CHICAGO—The “2G sunset” is coming—it’s just hard to say when. But the 2G fade-out has already begun, eating into the frequency spectrum and posing a threat to the effectiveness of cellular alarm communicators.
VIENNA, Va.—Thinking about getting on board with the CSAA to take advantage of the new Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) program? To be among the stations at the front of the line, you’d better act soon–a Jan. 31 deadline will separate the haves from the have-nots.
CONCORD, N.C.—ISI Alarms, a super-regional based here, is relocating its headquarters and call center to a new community and a much larger space, and is planning to hire as many as 200 additional employees over the next two years, according to company officials.
PITTSBURGH—Vector Security CEO Pam Petrow said recent natural disasters on the East Coast have provided a proof of concept for CSAA's ASAP-to-the-PSAP program.
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The Central Station Alarm Association held its general membership meeting on June 7 at the ESX show, and the message to attendees was that while the economy is tough, the monitoring industry's association is doing okay and is pushing for action in the form of a nationwide initiative to radically revamp public safety communications.
DALLAS—A new partnership between “one of the top dealers in the country” and recently acquired Monitronics, one of the largest wholesale monitoring companies in the country, means only good things, according to both parties.
DALLAS—A new technology partnership aims to simplify and speed up 911 dispatch for central stations. Furthermore, the partnership aligns with current efforts on the part of the Central Station Alarm Association and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials.
PALM BEACH, Fla.—The media in Ascent Media—the new owner of Monitronics—is really limited to the company name. That was one of the messages from Bill Fitzgerald, chairman of the board of Ascent Media Corporation, at the Barnes Buchanan conference here in February.
He got some laughs from the conference crowd when he said: “You’re looking at me and thinking ‘Here come the cable guys again.’”
In some ways, Fitzgerald said, the crowd was right to think that. After all, Fitzgerald came to Ascent Media from AT&T Broadband, formerly known as TeleCommunications, Inc. (TCI). He also still holds the post of SVP of Liberty Media Corporation, whose chairman is cable industry pioneer John Malone.
The controversy surrounding Article 6-E—proposed legislation in New York that looks to vet and license central station employees according to statewide standards—has many in the industry talking about central station employee training. There are plenty of virtual and classroom training options provided by industry associations like CSAA and SIA. And, many monitoring companies take full control and create their own training programs for employees.
