Tag: Ohio

AKRON, Ohio – On Dec. 12, the Akron Public School (APS) district announced it would be spending more than $3.5 million in safety and security upgrades during a six-hour-long Board of Education meeting. In addressing the board, Reva Link, a part-time family liaison for APS, told members that cell phones had become a problem for security at the school as students were using the devices to organize fights. She implored the board to address the issue by banning or putting tight restrictions...

AKRON, Ohio—A new policy set to take effect here in March requires security alarms to verify criminal activity prior to police response. Like similar actions in other cities, the policy has its camps of proponents and detractors, and its reception puts into sharp relief some competing philosophies about how to manage false alarms and provide the most effective strategies for response. Not only that: The debate raises fundamental questions about the value proposition of alarm systems in...

Plagued by an astronomical 98 percent false alarm rate for security systems, Akron, Ohio is following the lead of several other major American cities and introducing verified alarm response, according to a report from the Associated Press, and a news release from Sonitrol, an audio verification company. The policy, adopted in larger cities such as Detroit, Las Vegas and Milwaukee, is simple: If an alarm goes off, a possible crime must be confirmed prior to law enforcement dispatch. There are...

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio—An air handling unit caught fire in the newsroom of the Vindicator, a newspaper in Youngstown, Ohio, on June 18, but a sprinkler system quickly contained it, according to an article from the paper itself. Though the Youngstown Fire Department responded within minutes, the majority of the fire had been doused by the building's sprinkler system, the article noted. No one was hurt in the fire, which was contained entirely in a small area of the pressroom. The fire started as workers...

AKRON, Ohio—Retired Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander used campaign cash finances last year to install a security system at his house, according to an article from the Akron Beacon Journal. Securi-Com of Canton, Ohio was paid $2,628 to install the system in November 2012 when Alexander was still in office, according to the article, which cited a campaign finance report filed with the county Board of Elections. The former sheriff indicated his life had been threatened, which was the...

PITTSBURGH—Vector Security has acquired American Alert Corp. based in Geneva, Ohio. The acquisition adds 5,000 customers and will help Vector expand into the Cleveland market, according to Art Miller, VP of marketing for Vector, which is based here.The 5,000 accounts are 70 percent residential, he said.Also, the company announced this week that it has updated its logo, which dated to 1986, to a more “contemporary” look reflecting its new business strategy. Vector said it is promoting...