CSAA and SIA team to offer course

ALEXANDRIA and VIENNA, Va.-The Central Station Alarm Association and the Security Industry Association are teaming up to develop a web-based online central station operator training course that will be available to central stations regardless of their location. The two associations reached an agreement where SIA would contribute $60,000 of initial funding for development of the course, which will be developed by the CSAA. Fees for the courses will allow CSAA to upgrade and offer additional courses, although SIA could also contribute a second phase of funding, said Jay Hanger, SIA's director of educational and technical services. "This project will have sophisticated audio-visual components, as well as testing and certificate (components)," said Steve Doyle, executive vice president of CSAA. "This project was several years in the development and will be available to all central stations, but with a significant discount to CSAA members." The course will be based on the SIA/APCO "Train the Trainer" course and will be an update of that content, said Pamela Petrow, senior vice president of information services/central stations for Vector Security, and head of the CSAA's subcommittee on Distance Learning. Petrow said the committee is currently reviewing the material, updating and adding to portions of it to make it current. "Our goal is to have by the second quarter a module ready for delivery," she said. The modules for the course will include the role of a central station operator, standard operating procedures, potential problems and solutions, telephone and communication skills and personnel issues. Hanger said SIA feels strongly that its Train the Trainer program is a valuable tool because it can be offered by extension to many others in a central station. "We feel strongly that more than just the operator take the test," Hanger said. "If a manager or operator takes the test and becomes certified, than they can go back to their central and start a training program and continue to be the liaison." The course will be offered in five classes through the U.S. this year with a possible offering in Canada through CANASA, Hanger said.