|
In This Issue
NBFAA News
Leadership Summit Newsflash
NBFAA Leaders Gather for Annual Meeting
NBFAA’s Leadership Summit was in full swing last week in Irving, Texas. More than 90 association leaders, their spouses, volunteers and staff met in Irving to discuss important association matters and to receive tips, tricks and insights to running and leading a successful association. It was not all work though, as attendees were treated to several receptions and a dinner at one of North Texas’ finest wineries. The week was rich with socializing, networking and information.
Here are some of the major news stories coming from the Summit:
 Emil Wengel, VBFAA past president and Beth Cain, VBFAA vice president enjoy dinner and drinks at Farina’s Winery in Grapevine, Texas during the NBFAA Leadership Dinner. |
Virginia Burglar & Fire Alarm Association is Back!
The NBFAA Board of Directors unanimously welcomed the Virginia Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (VBFAA) back as a chartered chapter. The VBFAA Board of Directors voted at the end of 2007 to rejoin the chapter alliance, and NBFAA made it official at the board meeting in Dallas.
“We’re very glad to be back,” said VBFAA Past President Emil Wengel. “It was a long, hard up-hill climb, but our membership was behind us and when it came time to vote, it was unanimous.”
The entire board offered a warm and sincere “welcome back” to Wengel and VBFAA, vice president, Beth Cain, who were both in attendance at the Leadership Summit in Dallas.
NBFAA Announces New Standing Committee Members
Members of the new Apprenticeship Committee were announced at the NBFAA Board of Directors’ Meeting.
The new committee will begin holding meetings by the end of the month. Members of the committee include:
- Chairman - Ron Petrarca, New York
- Danette Tizkowski, Pennsylvania
- Ray Jones, Ohio
- Mike Latty, Georgia
- Ron Foreman, Louisiana
Art Webster, apprenticeship program consultant, will also be working with the committee and Dale Eller, NBFAA director of education and standards, will be the staff liaison.
The committee will work on marketing NBFAA’s nationally-approved, four-year apprenticeship program to its chartered chapters and encourage them to consider implementing it in their own states.
“I’m honored to lead this new committee and I look forward to the challenges and successes to come,” said Petrarca.
It was the experiences of New York and Louisiana, two states actively engaged in implementing the program, which led to the creation of the committee.
“There’s a stigma among industry professionals that an apprenticeship program is associated with a union, and that’s not true in this case. We need to eliminate that thinking and begin a more appealing marketing program that highlights the benefits of apprenticeship,” Petrarca said.
Petrarca added that those benefits include a well trained and established workforce and greater customer trust.
New and Improved Level I Training Announced!
The NBFAA Education Committee has recently completed work on updating and revamping the "Certified Alarm Technician (Level I)" training course.
 Members of the education committee hold a working meeting to discuss the creation of the "Servicing, Maintaining and Troubleshooting in the Security Industry" training course. |
“The new course,” said Paul Baran, chairman of the committee, “addresses new technology such as Internet Protocol (IP) networking, and is more relevant to today’s workforce.”
The committee has been working in conjunction with a course developer to update the course since September 2007 and has spent more than 2,000 man hours in weekly meetings.
The new course will also feature the NBFAA branding that will soon be carried over to all NTS courses. This branding, Baran explained, will allow students to recognize an NBFAA-created training course more easily.
The course is currently in beta testing and is slated to be launched to the general population sometime in March.
Baran also mentioned a new NTS offering in the works titled "Servicing, Maintaining and Troubleshooting in the Security Industry." This course, he explained, is being created due to new mandates by the state of New York, but has great value for the entire industry, so the Education Committee decided to make it part of the school’s core curriculum.
Photos from the Event
 During the NBFAA Leadership Dinner, NBFAA President George Gunning and Central Station Alarm Association President Bud Wulforst hoist a birthday cake to kick off the celebration of NBFAA’s 60th anniversary. |
 NBFAA presidents - past, present and future - prepare to cut and serve the birthday cake during the 2008 Leadership Summit dinner. (Left to right) Cecil Hogan, past NBFAA president; Mike Miller, vice-president/president-elect; Scot Colby, immediate past president; George Gunning, current president and Bart Didden, past president. |
 NBFAA leaders demonstrated their flexibility and adaptability during an unexpected power outage during one of the sessions - Take Your Association from Good to Great. Attendees gathered in the hallway for the last 20 minutes of discussion. |
 During one of the sessions, attendees were asked to stand and recite a “Member Retention Creed,” that many thought was a lighthearted way to start a meeting. |
What Some Had to Say About the Event
 Ray McLester |
“The event has been excellent. Merlin [Guilbeau, executive director] and the rest of the staff have done a great job. The breakout sessions were very informative and I’m amazed at how much information there is now at the leaderships’ fingertips. The resources we have now weren’t around when I was president.” – Ray McLester, NBFAA Board Rep, North Carolina Burglar & Fire Alarm Association |
| “The information that was provided was vital to incoming leaders. Luckily, I had a good example of what a president should do, but too often it seems that we’re just clones of our predecessor. This event is better than anything else I could have attended. It has given me confidence to be the president my chapter needs.” – James Mason, President, Mississippi Alarm Association |
 Sandra and James Mason |
 Ron Petrarca |
“It has been a very productive event with ideas and knowledge-sharing to help new and existing leaders fulfill their jobs.” – Ron Petrarca, President, New York Burglar & Fire Alarm Association |
 |
2008 NTS Schedule Now OnlineLooking for great NTS courses? Then look no further than NBFAA’s Web site (www.alarm.org). The complete 2008 course schedule is available online waiting for you with more courses dates being added all the time. |
Please use the following to contact NTS:
Send any hard copy correspondence to NTS at the following address:
|
Here’s a list of what’s available this month:
Advanced Burglar Alarm Technician
Feb. 8 – 9 – Gulfport, Miss.
Feb. 9 – 10 – Mobile, Ala.
Feb. 23 – 24 – Nashville, Tenn.
Certified Alarm Technician (Level I)
Jan. 21 – 23 – Louisville, Ky.
Jan. 25 – 27 – Nashville, Tenn.
Feb. 6 – 8 – Brookfield, Wisc.
Feb. 8 – 10 – Lafayette, La.
Feb. 8 – 10 – Knoxville, Tenn.
Feb. 15 – 17 – Memphis, Tenn.
Feb. 12 – 14 – Miami, Fla.
Feb. 12 – 14 – Atlanta, Ga.
Feb. 13 – 15 – Elmsford, N.Y.
Feb. 19 – 21 – Fort Smith, Ark.
Feb. 26 – 28 – Las Vegas, Nev.
Electronic Access Control
Jan. 26 – 27 – Montevallo, Ala.
Feb. 21 – 22 – Harrisburg, Pa.
F
eb. 28 – 29 – Buffalo, N.Y.
Fire Alarm Installation Methods
Jan. 24 – 25 – Louisville, Ky.
Feb. 6 – 7 – Indianapolis, Ind.
Feb. 12 – 13 – Pittsburgh, Pa.
Life Safety Code Course & Workshop
Feb. 16 – Nashville, Tenn.
Video System Technology
Feb. 8 – 9 – Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 19 – 20 – Harrisburg, Pa.
Feb. 23 – 24 – Montgomery, Ala.
Feb. 26 – 27 – Buffalo, N.Y.
NBFAA & Chapter Calendar Highlights
It’s Almost Time to Visit Our Nation’s Capitol
The big trip to Washington D.C. is only three months away. This is an event that is sure to fill up fast so be sure to make your reservations early. Online registration coming soon.
Hotel Information
We have arranged a block of rooms at St. Gregory Luxury Hotel & Suites for a rate of $249.00 per night. Call reservations directly at (202) 530-3600 or (800) 829-5034 and mention you are attending an NBFAA event. The deadline to reserve your hotel room is April 4.
Airfare Information
NBFAA has received a discount for its members through American Airlines for those traveling to D.C. between April 27 and May 4. Attendees should go to www.aa.com to make their flight reservations. Enter the promotion code A4448AP for the NBFAA discount.
For a current listing of events for 2008, visit NBFAA’s Event Calendar online.
Chapter News
New Chapter Presidents Announced
The Mississippi and Iowa chapters introduced new presidents at the 2008 Leadership Summit in Dallas last week.
James Mason, Berkley Enterprises, was elected the new president of the Mississippi Alarm Association and Chris Brooks, Per Mar Security, was elected to Iowa’s post.
Hope Wilson, All Safe Technologies LLC, and Bart Williams, Security Solutions & Communications, were elected as treasurer and secretary of the Mississippi chapter respectively.
Remember, when news happens in your state, we want to know about it. Help us keep others informed about the great things happening in your state. Your news and events can be sent to communications@alarm.org. Or give us a call at (888) 447-1689.
Member Benefit Spotlight
Your Solution for Employee Health Insurance Benefits Packages
MMIC |
Provide affordable employer-paid health insurance benefit packages for your employees through Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants. Call Ed Sturczek for a customized quote offered to NBFAA member companies both large and small. You can also access information via their Web site at www.mmicinsurance.com. If you have used this, or one of the other NBFAA Member Benefit programs, we’d like to know what you think. We are calling on members to send in their comments about these programs so that we may use them as testimonials in various NBFAA publications. If you have a comment please send it to communications@alarm.org. Be sure to include your name, company and location. |
Industry News You Can Use
Pittsburgh to Hire Integrator for $3.5 Million Surveillance Project
City officials here have contracted with consulting firm N.W. Getz, based in Charlotte, N.C., as the first step in implementing a citywide surveillance system that will initially focus on the city’s ports. Pittsburgh expects to have a request for proposal out by late February and to notify the winning integrator by May 28.
Full Story
NBFAA and Members in the News
NBFAA in the News
A Balanced Approach to Fire Protection Offers the Greatest Benefits
Responder Safety
A balanced approach to fire protection that includes the installation of both fire detection and suppression systems will save lives according to NBFAA, and for that reason, NBFAA urges that consumers support two legislative initiatives now pending in Congress.
Full Story
The Effects of False Alarms
The Intelligencer
Every time an emergency call comes into 911, it draws police resources away from other crime-fighting efforts.
Full Story
The Security Week that Was 1/18/2008
SecurityInfoWatch.com
The NBFAA launched its new website and headed to Texas for a leadership conference.
Full Story
Recent Press Releases
NBFAA Web Site Redesigned to Offer NBFAA Members and Other Key Audiences an Enhanced Online Experience
NBFAA recently announced the launch of a redesigned Web site at www.alarm.org that streamlines the online experience for its members and other key audiences. In addition to designing the Web site for enhanced ease of use by members, NBFAA also refined the site’s navigation to make it easier for consumers, public safety officials, the association’s chartered chapters and the media to find useful information.
Full Story
For Member Update
Sponsorship information, contact
NBFAA Senior Director of Business Development Tonja
Jenkins.
If you do not wish to receive future e-mails, please reply to this e-mail with "REMOVE" in the subject line.
If you have questions, comments or concerns about Member Update, please contact the Communications Department.
All content © National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA)
2300 Valley View Lane, Suite 230 •Irving, TX 75062
Toll Free (888) 447-1689 • Local (214) 260-5970 • Fax (214) 260-5979