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Norshore Alarm Wins 2005 First Line of Defense Award
Company honored for installing fire alarm system that saved lives, property in condo fire

SILVER SPRING, Md. – National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) members Ken and Elaine Hohs, owners of Norshore Alarm Company in Libertyville, Ill., were honored on April 6 at the ISC West Industry Summit in Las Vegas as the winner of the 2005 First Line of Defense Award. The award is cosponsored by NBFAA and SDM Magazine and is presented annually to recognize and publicize the effectiveness of electronic life safety and security systems.

Norshore Alarms received the award for an installation it performed in May 2004 at a condominium complex in Evanston, Illinois. As a result of the city fire inspector’s requirements, Norshore upgraded and expanded an outdated system. The new system included horn strobes inside each condo unit.

On October 17, a fire broke out in one of the building’s 29 units. Thanks to the horn strobes in each unit, all residents were evacuated from the building without incident. The central station, Infinity Monitoring Services of Elk Grove, Ill., processed the alarm signal within seconds of receiving it and alerted the fire department.

“Winning this award is a tremendous honor," said Ken Hohs. "It was also very rewarding to hear all of the positive accolades coming from the Evanston fire chief on the effectiveness of the new system. We are accepting the award on behalf of everyone involved – our employees, the condo association and the central station, which really saved the day in this case by reacting so quickly.”

Ken and Elaine Hohs accepted the award from NBFAA Communications Committee Chair Ann Lindstrom and SDM Managing Editor Russ Gager.

“The First Line of Defense award is an excellent opportunity to honor those whose hard work and dedication have saved lives, protected property and prevented losses,” Lindstrom said. “We are proud to recognize Norshore Alarm Company as the latest very deserving recipient of this award.”

All winners of the First Line of Defense Award receive an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas to receive the award. They, as well as their company, are featured in SDM Magazine, as well as publicized throughout NBFAA publications including Newsline, our weekly e-newsletter Member Update, and on the www.alarm.org website.

Established in 1999, the First Line of Defense Award recognizes the value of electronic life safety and security systems in preventing crimes, averting property damage and saving lives. The NBFAA and SDM are currently accepting applications for next year’s First Line of Defense Award, which will be presented at ISC West 2006 in Las Vegas. To be eligible, an event must have occurred in the two years between October 30, 2003, and October 30, 2005. Entrants must also be NBFAA members in good standing. To obtain an entry form, visit www.alarm.org or contact NBFAA at 301-585-1855.

The National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) is the nation's oldest and largest association dedicated to representing, promoting, and supporting the electronic life safety, security, and systems industry. Member companies specialize in a wide spectrum of services to commercial and residential consumers, including security and fire alarms, monitoring, CCTV, and access control. Working with a federation of state associations, NBFAA provides government advocacy and delivers timely information, professional development tools, products and services to its members. The NBFAA may be reached at 301-585-1855 or on the web at www.alarm.org