acadian Receives SSI 2020 Small to Midsize Installer of the Year Runner-up Honor Acadian Total Security (ATS) is a division of Acadian Ambulance Service, the largest privately owned ambulance company in the United States. Based in Lafayette, La., ATS began providing personal emergency response systems (PERS) and central station monitoring in 1991. The growth of these services eventually led to the creation of three separate UL Listed security monitoring centers.
NMC Receives UL 827A Listing for Central Station Hosted Services NMC is the first monitoring center to be issued the UL 827A listing, allowing it to become a provider of third-party IT services. STANLEY Security Forms Strategic Partnership with Evolv Technology STANLEY Security announced its investment in Evolv Technology, the leader in artificial intelligence (AI)based touchless security screening. Evolv Express™, the company’s touchless security screening system, makes it possible for venues of all kinds to keep visitors safe from concealed weapons, pandemic health threats and intruders. Powered by the Evolv Cortex AI™ software platform, the system uses proprietary sensors and AI to differentiate weapons from personal items in real-time. Evolv Express keeps high-volume entrances flowing by reliably detecting guns and other weapons as people walk through naturally without emptying their pockets, bags, backpacks or other belongings. The system can screen more than 3,600 people per hour – 10 times faster than metal detectors. Vector Security Networks Launches New Website The completely redesigned website offers visitors an easy-to-navigate user experience showcasing Vector Security Networks’ business-transforming capabilities – and their features and benefits – in the physical security and managed network services space. The website also highlights Vector Security Networks’ expertise in industry-specific markets such as healthcare, retail, restaurants, automotive and more, with content that includes use cases and white papers for many of these markets.
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TECHNOLOGY >> STANLEY Security Named a 2020 SSI Installation of the Year Runner-up STANLEY Security’s integration of hundreds of systems into one user interface at Hamilton County’s (Ind.) correctional facilities earned the recognition from SSI.
COMPANIES GIVING BACK
Guardian Protection Employees Raise Money for Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Guardian Protection employees recently participated in a charity initiative to raise funds for Children›s Hospital Free Care Fund, which provides care to every child, regardless of their family›s ability to pay. Their goal was to raise $5,000 over four weeks during the first quarter of 2020, through company events like jeans day, a 50/50 raffle and a donut, pizza and cupcake sale. Despite a shortened fundraising period due to the COVID-19 outbreak, they exceeded their goal and raised a total of $5,647 which included a corporate match of $2,500.
ADT Commercial Donates Meals to Healthcare Workers Across the U.S. ADT donated meals to healthcare workers at five major hospitals across the U.S. to express gratitude for those caregivers who have been on the frontlines in the nation’s fight against the COVID-19 global pandemic.
INDUSTRY NEWS IMPACTING YOUR BUSINESS Iowa Law Shields Alarm Dealers from False Alarm Fines The Iowa governor recently signed statewide legislation that prohibits fines from being imposed on alarm companies for false alarms caused by their customers. The law, part of a larger appropriations bill, was hailed as a victory for installing security contractors by the Security Industry Alarm Association (SIAC), which credited Per Mar Security for its efforts in getting the legislation enacted.
NIST: Facial Recognition Algorithms Developed Since Beginning of COVID-19 May Be Able to ID People Wearing Masks Biometric facial recognition algorithms, developed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, may be able to identify people wearing masks better than legacy algorithms, but even the best ones developed previously do so “with great difficulty” according to the latest testing from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST tested 89 commercial facial recognition algorithms for the ‘Ongoing Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) Part 6A: Face recognition accuracy with masks using pre-COVID-19 algorithms.’ In testing with digitally applied face masks, even the best algorithms had error rates between 5 and 50 percent in one-to-one matching.
Remembering Those Who Have Passed TMA’s mission, its members, and others industry-wide. He served as president of TMA (then CSAA) from 1987-1989, and continued to serve on the TMA Board until his death. Bob was the first recipient of TMA’s Stanley Lott Award in 1991.
Robert “Bob” Bitton TMA bid a fond, but sad, farewell to longtime, beloved member and volunteer leader, Robert “Bob” Bitton, this summer. He passed at home on July 9th, 2020 after a courageous and short battle with brain cancer.
Until very recently, he’d been coordinating the radio frequencies that had been designated by the FCC exclusively for the use of UL listed central station alarm companies, a role he graciously assumed in 1989. He leaves a distinct legacy of leadership and altruism.
Loved and respected by many, he dedicated much of his time over four decades to the advancement of
Visit TMA’s online News Room to view remembrances from members.
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Anne “Laurie” Wulfrost TMA also said goodbye to Laurie Wulforst, loving wife of TMA past president and dedicated volunteer, Bud Wulforst. Laurie passed peacefully at her home in Reno on Tuesday, July 14th. She was 76 years-old. A friend to many in the TMA family, Laurie was Bud’s partner in life and in business. She regularly attended TMA’s events where she loved to dance and spend time with industry friends. She loved to cook and entertain, most especially her family, which included 11 grandchildren who adored her as we all did.
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TECHNOLOGY >>
The Next Generation of Video Verification
AI technology is saving time and offering new sources of revenue. By Chris Brown, Vice President, Central Stations, SureView Systems
video. Starting roughly 20 years ago, commercial video manufacturers began developing technology to identify specific objects (person, vehicle) or patterns of movement (direction, line crossing) that could be considered security threats with the intent of getting only relevant video information to a user so they could take whatever action was deemed necessary in response. While it took several years to really catch on, this technology made it possible for traditional central stations to begin incorporating more video applications into their operations.
In many of today’s central stations, video is an essential piece of the business. Whether a monitoring provider offers a full-scale remote video guarding operation or, if they simply offer basic video verification of intrusion alarms, video plays a role. And while video most certainly improves the quality and reliability of service delivered by a central station, it can often create considerable added labor, cost and increases in operator response times if not used “intelligently.” Simple motion detection, particularly in outdoor applications, is extremely unreliable as a detection measure for a central station. It can lead to a massive amount of false alarm traffic that operators have to process creating an out of control alarm queue which can put every customer that the center TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
monitors at risk. When providing video verification, if the central station is not using an automation platform that can accurately associate specific cameras with specific alarm points and launch those cameras immediately upon the receipt of an alarm, it can take an operator more time to sift through live cameras in order to find any video that is relevant to either initiate a response or dismiss an event. So the question then becomes, “how can we ensure a way for a central station to reliably receive video data that is relevant to them while, at the same time, preventing irrelevant video data from needing to be processed by an operator or agent?” “Video analytics” was the first solution to truly address the need for intelligent
Early video analytic solutions were typically hardware systems with embedded software algorithms. Reliability varied from manufacturer to manufacturer, as did the cost of different products. It was often quite expensive to put in place the necessary hardware or additional components required to achieve a reliable and efficient “smart” video solution, limiting the type and number of companies that were willing to build a business model around managed and monitored video services. Over time, consolidation among video analytic companies ensued, further limiting the ability for many companies to adequately compete using the video analytics hardware/software combination business model. This development led to the rise of the “AI” or Artificial Intelligence model as applied to video. This model enabled smaller, more robust companies to develop intelligent algorithms that were essentially “hardware agnostic,” meaning they could be applied to any camera regardless of manufacturer [12]
whether via a VMS, firmware update or cloud-hosted service. This has created a new method for central stations to easily apply AI verification to more cameras, thus improving their cost and labor efficiencies and, as a result, greatly enhance their overall monitoring operation. AI Verification is a process that utilizes an AI video solution to review video alarm clips triggered by any form of video detection or other alarming solution that includes video footage, and applies an AI filter to verify that the threat detected is real and actionable based on a preset threshold. If those necessary criteria are met, then and only then is that alarm and associated video presented to a central station operator/ agent to process and act upon. AI Verification is designed to reduce the number of false or nuisance alarms/ events that a central station operator/ agent must handle, allowing the station to increase the overall number of sites and/or customers they can support without having to increase the number of staff or add infrastructure, thus
improving margin and efficiency across the operation. Reduced alarm traffic means a station can either reduce manpower or renew existing manpower focus on other core competencies. This creates increased operational efficiencies which can then allow centers to offer new services that previously may have been unattainable due to labor constraints associated with false or nuisance alarm volume. New services obviously lead to previously unrealized revenue streams, thus maximizing cost efficiencies and overall business growth and value. For example, by incorporating AI into its video operation, perhaps a center may now be able to offer managed ingress/ egress services for gate or managed door environments. Such applications are typically considered premium services, and therefore carry a premium price tag, dramatically enhancing the value of your service offering. To deliver a solution that will change the game for a central station, it all
starts with identifying an AI video technology solution. It is then important to embed the AI functionality directly within the platform architecture so that it streamlines the business model. This allows users to select specific sites, cameras and alarms and have all traffic from those points “scrubbed” against a pre-determined “percentage of confidence” threshold before it ever hits an alarm queue to determine if there is a viable event that needs to be presented to an operator for processing. Such a solution has been proven to reduce video alarm traffic by as much as 85%. Finally, you need to determine if your business would be more amenable to a cloud-based solution or an on-premise solution. Both are available and there are infrastructure and liability concerns that need to be heavily weighed in determining which option is right for your monitoring operation. The technology is available for central stations looking to offer a robust, effective, and highly scalable video monitoring operation.
Your operators are on the front lines of your business. There’s never been a more impor tant time to make cer tain your operators possess the knowledge and training to respond to alarms effectively and efficiently with empathy and compassion. Learn more about TMA’s Online Operator Level 1 and Level 2 courses. Find out why so many monitoring centers use it for their new employee and refresher training. When it comes to operator training, turn to TMA, the most trusted provider.
Train. Motivate. Advance. TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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SPECIAL FEATURE >>
UL Update - Home-based Alarm Monitoring
Revisions to UL827 are setting the bar for COVID-19 and future emergencies. By Steve Schmit, Senior Staff Engineer, UL
that revisions to UL Standards will be published in September 2020. A copy of the proposal is available in the COVID-19 Resource section of TMA’s website. The task group worked hard to balance best-practice recommendations with cost and complexity of revising home-based operator arrangements that were true to UL’s March guidelines and that had been in place for weeks. The result was a twopart Standards revision roadmap.
As COVID-19 spread throughout the United States, public health officials in New York and Washington states signaled their intent to implement comprehensive infection control techniques, including limited social contact. Monitoring stations were faced with a dilemma: they would not be able to operate in compliance with standards that had not anticipated changes due to the risk or the mandated mitigations. Fortunately, technology made it possible for monitoring stations to use homebased operating agents as part of their contingency plan to deliver critical protection services to their customers. Working with TMA’s committee on UL Standards, UL issued a statement suggesting virtual workplace guidelines to its certification customers. These provided room for flexible approaches, TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
without jeopardizing certification status, during what was then forecasted to be a relatively short business disruption. As the true nature and length of the COVID-19 threat became apparent, so did the need to formally revise the UL Standards upon which Certifications are based. On April 25, our nonprofit affiliate, Underwriters Laboratories, convened a joint virtual meeting of stakeholders for UL 827, ULC S301, and ULC S561. Volunteers from the virtual meeting formed a task group to discuss concerns related to central station alarm services and COVID-19. The task group included 17 monitoring industry representatives that met intensely over a three-week period. Their work was posted as a formal revision proposal on May 22. It is anticipated
In the current Phase 1 proposal, UL 827, the Standard for Central-Station Alarm Services; CAN/ULC-S301, the Standard for Signal Receiving Centres Configurations and Operations and CAN/ S561, the Standard for Installation and Services for Fire Signal Receiving Centres and Systems, would be revised to include a) the essential components of UL’s early guidelines, and b) best practices that are in widespread use and/ or have a low impact and low barrier to implementation. With the Phase 1 material in place as a base, the UL task group expects to reconvene in October for a Phase 2 initiative that considers a) proposals deferred from Phase 1 due to cost/ complexity impact, and b) revisions that may be needed to correlate with COVID-19 mitigation-inspired temporary amendments to NFPA 72 or other standards with industry impact. Phase 2 work would also be significantly influenced by a) improved scientific clarity around COVID-19 and health continued on page 25
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COVER STORY - TMA 2020 EVENTS>>
NETWORKING TODAY As the business world struggles to find safe new ways to connect and engage, TMA’s education and networking events rise to the occasion. The past few months have been exceptionally challenging for all of us – both professionally and personally. These are unprecedented times. As business owners, operators, and managers, you’ve found yourselves in unfamiliar, and often scary, territory. It is our hope that your company and team have found information, resources, and a trusted network of peers to guide and support your decision-making and business continuity planning in TMA. Earlier this year, as the pandemic ranged on, TMA’s Board of Directors and staff carefully evaluated the impact of hosting our annual education and networking events face-to-face as planned. It became evidently clear that to do so would put each of us in a potentially unsafe position. The decision was made to pivot our meeting plans to a virtual format. “We are very excited about the shift to virtual programming, as it opens up some outstanding new opportunities for both attendees and speakers,” stated TMA President Don Young. “We anticipate a heightened comfort level with registering for each event and hope everyone can enjoy the savings and convenience from avoiding travel while still having access to programs and networking opportunities using the latest collaboration technologies that all of us have been forced to adopt in recent months.” We are focused on the development of not one, but two, outstanding education and networking events – our Annual Meeting, Oct. 27-29, and OPS-TECH, a new meeting created through the conjoining of the Operations Management Seminar and Technology Summit. OPS-TECH is set to take place over the course of two weeks in November. TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Attendees can expect the same quality and scope of content in educational programming that has long been a distinguishing attribute of TMA meetings. “The educational portion of our fall events reflects the current, unprecedented business landscape for monitoring and installation companies of all sizes,” remarked John Brady, TMA Education Committee Chair. “From emerging insurance and legal issues, to remote workforce management training issues amid the pandemic, the meeting will dedicate time to the latest technology offerings and explore new business opportunities that have arisen in recent months.” The Education,Technology, and Video Committees, along with TMA staff, are hard at work finalizing details for education sessions, interactive networking events, and the exciting virtual exhibit floor - where your team can visit to learn about some of the leading-edge products and services for security companies. As you’ll see, there is no shortage of innovation in these uncertain times. In fact, quite the contrary. For those of you who took part in the 2019 Annual Meeting, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve renewed the very popular meeting app - Whova! The Whova team has outdone themselves with many new features and functionalities to meet the needs of virtual events. Once you’re registered, be sure to download the app and begin connecting with peers and engaging with exhibitors and sponsors! In the pages that follow, you’ll find a preview of both meetings, We look forward to reconnecting with you virtually! [15]
TMA 2020 ANNUAL MEETING Unprecedented times. Unlimited Discover y | Oct. 27-29, 2020
MEETING PROGRAM & AGENDA All e vent times are Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Tuesday, October 27
11:00 AM-11:10 AM Welcome | Event Features 11:10 AM-12:00 PM Session 1: Keynote Speaker 12:00 PM-1:00 PM Break: Virtual Brunch-Lunch Dates [Breakout Rooms/Meet-ups/Host Sponsor] 1:00 PM-1:55 PM Session 2: Smart Home and Home Security Solutions: Impact of Covid-19 Speaker: Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates 1:55 PM-2:10 PM Parks Sponsored: Break Out Analysis Discussion Groups 2:10 PM-2:20 PM - Wrap-Up 2:20 PM-3:30 PM Exhibitor Center – Passport Challenge Participants attend engaging activities with sponsors
Wednesday, October 28
11:00 AM-11:10 AM Welcome Back – Recap | Activity Challenge Update 11:10 AM-11:55 AM Session 3: Attrition Report Speaker: John Brady, President, TRG Associates 11:55 AM-12:00 PM - Break 12:00 PM-1:00 PM Session 4: Focus on Finance and M&As Speakers: • John E. Mack III (Moderator), Imperial Capital, Executive Vice President, Co-Head of Investment Banking • Lessing (Les) E. Gold (Panelist), Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP • Mark Melendes (Panelist), Managing Director, CIBC Bank USA, • Robert Chefitz (Panelist), Managing Partner, Egis Capital Partners • Michael Barnes (Speaker), Barnes Associates 1:00 PM-1:30 PM Virtual Brunch-Lunch Dates
1:30 PM-2:55 PM Session 5: The Cost of Working from Home Session will begin with an update from UL on Work From Home standard. Includes Q&A 2:55 PM-3:10 PM WFH: Break Out Discussion Groups 3:10 PM-4:00 PM Wrap-Up | Exhibitor Center | Passport Challenge 4:00 PM-5:00 PM “Poolside” with the Presidents – Virtual Social Hour Bring your umbrella drink! In this fun session, hosted by Don Young, Ivan Spector, and Pam Petrow participants will have access to discuss any topic of interest with TMA leadership past and present.
Thursday, October 29
11:00 AM-11:10 AM Welcome Back | Activity Challenge Update 11:10 AM-11:50 AM Session 6: Focus on Cyber Includes Q&A l Susan Kohn Ross (Panelist), Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, Partner l John Banghart (Speaker),Venable LLP, Senior Director for Cybersecurity Services 11:50 AM-12:00 PM - Break 12:00 PM-12:50 PM Session 7: Focus on Revenue Growth: Monitoring Opportunities Post Covid-19 (Drones, medical monitoring) Includes Q&A 12:50 PM-1:00 PM Monitoring Opportunities: Break Out Discussion Groups 1:00 PM-1:30 PM - Virtual Brunch-Lunch Dates 1:30 PM-2:30 PM Session 8: Focus on the Evolution of Social Media Marketing Includes Q&A 2:30 PM-3:30 PM Closing Comments | Closing Social Engagement Hour: Challenge Updates | Prize Give-Away Must be present to win.
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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TMA 2020 OPS-TECH MEETING PROGRAM AND AGENDA Thursday, November 5
Zoom Webinar: Getting the Best out of Your Learning Experience
Monday, Nov. 9 – Thursday, Nov. 12
Week 1: Focus on Operations | Focus on Video Security Monitoring
Tuesday, Nov. 17 – Wed., Nov. 18
Week 2: Focus on Technology
FOCUS ON OPERATIONS Monday, Nov 9: A Safer World...through Taking Care of Your Team 1:00pm – 1:20pm Welcome | Icebreaker Activity 1:20pm – 1:50pm Session 1: Industry Report Card: Response to Professional Monitoring during a Pandemic Join the conversation to hear from your peers about what we did as an industr y to respond effectively in the midst of a pandemic. From the operations perspective, what did you do? What challenges did we experience? How did we all react? This will be our industr y repor t card about how we managed. Whether you have your own monitoring center or use contract monitoring, you know it was quite a challenge in April to get ready to send people home and still provide life safety. Come away with more information about lessons learned and best practices for managing the process moving forward. 1:50pm – 2:20pm Group Discussion(s) - 20 minutes/ 10 mins report back 2:20pm – 2:30pm - Break 2:30pm – 3:00pm Session 2: Managing Your Remote Workforce: KPIs and Other Tools to Support Your Business This session will focus on addressing the management challenges of taking care of our teams during COVID-19. For many, managing your workforce remotely for an extensive period was not par t of your disaster recover y plan. What metrics should you be using to measure per formance? What tools are companies using? Are your supervisors prepared to manage remotely? We’ll look at some of the real TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
workforce challenges and offer solutions to help managers understand what the staff is doing and how the staff is responding. Help your staff get along in this new world where sometimes dogs are barking in the background and three kids want to have lunch – all while the remote worker is tr ying to take care of the customer. 3:00pm – 3:30pm Group Discussion(s) - 20 minutes/ 10 mins report back 3:30pm – 5:00pm - Networking Speed-date Activity
Tuesday, Nov 10: A Safer World…through Best Practices Implementation 1:00pm – 1:10pm Recap | Engagement Activity Update 1:10pm – 1:40pm Session 3: Customer Service Training: Virtual Onboarding for Customers (and Those who Support Them) The new face-to-face restrictions of COVID-19 often limit how we interact with customers as we strive to continue to offer the services on which our companies base our reputations. We are now challenged to be creative and rethink how we interact with each other. Our panelists have lived and breathed through adapting their processes and can provide some real input and some actionable ideas that will cer tainly be appropriate as we go into the remainder of 2020 and 2021. You will hear tips for training your staff remotely to make it possible to suppor t your customers remotely, teach them about your business processes and your products, and different options for safe training and effective customer service deliver y. [17]
1:40pm – 2:10pm Group Discussion(s) - 20 minutes/ 10 mins report back
1:40pm – 2:25 pm Report Back - 45 minutes 2:25pm – 2:30pm - Break
2:10pm – 2:40pm Session 4: Alarm Handling Protocols: Best and Worst (Standards Review) In response to past attendee feedback, we have put together a guided discussion to cover standards procedures that we love and that we love to hate. Whether you represent a big monitoring center or a smaller one or a proprietar y, our industr y is guided by requirements that impact all of us in the alarm handling process. This is your oppor tunity to address standards requirements that may no longer have the desired outcomes that were originally intended and that should be readdressed as an industr y. Bring your list of best and worst standards so we can work towards improving how we all do business. 2:40pm – 3:10pm - Group Discussion(s) - 20 minutes/ 10 mins report back 3:10pm – 4:00pm - Sponsor Happy Hour Activity
Wednesday, Nov 11: A Safer World…through Collaboration 1:00pm – 1:10pm - Recap| Engagement Activity Update 1:10pm – 1:40pm Session 5: Roundtable Breakout Discussions If you’ve been to the TMA Fall Ops meetings, you know that the most popular par t of the presentation of the program is the Roundtable breakout discussions. With Vegas Rules in place, we are going to make sure we maintain a safe environment to problem solve through common challenges in the industr y. Par ticipants will have the oppor tunity to benefit from repor t backs from all the discussion groups and take away valuable information. Facilitated Discussion Groups will cover the following just-in-time topics: n n n n n n
2:30pm – 3:00pm Session 6: How to Create Relationships with Public Safety Organizations The bottom line is that it is not personal! Professional monitoring must get right with the fact that from the perspective of the public safety community, we provide a really substandard product. We have made a lot of progress with false alarm reduction but we need to address our reputation as a service. How do we continue to reach out and communicate and interact with all of the public safety organizations that we rely on so heavily? By focusing on collaborative relationships, we can make great strides to improve perceptions through positive interactions. Learn best practices for creating and improving relationships with your local public safety organizations. 3:00pm – 3:30pm - Group Discussion(s) - 20 minutes/ 10 mins report back 3:30pm – 4:00pm Session 7: Q&A - Discussion on Moving This session is intended to crowdsource where we should be going from here – post election – with consideration of the current state of the industr y. Discussion will cover how we are going to come together to suppor t each other through the pandemic. Hear from industr y leaders about their thoughts about moving forward and how the TMA community can continue to suppor t and elevate professional monitoring.
What would you like to cover next year? Because this program is designed and set for th by the things that you and the TMA membership want to understand and want to hear about from people that are doing that job ever y day. It is a great forum where you get to work with, listen to, and chat with peers who are Compensation during COVID – Did you have to pay doing some of the same jobs as your teams are doing and get to learn from them. more to people to come in the office? Employee Discipline while Remote Alarm Handling during Civil Unrest (different than 4:00pm – 5:00pm - Sponsor Happy Hour Activity weather and different that the pandemic) Online Training Best Practices (Level 1 and 2 for onboarding) AI Implementation strategies UL Work from Home Standard
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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FOCUS ON VIDEO Thursday, Nov 12 (Bonus Day!): A Safer World…through Surveillance Best Practices 11:00am – 11:10am - Recap| Engagement Activity Update 11:10am – 12:00pm Session 8: Training Guidelines for Surveillance Monitoring In this session, training managers will learn the most up-to-date training practices to instruct operators about the key differences between video alarm verification (VAV), Traditional Alarms and interactive video monitoring. Industr y exper ts will share the challenges in transitioning staff from traditional monitoring to surveillance monitoring. Discuss the components for onboarding new staff on video monitoring – what are the best practices for using PTZ, analytic cameras, motion activated devices, and how to deal with environmental issues to minimize the effects of false alarm events and being set for success in obtaining apprehensions. Par ticipants will leave with: n n n
A better understanding of effective installation practices How different monitoring centers are training staff to do surveillance monitoring How Monitoring Managers are assessing Surveillance Operators
Proprietar y Monitoring Centers? Par ticipants will also hear a debate about the merits of a standard for this challenging service. Your take-aways will include: n An overview of how changes in video technology can impact the monitoring center n A design checklist that includes installation best practice requirements n Meeting Customer Expectations when going live with a new installation 1:40pm – 2:10pm - Group Discussion(s) - 20 minutes 2:10pm – 3:00pm - Recap| Engagement Activity | Updates
FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY Tuesday, Nov 17 – Technology Day 1 - A Safer World…through Business Continuity 11:00am – 11:15am - Welcome | Icebreaker Activity Sponsor Appreciation 11:15am – 11:55am Session 1: Keynote: Department of Homeland Security 11:55am – 12:05pm - Break 12:05pm – 12:35pm Session 2: State of the Industry Conversation with Dan Turner (Per Mar Security Services) and Morgan Hertel (Rapid Response Monitoring Services, Inc.)
12:00pm – 12:30pm - Group Discussion(s) - 20 minutes/10 mins report back
12:35pm – 1:05pm - Break: Virtual Brunch-Lunch Dates [Breakout Rooms/Meet-ups/Host Sponsor]
12:30pm – 1:00pm - Break: Virtual BrunchLunch Dates
1:05pm – 2:05pm S ession 3: Best Practices Guidelines for Work from Home
1:00pm – 1:40pm Session 9: Outdoor Video Monitoring – The Check List Battle
Join this panel discussion to talk through all the requirements of work from home set-ups for your staff. We will cover the updated UL827 rules for having your operators work from home and address all the issues that came up during the initial COVID-19 lock downs and what it means for the future of running our business both in and out of the Monitoring Center. a. Capacity Issues (Telecomm/VPN structures) b. Encr yption Requirements c. Bridging the Gap – Check Lists d. Addressing Legacy Systems e. Video
This session is designed to explore the many facets of delivering effective Outdoor Video Monitoring. Panelist will discuss the challenges in the complexity and uniqueness of different customers that require Outdoor Video Monitoring. How are your processes managing handover from sales/ integrator dealer for a successful implementation? What are the similarities and differences in the challenge in delivering successful outdoor video monitoring in different monitoring settings: (i) combined integrator/ monitoring station, (ii) Contract Monitoring, and (iii) TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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Your take-aways will include: n Standard Operations Guidance n Critical Things that you need in place to operate n How do we do this securely (Cyber aspects) n Who are your resources? 2:05pm – 3:05pm Session 4: Cyber Insurance and Data Protection Ransomware has increased by over 800% over the last year and is costing many companies money, customers and time from outages. Please join us to discuss the impor tance of protecting and managing your data and how Cyber Insurance is changing the protection you have in the event of a Cyber event like Ransomware. a. Different types of policies b. What should be covered c. How to qualify Panelists: Sascha Kylau (Trins.io), Rober t Tockarshewsky (USI Insurance) 3:05pm – 3:15pm - Break 3:15pm – 4:15pm Session 5: Desktop as a Service for Remote Workforce Join this session led by Mike Tupy of Vivint to learn how to use Desktop as a Service (DaaS) to deliver per formance, protection and AnyCloud global deliver y to easily allow your work force to work from home efficiently and securely with minimal impact to your company IT resources and network. We will cover all the Pros and Cons of using Desktop as a Service and how it helped Vivint move its workforce to work from home quickly. a. Dizzion – Product review i. Pros and Cons ii. COVID-19 Implementation b. Company Use Case Studies c. Ease of Implementation
11:10am – 11:45am Session 6: Keynote: Representative from Cisco 11:45am – 11:55am - Break 11:55am – 12:55pm Session 7: The Future of Work – Chatbots Chatbot Builder – Oppor tunities to offset headcount? (Salesforce.com bot-builder) a. Unloading Customer Suppor t to Chatbots for repetitive, simple tasks that impress customers b. Improving customer response, satisfaction and service with chatbots 12:55pm – 1:25pm - Break: Virtual Brunch-Lunch Dates [Breakout Rooms/Meet-ups/Host Sponsor] 1:25pm – 2:25pm Session 8: [Part 1 - What services are available] Creating Predictive Outcomes Using AI and Machine Learning Managed Services a. Enhancing data that is given to the operator – how to tie AI analytics to the Monitoring Center b. Alarm Scoring capabilities 2:25pm - 2:30pm - Break 2:30pm – 3:30pm Session 9: [Part 2: Applications to the industry (standard)] Alarm Incident Scoring Standard a. TMA Committee effor t summar y b. Elements of the Standard c. How will this change the monitoring industr y? d. Are AI and ML platforms required to standardize? 3:30pm – 4:30pm - Sponsor Happy Hour Activity
Panelists: Mike Tupy (Vivint, Inc) to moderate with representatives from Dizzion and Effor tLess Office 4:15pm – 5:00pm - Sponsor Happy Hour Activity
Wednesday, Nov 18 – Technology Day 2 - A Safer World…through Innovation 11:00am – 11:10am - Welcome | Engagement Activity Updates
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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2020 MEETING REGISTRATION OPTIONS & FEES The following tables provide detailed information on the registration options and fees for the 2020 Annual Meeting and OPS-TECH. TMA is pleased to extend reduced fees for member early registrations and group registrations, which is defined as three or more attendees from a single company.
Registrations may be made quickly and conveniently online at www.tma.us. Should you experience any issues in the course of registration, please do not hesitate to contact TMA Vice President of Education Julie Webber at education@tma.us. We look forward to reconnecting with you virtually this fall.
ANNUAL MEETING REGISTRATION DESCRIPTION Individual
Single attendee registration to attend the Annual Meeting
EARLY-BIRD *
MEMBER
NON-MEMBER
$400
$450
$675
Deadline: Aug. 31
All Events
Single attendee registration to attend both the Annual Meeting and OPS-TECH
$720
$800
$1,200
Group *
3 or more individual registrations to attend the Annual Meeting
Not available.
$360/per registration
Not available.
*For TMA members only.
OPS-TECH REGISTRATION DESCRIPTION
EARLY-BIRD *
MEMBER
NON-MEMBER
$400
$450
$675
Individual - Full OPSTECH Event
Single attendee registration to attend all por tion of OPSTECH.
Individual Operations ONLY
Single attendee registration to attend the Operations por tion of the event, Nov. 9-11.
$300
$320
$480
Individual Technology ONLY
Single attendee registration to attend the Technology por tion of the event, Nov. 1718.
$185
$199
$300
Individual - Video ONLY
Single attendee registration to attend the Video por tion of the event, Nov. 12.
$90
$100
$150
Individual - All Events
Single attendee registration to attend both the Annual Meeting and OPS-TECH
$720
$800
$1,200
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Deadline: Sept. 30
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2020 MEETING SPONSORS TMA extends its gratitude to our members and 2020 sponsors for their generous support of our meetings. Please be sure to download the meeting apps where you can learn more about our sponsors and connect with them one-on-one.
2020 Annual Meeting Sponsors Premier Sponsor
Full Meeting Sponsors
Event Meeting Sponsors
Media Sponsor
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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2020 OPS-TECH Sponsors Event Meeting Sponsors
Media Sponsors
Interested in sponsoring? Sponsorships are available for the Annual Meeting and OPS-TECH. Learn more about the valuable benefits afforded to members who lend their support to TMA. Contact TMA Vice President of Meetings John McDonald by email at meetings@tma.us or by telephone at (703) 660-4917.
Q&A with TMA NextGen
Interview with Brandon NIles, Director of Operations, Acadian Monitoring Services, LLC What is a typical day like for you? My day typically starts around 7 AM with a strong cup of coffee and a review of all databases and work queues. From there, I usually try to check in through Slack or Google Meet with about 5-6 frontline employees. After that, my mornings are usually reserved for meetings, emails and any new business follow-up that may be needed. If my schedule will allow it, I try to walk around the campus and meet with my leadership team for status updates on pending projects. My afternoons can vary drastically depending on how the morning went. Two things remain constant with my afternoon though. The first is that I try to find 30 minutes each afternoon to brainstorm and identify areas where improvement can be made and the second is that I end my day with a review of the databases and work queues to ensure things are as I expect them to be when I leave for the day. TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Have you had a professional mentor? Briefly describe the experience and the value it offered. I did not have a professional mentor when I first started at Acadian. I was very lucky in that there were multiple people who were willing to help me out and educate me on things within the security industry that I would not have otherwise known. I can honestly say that there are over ten people that have helped me professionally and taught me a number of valuable lessons. The one thing I’ve learned about the security industry is that if you keep an open mind and listen to others, there is no shortage of talented people willing to assist you with whatever your issue might be. Which professional accomplishment/ achievement are you most proud of and why? The accomplishment that I’m most proud of is when I was promoted to Director of Operations. At the time I was 31 years old and the youngest person in the history of all of the
Acadian Companies to receive the title. The Acadian Companies has been in business over 45 years and has over 5,000 employees so I still take a lot of pride in the fact that I was able to be promoted to this position at that young of an age. What advice would you offer other young professionals in the security industry? My biggest advice for someone getting into the industry is to make sure to listen to those people that have made a living in the security industry. With technology changing as rapidly as it currently is, it can be easy for someone new to the industry to downplay the importance of knowledge of what many would consider “old school” security installation, service and monitoring techniques. While this knowledge may not always be relevant to the issue at hand, it can still be helpful because it is important in identifying some of the underlying issues that technology may not properly identify.
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LAW >>
Internal Harassment Complaints Four Dos and Don’ts for Employers
By Nicholas M. Reiter, Esq.1, Co-Chair, Venable LLP’s Labor & Employment Practice Group
|3| Ask the complainant to identify witnesses. This is an easy move that many employers still forget to make. An employer should always ask a complainant to identify any potential witnesses to the alleged harassment. By interviewing all identified witnesses, an employer will bolster the legitimacy of its investigation.
|4|
When employees complain of harassment in the workplace, employers must make important decisions. The quality of an employer’s response to an internal harassment complaint often means the difference between an amicable resolution or a costly lawsuit. Here are some tips for how employers should (and should not) respond to an internal harassment complaint.
The Dos |1| Investigate every complaint. Too often, an employee complains to a manager or Human Resources, and then nothing happens. Even if a complaint appears unsubstantiated on its face, the complaint should still be investigated. This means interviewing the complainant and potential witnesses, TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
documenting witness statements, and issuing a final determination. Ignoring a complaint or hoping it goes away on its own is rarely the right course of action.
|2| Preserve relevant records. Employers have a duty to preserve all information that may be relevant to a harassment complaint. Relevant e-mails are sometimes only a small piece of the puzzle. There may be video surveillance, voicemails, or messages via internal messaging platforms (such as Slack, Jabber, or Google Chat) that relate to the harassment allegations. All of this evidence must be preserved. To do so, employers should immediately contact their information technology departments to ensure that their automatic recycling policies are temporarily suspended.
Communicate the ultimate determination to the complainant. Part of a thorough investigation includes notifying the complainant about the employer’s determination, regardless of the outcome. Even if the employer determines the harassment allegations are unfounded, it should still notify the complainant upon the conclusion of the investigation. Otherwise, the complainant may feel compelled to file a lawsuit if he or she believes the employer ignored the harassment complaint.
The Don’ts |1| Don’t force a mediation between the complainant and alleged harasser. Some employers think, in effect, “If I can just get these two folks in a room together, I bet we can work out their differences.” As good as those intentions may be, that strategy is rarely effective, and in many cases, it exacerbates the situation. The last thing a complainant may want is to be in a room with the alleged harasser, talking with him or her about the allegations. Employers should
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investigate the complaint first, and then later make a decision about whether a joint discussion with the parties is appropriate.
|2| Don’t retaliate against the complainant. Even if an employee’s harassment complaint is unfounded, it is still illegal to retaliate against the employee for raising a complaint. Retaliation claims are often more difficult to defend than the underlying harassment claim, especially when the temporal connection between an employee’s internal harassment complaint and adverse employment action is relatively strong (e.g., three months or less). Employers that are considering an adverse employment action for an employee who recently complained of harassment should first consult with their employment attorneys about the associated risks of a retaliation claim.
|3| Don’t promise the complainant full confidentiality. An employee may want to keep his or her complaint confidential, but an employer cannot guarantee full confidentiality. This is because of the employer’s duty to investigate the complaint. The complainant’s allegations, including his or her identity, will usually need to be shared with potential witnesses. Instead of full confidentiality, employers should tell the complainant that they will keep the complaint as confidential as possible without compromising the scope of the investigation.
|4| Don’t make exceptions. Employers must apply their anti-harassment policies consistently. Treating some employees differently than others may lead to a discrimination lawsuit and affect workplace morale. In the event an employer determines an employee violated its anti-harassment policy, the employer should carefully ensure that its disciplinary decision is consistent with its decisions in prior similar situations.
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
The dos and don’ts above are just some of the decisions employers should consider when an employee complains about workplace harassment. For more questions about how to respond to an internal harassment complaint, please do not hesitate to contact the author (contact info below), or your company attorney. Nicholas M. Reiter is Co-Chair of Venable LLP’s national labor & employment practice group. He advises employers about how to investigate internal complaints of workplace misconduct, and he defends employers in state and federal courts against allegations of discrimination and harassment. Nick may be contacted at 212.370.6296 or nmreiter@ venable.com. 1
UL 827 column, continued from page 14
mitigation, and b) any proposals which might be made in the interim that would permit home-based monitoring in nonemergency conditions. We have a good deal of work to do as we collectively define the new normal. That said, the high level of collaborative, professional engagement from the monitoring industry on operating standards demonstrates that together, we can make it happen for all our customers and constituents. Issues addressed include: • Triggering clauses that define conditions under which home-based monitoring becomes an option • Minimum staffing and operations requirements at the station • Operating requirements for home- based staff Key home-based operator requirements include: • Secure connections • A choice of either communication path redundancy or maintaining enough logged-in operators so that individual communication failures do not impact signal handling • Monitoring station control of workstation and its configuration • Definition and control of home-based work environment
COVID-19 came bringing new, never before experienced or imagined challenges for monitoring centers and security businesses. TMA responded, informed, advocated. Together. Moving. Ahead. www.tma.us [25]
SPECIAL FEATURE >>
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
How monitoring centers can best prepare for future emergencies. By Avi Lupo, CEO, DICE Corporation
you recover? Begin by asking questions. How are you backing up your data today? How many local machines are there? Have you considered cloud-based monitoring? Your Disaster Recovery Manual Because each company is different, every monitoring station is going to have a customized disaster recovery plan. A manual of the plan is essential. The manual will have written instructions and information that every person in the monitoring station can follow.
Unfortunately, many central stations do not have a disaster recovery plan and only begin the process after a crisis occurs. The COVID-19 pandemic took many by surprise and drove the point home of the need to plan ahead. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity The terms business continuity and disaster recovery are not interchangeable. A disaster recovery plan allows a monitoring station to focus, prioritize its risks, establish a strategy, and determine the best way to maintain the essential monitoring of accounts. Business continuity differs in that it is the process of getting the entire business back to full functionality. Regional and Partner Solutions While a local backup may work in some situations, what if there was a regional TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Internet outage? All the rerouting sites will be down and many overloaded. What will you do in that situation? Your people can work from home, but who would monitor it? Some monitoring stations have a backup plan with a partner central. If they are in the same region, it won´t work because they will be affected too. Your Disaster Recovery Plan One contributing cause in business failures is the lack of a written plan. Even those that already had a disaster recovery plan for natural disasters such as a hurricane or a flood, soon discovered with the onset of COVID-19, the need to modify the plan. Think outside the box when preparing your plan. Look at the various scenarios and what you need to do to prepare. If a specific scenario happens, how will
The step-by-step plan consists of the precautions to minimize the effects of a disaster so your monitoring station can continue to operate or quickly resume mission-critical functions. When we help companies, we start with a template and questionnaire that provides us with the information to develop the plan and manual for each company.
The bottom line is that having a disaster recovery plan is vital for monitoring stations. There is no “one size fits all� manual. Each company is unique with different equipment and circumstances including generators, power, fuel sources, receivers, and communication lines. Each one of those should be reviewed and done periodically. The bottom line is that having a disaster recovery plan is vital for monitoring stations. Those that do not have a plan and are unable to resume operations quickly are unlikely to survive.
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BUSINESS >>
More Businesses Facing Ransomware Attacks Does your company need to be concerned? By Alice Cornett Giacalone, Senior Vice President, Central Insurance Agency
following precautions to protect users against the threat of ransomware: n Update software and operating systems with the latest patches. Outdated applications and operating systems are the target of most attacks. n Never click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails. n Backup data on a regular basis. n Keep it on a separate device and store it offline. n Follow safe practices when browsing the Internet. In addition, CISA also recommends that organizations employ the following best practices:
The short answer is yes. Security reports from mid 2019 showed that there were dramatic increases in overall ransomware attacks, including one showing a 118% increase through the first quarter of 2019 and one a 363% increase through the first half of 2019. There have been high-profile attacks against governmental entities and hospital systems that have made news headlines, but no industry is immune to this threat, including security integrators. A survey from 2019 indicated that 1 in 5 small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) fell victim to ransomware attacks. Another report indicated that those SMB’s affected by ransomware, 62% were forced out of business. At its core, “ransomware” is a type of cyberattack in which hackers look to enter an organizations’ system and lock-up part or all their applications and databases through a process TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
called encryption. Ransomware typically spreads through phishing emails or by someone working on the organization’s network unknowingly visiting an infected website. Most recent ransomware programs can shut down an entire organization within minutes. They then demand a ransom payment in exchange to unlock the encrypted system, so the organization can regain access and operations. It has more recently evolved to hackers threatening to publicize confidential information if the ransom amount is not paid. Ransom demands have also been drastically increasing over the past 24 months. While we used to see ransom demands in the three to four figure range, demands are now commonly in the upper five figure all the way into eight figure ranges. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommends the
n n n n n
Restrict users’ permissions to install and run software applications and apply the principle of “least privilege” to all systems and services. Restricting these privileges may prevent malware from running or limit its capability to spread through a network. Use application whitelisting to allow only approved programs to run on a network. Enable strong spam filters to prevent phishing emails from reaching the end users and authenticate inbound email to prevent email spoofing. Scan all incoming and outgoing emails to detect threats and filter executable files from reaching end users. Configure firewalls to block access to known malicious IP addresses.
A properly placed insurance program can cover the cost of paying these continued on page 29
[27]
RESEARCH >>
Requests for Vehicle Monitoring Grows by 41%
COVID-19 impacting homeowner behavior and security needs By Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates
Heading into 2020, the connected car market was experiencing strong growth, driven by consumer demand for constant and high-quality connectivity at home and on the go, industry and government momentum for intelligent transportation, and the roll-out of 5G networks nationwide. COVID-19 has impacted the transportation sector substantially as shelter-in-place directives, virtual education, and remote work have resulted in less time on the road. The long-term behavior changes that may result from this crisis remain to be seen, but industry players are re-evaluating their strategies, value propositions, and partners to adjust to new realities. The connected home market also continues to develop, as many consumers invest in home renovation projects to adjust their living spaces to their new TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
routines. As connectivity in the car continues to increase, new use cases will emerge, including augmented reality dashboards, assisted or remote operator driving, fully autonomous vehicles, new levels of in-car infotainment, and monitoring solutions. Increased connectivity in the home adds new opportunities with crossover use cases, including the home security space.
and roughly the same percentage of security system owners are willing to pay at least $10 per month for these services. Seeing this opportunity, industry leaders are already adding integration between the car and home. n ADT’s Command and Control interactive smart security platform, which has integrated energy management features into its interactive security and home automation platforms, announced at CES 2020 a DIY device that provides integration with the car and the home. The device provides vehicle tracking and integration with security devices in the home to enable automatic responses as a reaction to the car’s GPS positioning (e.g. adjust temperature, lighting). n Vivint is continuously innovating new products and services to expand its presence within smart home security. Vivint recently launched the Car Guard, a device outside of traditional smart home devices allowing homeowners to manage the security of both their home and car with a single app. The new device works with
Our research shows an early market opportunity to extend security services to the vehicle. More than 40% of home security system owners indicate interest in vehicle monitoring as an add-on for home security systems, [28]
Research, continued from page 28
Business, continued from page 27
the Vivint Home ecosystem and can trigger lights and cameras connected to the home to turn on if a disturbance is detected.
ransoms and eliminate the need for your organization to have to obtain cryptocurrency on its own to pay the attackers. An organization also has the option to hit the reset button in order to restore and/or recreate its network which can include the data that was encrypted and replace the hardware that is infected. An insurance program can also reimburse an organization for lost income and reputational harm that is experienced during this time of restoration.
This expansion outside of the traditional smart home device ecosystem enables companies to reach a new market by expanding the DIY security monitoring market to car owners who want to use it as a standalone device or integrate it with their home’s security system.
TMA DISPATCH, SUMMER 2020 ADVERTISERS INDEX n Altronix, page 8 n CIA, page 29 n DICE Corporation, page 2 n DMP, page 6 n IPtelX, page 45 n NAPCO, page 54 n UL, page 30 Email communications@tma.us to learn about ad options.
Join us!
September 14, 2020 | 11AM [EST]
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.
Please contact Alice Cornett Giacalone for a complimentary review of your current program and quotes.
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.
Coverage options include: • • • • • • •
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TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
[29]
Earn CEUs with UL’s free online central station training course Find out how to become a UL Certified central station Effective fire and security alarm systems depend on a reliable central station to monitor system activity and initiate actions. Independent third-party testing of your systems can add credibility to your brand and services, helping you distinguish yourself in today’s competitive landscape. Join this free online training course where UL safety experts will: • Identify the different types of UL certified stations • Explain the key requirements for becoming a UL certified central station as found in UL 827, the Standard for Central-Station Alarm Services
Continuing education units (CEUs) UL Knowledge Solutions is authorized by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) to offer 0.1 CEUs upon completion of this course; contact your local jurisdiction for CEU recognition.
To learn more, visit us at UL.com/centralstation101.
UL and the UL logo are trademarks of UL LLC © 2020. 0820
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
[30]
AICC REPORT >>
Protecting Your Internal Communications It doesn’t have to break the bank. By Lou Fiore, Chairman, AICC
reliable, totally independent alternative is within your grasp should you wish to go that way. While these frequencies have been coveted by other industries, seeking to use them for trunked radio systems. TMA still retains the ability to coordinate a certain group of frequencies between 460 and 466 MHz. But we no longer have exclusive use. We must now share these frequencies with others on a non-interfering basis.
I want to begin by saying we mourn the passing of Robert Bitton, our TMA Frequency Coordinator, a TMA/ CSAA past president and my friend. Bob spent a good deal of his own time working on behalf of the industry, TMA members, and non-TMA members alike, safeguarding our use of the frequency allocation won by our colleagues generations ago on behalf of the alarm industry. He will be missed. In this issue of the TMA Dispatch, let’s look at an old topic in a new light. Since 1969, listed alarm companies have enjoyed the exclusive use of a portion of the 450 to 470 MHz business band for alarm usage, both voice and data. In recent years, voice usage on these frequencies has fallen off dramatically because of the transition to commercial cellular networks. In recent weeks, with a very large portion of the US workforce working at home, use of the Internet
and commercial cellular have been overloaded. With people going online to a much greater extent in the pandemic, Internet traffic has exploded. That is taking a toll on our download speeds and video quality. Besides increased cellular traffic, one alternative is to use the hotspot feature on many smart phones, further stressing the cellular networks. We have written about the promise of FirstNet for alarm transmission from monitored premises to a listed central station. While FirstNet will be useful for alarm traffic, its use for voice or broadband traffic such as video is reserved for first responders. This leaves us to use the commercial cellular networks to communicate with employees. But the use of cellular for voice traffic proves problematic in times of national or regional emergency. This has been shown the case during 9-11 and with the current pandemic. A
The coordination process will yield an FCC license for a company to operate on these frequencies. After licensing, there is then a one-year construction requirement to build out a system. In this frequency band are numerous channels that can be licensed. The low power channels between the high power channels (the so-called “offsets”) are typically used for alarm data transmission by systems such as AESIntellinet. But the high power channels, spaced 5 MHz apart for repeater use, are there to be used for voice as well as data. These voice channels have been used for decades by central station companies wishing to communicate with its field personnel such as sales, installers, service, runners, guards, etc. Slowly, over the years, this function has been replaced by the use of cellular telephones. Our lack of use of these voice channels have been noted by others and an appeal to the FCC by other coordinators left us in the current situation of having to share these frequencies. With recent episodes showing the vulnerability of the cellular networks, continued on page 41
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
[31]
REGULATORY UPDATE >>
The Wireline Report
FCC’s stepped-up efforts to reduce robocalls. By Mary J. Sisak, Partner, Blooston Law (mjs@bloostonlaw.com)
by the FCC. If a portion of the calls received by the terminating VSP are authenticated, the safe harbor would be available for the blocking of calls from non-IP network, as well. To obtain the safe harbor, a VSP that blocks calls must designate a single point of contact for callers, as well as other VSPs, to report blocking errors at no charge. Blocking providers must investigate and resolve blocking disputes in a reasonable amount of time. Blocking providers must publish contact information clearly and conspicuously on their public-facing websites. The FCC declined to adopt a Critical Calls List as requested by AICC, finding that such a list would be subject to abuse and do more harm than good. The FCC released an order granting broad safe-harbor protections to voice service providers (VSPs) that block legitimate calls that the VSP identified as suspected fraudulent calls or unlawful robocalls. Over the past year, alarm companies have reported numerous instances when calls from the central station to the customer in connection with an alarm event were incorrectly blocked or mislabeled as fraud. The FCC’s order is intended to encourage more VSPs to block calls by protecting them from legal action when they block legitimate calls. It may also encourage VSPs to block calls, rather than label them as suspected fraud.
to resolve unintended or inadvertent blocking.
The FCC states that when blocking, VSPs should make all reasonable efforts to ensure that critical calls, such as those from Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), are not blocked and that they should never block calls to 911. Calls from alarm companies are not included in this protected group.
For purposes of this safe harbor, reasonable analytics may include blocking calls that are of low average call duration; where there are large bursts of calls in a short time frame; or where there is a large volume of complaints The safe harbor from liability is available related to a suspect line. Terminating to terminating VSPs that: VSPs must incorporate caller ID 1. Block calls based on reasonable authentication information into their analytics designed to identify reasonable analytics programs. At this unwanted calls, so long as those take time, only the STIR/SHAKEN caller ID into account information provided authentication framework satisfies this by STIR/SHAKEN; requirement. A number of VSPs have 2. Offer to consumers the ability to already implemented STIR/SHAKEN in opt-out of blocking; and the IP part of their networks and more 3. Furnish a single point of contact will do so by June 30, 2021, as required TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
In the Order, the FCC also denied AICC’s Petition for Clarification or Reconsideration, in which AICC asked the Commission to clarify certain requirements in its previous call-blocking Declaratory Ruling. Among other things, AICC asked the FCC to clarify that alarm company notifications are the type of emergency communication the Commission cautions voice service providers must safeguard. Although the FCC recognized that “alarm company notifications can be extremely important, particularly when it is a question of whether to dispatch emergency services,” the FCC denied this request. Rather, the FCC encouraged alarm companies “to take advantage of our requirement in this Order that terminating voice service providers that block calls provide a single point of contact for call-blocking issues, and to educate their customers that alarm calls may be blocked if the customer chooses not to opt out of their voice service provider’s blocking program.” [32]
Central Station Calls Continue to be Blocked or Mislabeled Because of Robocall Efforts AICC filed reply comments informing the FCC of the issues experienced by central stations in connection with the call blocking programs initiated by carriers to stop robocalls. AICC’s reply comments were in response to the FCC’s request for comment on any call blocking issues, including the implementation and effectiveness of opt-in and opt-out call blocking services based on analytics, since the FCC clarified in 2019 that voice service providers may provide call blocking without the customer’s up-front consent, as long as customers can optout of such blocking.
by the central station to respond to an alarm signal have been blocked or mislabeled as suspected fraud by a voice service provider. While some of the central stations were able to get the matter resolved with some carriers, others had difficulty contacting the appropriate carrier and/or getting the issue resolved. One central station had many calls blocked by different carriers and noted the impossibility of notifying all carriers about all central station numbers that are blocked. AICC argued that alarm companies need a one-stop reporting solution to address this issue.
In its reply comments, AICC informed the FCC that a number of alarm central stations have reported that calls placed
Other industries also reported that their lawful calls have been blocked or mislabeled as potential fraud by voice service providers. Companies also report
mixed results in resolving call blocking issues with voice service providers. The FCC has dealt with call blocking in its Order and, as discussed, has provided safe harbor protections in connection with such calls. However, the FCC did not specifically address mislabeling calls and is seeking comment of this issue. If your central station has experienced the mislabeling of calls as potential fraud, please send such information to TMA so that it can be provided to the FCC in an effort to ensure that calls from central stations are not mislabeled. Send the information to: Celia T. Besore Executive Director, TMA cbesore@tma.us
Information Needed on Blocking and Throttling of Traffic AICC is seeking information on any harmful impacts to public safety experienced by companies caused by carriers and broadband Internet access providers that block or throttle traffic or are caused by the paid prioritization programs used by such providers. Information received will be used by AICC to support its argument in favor of protections for public safety entities, including alarm companies, from such practices. On October 1, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued its opinion in Mozilla v. Federal Communications Commission, and largely upheld the FCC’s net neutrality order, which allows broadband Internet access providers to
adopt paid prioritization, blocking and throttling practices. However, the Court remanded a number of issues to the FCC for further consideration and vacated the FCC’s attempt to preempt the states. Most notable for the alarm industry, the Court remanded the FCC’s Order on the question of how paid prioritization, blocking and throttling of traffic will impact public safety. The FCC’s public notice seeking comment on the remanded issues appears focused on information to justify its original order rather than change the application of the order to protect public safety. In response, the majority of commenters urge the Commission to find that no protections are needed for public safety and to maintain its original
order. Little information was provided to demonstrate issues or problems experienced by public safety entities as a result of the net neutrality rules. Information demonstrating harmful impacts, if any, caused by paid prioritization, blocking and throttling of traffic will be critical to obtaining changes to the FCC’s Order to prohibit or limit such practices. Please report any such impacts experienced by your company to: Celia T. Besore Executive Director, TMA cbesore@tma.us
TMA 2020 Annual Meeting October 27-29, 2020 | Virtual
Unprecedented times. Unlimited discovery. www.tma.us TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Early-bird registration ends Aug. 31 st [33]
REGULATORY UPDATE >>
The Wireless Report
FCC enforcement in force; FAA rules on drones By John A. Prendergast, Managing Partner, Blooston Law (jap@bloostonlaw.com)
of the 1526-1536 MHz, 1627.5-1637.5 MHz, and 1646.5-1656.5 MHz bands. The draft Order is conditioned to reflect these technical requirements. The order also requires Ligado to protect adjacent band incumbents by reporting its base station locations and technical operating parameters to potentially affected government and industry stakeholders prior to commencing operations, continuously monitoring the transmit power of its base station sites, and complying with procedures and actions for responding to credible reports of interference, including rapid shutdown of operations where warranted.
John Prendergast
FCC Approves Ligado 5G Network Despite Concerns About Interference to GPS The FCC has approved satellite service provider Ligado’s application to deploy a low-power terrestrial nationwide network in the L-Band that will primarily support 5G and Internet of Things services. The approval has bipartisan support among the Commissioners, despite concerns in the industry about interference to GPS signals. Certain aspects of central station operations depend on GPS. The Ligado proposal grew out of the failed efforts of Lightsquared, which was the subject of AICC comments several years ago. The project had festered for years in a cloud of controversy; and the FCC’s approval decision comes amid objections from 13 different government agencies, including DOD, Homeland Security, DOJ, FAA and NASA among others. All are concerned about interference to important military and safely-related communications that TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
rely on GPS signals. According to the Press Release, Ligado has amended its application in recent years to significantly reduce the power levels of its base stations from 32 dBW to 9.8 dBW (a reduction of 99.3%), in order to address interference concerns. However, certain studies purport to show that even at the reduced power level proposed by Ligado, interference will still affect GPS receivers, since such receivers must be able to receive relatively weak signals from distant satellites. Interference could impair the ability of GPS to provide the precise timing needed for certain military applications, as well as synchronized Internet and mobile communications. Ligado has also committed to providing a significant (23 megahertz) guardband using its own licensed spectrum to further separate its terrestrial base station transmissions from neighboring operations in the RadionavigationSatellite Service allocation. As such, Ligado is now only seeking terrestrial use
TV Channel Repacking Process Puts Television Signals Closer to Central Station Frequencies: Diligence Required Certain TV broadcasters have started to send notices to Part 90 licensees, including central station alarm radio licensees, about the relocation of their television signal to spectrum immediately adjacent to the central station frequencies in the 460-466 MHz band. The most recent notices indicate that in the coming weeks, these broadcasters plan to change their television broadcast operations to Channel 14 (470-476 MHz). Alarm company licensees that receive such notices will want to immediately begin monitoring their frequencies for interference, and take action to enforce their protection rights. Some TV stations have been reassigned to channel 14 as part of the broadcast incentive auction and related “repacking” of television operations into a smaller portion of the broadcast band, so that the FCC could sell the remaining [34]
TV spectrum for future 5G operations. The relocated channel 14 broadcast operations have the potential to create RF interference issues unless the broadcaster takes steps to mitigate outof-band transmissions (e.g., filtering). Private radio systems have co-existed with channel 14 broadcast operations in a fair number of markets prior to the repack, but the concern would be making sure that the new channel 14 operations are tuned/filtered properly from the start. Under FCC rules, TV channel 14 broadcasters have an obligation to “take adequate measures to identify and substantially eliminate objectionable interference which may be caused to existing land mobile radio facilities in the 460 to 470 MHz band.” All costs associated with the repack, including notification and coordination with land mobile radio operators and purchase, installation and testing of appropriate filtering components (for both the main and backup transmitter) are reimbursed to the broadcaster from Incentive Auction proceeds. But before program test authority may begin, the broadcaster is required to submit documentation to the FCC showing that there will be no interference to land-mobile radio services. This is because TV channel 14 broadcasters have an obligation to identify and substantially eliminate harmful interference to incumbent land mobile radio operations including the alarm monitoring operations. But the broadcaster may not know it is causing interference unless alarm licensees report a problem. That is why it is important that licensees who receive these channel 14 notice letters carefully monitor their licensed channels. Affected companies that have any questions can contact John Prendergast at Blooston Law.
FCC Provides COVID-19 Relief – Extends Certain Construction Deadlines The FCC has issued a blanket extension of certain wireless construction deadlines, in response to a petition for TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
waiver filed by the Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA). EWA requested the waiver for certain Private Land Mobile site-based and mobile-only wireless system licenses, in order to provide them with additional time to satisfy their construction requirements in light of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. In particular, the FCC is providing an additional 60 days to various site-based and mobile only licensees authorized under Parts 22, 80, 87, 90 and 101 of the Commission’s Rules with construction deadlines from March 15, 2020 through (and including) May 15, 2020. In granting the petition in part, the FCC agreed with EWA’s assessment that the COVID-19 pandemic emergency is adversely affecting the ability of many site-based and mobile-only licensees to meet their construction deadlines. And unlike prior construction waivers involving a natural disaster that has impacted “discrete” portions of the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic emergency has involved the entire country, with the vast majority of states issuing “stay-at-home” orders to nonessential businesses and social distancing guidelines for workers – which are essential to ensure the public health and safety. In a recent meeting following the release of this Order, the FCC stated it anticipated a reevaluation of the situation on or about May 1st in order to determine if a further extension is warranted.
FCC Adopts 6GHz Band Rules for Unlicensed Devices The FCC has adopted rules that make 1,200 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band (5.925-7.125 GHz) available for unlicensed devices. Unlicensed devices would share this spectrum with incumbent licensed services under rules that are crafted to protect those licensed services and to enable both unlicensed and licensed operations to thrive throughout the band. Wireless alarm
equipment manufacturers will want to determine what opportunities this new unlicensed spectrum allocation affords. The Report and Order authorizes two different types of unlicensed operations: standard-power over 850-megahertz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band, and indoor low-power operations over the full 1,200-megahertz available in the band. An automated frequency coordination (“AFC”) system would prevent standard power access points from operating where they could cause interference to incumbent services. For low-power indoor operations, the FCC concluded that there would be no need for AFCcontrolled access since low-power devices would be (a) limited to indoor operation; (b) required to use a contention-based protocol; and (c) be subject to low-power operation. By limiting operation to indoor use only, the FCC determined that signal loss as the signal passes through walls would be sufficient to prevent harmful interference to incumbents. Additionally, the rules require a contention-based protocol which is similar to the private land mobile protocol for shared channels that ensure that transmitters are not transmitting over the same spectrum simultaneously. Simply put, the unlicensed device is not supposed to transmit the data packet until the frequency is idle. Finally, low-power indoor access points will be limited to lower power levels than standard access points that utilize an automated frequency coordination system to prevent harmful interference to incumbent 6 GHz licensees. A Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes to permit very low-power devices to operate across the 6 GHz band to support high data rate applications including high-performance, wearable, augmented-reality and virtualreality devices. Specifically, the Further Notice will seek comment on making a contiguous 1,200-megahertz block of spectrum available for the development of new and innovative high-speed, short-range devices and on power levels and other technical and operational [35]
measures to avoid causing interference to incumbent services. The Further Notice also seeks comment on increasing the power at which low-power indoor access points may operate. In adopting this item, Chairman Pai stated “The coronavirus pandemic has temporarily changed nearly every aspect of our lives. Most notably, of course, millions of American adults and children are staying at home. Many of those households have multiple connected devices; parents and kids may be using laptops, tablets, and smartphones, all at the same time.” Pai continued that “even before anyone had heard of COVID-19, Wi-Fi already carried more than half of the Internet’s traffic, and offloading mobile data traffic to Wi-Fi was vital to keeping our cellular networks from being overwhelmed. In a very real sense, Wi-Fi is the fabric that binds together all our digital devices.” Pai stated that the order would “take a bold step to increase the supply of unlicensed spectrum: we’re making the entire 6 GHz band—a massive 1,200 megahertz test bed for innovators and innovation—available for unlicensed use. By doing this, we are effectively increasing the amount of mid-band spectrum available for Wi-Fi by almost a factor of five. This will be a huge benefit to consumers and innovators across the nation. Wi-Fi NOW’s Claus Hetting, a champion of Wi-Fi innovation, said it perfectly: “The truth is that this 6 GHz spectrum boost will launch the Wi-Fi industry into a new growth trajectory. It will boost Wi-Fi’s massive indoor dominance. And surely—with the help of emboldened entrepreneurs everywhere—it will bring low-cost Wi-Fi (and unlicensed) connectivity to places where it has never been.”
FCC Proposes $685K Fine for Marketing 32 Non-Compliant Microphones The FCC has proposed a fine of $685,388 against Sound Around, Inc. (“Sound Around”) for apparently marketing 32 models of wireless microphones last TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
year that did not appear to have been authorized in accordance with the FCC’s Rules. In this regard, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau had previously cited Sound Around with violation of the FCC’s equipment authorization requirements and directed it to cease marketing non-compliant radio frequency devices. Despite the issuance of the citation, Sound Around continued its alleged illegal practices and the FCC has now proposed a substantial fine. Section 302(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 provides that “[n]o person shall manufacture, import, sell, offer for sale, or ship devices or home electronic equipment and systems, or use devices, which fail to comply with regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.” Rule Section 2.803(b)(1) states that no person may market a radio frequency device that is subject to certification unless the device has been authorized and is properly identified and labeled. Similarly, pursuant to Rule Section 74.851(f) of the Commission’s rules, certain wireless microphones must be authorized in accordance with the certification procedures before they may be marketed in the United States. Marketing under the FCC’s equipment authorization rules means the “sale or lease, or offering for sale or lease, including advertising for sale or lease, or importation, shipment, or distribution for the purpose of selling or leasing or offering for sale or lease.” Sound Around is a private company that sells audio and video electronics and accessories for the home, car, professional, and marine audio/video markets through its own websites, pyleusa.com and pyleaudio.com, and the websites of other retailers. These products include wireless microphones. Over the years, the FCC has taken various enforcement actions, including a Citation in 2011 for marketing noncompliant wireless microphones that were apparently capable of operating in restricted frequency bands as well as the 700 MHz frequency band, where they were no longer authorized to operate in
the United States; a Letter of Inquiry in 2017 to which Sound Around allegedly responded well after the due date and with inconsistent and sometimes conflicting information. As a result, a further Letter of Inquiry was issued in 2019, which resulted in the discovery that certain models were not authorized by the FCC, others were operating on frequencies that did not match the authorized frequencies, some models were operating in the aviation band, while others were just uncertified. The Communications Act requires the FCC to issue a citation to warn any entity of a violation when it is not the holder of an FCC authorization and whose violation does not involve conduct for which an authorization would be required before the FCC may then issue a fine. It is only if the entity then subsequently engages “in conduct of the type described in [the] citation,” that it may propose a monetary forfeiture. Here, the base amount of the fine is $7,000 (which when multiplied by the 32 models would total $224,000). However, the FCC determined that significant increases would be warranted based upon (a) Sound Around’s long-running (repeated and continuous) marketing of non-compliant wireless microphones going back to at least 2009 and (b) serious threats to public safety resulting from the marketing of two models that were operating in the Part 87 aviation bands. This case demonstrates two things: (a) if warned of a violation, such conduct should cease and corrective action be promptly taken and (b) provide responses to the FCC when requested. In that regard, we urge our clients to promptly contact our office if you receive a letter of inquiry, violation notice or citation from the FCC, so that we can guide you through the process.
[36]
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
By Sal Taillefer, Jr., Associate, Blooston Law (sta@bloostenlaw.com)
New Legislation H.R.6604 - Commerce Spectrum Coordination Act of 2020 Sponsor: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9] (Introduced 04/23/2020) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 04/23/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This bill establishes the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The duties of the committee would include advising and making recommendations with respect to (1) developing policies to maintain or strengthen global leadership in the introduction of communications technologies and services, (2) advancing spectrum-based innovation, (3) fostering increased spectrum sharing, and (4) identifying international opportunities to further U.S. economic interests through spectrum management. It is unclear whether this body would have any authority to act on its own, but AICC will want to be aware of its recommendations, especially with regard to spectrum sharing and spectrum management that may affect spectrum used by alarm companies. H.R.6103 - Safe Stay Act Sponsor: Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (Introduced 03/05/2020) Committees: House - Science, Space, and Technology; Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 03/05/2020 Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. This bill would amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to update the fire prevention and control guidelines to require the mandatory installation of carbon monoxide alarms in all places of public accommodation. A carbon monoxide alarm is compliant under the Act if it is installed in accordance with the International Fire Code or National Fire Protection Association Standard 72, and the applicable UL standards referenced therein. Many alarm companies protect hotels, and may need to revisit their monitoring agreements if this legislation should pass to add carbon monoxide monitoring as well as smoke.
No Update
however, include de-identified data; employee data; and public records. While the bill appears to be targeted primarily at data brokers, it may also cover data collected and transferred by alarm companies for the purpose of providing alarm service. Rights afforded by the bill include: the right to have covered data deleted; the right to affirmatively consent to changes to a company’s privacy policy; and the right to opt out of transfers entirely. The bill also requires covered entities to meet specific requirements related to data security; requires them to process or transfer only that data that “is reasonably necessary, proportionate, and limited” to the service provided; and prohibits them from using covered data for marketing purposes. In addition to the typical information one might expect – name, address, date of birth, and other account-type information – it is possible that video from alarm systems might reasonably be included. Alarm companies will need to be mindful of bills such as these.
S.2968 - Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (Introduced 12/03/2019) Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Latest Action: Senate - 12/03/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
H.R.5928 - FIRST RESPONDER Act of 2020 Sponsor: Rep. Walden, Greg [R-OR-2] (Introduced 02/18/2020) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 02/18/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act requires entities that collect or process identifying customer information to give those customers certain rights regarding that information. Covered data includes information that identifies, or is linked or reasonably linkable to an individual or a consumer device, including derived data. It does not,
This Act is titled the “Fee Integrity and Responsibilities and To Regain Essential Spectrum for Public-safety Operators Needed to Deploy Equipment Reliably Act of 2020” or the “FIRST RESPONDER Act of 2020”. Its purpose is to repeal the requirement to reallocate and auction the T-Band spectrum, to amend the Wireless [37]
Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 to clarify acceptable 9–1–1 obligations or expenditures. The alarm industry makes use of the T-Band, and has been opposed to its reallocation and auctioning since that action was adopted in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. The FIRST RESPONDER Act would repeal that section entirely. The FIRST RESPONDER Act also requires the FCC to designate a list of acceptable obligations and expenditures for 911 fees collected by states and local governments. S.3246 - SMART Act Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (Introduced 01/28/2020) Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Latest Action: Senate - 01/28/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (All Actions) This bill requires the FCC to conduct a public auction of the C-band. Relevant to the alarm industry, some portion of auction proceeds will be used to create a Next Generation 9–1–1 Trust Fund for the deployment of Next Generation 9–1–1 services. This source of NG911 funding may finally give rise to some of the devices AICC is concerned about, i.e., those that feature direct, unscreened signaling straight to the PSAP that could potentially overwhelm emergency response capability. S.151 – TRACED Act Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] (Introduced 01/16/2019) Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation | House - Energy and Commerce TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Committee Reports: S. Rept. 116-41 Latest Action: 12/30/2019 Became Public Law No: 116-105.
This makes it easier for the FCC to issue forfeitures for robocalls on its own accord. It is separate from the civil penalty that creates grounds for the lawsuits we have seen.
This bill became law at the end of 2019. It generally requires the FCC to adopt such regulations as it deems necessary to ensure the consumer protection and privacy purposes of the § 227 of the Communications Act (a.k.a the TCPA). Beyond this general requirement, the bill includes several specific actions relevant to the alarm industry:
Section 7 requires the FCC to adopt regulations to require the implementation of call authentication technology, and to adopt regulations to permit callers to block calls from unauthenticated numbers and take “reasonable steps” to ensure no calls are wrongly blocked because they originate from a carrier that is exempt from implementing authentication.
Section 3 revises the TCPA to clarify that if the FCC adopts an exemption to the TCPA pursuant to section 227(b) (2), then it must expressly include limitations on the classes of parties that are exempt, the classes of customers that are exempt, and the number of times calling parties may make calls to particular called parties. The FCC has granted a few exceptions using its authority under 227(b)(2), including certain financial-related calls and certain healthcare-related calls. This section would require increased specificity when it comes to these types of exemptions. Section 4 clarifies that the term “called party” refers to the current subscriber or customary user of the line, not the person the caller is intending to call. The FCC adopted this definition along with a “one-call safe harbor,” but the Court of Appeals overturned both findings. AICC has taken a stance against this interpretation of the term “called party” because it puts the onus of determining whether a number has been reassigned on the alarm company making the call. Section 5 eliminates the citation requirement before the FCC can issue forfeitures for violation of the TCPA, and extends the statute of limitation for such forfeiture assessments to four years.
The FCC has already made clarifications similar to what is required in the legislation, and AICC has filed a petition for reconsideration requesting certain clarifications. The FCC has also sought comment on how to further implement call blocking services, and AICC filed comments. Section 8 requires the FCC to take final agency action to ensure robocall blocking services provided on an opt-in or opt-out basis, as contemplated in the current call blocking proceeding, are provided with transparency and effective redress options for consumers and callers, at no additional line-item cost. Transparency and redress options are of critical importance to the alarm industry. In its Petition for Reconsideration, AICC argued to the FCC that direct notifications to customers for opt-out call blocking were necessary to promote transparency, and also raised transparency concerns regarding how carriers offering alarm services might treat non-affiliated alarm services differently. In its comments in the NPRM proceeding, AICC urged the Commission to ensure there were effective redress options for customers and central stations to be able to get off block lists as soon as possible. S.2204 - DART Act of 2019 Sponsor: Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] (Introduced 07/23/2019) [38]
Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Latest Action: Senate - 12/11/2019 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. This bill empowers the FCC to carry out a pilot program under which voice service providers could block calls through the “use data analytics and caller identification authentication procedures,” and would not be liable if a lawful call is blocked if they were acting in good faith. It also provides for a list of numbers that may not be blocked that includes any numbers used by PSAPs or a similar facility used to originate or route emergency calls; government calls; and schools or similar institutions. The FCC has already ruled that carriers may block calls based on certain analytics, and has provided clarification on the steps carriers that block calls must take to avoid liability. The FCC is also seeking comment on a Critical Calls list similar to the list called for in this bill, and has supported the inclusion of alarm industry members thereon. DEFEAT Robocalls Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36] (Introduced 07/11/2019) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: 07/25/2019 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. This full title of this bill is the “Double the Enforcement and Fines of Everyone Associated with Terrible Robocalls Act of 2019,” and it would do exactly that: substantially increases the penalties associated with violations of the TCPA. In particular, it would increase the $500-per-violation civil damages to $1000. As the alarm industry has seen first
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
hand, the current penalties have already given rise to predatory litigation over TCPA “violations.” Doubling the amount awarded per violation would only exacerbate the issue. AICC should provide evidence of its experience to the bill’s sponsor. H.R.4792 - Cyber Shield Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-33] (Introduced 10/22/2019) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 10/23/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce This bill establishes a voluntary program to identify and promote internet-connected products that meet industry-leading cybersecurity and data security standards, guidelines, best practices, methodologies, procedures, and processes. Products that meet the standards established under this bill may bear a “Cyber Shield” label demonstrating certification, similar to the Five Diamond central station program. As alarm devices will likely be candidates for such labeling, AICC will want to monitor the progression of this bill and, if passed into law, participate in the standards process to the extent possible. S.2748, H.R.451 - Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2019 Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (Introduced 10/30/2019) Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Latest Action: Senate - 10/30/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Sponsor: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16] (Introduced 01/10/2019) Committees:
House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 01/25/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. These bills would repeal Section 6103 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. This section provided that the FCC must reallocate the spectrum in the 470–512 MHz band (a.k.a. the “T-Band spectrum”), which is currently used by eligible public safety entities, by 2021. The Senate version was introduced at the end of October, but the House version has been idle since its introduction in January. It is our understanding that several alarm companies operate in the T-Band. Accordingly, this bill deserves AICC’s support. H.R.3836 - Wireless Infrastructure Resiliency During Emergencies and Disasters Act Sponsor: Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18] (Introduced 07/18/2019) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 07/19/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Amends § 332(c)(3)(A) of the Communications Act, which prohibits State and local government from having any authority to regulate the entry of or the rates charged by any commercial mobile service or any private mobile service by clarifying that they may regulate other terms and conditions of commercial mobile services, including reasonable requirements to promote resilient wireless communications infrastructure for situational awareness during a natural disaster. State and local governments could already regulate “other terms and conditions” besides entry and rate, so the language proposed here appears to be
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more for clarification than substantive revision to the law. Nevertheless, with specific language in the Act protecting State and local governments’ right to impose resilience requirements on communications infrastructure, more may be forthcoming. S.2223 – AIRWAVES Act Sponsor: Sen. Gardner, Cory [R-CO] (Introduced 07/23/2019) Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Latest Action: Senate - 07/23/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to complete auctions during each of the next three calendar years that will grant new broadcast licenses 500 MHz of spectrum in frequency spectrum bands below 6 GHz. For the auctioned spectrum, the FCC cannot cause unreasonable interference with incumbents. The FCC must also make available, by means unspecified, another 500 MHz above 500 GHz. There is no apparent protection for incumbents here.
House - 04/30/2019 Subcommittee Hearings Held. This bill requires the FCC to establish by regulation technical and procedural standards that require providers to verify that caller identification information being transmitted is accurate, unless the consumer requests it to be blocked. The FCC must also establish standards to require receiving providers to block unverified calls or texts or otherwise identify them as likely coming from an automated dialer. There is an exception that prohibits blocking PSAPs and emergency operations centers, however. This legislation is much less specific than other pieces of robocall legislation, with the corollary being that the FCC has much more flexibility in implementing it. As we have discussed, the FCC is already heading down this path in the absence of legislation. H.R.2355 - Regulatory Oversight Barring Obnoxious Calls and Texts Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18] (Introduced 04/25/2019) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 04/30/2019 Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Spectrum identified for these auctions may include unlicensed spectrum that may impact alarm operations. Fortunately, provisions are included for incumbent protection, but it will be necessary for the Alarm Industry to monitor for interference and seek redress if necessary.
This bill would require the FCC to create within the Enforcement Bureau of the Commission a division that specifically addresses the issue of robocalls.
H.R.2298 - Repeated Objectionable Bothering Of Consumers On Phones Act Sponsor: Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (Introduced 04/12/2019) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action:
H.R.1644 - Save the Internet Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Doyle, Michael F. [D-PA-18] (Introduced 03/08/2019) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Committee Reports: H. Rept. 116-34 Latest Action: Senate - 04/29/2019 Read the second
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
A division dedicated to robocall issues could potentially offer a faster route toward resolving call blocking issues.
time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 74. Roll Call Votes: There have been 5 roll call votes. The Save the Internet Act would purportedly restore several aspects of Title II regulation to broadband Internet access service, including: Prohibition of “unjust and unreasonable practices” (Sections 201 and 202); Investigation of consumer complaints under section 208 and related enforcement provisions (Sections 206, 207, 209, 216 and 217); Protection for consumer privacy (Section 222); Fair access to poles and conduits (Section 224); Protection for people with disabilities (Sections 225 and 255); and Universal service fund support for broadband service in the future (partial application of Section 254). These provisions could reasonably provide some protection to alarm companies from predatory practices by competitors who also offer broadband Internet access services. H.R.1954, S.952 - Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Kustoff, David [R-TN-8] (Introduced 03/28/2019) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 03/28/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Sponsor: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR] (Introduced 03/28/2019) Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Latest Action: Senate - 03/28/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. These companion bills would prohibit the FCC from preventing a State or Federal correctional facility from utilizing jamming equipment. [40]
AICC members have historically experienced issues with prison cell jammers jamming signals outside the prison, in particular alarm signals. The bill provides that jamming must be limited to the housing facilities of the correctional facility, but precise limitations have proven difficult to implement. This language is not likely sufficient to protect alarm company customers. H.R.1818 - Kelsey Smith Act Sponsor: Rep. Estes, Ron [R-KS-4] (Introduced 03/18/2019) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 03/18/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This bill amends the Communications Act to require providers of a covered service to provide location information concerning the telecommunications device of a user of such service to an investigative or law enforcement officer or an employee or other agent of a public safety answering point in an emergency situation involving risk of death or serious physical harm or in order to respond to the user’s call for emergency services. AICC will want to monitor this legislation and participate in any effort to implement it, as necessary. H.R.2136 - Open Internet Preservation Act Sponsor: Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] (Introduced 04/08/2019) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 04/08/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This bill essentially codifies the no-block and no-throttling Open Internet rules that the FCC overturned. These rules are TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
important to AICC’s members because several major ISPs whose members rely on to transmit their alarm data also offer competing alarm services.
for customers, and AICC will want to participate in those proceedings as well. AICC, continued from page 31
Being able to block or degrade competitor’s data would put them at a substantial competitive advantage. S.1212 - ROBOCOP Act Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (Introduced 04/11/2019) Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Latest Action: Senate - 04/11/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The purpose of this bill is to amend the Communications Act to expand and clarify the prohibition on inaccurate caller identification information and to require providers of telephone service to offer technology to subscribers to reduce the incidence of unwanted telephone calls and text messages. In particular, the bill requires communications providers to offer the option to enable technology that identifies an incoming call or text message as originating or probably originating from an automatic telephone dialing system and prevents the subscriber from receiving a call or text message so identified unless (a) the call or text message is made or sent by a public safety entity, including a public safety answering point, emergency operations center, or law enforcement agency; or (b) the subscriber has provided prior express consent to receive the call or text message and has not revoked that consent. AICC will want to participate in any associated FCC rulemaking to assure that alarm companies’ automated messages are not incorrectly blocked by carriers under the technology proposed here. The FCC is currently making progress on allowing carriers to block calls
it is still within easy reach of alarm companies to create an alternate communication network, if for no other reason than to have an affordable, in-place backup should it be needed. Of course, an alarm company may also wish to invest in a trunked radio systems. In a simple repeater system, the most expensive components are a repeater and base antenna, typically procured new in the few thousands of dollar range. With quick search on eBay at this writing, there are several usable repeaters for less than $1,000. The field radios can be procured at a reasonable cost depending on features and complexity. Some are available for less than $100 per handheld. A listed alarm company wishing to set up its own repeater can do so rather inexpensively. If an alarm company has the height or a tower at its own facility, there should be no need for any recurring cost to pay for rooftop or tower rentals. If a company’s service area is greater than can be accommodated by a centrally located repeater, a network of repeaters can be set up using the services of a local radio shop. I have written about and spoke about this at various CSAA/TMA functions many times over the years. A few companies heeded my words. Disappointingly, many more just told me that they are happy with the cellular networks and did not see the need to go this way. But tropical storms, earthquakes, derechos and even our current pandemic have shown the vulnerability of the cellular networks. I sincerely hope you will consider using your own radio system at this point before no voice channels are available to our industry. This may be your last opportunity.
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ASAP-TO-PSAP>>
TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP Continues to Grow
ASAP saves time, improves accuracy, and increases efficiency between PSAPs and Monitoring Centers. Learn more on TMA’s website.
72 ASAP Active PSAP’s Alabama Montgomery Morgan County Arkansas Little Rock Arizona Chandler Phoenix Tempe Florida Boca Raton Bradenton Charlotte County Collier County Manatee County Riviera Beach Sarasota County West Palm Beach Georgia Alpharetta Augusta/Richmond County Dekalb County
Maryland Prince George’s County Missouri Boone County North Carolina Cary, Apex and Morrisville Durham Fayetteville and Cumberland County Guilford County High Point Johnston County Kernersville Pennsylvania Bucks County Chester County Dauphin County Monroeville Tennessee Bradley County Brentwood Hamilton County
Memphis Nashville Williamson County Texas Burleson Denton County Galveston County Grand Prairie Harris County Highland Park Houston Missouri City Plano Williamson County Union County Wilson County New York Broome County Monroe County Onondaga County Suffolk County
Ohio Cincinnati Delaware County Dublin Hamilton County Westerville Virginia Arlington County Chesapeake City of Richmond Hanover County Henrico County James City County Loudoun County Newport News Powhatan County Roanoke Virginia Beach York County Harrisonburg-Rockingham Wisconsin Dane County Washington DC
Portland 911 and BOEC, OR Beaumont PD, TX Chesterfield Emergency Communications, VA
Kitsap 911 Bremerton, WA Snohomish County 911, WA Brown County Public Safety Communications, WI
PSAP’s in Testing or Implementation Birmingham, AL Lee County, FL Sarasota, FL Aurora, IL
Eaton, Michigan Oneida County Emergency Services, NY Erie County , NY
What if... SIAC Didn’t Exist? The important work our team undertakes each day across our country on behalf of the security industry is solely and generously supported by donations from industry associations, and manufacturers, and others. To continue to fulfill our mission, we need your help.
Support SIAC. Donate today at www.siacinc.org TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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IN TMA NEWS>>
ASAP-to-PSAP Service Beefs-up for the Future
TMA Wage & Comp Survey Released
Make sure your compensation packages are inline with today’s industr y averages for all positions in your business. TMA’s Wage & Comp Survey provides monitoring and security services companies with salary and benefits information to guide hiring and compensation decisions. The Survey was created in partnership with TMA member, TRG Associates, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in the security alarm industry. The Survey collected wage and benefits information from the year 2018 for the following areas: • Demographic Data • Types of Monitoring and Installations • Monitoring Center • Executive & Operational Management • Dealer/Installer • Customer Support • Sales and Marketing • IT & Telecom Services • Benefits Packages
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Participation in the Survey was open to all security monitoring companies. Company specific information is not published to ensure confidentiality. “This, our latest Wage & Comp Survey, demonstrates our commitment first and foremost to the success of our members, and secondarily to the industry in which we come together, collaborate, and yes, compete,” stated Don Young, President, TMA. “This survey is an excellent reference tool for any company in this space that seeks to better understand the current landscape for talent acquisition and compensation.”
$82,000
The average compensation for a Monitoring Center Manager The Wage & Comp Survey is now available for sale on TMA’s website (www.tma.us). The purchase price is $400 for TMA members and $500 for non-members.
TMA launched its ASAP-to-PSAP service in 2011. The Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) is a public-private partnership designed to increase the efficiency and reliability of emergency electronic signals from monitoring companies to PSAPs. ASAP utilizes ANSI standard protocols developed cooperatively by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and TMA. With ASAP, critical life safety signals and accurate information are processed in seconds, not minutes, through the Nlets system of stateto-state PSAP communication, insuring that complete and accurate information is transmitted to the PSAP, or Emergency Communications Center (ECC), every time. TMA is currently upgrading its dedicated ASAP servers to a cloud environment. The transition to the cloud will future-proof the ASAP infrastructure, eliminating the continuing costs of replacing hardware when it reaches end-of-life. The cloud conversion will also enable additional PSAP communication methods, as well as update monitoring center connectivity from VPN’s to software-based SSL. “ASAP is fulfilling its original intent to modernize communications between monitoring centers and public safety,” stated Celia T. Besore, Executive Director, TMA. “The program’s growth, resulting from increased ECC adoption, has and will continue to make the service beneficial.” [43]
IN TMA NEWS>>
Data Gives Rise to New TMA Standard Initiative Stanley Security’s Mark McCall to head development In July, TMA issued an industry-wide call for participation in its newest draft standard designated as TMA-AVS-01. The new standard aims to create standardized “alarm scoring” metrics derived from data collected by public safety similar to how location accuracy and crash severity scoring are used. “How do we define data? Do we respond differently?” questioned TMA President Don Young during TMA’s August 17th Virtual Town Hall Meeting. “We will hyper-focus on intrusion, working with data from public safety and security systems to establish a standard that assigns priority to intrusion alarms.” The increasing use of data by public safety has had a positive impact on the services they provide to the public. Public safety officials in municipalities establish alarm response policies specific to their jurisdiction. The new standard will provide for the calculation of alarm scores by an alarm monitoring center process and technology. Alarm scores transmitted to public safety in a standardized manner will minimize workflows within public safety. It allows public safety to take advantage of the data without the burden of receiving and analyzing it themselves. Calls for service to Emergency Communication Centers (ECC) that include a standardized scoring metric can assist public safety departments that opt-in to the program with their alarm response policies. Additionally, the standard can enable processes for data relative to a Call for Service to be “pulled” by public safety on demand. Likewise, datasets generated by commercial sources, such as the alarm industry, can be a valuable data source to TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
public safety. Real time data collected by security providers will serve to improve situational awareness, as well as first responder safety. Sensor innovation driven by technological advances has raised the quantity and quality of data collected by alarm systems. In line with ANSI standards development protocols, TMA has convened a committee of stakeholders to lead the development of the standard. The committee, led by Mark McCall, Stanley Security, will be asked to complete their initial draft of the standard within 120 days of the first committee meeting. Larry Folsom, I-View Now, and David Holl, Lower Allen Township, will serve as Committee Co-Chairs. “We have a lot of data to score and analyze,” stated Mark McCall. “We’ll look at historical information in combination with other data such as environmental, video, and personal data.” Following completion of the draft document, committee participation for an additional three to a six-month period will be required during the public review and comment phase, and for completion of the final draft. Look for regular updates and calls for participation as the standard develops. If you have any questions regarding this standard, or other TMA standards initiatives, contact TMA staff liaison Bryan Ginn at bginn@tma.us.
TMA Names New Standards Committee Chair TMA is pleased to announce that Glenn Schroeder, Chief Technology Officer, NetOne, Inc., has been appointed as Chair, TMA Standards Committee. Glenn bring 40 years of alarm industry knowledge and experience to his new role. Over the span of his career, Glenn has held key senior leadership positions in Information Technology, Corporate Finance, Central Station, Customer Service, Field operations, and sales disciplines. “Standards creation is rewarding, but challenging, work. In defining best practices, standards help business, the economy and the safety of everyone. They affect all of us every day, wherever we go, and in whatever we do,” stated Glenn. “Having the opportunity to spend over 40 years in this industry, it is a privilege to be able to contribute my knowledge, expertise, and experience to influence the development of standards that could better the lives and business of the future.” Please join us is welcoming Glenn to this pivotal role.
View the presentation on the new standard on the pandemic resources page of www.tma.us.
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is committed to providing customers with the best telecommunication, wireless, and security devices in America. They partner with the industry’s leading suppliers and work with its customers to create new innovations based on evolving needs.
Consultant Join us in welcoming our newest members to the TMA community! Non-Listed Non-Traditional Monitoring Keystone Security Services, LLC Washington, DC & Haryana, India www.keystonesecurity.net Contact: Mr. Sonny Bhalla sonny.bhalla@keystonesecurity.net +1-301-346-7474 Joined May 2020 Keystone Security Services LLC specializing in 24/7 video monitoring for Commercial and Residential sites in the USA and globally. They provide real-time monitoring, correlation, and expert analysis of activity. They detect and alert customers regarding valid threats in real-time. This is achieved through a combination of cloud-based video surveillance using CCTV cameras and state-of-the-art video analytics, biometrics, and face recognition
software. They proactively stop crime while in progress by voice-down trespassing warnings and by contacting key holders and law enforcement authorities. With its overseas monitoring services any monitoring center or integrator can save more than 60% of monitoring operational expenses using their services. With its experienced, highly trained staff of video analysts, a monitoring center can increase productivity by 40%.
Non-Listed Alarm Monitoring A.V. Lauttamus Communications Inc. Weirton, WV (800) 285-2197 https://www.lauttamus.com/ contact@lauttamus.com Joined June 2020 Lauttamus Communications & Security
Thalamus Labs, LLC Pasadena, CA http://www.thalamuslabs.com/ Contact: Sugath Warnakulasuriya sugathw@thalamuslabs.com (415) 845-7633 Joined July 2020 Thalamus Labs is a team of exMcKinsey tech business builders, helping industrial and businessservices companies with distributed assets and/or mobile service crews, create significant new value using IoT, Advanced Analytics/AI. Thalamus team has a hands-on, accelerated approach to identifying new sources of revenue and cost savings, building business cases, rapidly piloting/experimenting, scaling up, and capturing value. They recently helped a $2B PE-owned industrial/multifamily housing services company with a million machines digitally transform to create $150M EBITDA.
UNCOMPLICATED
Telecom from a family-owned business
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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PROGRAMS>>
Welcome TMA’s Five Diamond Designees for 2020 As of August 17, 2020, these distinguished monitoring centers have committed to service excellence by renewing or joining the Five Diamond program. (Priority One Security) dba Blue Ridge Monitoring (BRM) Anderson, SC www.blueridgemonitoring.com Since 07/2018 (Stanley Black & Decker Canada Corp) dba Stanley Security (formerly MICROTEC) MontrÊal, QC www.microtec.ca Since 10/2011 Ackerman Security Systems Norcross, GA www.ackermansecurity.com Since 09/2008 ADS Security, L.P. Nashville, TN www.adssecurity.com Since 09/2003 Affiliated Monitoring Union, NJ www.affiliated.com Since 09/2005 Alarm Systems (aka: Quinte Kawartha dba Falcon Security) Belleville, ON www.alarmsys.com Since 03/2014 Alarm Tech Central Services, Inc. Ronkonkoma, NY www.alarmtechcentral.com Since 12/2009 All American Monitoring Sarasota, FL www.allamericanmonitoring.com Since 01/2011 American Burglary & Fire Fenton, MO www.abfsecurity.com Since 11/2005 AvantGuard Monitoring Centers Ogden, UT www.agmonitoring.com Since 01/2007
AvantGuard Monitoring Centers Rexburg, ID www.agmonitoring.com Since 08/2016 Barcom Security, Inc. Swansea, IL www.barcomsecurity.com Since 11/2007 Bell Canada (formerly Bell Smart Home and Alarmforce Industries, Inc.) Toronto, ON www.bell.ca/smart-home Since 04/2015 Bell Canada (formerly Bell Smart Home and Alarmforce Industries, Inc.) Winnipeg, MB www.bell.ca/smart-home Since 04/2020 Centra-Larm Monitoring Inc. Manchester, NH www.centra-larm.com Since 06/2009 CenturyLink Security Monroe, LA www.centurylink.com Since 02/2005 Engineered Protection Systems, Inc. (EPS Security) Grand Rapids, MI www.epssecurity.com Since 06/2004 FE Moran Security Solutions, LLC Champaign, IL www.femoransecurity.com Since 12/2006 Gillmore Security Systems Inc. Cleveland, OH www.gillmoresecurity.com Since 01/2009 Guardian Protection Services Inc. Butler, PA www.guardianprotection.com Since 06/2020
Guardian Protection Services Inc. Warrendale, PA www.guardianprotection.com Since 09/2006 H.E.B. Grocery Co. San Antonio, TX www.heb.com Since 03/2014 Kastle Systems Falls Church, VA www.kastle.com Since 06/2014 Life Alert Emergency Response, Inc. Encino, CA www.lifealert.com Since 11/2014 Life Safety Monitoring, LLC Munhall, PA www.mylifesafetymonitoring.com Since 01/2018 Matson Alarm Co Inc. Fresno, CA www.matsonalarm.com Since 06/2008 Metrodial Corporation, Inc. Hicksville, NY www.metrodial.com Since 11/2004 Peak Alarm Company, Inc. Salt Lake City, UT www.peakalarm.com Since 02/2006 Post Alarm Systems Arcadia, CA www.postalarm.com Since 12/2014 Redwire Tallahassee, FL www.redwireus.com Since 03/2012 Safe Systems Louisville, CO www.safe-systems.com Since 08/2004
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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PROGRAMS>>
TMA Five Diamond, cont from page 33 Security Alarm Corporation Port Charlotte, FL www.securityalarmcorp.com Since 06/2012 Security ONE Alarms, Inc. (KELCOM) Leamington, ON www.securityonealarm.com Since 05/2014 Security Partners, LLC Lancaster, PA www.securitypartners.com Since 04/2007 Security Partners, LLC Las Vegas, NV www.securitypartners.com Since 05/2016 Security Partners, LLC San Antonio, TX www.securitypartners.com Since 04/2014 SecurTek Monitoring Solutions, Inc. Yorkton, SK www.securtek.com Since 05/2010 SMG Security Systems, Inc. dba Midwest Central Dispatch Elk Grove Village, IL www.smgsecurity.com Since 11/2015 Statewide Central Station Staten Island, NY www.statewidecs.com Since 06/2011 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly LDS Church Security) Salt Lake City, UT http://churchofjesuschrist.org Since 05/2012 The Protection Bureau Exton, PA www.protectionbureau.com Since 11/2007 The Watchlight Corporation El Cajon, CA www.watchlight.com Since 03/2014 Total Monitoring Services, Inc. Sacramento, CA www.tmscentral.org Since 01/2012
U.S. Monitoring, Inc. Oklahoma City, OK www.usm-ok.com Since 08/2018 United Central Control (Lydia Security Monitoring) San Antonio, TX www.teamucc.com Since 08/2004 Universal Thrive Technologies, LLC (formerly THRIVE) Richardson, TX www.aus.com Since 07/2013 Valley Security and Alarm Fresno, CA www.valleysecurityandalarm.com Since 10/2017 Vigilante Security, Inc. (dba Michigan Monitoring Service, dba Command Alarm Monitoring) Troy, MI www.vigilantesecurity.com Since 05/2016
Vivint Inc. - MN Eagan, MN www.vivint.com Since 03/2014 Vivint Inc. - UT Provo, UT www.vivint.com Since 03/2014 Vyanet Operating Group, Inc. Bend, OR www.vyanet.com Since 12/2014 Wayne Alarm Systems, Inc. Lynn, MA www.waynealarm.com Since 11/2003 Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. Rochester, NY www.wegmans.com Since 04/2008
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TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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EDUCATION>>
Monitoring Center Operator Level 1 Training Graduates First Name Last Name Company Graduated Jose Acevedo GMST 3/5/2020 Phillip Adams Kings III of America 2/7/2020 Taija Adams Alert 360 2/13/2020 Jimira Adenugba THRIVE Intelligence 3/25/2020 Kaeron Adkins Brinks Home Security 2/11/2020 Fartun Ahmed Vivint, Inc 2/3/2020 Kyana Aidukaitis Vivint, Inc. 4/30/2020 Brandie Alcala Life Alert Emergency Response 3/13/2020 Jordan Alcock Operational Intelligence Center 3/7/2020 Lexy Alexandria SMG Security Systems, Inc. 4/24/2020 Yusef Ali Engineered Protection Systems, Inc. 3/12/2020 Cheryl Allen COPS Monitoring - Maryland 2/27/2020 Trajan Alton Vivint, Inc. 3/17/2020 Kameo Anderson Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/19/2020 Sara Anzaldo Watchlight 4/16/2020 Ana Arave Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/7/2020 Hannah Ard Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/24/2020 Laura Arevalo Life Alert Emergency Response 3/2/2020 Kayla Arritola Vyanet Operating Group Inc. 2/3/2020 Hannah Avarell Vivint, Inc. 2/15/2020 Elí Avillán Pinto Genesis Security Services, Inc 2/18/2020 Victoria Bachtell Dynamark Monitoring 2/12/2020 Abdul Bagha Vivint, Inc 2/4/2020 Natalie Baher Blackline Safety 3/15/2020 Matt Baldini Central Security & Communications 2/13/2020 Paula Baldon Turner Security Systems, Inc. 3/10/2020 Jasmine Bankston Securitas Electronic Security 3/2/2020 Briana Barajas Life Alert Emergency Response 2/22/2020 Gabriela Barajas Watchlight 4/10/2020 Nancy Barless Huronia Alarm & Fire Security, Inc. 3/27/2020 Anne Bautista-Barber Alarm Detection Systems, Inc. 4/28/2020 Thomas Bavaro Scarsdale Security Systems, Inc. 2/5/2020 Lauren Bayles Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/11/2020 Kushalsen Beharee Blackline Safety 3/8/2020 Adekanmi Benson Interface Security 4/15/2020 Hector Bernal Life Alert Emergency Response 3/12/2020 Carrie Bertin Northern911 3/30/2020 Tori Bickleman Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/17/2020 Someyita Bictogo Brink’s Canada Limited 4/7/2020 Alex Binder Securitas Electronic Security 4/20/2020 Kyle Bisel U.S. Monitoring, Inc. 3/9/2020 Emily Bishop COPS Monitoring - Maryland 2/27/2020 Derick Blankenship Federal Protection 4/13/2020 Adam Bone Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/29/2020 Teonna Boyd Securitas Electronic Security 3/2/2020 William Boyer Northern911 3/28/2020 Amanda Brandner A3 Smart Home dba AAA Smart Home LP 2/29/2020 Graciela Brooks Brinks Home Security 3/14/2020 Heather Brooks COPS Monitoring - Scottsdale 4/2/2020 Azjah Brown Bay Alarm 2/4/2020 Ebony Brown UAS 2/15/2020 Lauren Brown Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/27/2020 Lorraine Brunette Bell Canada 4/25/2020 Da’Nell Bryant Quick Response Monitoring 4/2/2020 Noella Buchanan Northern911 4/3/2020 Nicolas Budge Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/13/2020 Alexis Bullard Kings III of America 3/24/2020 Dawn Burling Bell Canada 4/6/2020 David Burns Operational Intelligence Center 4/20/2020 Amanda Burton Operational Intelligence Center 3/5/2020 Courtney Calderon Superior Central Station Inc. 3/20/2020
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
USA and international graduates completed February 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020
First Name Last Name Company Graduated Lizmairim Camacho Capitol Security Police, Inc. 3/11/2020 Christina Campbell ADT 2/20/2020 Kevin Campbell Paladin Technologies 2/4/2020 Jennifer Cantrell American Burglary & Fire, Inc. 3/8/2020 Genevieve Carbonneau Northern911 4/1/2020 Angela Card Associated Security Corporation 4/17/2020 Rochelle Carlile Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/3/2020 Trisha Carmona Retail Business Services 2/18/2020 Danielle Carr Brinks Home Security 2/10/2020 Courtnee Carrizales Matson Alarm 4/16/2020 Ashanti Carter CPI Security Systems, Inc. 3/15/2020 Summer Carter Vivint, Inc. 2/19/2020 Krysta Cash Federal Protection 4/8/2020 Denise Cervantes Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/23/2020 Jason Chamberlain Securitas Electronic Security 3/2/2020 Kylie Chamberlain Quinte Kawartha Alarm Systems 3/14/2020 Stephen Chandler Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/4/2020 Julio Chicas Life Alert Emergency Response 2/25/2020 Timbrea Chillious Securitas Electronic Security 2/3/2020 Dion Chitolie Tech Systems Inc 3/5/2020 Renee Chitwood Atlas Security Service, Inc. 2/28/2020 Yulim Choi Vivint, Inc. 4/29/2020 Amber Christenson Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/20/2020 Randie Chugg Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/19/2020 David Clark Operational Intelligence Center 2/29/2020 Kemeecia Clegg Vector WEST 2/11/2020 Margaret Clifford Retail Business Services 2/6/2020 Jacob Cline Operational Intelligence Center 2/14/2020 Chelby Cole VRI 2/17/2020 Christopher Collins Interface Security 2/5/2020 Patrick Conway Dynamark Monitoring 2/27/2020 Ryan Cooley Vivint, Inc. 3/20/2020 Anna Cortez Superior Central Station Inc. 3/16/2020 Brenda Covarrubias Life Alert Emergency Response 3/5/2020 Taleshia Cox Retail Business Services 2/1/2020 Emily Cravens VRI 2/14/2020 Gabriel Cruz Life Alert Emergency Response 3/1/2020 Jasmin Cruz Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/26/2020 Moyer Crystal Retail Business Services 2/6/2020 Beashley Cubit Brinks Home Security 3/14/2020 Kaisha Cummens Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/9/2020 Leslie Cummings VRI 2/14/2020 Carson Cundick Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/23/2020 Hannah Cundiff Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/11/2020 Melissa Cunningham VRI 2/17/2020 Heidi Curry Central Security & Communications 2/28/2020 Meghan Damon iWatch Communications 2/24/2020 Shawn Daniels U.S. Monitoring, Inc. 3/13/2020 Alexandra Darius Bell Canada 4/16/2020 Robert Davis Bell Canada 4/12/2020 Samantha Davis Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/27/2020 Sasha Davis Bay Alarm 2/18/2020 Fabiola De La Fuente Interface Security 2/22/2020 Kayla Dean Northern911 2/26/2020 Jocelyn Deering Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/9/2020 Alex Delongchamp Paladin Technologies 2/28/2020 Brendon DeMeyer Bell Canada 4/7/2020 Eric Dickerson Quick Response Monitoring 3/18/2020 Mary
Dixon
CPI Security Systems, Inc.
3/31/2020
French Canadian Spanish
[48]
First Name Last Name Company Tawanda Doby Retail Business Services Anthony Dominguez AZ Security Control Anthony Dominguez Watchlight Rahmaad Dorsey Interface Security Systems Johnathan Dostal Operational Intelligence Center Kalanah Dotson iWatch Communications Taylor Drakes VRI Samantha Dubon Life Alert Emergency Response Sara Duck Acadian Morrigan Duncan Avantguard Monitoring Centers Ashley Dunivant Securitas Electronic Security Ashley Dunlap Gillmore Security Systems Inc. Melissa Eaton Retail Business Services Zaymara Echevarria GMST Shannon Eddy Vivint, Inc. Kamryn Eden Avantguard Monitoring Centers Ariel Eighner FE Moran Schink Eileen Retail Business Services Ariel Eisler CenturyTel Security Systems Melissa Eller Dispatch Center, LTD Joshua Ellis Alarmco Antionette Ellison Brinks Home Security Breiann Engels Interface Security Systems Christine Englot Federal Protection Jessica Ernesti WH International Mario Estrada Avantguard Monitoring Centers Catherine Eubanks Securitas Electronic Security Julian Evans Quick Response Monitoring Shawn Evans Retail Business Services Sydney Fairclough Avantguard Monitoring Centers Ashley Fedora Bell Canada Simon Feleke ADT Litia Fenika Total Monitoring Service Carlos Figueroa DGA Security Will Figueroa Capitol Security Police, Inc. Catherine Fillion Northern911 Daniel Fisher Vivint, Inc. Denise Flemister THRIVE Intelligence Jasmine Florence Interface Security Takyrah Flowers Kings III of America Tavon Foster United Central Control Randy Fox Securitas Electronic Security Alexis Franklin Quick Response Monitoring Brandon Freedman Wayne Alarm Systems Melissa Frias AZ Security Control Kiara Fuertes Avantguard Monitoring Centers Karima Gabriel Interface Security Cheryl Galagun Bell Canada Hanna Gallegos Avantguard Monitoring Centers Bryan Galvan Life Alert Emergency Response Valerie Galvan Interface Security Jaimeantonio Garcia Kings III of America Jose Garcia Operational Intelligence Center Sabrina Garrett VRI Edward Garza H-E-B, LP Diane Geirger-Rodriguez Vivint, Inc. Sarah Gibbons VRI Ama Golo Brinks Home Security Jacob Gonzalez Alert 360 Kenword GonzĂĄlez Escobar G4S Nydia Goulet Northern911 Marcus Grover Compass Security Solutions Conner Grunwald Operational Intelligence Center Jaime Gustafson Blackline Safety Sofia Gutierrez Avantguard Monitoring Centers Melissa Gvozdanovic Northern911 Kirstin Hadley Bell Canada Tabitha Hale Alarm Central Skylar Hall Operational Intelligence Center Quinterious Hamm Compass Security Solutions
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Graduated 2/28/2020 2/14/2020 4/21/2020 2/12/2020 3/4/2020 2/1/2020 2/18/2020 3/2/2020 2/11/2020 2/17/2020 2/3/2020 2/23/2020 2/27/2020 3/4/2020 2/6/2020 4/29/2020 3/17/2020 2/9/2020 4/22/2020 2/20/2020 3/7/2020 3/13/2020 2/12/2020 3/19/2020 2/12/2020 2/18/2020 2/3/2020 4/3/2020 2/6/2020 4/28/2020 4/15/2020 3/5/2020 3/28/2020 3/13/2020 3/11/2020 3/31/2020 2/10/2020 4/21/2020 4/30/2020 3/24/2020 2/25/2020 3/2/2020 4/8/2020 4/2/2020 4/23/2020 4/28/2020 4/14/2020 4/16/2020 2/6/2020 2/20/2020 4/15/2020 3/24/2020 2/29/2020 2/20/2020 4/26/2020 2/4/2020 2/14/2020 2/9/2020 2/11/2020 2/27/2020 2/25/2020 4/25/2020 2/25/2020 4/13/2020 4/22/2020 3/31/2020 4/14/2020 2/9/2020 2/24/2020 4/11/2020
First Name Last Name Melissa Han Tyrone Handfield Gord Harder Joshua Harris Kelly Hartman Tajee Hartsfield Yasmin Hassan Bryon Hawkins Makenli Haws Megan Hays Branden Heezeb Curtis Henry Devin Herbst Anthony Hernandez Kerrie Herndon Kirk Heston Adrian Hinojosa Juan Hiraldo Kylee Hoffman Audra Horikami Jake Horlacher Brittany Howard Jennifer Huber Charles Hughes Adam Hunter Noah Isom Miriam Izard Kenan Jackson Michelle Jackson Steven Jacques Latoya James Amanda Jeffery Ammon Jenkins Linda Jensen Ashley Jett Brian Johnson Gabriella Johnson Jahmai Johnson Joshua Johnson Kaylie Johnson LaShunda Johnson McCall Johnson Sharon Johnson Latasha Johnson Michael Joko Matthew Kaehr Joel Kaigler Suzanne Katoa Jordan Keene David Keener Anthony Kelly Janice Kelly Koldon Kendra Jill Kerkemeyer Katelyn Kester Valerie Ketchum Coralie Keza Taylor Killaby Miesha Kilson Melissa King Michael King Tammy Kitson Pamela Konakis James Kosidlo Nick Kujawski Jennifer Kukelko Georgia Lake Alysson Langford John Langston Stephanie Laury
Company Graduated Operational Intelligence Center 3/2/2020 Retail Business Services 2/10/2020 Bell Canada 4/11/2020 Wal-Mart Alarm Central 2/21/2020 Vector WEST 2/11/2020 UAS 2/2/2020 Vancouver Fire & Security 3/12/2020 Kings III of America 2/5/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/26/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/19/2020 SecurTek 3/19/2020 Retail Business Services 2/16/2020 Security Equipment Inc 2/12/2020 Life Alert Emergency Response 2/21/2020 Retail Business Services 2/23/2020 Johnson Controls 4/8/2020 United Central Control 4/16/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/19/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/19/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/13/2020 Vivint, Inc. 3/20/2020 U.S. Monitoring, Inc. 3/5/2020 Northern911 2/26/2020 Bell Canada 4/11/2020 Central Security Group Nationwide, Inc. 2/9/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/26/2020 Life Alert Emergency Response 2/22/2020 Life Alert Emergency Response 2/22/2020 FE Moran 4/28/2020 Retail Business Services 2/21/2020 U.S. Monitoring, Inc. 3/13/2020 Paladin Technologies 3/17/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/23/2020 Security Equipment Inc 2/9/2020 Alarm Central 2/15/2020 Vector EAST 3/2/2020 Brinks Home Security 2/9/2020 Interface Security 4/20/2020 Vivint, Inc. 2/11/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/11/2020 Brinks Home Security 4/16/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/27/2020 VRI 2/17/2020 Bell Canada 4/17/2020 Bell Canada 4/13/2020 Operational Intelligence Center 2/25/2020 Wegmans Asset Protection 3/30/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/17/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/28/2020 Vivint, Inc. 4/29/2020 Retail Business Services 2/9/2020 Retail Business Services 2/20/2020 Bell Canada 4/21/2020 Midstate Security Company, LLC 2/17/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/16/2020 Securitas Electronic Security 3/2/2020 Brink’s Canada Limited 4/14/2020 Centralarm 4/8/2020 Interface Security 2/9/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/3/2020 iWatch Communications 3/5/2020 Bell Canada 4/22/2020 Vivint, Inc. 3/19/2020 Centralarm 2/13/2020 Wegmans Asset Protection 3/4/2020 Bell Canada 4/13/2020 Paladin Technologies 2/4/2020 Vivint, Inc. 4/30/2020 Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/9/2020 Interface Security Systems 2/12/2020
[49]
First Name Last Name Company Graduated First Name Last Name Company Graduated Katelyn Lecuyer-Gobeil Northern911 2/25/2020 Austin Orlando iWatch Communications 4/10/2020 Carrie Lee Retail Business Services 2/7/2020 Kim Orton Vivint, Inc. 4/30/2020 Rebeca Leiva Vivint, Inc. 2/13/2020 Kyle Osborn Northern911 4/2/2020 Kimberly Leon Watchlight 4/17/2020 Victor Ostlund SecurTek 2/13/2020 Ryan Lessig-Kerr Operational Intelligence Center 2/6/2020 Alyssa Ostovich ADT 2/20/2020 Aaliah Lester Interface Security Systems 2/12/2020 Carlos Pacheco Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/9/2020 Mercedes Leung Paladin Technologies 3/5/2020 Fernando Pacheco Capitol Security Police, Inc. 3/10/2020 Carla Lewis Vivint, Inc. 2/6/2020 Marissa Pack Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/27/2020 Scott Leydon Northern911 3/26/2020 Emily Padilla Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/4/2020 Andrew Livelli Bay Alarm 2/3/2020 Janet Palin Bell Canada 4/15/2020 Jamison Long Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/5/2020 Isabella Palomares Brinks Home Security 2/8/2020 Danielle Lubaton Life Alert Emergency Response 2/20/2020 Christopher Parker A3 Smart Home Kim Luna Retail Business Services 2/12/2020 dba AAA Smart Home LP 3/6/2020 Marysol Luna Brinks Home Security 2/10/2020 Mayank Patel Telsco 3/17/2020 Michael Lyons Operational Intelligence Center 3/13/2020 Jonathan Patterson FE Moran 4/9/2020 Neil Macoy Vancouver Fire & Security 4/22/2020 Matthew Payne Peak Alarm Company 4/20/2020 Kelly Maddox Security Alarm Corporation 3/12/2020 Morgan Peay Vivint, Inc. 4/29/2020 Ashley Maharaj Life Alert Emergency Response 2/28/2020 Yolezia Perez Capitol Security Police, Inc. 3/11/2020 Matthew Majocka Guardian Protection Services, Inc. 4/24/2020 Dulce Maria Perez Lorea John Deere Shared Services 4/10/2020 Brianna Marquess Total Monitoring Service 3/9/2020 Audrey Peterson Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/7/2020 Keni Martin Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/7/2020 Evan Peterson Custom Communications Inc 2/7/2020 Gumaro Martinez ADT 2/22/2020 Tam Phan Telsco 3/17/2020 Amro Marzouk Johnson Controls 3/20/2020 Angelynn Phelps Retail Business Services 2/12/2020 Brianna Mata Vivint, Inc. 2/5/2020 Justin Pieper Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/25/2020 Hailey Matrras Vivint, Inc. 2/1/2020 Edwin Pimentel Capitol Security Police, Inc. 3/10/2020 Jasmine McGhee FE Moran 2/13/2020 Amie Pixton Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/10/2020 Danielle McGuffin Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/2/2020 Adam Platt Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/29/2020 Liam McKenzie Paladin Technologies 3/3/2020 Mallory Platt Federal Protection 4/17/2020 Meleah McWilliams ESC Central 3/26/2020 Nancy Plourde Telsco 3/17/2020 Zach Mears Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/4/2020 Natasha Poe Interface Security 2/6/2020 Claudia Mena Life Alert Emergency Response 2/24/2020 Wendy Pollard THRIVE Intelligence 2/4/2020 Tyler Mendonca First Alarm 4/7/2020 Mariel Ponce Watchlight 4/10/2020 Kassandra Merits Northern911 4/1/2020 Alvinna Price Retail Business Services 2/5/2020 Ciara Merritt Kings III of America 4/22/2020 Matthew Price Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/29/2020 Claire Meyer Vivint, Inc. 4/29/2020 Jeff Priestley SecurTek 2/2/2020 Ashlyn Miller Vivint, Inc. 4/30/2020 Terry Pritchett Bell Canada 4/12/2020 Nathan Miller Operational Intelligence Center 3/13/2020 Sanjuanita Idalia Puga Mariscal John Deere Shared Services 4/27/2020 Sean Miller Life Alert Emergency Response 2/27/2020 Anjelynn Pydiah Bell Canada 4/16/2020 Haley Miller Interface Security 3/21/2020 Jodon Pyle THRIVE Intelligence 2/26/2020 Joseph Mirville Tech Systems Inc 2/29/2020 Eoghan Quigg Vector EAST 3/2/2020 Stephen Monahan Tech Systems Inc 3/15/2020 Rebeca Ramirez Watchlight 4/9/2020 Laura Monterrosso SMG Security Systems, Inc. 2/21/2020 Hayley Ramsey Northern911 2/19/2020 Mitzi Moose Retail Business Services 2/9/2020 Jessie Ranger Quinte Kawartha Alarm Systems 2/27/2020 Adan Morales Industrias John Deere S.A. de C.V. 2/22/2020 Lauryn Reed Central Security & Communications 2/5/2020 Jennifer Morales Blackline Safety 4/14/2020 Darian Reyes Life Alert Emergency Response 2/19/2020 Monika Morales H-E-B, LP 4/29/2020 Magally Reyes Interface Security 2/26/2020 Stephanie Morales Life Alert Emergency Response 3/16/2020 Yander Reyes Wal-Mart Alarm Central 2/19/2020 Maricela Morales Conejo G4S 2/29/2020 Laurencia Richards Kings III of America 2/5/2020 Francis Morales Rivera Genesis Security Services, Inc 3/24/2020 Sarah Richards Armstrong’s National Alarm Monitoring 4/23/2020 Daniel Moreno-Salas Vivint, Inc. 3/19/2020 Tyler Richter Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/25/2020 Lacoya Morgan THRIVE Intelligence 4/21/2020 Matisyn Ritter Avantguard Monitoring Centers 4/26/2020 Miriam Morgan Vivint, Inc. 3/18/2020 Azariah Roberts Vector EAST 2/19/2020 Amy Morris Interface Security Systems 4/7/2020 Brooke Robinson Acadian 2/5/2020 Madison Mortensen Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/6/2020 Matthew Rodrigues Blackline Safety 3/6/2020 Nafaa Mouad ADT Canada Inc. 2/27/2020 Dafne Rodriguez Superior Central Station Inc. 3/10/2020 Paul Mpoyi Bell Canada 4/20/2020 Jacob Rodriguez G4S Secure Integration, LLC 3/11/2020 Elizabeth Murphy Northern911 4/24/2020 Jose A. Rodriguez Superior Central Station Inc. 3/12/2020 Nicholaus Nappier Life Alert Emergency Response 2/26/2020 Kayla Rogers Huronia Alarm & Fire Security, Inc. 2/13/2020 Joseph Nazaire Tech Systems Inc 3/5/2020 Matthew Ronding H-E-B, LP 4/27/2020 Rhea Negapatan Blackline Safety 3/5/2020 Ebony Rorie UAS 2/6/2020 Lindsey Neihart Vivint, Inc. 4/30/2020 Mark Ross Vivint, Inc. 2/1/2020 Chris Nelson Bell Canada 4/20/2020 Sierra Ross THRIVE Intelligence 4/21/2020 Tye Nielson Vivint, Inc. 2/10/2020 Raphael Rozenberg Alarmco 4/2/2020 Jennifer Nofzinger Safety Systems, Inc. 3/13/2020 Robyn Ruefer Per Mar Security Services 2/23/2020 Ahmed Nur Thrivent Financial 2/4/2020 Sarah Safford Avantguard Monitoring Centers 2/13/2020 Carly O’Brien Vector WEST 3/10/2020 Osvaldo Sanchez Life Alert Emergency Response 3/19/2020 Leonora Ochieng Bell Canada 4/13/2020 Elisha Sanders Northern911 4/23/2020 Christine Oldfield FE Moran 4/8/2020 Kiavanni Sanders Allied Universal Security 3/20/2020 Alyssa Olson Vivint, Inc. 2/20/2020 Victor Javier Sandoval Chávez John Deere Shared Services 2/1/2020 Loressa O’Neal Brinks Home Security 2/9/2020 Jennifer Santiago Avantguard Monitoring Centers 3/23/2020 Candy Orellana Life Alert Emergency Response 3/15/2020
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
[50]
First Name Last Name Company Angelica Santos Kings III of America Carleen Schappert Blackline Safety Alex Schryer Northern 911 Valerie Schulyer-Falcon Retail Business Services Ciaire Scroggins COPS Monitoring - Maryland Dallin Seager Vivint, Inc. Angela Seay Retail Business Services Gloris Sedik Bell Canada Jean Francois Seguin Blackline Safety Matthew Shoell Avantguard Monitoring Centers Mariaha Shoring Blackline Safety Dylan Short Vivint, Inc. Selena Shurtleff U.S. Monitoring, Inc. Magda Silva Security Equipment Inc Gundeep Singh Vancouver Fire & Security Harjot Singh Vancouver Fire & Security David Sisk Vivint, Inc. Kristy Skabronski Alert 360 Kelly Slattery U.S. Monitoring, Inc. Darrick Smith Retail Business Services Jacob Smith Avantguard Monitoring Centers Shanequia Smith ADT Tyler Smith ETC Communications, LLC Cheynita Sneed Guardian Alarm Systems Angelle Snyder United Central Control Brent Snyder Vector WEST Christina Snyder Alarm Specialist Corp
Graduated 4/14/2020 4/3/2020 4/4/2020 2/19/2020 2/27/2020 3/30/2020 2/5/2020 4/19/2020 3/5/2020 4/3/2020 3/4/2020 3/27/2020 2/27/2020 2/11/2020 3/5/2020 2/25/2020 2/6/2020 2/24/2020 2/7/2020 2/6/2020 4/10/2020 3/10/2020 2/5/2020 2/16/2020 2/10/2020 2/11/2020 2/1/2020
Carlos Sotelo Industrias John Deere S.A. de C.V. Winter Sparkman ADS Security L.P. Brittany Spicer Northern911 Parker Spratling Avantguard Monitoring Centers Anthony Stamps Vector EAST Eric Stanley Retail Business Services Kristina Stern Retail Business Services Jamie Stewart Redwire Jenifer Stewart Watchlight Lavonne Stewart Retail Business Services Tyler Storks Interface Security Ryan Strong Bell Canada Paul Sturdavant THRIVE Intelligence James Suslyk Northern911 Carlos Swanson COPS Monitoring - Scottsdale Scott Sweet Avantguard Monitoring Centers Keandrea Sykes Brinks Home Security Daulton Taylor Avantguard Monitoring Centers Michaela Taylor Securitas Electronic Security Mike Taylor Vancouver Fire & Security Margarita Tello Avantguard Monitoring Centers Lauren Templeton Avantguard Monitoring Centers Bryan Terronez U.S. Monitoring, Inc. Veronica Texidor Carrasquillo Genesis Security Services, Inc Jeffrey Thomas Vivint, Inc. Justin Thomason Retail Business Services Tammy Thompson Watchlight Naomi Toussaint Blackline Safety David Townsend Alert 360 Tinesha Trogstad Vivint, Inc. King Tshibanda Bell Canada Shakgranda Turner Siemens Industry, Inc. Alexandre Twagirimana Bell Canada Joshua Van Drimmelen Avantguard Monitoring Centers Curtis Van Orman Vivint, Inc. Justin Vandenbosch Vivint, Inc. Tracey Vandenbosch Vivint, Inc. Pang Vang Vivint, Inc. Ethan Vanvorst Retail Business Services Alexander Vasquez Life Alert Emergency Response Alan Vick Allied Universal Security Jiana Wainwright ADT Duane Walker Bell Canada Jerrick Walker Avantguard Monitoring Centers
4/30/2020 4/28/2020 3/27/2020 2/12/2020 2/24/2020 2/9/2020 2/9/2020 4/17/2020 4/21/2020 2/17/2020 4/22/2020 4/18/2020 4/6/2020 4/3/2020 3/13/2020 2/28/2020 3/15/2020 2/5/2020 3/2/2020 2/28/2020 3/25/2020 4/29/2020 3/13/2020 2/20/2020 2/4/2020 2/9/2020 4/9/2020 3/7/2020 3/2/2020 2/3/2020 4/21/2020 3/19/2020 4/14/2020 4/13/2020 3/18/2020 2/1/2020 2/3/2020 2/3/2020 2/19/2020 2/29/2020 2/3/2020 2/14/2020 4/15/2020 4/15/2020
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
First Name Last Name Kailin Walker Max Walker Kyle Wandelt Danielle Ward Maren Warren Mary Weber Sarah Welsh Julia Werner Stephanie White Janette Whitworth Christina Wibbenmeyer Deanna Wiemar Ilana Wilkin Chase Wilkins Tranika Williams Sam Wilson Vanessa Wilt Kailey Wood Sailor Wooten Quarvetta Worthy Latoya Wright Norbert Yankunze Logan Yardley Lawrence Zamora Uriel Zesati Tony Zhu Jeff Ziegert Mike Zimmerman
Company Avantguard Monitoring Centers DGA Security Vivint, Inc. Avantguard Monitoring Centers Avantguard Monitoring Centers Atlas Security Service, Inc. Avantguard Monitoring Centers Avantguard Monitoring Centers Quinte Kawartha Alarm Systems Vivint, Inc. ADS Security L.P. Interface Security Systems Alarm Tech Central Services, Inc. Wal-Mart Alarm Central CPI Security Systems, Inc. Avantguard Monitoring Centers Vyanet Operating Group Inc. Avantguard Monitoring Centers Blue Ridge Monitoring Securitas Electronic Security Interface Security ADT Canada Inc. Avantguard Monitoring Centers Dynamark Monitoring Life Alert Emergency Response Vancouver Fire & Security Thrivent Financial Retail Business Services
Graduated 2/23/2020 2/5/2020 4/30/2020 3/27/2020 4/27/2020 3/14/2020 4/22/2020 4/13/2020 3/3/2020 4/29/2020 2/6/2020 2/18/2020 3/11/2020 2/9/2020 3/15/2020 4/30/2020 2/3/2020 4/13/2020 3/5/2020 2/7/2020 4/16/2020 3/21/2020 4/10/2020 2/18/2020 2/23/2020 2/20/2020 4/24/2020 2/24/2020
TMA Volunteer Opportunities Did you know that one of the best ways to realize the greatest value of your TMA membership is to actively engage in the association community? There are many ways for members to take part in TMA’s initiatives. Volunteering is a win for TMA and a win for the member! Benefit from network building, brand and reputation enhancement, and potential new business. TMA Webinar TMA webinars are purely educational and provide an environment for members to learn about industry trends, updates and innovations. Topic ideas and speakers for just-in-time 45 min/15 min Q&A virtual programs are sought on topics of interest to the professional monitoring industry. Meeting Track Planning TMA’s annual meeting showcases educational topics that include keynote speakers and panels geared towards executive level company owners and representatives. Help to select speakers that will provide high value to all attendees. Online research and reference gathering for paid speakers; and program development. Fall Programs Planning This event is geared towards best-practice development for monitoring center personnel working at various leadership levels. Help is needed to identify speakers to provide actionable take-aways. [51]
Monitoring Center Operator Level 2 Training Graduates First Name Last Name Company Javier Acosta COPS Monitoring - New Jersey Jordan Alcock Operational Intelligence Center Naomi Anderson Federal Protection Elí Avillán Pinto Genesis Security Services, Inc Kodi Bbela Vancouver Fire & Security Austin Best Operational Intelligence Center Davin Bowman COPS Monitoring - New Jersey Victoria Bowser COPS Monitoring - New Jersey Kevin Bradely COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton Christie Brown COPS Monitoring - New Jersey Jonathan Brown Wegmans Asset Protection Amanda Burton Operational Intelligence Center Amanda Bush COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton Jacob Cline Operational Intelligence Center Edwin Cobb COPS Monitoring - Texas Rickey Collins ATT Digital Life Myah Cook UAS Anna Cowgur Wal-Mart Alarm Central Samantha Crabtree COPS Monitoring - New Jersey Justyn Derico Tech Systems Inc Johnathan Dostal Operational Intelligence Center Christopher Duffey ATT Digital Life Brandon Evans COPS Monitoring - Texas Jamie Foster Compass Security Solutions Randi Freeborn Per Mar Security Services Brandon Freedman Wayne Alarm Systems Ajaysia Fuller COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton Jose Garcia Operational Intelligence Center Patryk Gielarowiec COPS Monitoring - New Jersey Alicia Gould Security ONE Alarms Marcus Grover Compass Security Solutions Conner Grunwald Operational Intelligence Center David Haase Per Mar Security Services Skylar Hall Operational Intelligence Center Melissa Han Operational Intelligence Center Carol Hatfield AT&T Chelsea Henderson COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton Kirk Heston Johnson Controls Luke Hurtt Federal Protection Shane Ireland COPS Monitoring - New Jersey Matthew Kaehr Operational Intelligence Center Christian Kelling Custom Communications Inc Shiseido Labaun Alarmco Jasmine LaFleur COPS Monitoring - Texas Kathy Laursen Watchlight Teresa Leggott PasWord Protection Ryan Lessig-Kerr Operational Intelligence Center Andrew Livelli Bay Alarm Whitney Long Guardian Alarm Systems Michael Lyons Operational Intelligence Center Kelly Maddox Security Alarm Corporation Matthew Majocka Guardian Protection Services, Inc. Rachel McCay COPS Monitoring - New Jersey Carlos Mejorado ATT Digital Life Jenn Mercer Security Alarm Corporation Cameron Middleton COPS Monitoring - Texas Adam Miller Thrivent Financial Nathan Miller Operational Intelligence Center Karline Moise Alarm Specialist Corp Francis Morales Rivera Genesis Security Services, Inc Destanee Muraida Wal-Mart Alarm Central Michelle Myers UAS
TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
Graduated 2/18/2020 3/10/2020 4/16/2020 2/18/2020 2/28/2020 2/4/2020 3/30/2020 3/29/2020 3/22/2020 3/21/2020 4/22/2020 3/18/2020 4/6/2020 2/22/2020 3/17/2020 2/23/2020 2/1/2020 2/22/2020 4/11/2020 4/28/2020 3/4/2020 2/22/2020 2/29/2020 4/30/2020 4/2/2020 4/3/2020 4/6/2020 3/19/2020 2/2/2020 3/31/2020 4/26/2020 2/25/2020 4/4/2020 2/25/2020 3/5/2020 2/19/2020 2/21/2020 4/29/2020 4/16/2020 2/13/2020 3/7/2020 2/5/2020 3/26/2020 3/8/2020 4/27/2020 2/17/2020 3/19/2020 2/3/2020 2/17/2020 3/14/2020 3/11/2020 4/29/2020 4/12/2020 2/21/2020 3/6/2020 3/13/2020 4/19/2020 3/14/2020 2/1/2020 3/24/2020 2/21/2020 2/9/2020
First Name Last Name Company Graduated Sharon Pablo COPS Monitoring - Scottsdale 4/28/2020 Neil Palmer COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton 4/6/2020 Amar Parmar Vancouver Fire & Security 3/9/2020 Shameka Pennycook Electronix Systems CSA, Inc. 4/30/2020 Christina Perales First Alarm 4/6/2020 Elizabeth Phillips COPS Monitoring - New Jersey 3/23/2020 Adriana Pitman COPS Monitoring - New Jersey 2/16/2020 Lacey Plaisance Guardian Alarm Systems 2/13/2020 Saasha Powell COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton 3/22/2020 Jennifer Ridore COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton 4/6/2020 Evangelina Rodriguez AT&T 2/17/2020 Kristy Rodriguez Electronix Systems CSA, Inc. 4/29/2020 Kayla Rogers Huronia Alarm & Fire Security, Inc. 4/8/2020 Robyn Ruefer Per Mar Security Services 4/15/2020 Lisette Sanchez COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton 4/19/2020 Deanna Sheppard COPS Monitoring - New Jersey 4/20/2020 Cameron Sherron Federal Protection 4/20/2020 Alannah Smith Bay Alarm 2/25/2020 Dillon Smith Federal Protection 4/16/2020 Faith Snook Federal Protection 4/17/2020 Christel Stablein Watchlight 4/24/2020 Dustin Stacy ADS Security L.P. 4/9/2020 Hilary Stuckey Watchlight 4/27/2020 Mike Taylor Vancouver Fire & Security 3/14/2020 Veronica Texidor Carrasquillo Genesis Security Services, Inc 2/21/2020 Tiffany Velez COPS Monitoring - New Jersey 4/3/2020 Valerie Walden COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton 4/21/2020 Tatiana Walker Watchlight 4/23/2020 Elizabeth Weeter COPS Monitoring - Texas 3/1/2020 Christina Wibbenmeyer ADS Security L.P. 3/16/2020 Trish Wilkinson Guardian Alarm Systems 2/23/2020 Dylan Williams AT&T 2/22/2020 Theodore Williams AT&T 2/24/2020 Dakota Wright Federal Protection 4/13/2020 Dan Yacobuci Amherst Alarm, Inc. 2/1/2020 Shane Yang Wal-Mart Alarm Central 2/22/2020 Reshard Young COPS Monitoring - Boca Raton 4/6/2020
TMA named one of the top 100 associations “That Will Save the World” by Associations Now magazine!
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IMPACT>>
Making a Difference...Why We Do What We Do Monitored protection helps save New Mexico family By Bob Tucker, Chief Storyteller, ADT
It was supposed to be an easy replacement of a fireplace gas pipe when a plumber came to the Albuquerque home of Jim and Nancy Schmitt in early February. He did the job, lit a test fire, and then departed. Unfortunately, the gas was left on with the fireplace flue closed. Later that evening, the home’s carbon monoxide detector activated, alerting the Schmitt’s and sending a signal to their alarm company’s monitoring center several hundred miles away in Texas. That’s where Dominique Sessions, a professionally- trained dispatcher called the home and advised the Schmitt’s to go outside while she called local authorities. “We watched as responders from Albuquerque Fire Rescue arrived and went into our house,” said Jim Schmitt. “They came out a short time later and said their portable meter had measured over 40 parts per million of carbon monoxide. It was scary.” The firefighters, as well as a representative from the local gas Nanc y and Jim Schmitt company, spent the next hour helping the Schmitt’s air out the house so they could safely return inside. TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
The Schmitt’s are thankful they had a professionally installed and monitored security system which helped save not only their lives, but also their two beloved pets. “A few hours later and we all would’ve been asleep,” said Nancy Schmitt. “The fire chief said that is when carbon monoxide is the most dangerous because you can’t smell, see or taste it and many victims never wake up.” According to the CDC, nearly 500 Americans die every year of unintentional carbon monoxide and about 20,000 more are poisoned, requiring medical treatment.
Dominique Sessions
The Schmitt’s are relieved they were protected from the ‘silent killer’ and encourage everyone to have a monitored security system in their home. Share your life-saving stories with TMA members! Let your story touch and inspire others to take lifesaving action. Submit your story and images to TMA Communications at communications@tma.us.
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TMA Dispatch | Summer 2020
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