Friday, Feb. 15, 2008
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In This Issue
NBFAA News
Business Continuity: Business as Usual. No Matter What.
Ten steps every business should take to prepare for a business interruption.
When people think of disasters, they generally envision hurricanes, tornados or floods - catastrophic events that devastate communities. But for a business, a disaster can be something as small as a failed switch or computer virus. These seemingly minor events can have a shocking impact on a business, often bringing operations to a standstill.
“The impacts of an interruption can be stunning,” says Bob Boyd, President and CEO of Agility Recovery Solutions, an industry leader in mobile business continuity solutions for small to mid-sized businesses and NBFAA associate member. “Statistics indicate that about 60 percent of the businesses affected by a disaster will not survive because they do not have a recovery plan in place.”
Creating a basic, executable business continuity plan is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your organization and ensure business as usual – no matter what the scenario. Below are 10 key steps to help you get started.
- Assess your risk – both internally and externally.
- Assess your critical business functions.
- Plan for an alternate location.
- Consider supply chain preparedness.
- Appoint a crisis manager and develop an emergency management plan.
- Back up your data and plan to restore your technology.
- Create an employee, vendor and key client communication plan.
- Assemble an emergency kit.
- Take a look at your insurance coverage.
- Test your plan.
“Over the years, we have successfully recovered hundreds of businesses who’ve taken the time to prepare,” says Boyd. “And we’ve also seen businesses with no plan in place that are powerless to resume operations. There is no worse feeling for a business person and no worse fate. The ability for your business to survive depends on preparations made today.”
Be watching for the next issue of Newsline. We will present more details from Agility on this topic.
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NBFAA and Agility are teaming to present a business continuity Webinar on February 28. |
ADI, Altronix and Security America Sign up as Executive Strategic Partners
Executive
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ADI, Security America and Altronix have all recently signed on as Executive Strategic Partners (ESP) with NBFAA. The ESP program was designed to provide unique opportunities for organizations to align with NBFAA through customized marketing platforms, while maintaining valuable year-round industry exposure through highly customized sponsorships and direct access to our members.
In the last Member Update, we announced that Honeywell had signed on as the Diamond Executive Partner.
ADI has signed up as a Gold-level partner, which allows them to take advantage of the majority of NBFAA recognition opportunities, with year-round exposure. Security America and Altronix are Silver-level partners. Silver-level sponsorship provides valuable and powerful exposure via all media available and several event opportunities.
All of our executive partners understand the significance of NBFAA’s ability to represent and protect their customers and their customers’ business environment as well as oversee the welfare of the consumers who use our products to protect life and property.
Please remember to thank all of our strategic partners and do what you can to support them in return!
Hats Off to Mike Horgan for His Efforts on Behalf of the Industry
 Mike Horgan |
The City of Appleton, Wisc. has reduced their number of unnecessary alarm dispatches by more than 35 percent through the institution of a more stringent city alarm ordinance. This new ordinance, which became effective on Jan. 1, 2007, encompasses a cooperative partnership between the Appleton Police Department and the alarm companies servicing the citizens and businesses of Appleton.
Playing a large role in this effort was Mike Horgan, owner of H & S Protection Systems Inc and an NBFAA representative on the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) Board. Horgan was instrumental in presenting the alarm industry’s model ordinance and solutions to help curb false alarms.
“Mike deserves a lot of thanks for facilitating the sharing of information between SIAC and the City of Appleton,” said SIAC Executive Director Stan Martin.
The new alarm ordinance requires that alarm companies obtain an alarm permit and use Enhanced Call Verification (ECV) prior to contacting the police department to request an officer respond to an alarm activation. Under ECV, alarm monitoring companies contact alarm customers via two separate telephone numbers in order to verify the need for police response.
In addition to ECV, the new ordinance increased fees charged to the alarm customers for repeated alarm dispatching. If an alarm location has more than 12 unnecessary dispatches within a six-month period, the police department may suspend response to alarm activation until the alarm location issues have been resolved.
“We have been working closely with all the alarm companies in Appleton and as a result we currently have no locations with a suspended response,” concluded Captain Julie Bahr of the Appleton Police Department. “We are very excited to continue working together enforcing the new ordinance to even further reduce dispatches in 2008.”
Photos from Leadership Summit Now Online
 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. |
Photos from this year’s Leadership Summit in Irving, Texas are now posted and available to download from NBFAA’s Web site, www.alarm.org.
Members and chapter leaders should feel free to download the photos for use on their Web sites, newsletters and other publications. Presentations from the event are also available online in the Chartered Chapter section of the Web site. Look under “Leadership Tools.”
NBFAA Reminds Members of AMPS Sunset Date
Beginning Feb. 18, 2008, cellular carriers will no longer be required to provide Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) service to more than 26 million alarm systems. NBFAA has been urging members to prepare for this date.
As a Member of NBFAA You Are Entitled to….
| To take advantage of these benefits, contact NBFAA today at (888) 447-1689. Current members will want to send in those membership renewals as soon as possible to avoid loosing these tremendous benefits. |
We are asked daily by prospective members, “What do I get for becoming a member of NBFAA?”
Many of you already know all the tremendous benefits that come with an NBFAA membership, but it never hurts to have a little review.
Your membership delivers:
- Consumer Exposure on the NBFAA Web site (www.alarm.org)
- Partnership with the nation’s oldest, largest and most trusted electronic life safety, security and systems association (Celebrating 60 Years)
- Company credibility and image
- Member-exclusive coupon book totaling more than $2,400 in savings
- Professional, personal, and business growth opportunities _ in the classroom and online - through the NBFAA National Training School (NTS)
- More than 2,500 online business skills courses, providing professional, technical and desktop application software courses, available at member-discounted rates
- Direct coverage of up to $1 million; excess general liability \ errors & omissions insurance coverage up to $5 million and an umbrella policy with up to $4 million over primary coverage through Security America Risk Retention Group
- Employee recruitment services through wildbullet.com, the largest industry recruitment site in the U.S.
- Complimentary state licensing guide to familiarize you with licensing requirements in the various states
- Networking and business-sharing opportunities with fellow NBFAA members
- Business-related resource guides on consumer contracts, cash flow solutions, succession planning, retirement planning, marketing and more
- Advice on industry issues such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) and how they affect your business
- Industry-relevant information via regular mail, the Web site, electronic member updates, quarterly magazine and state legislative reports
As an industry professional, you face the challenge of staying abreast of – and responding to – technological advances, legislative issues, staff training and professional development, and other changes to the environment in which you operate.
So the question should not be, “What do I get for being a member of NBFAA,” but rather, “How can I afford not to be a member of NBFAA?”
NBFAA Welcomes Agility Recovery Solutions as New Associate Member
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Agility Recovery Solutions is a leading provider of business continuity solutions to small and medium-sized businesses across North America. Within 48 hours of a business interruption, Agility delivers its members any, or all, of the four key elements of recovery: space, power, connectivity and technology; everything needed to resume “business as usual.” Visit AgilityRecovery.com for more information. |
Visit www.alarm.org for a complete list of our associate members.
NTS: A Proven Leader in Industry Training and Education
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Since 1985 NTS has been training employees in the electronic life safety, and systems industry to be more knowledgeable, efficient, and professional. Don’t your employees, your business, and your customers deserve the benefits of the best training? We think so, which is why NTS offers many courses, in the classroom and online, to fit everyone’s busy schedule. |
 Jan. 29: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire student Amber Luhman,21, makes her way home from class in Eau Claire, Wis.. AP photo |
Students in Wisconsin recently demonstrated just how much they believe in training:
During recent snow storms that blanketed Wisconsin, nearly every activity in Milwaukee was shut down including schools, shopping malls, and city and county government offices. However, all 11 registrants for the Certified Alarm Technician Level I training course made it to training.
Available courses this month are:
Advanced Burglar Alarm Technician
Feb. 23 – 24 – Nashville, Tenn.
Certified Alarm Technician (Level I)
Feb. 15 – 17 – Memphis, Tenn.
Please use the following to contact NTS:
Send any hard copy correspondence to NTS at the following address:
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Feb. 19 – 21 – Fort Smith, Ark.
Feb. 26 – 28 – Las Vegas, Nev.
Electronic Access Control
Feb. 21 – 22 – Harrisburg, Pa.
Feb. 28 – 29 – Buffalo, N.Y.
Fire Alarm Installation Methods
Feb. 12 – 13 – Pittsburgh, Pa.
Life Safety Code Course & Workshop
Feb. 16 – Nashville, Tenn.
Video System Technology
Feb. 19 – 20 – Harrisburg, Pa.
Feb. 23 – 24 – Montgomery, Ala.
Feb. 26 – 27 – Buffalo, N.Y.
NBFAA & Chapter Calendar Highlights
Make Note of the New Dates for the NBFAA Day on Capitol Hill
Members will want to update the 2008 NBFAA calendars that were mailed out at the end of last year to be certain they have the correct dates for the NBFAA Day on Capitol Hill.
Members will be converging on our nations Capitol on April 29 – 30. Not on April 30 – May 1 as is printed in the calendar.
Members planning to attend the event will want to make their hotel reservations soon, as attendance to the event will be limited. Hotel reservations need to be made no later than April 4. We have arranged a block of rooms at the St. Gregory Luxury Hotel & Suites for a rate of $249.00 per night. For reservations, call (202) 530-3600 or (800) 829-5034 and mention you are attending the NBFAA event.
The NBFAA Day on Capitol Hill is an important event for many reasons. Most prominent is that members will meet with their legislators on Capitol Hill to discuss our legislative agenda and goals. It is also an excellent networking opportunity, and individual participants gain valuable experience, in addition to representing our industry on Capitol Hill.
All of these benefits come with no registration cost; the only costs are your travel expenses (airfare, hotel, some meals, etc.).
For those flying to the event, NBFAA has negotiated a discount for our members through American Airlines for flights to and from 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.
Be sure to book your room and flight early, as space is limited.
For a complete schedule, visit www.alarm.org. Online registration will be coming soon so check back often for updates.
Chapter News
IBFAA Hosts Annual Vendor Table Top Expo and Member Meeting
The Indiana Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (IBFAA) will be hosting their 2008 Vendor Table Top Expo next week on Thursday, Feb. 21. The event will take place in Indianapolis and will include the chapter member meeting, officer election, vendor show and dinner. For additional information, contact Karen Maples at kmaples@stanleyworks.com.
New Jersey Chapter Holds Annual Symposium, Announces 2008 Officers, Directors
The New Jersey Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NJBFAA) held its annual symposium January 24 where members were treated to networking, training and informative meetings.
The association also elected new officers and directors for 2008.
The 2008 officers of NJBFAA are:
- Chris Mack, ADI
President -
Scott Stellfox, SMS Security Systems
John Drucker from the DiCristina Group presents a course in low voltage wiring.
Vice President – Northern - Ethan Blumenfeld, Advanced Security Systems
Secretary – Northern - Richard Trevelise, Reliable Safety Systems
Vice President – Central\President-Elect - Joe Russotto, Eastern Distributing
Secretary – Central - Lenny Simoni, Matrix Security Systems
Vice President – Southern - Joe Parisi, Rapid Response Monitoring
Secretary – Southern - Joseph Petsch, Franklin Alarm Company
Treasurer - Casey Guagenti, Controlled Access
Immediate Past President
The 2008 Directors of the NJBFAA are:
- Bob Chartrand, Chartrand Associates
- Gerard Duffy, Spectrum Cable & Alarm Systems
- Andy Fasbach, ADT Security Services
- Ken Gould, American Security Systems
- Bret Resnick, Ultimate Security Systems
- Lew Walters, Affiliated Central
 WBFAA President Andy Abbott and Past Presidents Don McInnes and Tom Brueckner place their bets at the WBFAA Casino Night. |
Wisconsin Members Enjoy Casino Night
The Wisconsin Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (WBFAA) recently held a casino night for its members in which the chapter raised more than $2,000 for the association.
Attendees received $300 in “funny money” for casino style gaming such as Black Jack, Roulette, Craps and Texas Hold ‘Em. Later in the evening, attendees used their winnings in a prize auction. A real money live auction was also held.
Member Benefit Spotlight
 (800) PAY-CHEX (729-2439) www.paychex.com |
Paychex Offers Members Discount on Human Resources ServicesLet Paychex - a leading national provider of payroll, human resource, and benefits services for small-to medium-sized businesses - relieve you of these tasks! NBFAA members receive a 15 percent discount on payroll processing. |
Industry News You Can Use
Longtime Chairperson Lisa Prosser Steps Down from IQ Certification Board
 Lisa Prosser |
Longtime IQ Chairperson Lisa Prosser of General Alarm Co. has stepped down from the IQ Certification Board, leaving some big shoes to fill and a long list of accomplishments.
Prosser has served as chairperson of the IQ Certification Board since 2002 and was a founding board member.
At its January meeting the IQ Certification Board elected Timothy Creenan of Amherst Alarm Inc to succeed Prosser as chairperson.
SIAC Welcomes New Board Members Charlie Darsch, Jay Hauhn
The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) recently announced that the Security Industry Association (SIA) has appointed Charlie Darsch and Jay Hauhn as representative to the SIAC Baord of Directors. Darsch and Hauhn will be replacing Rich Ader and Larry Dischert as the SIA representatives to SIAC.
As the Director of Corporate Relations for System Sensor, Darsch entered the security industry in the 1950’s after losing a friend to an intruder. Putting his electrical engineering degree from the University of Massachusetts to good use, Darsch founded Minuteman Security, an alarm installing company. In 1972, he sold the company and joined Aerospace Research as their northeast sales manager. Aerospace Research was later purchased by Aritech Corporation, then Sentrol, and by 1989, Darsch was promoted to vice president.
Hauhn is a 30-year veteran of ADT Security Services and other Tyco companies, having most recently held senior management roles in product management and strategy. In his current position as vice president, Technology and Industry Relations for ADT North America, Hauhn is the lead executive responsible for ADT interactions with security industry associations. In addition to his recent appointment to the SIAC Board of Directors, Hauhn is serving his second term on the Security Industry Association’s Board of Directors.
Businesses: Don't Hold Out on America
If your business received a 2007 Economic Census form in December, and you returned it on time, NBFAA thanks you. But if you missed the Feb. 12 deadline, we urge you to seek a 30-day extension and complete the form as soon as possible. Businesses that received forms are required by law (Title 13 of the U.S. Code) to respond.
In today's changing economy, timely and relevant facts and figures are essential for sound business and government decision making. The Economic Census is the primary benchmark for measuring 96 percent of the gross domestic product. Ben Bernanke has said, "The Economic Census is indispensable to understanding America's economy."
Businesses can request a 30-day reporting extension, or get help with their form, via the Internet (http://business.census.gov) or by calling a toll-free number (800) 233-6136 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.
Once you have sent your figures in, take a break and see how your business compares with industry averages from past censuses. At http://business.census.gov, click on "Industry Snapshots", then select your industry.
Member News
Tri-Ed Distributing Shows Its Support of Apprentice Training Program Grads
As part of its commitment to training and industry advancement, Tri-Ed Distribution came out in support of the first graduates of the Western Burglar and Fire Alarm Association Unilateral Apprenticeship and Training Committee (WBFAA UATC) Apprentice Training Program.
The graduates completed a three-year curriculum and reported 6,000 hours of work experience. Tri-Ed presented the grads, at the California Automatic fire alarm Association (CAFAA) Annual Meeting in January, with tool bags packed with items to help them be the best technicians in the field. On hand for the presentation were WBFAA UATC instructors Chuck Shelby and Bev Cramer, Tri-Ed’s Michelle Johnson, apprentice graduates Scott Jordan and Henry Vargas, and Vaughn Wells of Tri-Ed.
Tri-Ed presents the first graduates of the WBFAA UATC Apprentice Training Program with a tool bag filled with useful items for the fire/life safety technicians. On hand for the presentation were WBFAA UATC instructors Chuck Shelby and Bev Cramer, Tri-Ed’s Michelle Johnson, apprentice graduates Scott Jordan and Henry Vargas, and Vaughn Wells of Tri-Ed.
Member Product News
DMP Offers New Wireless Receivers Targeted Specifically for Residential and Commercial Applications
Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) has released four new models of its 1100 Series wireless receivers. The new In-line receivers make it possible for installers to add wireless capability to any DMP installation easily, discreetly, and for less. The new High Power receivers offer a solution for harsh radio frequency environments. The receivers are part of the broad line of two-way supervised wireless components available from DMP.
The new receivers are based on the technology in the 1100D and 1100X models. The new In-line receivers, model 1100DI and 1100XI provide the same basic features and functions, but in a more compact unit for both residential and small commercial installations.
The new High Power receivers, model 1100DH and 1100XH, offer greater transmission power and higher sensitivity, thus increasing the coverage. The more powerful receivers eliminate the need to purchase multiple high-power transmitters.
Every 1100 Series receiver provides two-way, supervised communication using 900 Mega Hertz (Mhz) frequency-hopping, spread-spectrum technology. This smart technology ensures that every communication is received and efficiently processed at the panel with a single transmission.
NBFAA and Members in the News
NBFAA in the News
NBFAA, The Summit Group to Offer Slate of Webinars
The National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) recently announced that the association has teamed with The Summit Group to offer unique security industry-specific business training through interactive Webinars.
Full Story
Members in the News
Malden Resident Installed as District Masonic Officer
Paul M. Carroll of Malden, Mass., was installed as a District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, and will preside over eight lodges in the Fourth Masonic District for the year.
Full Story
Recent Press Releases
NBFAA-Drafted Language Included in Higher Education Act
On Feb. 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Higher Education Act, by a vote of 354-58, which included language from H.R. 1409, the College Life Safety and Fire Prevention Act introduced by Rep.Vito Fossella, R-N.Y.
The National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) hailed this vote as a major victory for public safety and for the industry.
Full Story
Nine Questions to Ask to Limit Financial Losses in an Emergency
Every business, whether there are hundreds of employees at multiple locations, or a 3-person operation, should put in place a basic loss control program to minimize financial losses in the event of an emergency. Security America Risk Retention Group, the insurance company owned by the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) and participating members of NBFAA, suggests nine questions that every business should ask to limit financial losses in an emergency.
Full Story
For Member Update
Sponsorship information, contact
NBFAA Senior Director of Business Development Tonja
Jenkins.
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