As monitoring tide shifts, Seacoast seeks UL-listing

January 6, 2005 WEST ROCKPORT, Maine - With more and more insurance companies requiring UL-listed central stations for fire and burglar monitoring, Seacoast Security has initiated a plan to be fully compliant and approved by the organization by the third quarter of this year.  “Our focus this year is to improve of internal structure in a number of ways,” said Dave Haynes, president of the 30-year-old company. “And this includes to have our central station listed.” Some insurance firms will not extend any type of coverage to a high-end retailer, such as a jewelry store, if the company does not have a burglar alarm that is monitored by a UL-listed central station. The strict requirement for UL-listing ensures the insurance firm that the monitoring station meets its compliance policy that includes redundancy of computers, phones, power, receivers and even people. The organization requires at least two-people on staff at all times. In addition to its own standards, UL expects central station to meets nationally recognized standards and codes, as well. Through attaining this listing, Seacoast will not only be able to retain existing companies that would otherwise have to find another station that is recognized by UL, but also approach new customers who seek this level of certification. Seacoast Security is a full-service security firm that monitors more than 10,000 accounts, of which approximately 20 percent are third-party. The also operates four other locations in Maine - Bangor, Freeport, Presque Isle and Lewiston - and one in Portsmouth, N.H. For more on this story, see the February issue of Security Systems News.