Bob McVeigh to head CASIA

WILTON, Conn.-Taking over from Harvey Clark, Bob McVeigh, president of Security Solutions, is the new president of the Connecticut Alarm Systems Integrators Association, one of the oldest and most venerable chapters of the NBFAA and a member of the NFPA. As he begins his two-year term, he noted that some accomplishments may seem small, but are quite important. "We just got a new venue," he said. "We were without a home for a little while, but now we have the Laurel View Country Club, which has led to our attendance growing at each meeting." And those attendees are demanding newer and better training options, McVeigh said: "You have to have continuing educational just to keep your license, so we stay in touch and plugged in with the state, so that we can provide curriculum that isn't just the whatever-they-put-out kind of thing ... We've managed to work with them so that we don't have to do things unrelated to the industry." For example, he said courses on power supplies are very popular, "one of the things often overlooked in the industry. " If you get someone who hasn't paid enough attention, they'll walk out of a job with everything working," he said, "but the system will fail when it's needed, because they've got too many devices on the system." Another push is to help members companies find qualified help, which is "probably one of the most troublesome parts of running an alarm company right now," said McVeigh. "Getting fresh blood into the industry is harder than it used to be." This past year, he noted, CASIA has worked out a deal for the local casinos to donate all of their old CCTV equipment, which the association has combined with some new parts from Napco to create a curriculum for local trade schools. This is crucial, he said, "because I don't think anybody, unless you're born into it, makes a decision early in life to get into the industry." Finally, McVeigh said he would work closely with NBFAA legislative director John Chwat to make sure Connecticut members were contributing to NBFAA federal campaigns, noting a successful campaign lately of outreach to Conn. Senator Joseph Lieberman that helped defeat a bill that would have allowed government entities to buy straight from manufacturers. " That's the kind of thing that an alarm dealer that's not in an association would have no idea about," noted McVeigh. "That's probably the best reason to pay dues to an association." ssn