Tri-Ed Distribution is pleased to announce its three scholarship winners for the 2010 – 2011 academic year. Based on academic merit, the scholarship program was open to any graduating high school senior who is a child of a current ESA (formerly NBFAA) member.

Tri-Ed extends its congratulations and best wishes to all three winners: Rachel Barry, daughter of Mark Barry of GE Security ($1500 scholarship); Alex Sikora, son of Marion Sikora of Sonitrol Security in Buffalo, NY ($1000 scholarship), and Craig Harlow, son of Robert Harlow of Broadview Security in Richmond, VA ($500 scholarship). Rachel will be attending Duke University in the fall; Alex will be enrolled at Denison University and Craig will be studying at the University of Virginia.

“Tri-Ed applauds the accomplishments of these three young scholars,” says Pat Comunale, COO. “We wish them continued success and are pleased we can help ease some of the financial burdens of higher education for these deserving winners and their families.”

Tri-Ed’s scholarship program is indicative of its commitment to supporting the industry’s largest association – the ESA – and its members. Customers turn to Tri-Ed for superior customer service, same day shipping, flexible credit terms, online ordering, customer appreciation events, purchasing rewards, technical systems support, and ongoing product training. Tri-Ed is North America’s largest independent wholesale distributor of security and low voltage products. For more information, visit www.tri-ed.com.

$41,000 in scholarship awarded to 29 students

Children of police officers and firefighters from Indiana and Tennessee were awarded $10,000 in scholarships through the ESA Youth Scholarship Program. Altogether, ESA and its participating Chartered State Associations awarded $41,000 in scholarships to 29 winners from more than 680 applications. The program has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships since its inception in 1996.

Claire Williams of Greenfield, Ind. was the first place winner of the ESA Youth Scholarship Program and received a $7,500 scholarship for her outstanding essay and scholastic achievements. Claire will graduate second in her class of 284 students at Mt. Vernon High School in Fortville, IN. Her scholastic excellence has already proven invaluable as she has recently received an appointment to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Claire’s father, Craig Williams, is a lieutenant with the Buck Creek Township volunteer fire department. Her leadership efforts in school clubs and church functions, combined with her volunteer community service activities, illustrate Claire’s deep sense of civic duty that was most certainly handed down by her father.

In her essay she wrote, “As I grew older, I could better recognize the deeper meaning of my dad’s choice to get involved, as I began to notice his personal sacrifices such as time, sleep, and effort he made to serve at the fire house. His involvement inspired me to make a more personal difference as well. I started volunteering at the Julian Center, an urban domestic violence shelter, and spent my summers playing with children in the kids’ program. It was one of the most beneficial experiences of my youth. I learned how much I have been blessed with, and how important it is for one to give back to his/her community. Even small efforts can make a big difference in the lives of others.”

Kristian Maples of Gatlinburg, Tenn. was awarded second place and received a $2,500 scholarship. An active senior at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School, Kristian is editor of the school’s yearbook, is an honors student, class leader and active volunteer in her community.

Kristian’s father, Jimmy Maples, is captain of the Gatlinburg Police Department. In her essay, Kristian wrote, “My dad’s tough policeman personality is very impressive, but he has another side that I find just as heroic. Aside from being an officer, he is a marriage counselor, a wedding minister, a Sevier County constable, a chaplain for the Fraternal Order of Police, and a charter member of the Sevier County Marine Corps League. He has also been a youth pastor, and a commander of the American Legion Post 202. My dad has proved to me that being ‘busy’ is not an excuse when it comes to helping people.”

”Each year in these submissions we see the effect that a committed parent has on his or her child. The essays, along with the quality of each applicant’s background, show how police and fire officials across the country are positive role models for the next generation. ESA is proud to reward the next generation of students who will help provide solutions in the years ahead for a more safe and secure world,” said Dave Simon, ESA Public Relations Committee chairperson.

Both ESA and its Chartered Chapter Associations participate in the program. The first place winner of each state’s program is automatically considered for the national ESA Youth Scholarship Program awards. This year, 14 Chartered Chapter Associations participated, an increase of two states over last year. Each state typically awards $1,000 or more in scholarships. Claire and Kristian both received an additional $1,000 from the Indiana and Tennessee Burglar & Fire Alarm Associations, respectively.

Students who reside in states without a chartered ESA chapter or in a state with a non-participating state association submit their applications directly to ESA. From these applications, one is chosen to compete against the state winners as the national nominee. The national nominee is awarded a $1,000 scholarship to honor that individual’s achievement. This year’s national nominee was Amanda Watson, a senior at William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs.

Students’ applications are scored based on a combination of GPA, ACT/SAT test scores, an essay and extracurricular activity.

Number of scholarships doubled due to increased demand

Vector Security has released the names of the winners of its 2010 LPF Scholarship Program. This is the second year in succession that Vector Security has hosted this continuing education program, which provides free LPQualified and LPCertified scholarships to worthy individuals.

According to Michael T. Grady, Vector Security’s executive vice president, this year’s program was changed to meet the expanding value of the LPF programs. “We expanded the program in several LP professionals who are looking for higher degrees of learning. Second, we also opened the program to people from outside the industry who are seeking LPQualified scholarships – such as college students, police officers and military personnel – who are seeking to develop careers in retail LP.”

For the 2010 program, Vector Security doubled the number of LPQualified and LPCertified scholarships made available through the company, in accordance with the increasing demand for the program. Vector Security, which is a founding board member of the Loss Prevention Foundation, has believed in the viability of the program since its inception and feels that education is the key to professionalizing the loss prevention industry. Everyone whose career is tied into retail loss prevention has a stake in increasing the level of professionalism within the industry. Better educated people can bring about greater results, create better LP programs and even better deploy new LP technologies within their organizations.

Gene Smith, president of the Loss Prevention Foundation, says that “Vector gets it! They realize that today’s LP professionals are expected to be sharp, technically savvy business managers, leaders, educators, social scientists, accountants, statisticians, high level executives, and of course, investigators. Certification is a means to enhance career performance. It expands a person’s knowledge and expertise, confirms understandings, challenges perspectives and reinforces loss prevention industry goals and objectives.” Grady adds, “Curbing losses due to shrinkage is the only free money left on retailers’ tables. They don’t need to discount it, promote it, advertise it, or stay open late to create it. And, LP departments are the reason why that money can fall right to the bottom line.”

However, the growing popularity of both Vector’s scholarship program and the LPF courses in general created a sort of yin-yang problem for the 2010 competition. “We were flooded with applications. This year’s program generated four times the amount of interest that last year’s did, and the problem was that most of these applicants were good candidates,” cite Grady. “We only had ten scholarship in each category to give away, but had identified other applicants as runners up who we fest deserved additional consideration.” Vector’s response was to ask the Loss Prevention Foundation to try to accommodate these additional well-deserving candidates through its existing internal scholarship pool.

The following is the list of winners and runners-up for the 2010 Vector Security LPF scholarship program:

LPCertified Winners

Terry Vannarsdale, Coca-Cola Enterprises

Adam Parker, Lamps Plus, Inc.

Elie Chemaly, Staples, Inc.

Johnny R. Custer LPQ – CFI, Merchant Analytic Solutions, LLC

Shawn Abernathy, Target Corporation

Melissa Truini, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.

Dana Rossey, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.

Tyler Davis, Gordmans

Donald E. Tarney, Staples, Inc.

Jeffrey S. Levitt, Panera Bread/Paradise Bakery & Café

LPCertified Runners Up

James P. Hiscock, Trans World Entertainment

Jeremy Yeomans, CFI, Big Lots Stores, Inc.

Michael A. O’Donnell, ALCO Duckwall Stores, Inc.

Daniel Taylor, Panera Bread

Douglas P. Pettigrew, Allsup’s Convenience Stores, Inc.

Adrian Nowalk, Duty Free Americas

LPQualified Winners

Derrick Welsh, Hastings Entertainment, Inc.

William Andrew Hollaway, AJ Wright

Matthew N. McHugh, Macy’s, Inc.

Arcelis N. Severino, Jr., Toys “R” Us, Inc.

James p. White, Sears Holding Corp.

Frank Moreno, Duane Reade, Inc.

Laura Guerry, Wal-Mart, Inc.

John W. Reid, Michaels Stores, Inc.

Thaddeus C. Hugues, Fred Meyer Stores

Stephen Walls, Hastings Entertainment

LPQualified Runners Up

John F. Watson, Lowe’s Home Improvement

Sonja Ann Chatman, Student

Andrew Diamond, Publix Super Markets, Inc.

Marcus Collins, Lowe’s Home Improvement

Erin Castro, Staples, Inc.

Lt. Col. William E. Carvajal-Ramirez, Independent Security Consultant

The Wisconsin Electronic Security Association (WIESA) is the latest state to take part in ESA’s Youth Scholarship Program. Since its inception in 1996, the association and its affiliated Chartered Chapters have awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to students whose parents are police and fire officials.

“Pursuing a degree in today’s colleges is stressful enough.  College is becoming more and more difficult to afford – add to that the worry of tuition, books, housing and related expenses.  Scholarships are not merely financial aids; they also serve as opportunities for students to reach more than they aspire for.  It is the goal of WIESA to help offset some of that stress for two of Wisconsin’s hard working high school seniors,” said Maureen Mecham, WIESA scholarship coordinator.

According to Mecham, WIESA is participating in the Youth Scholarship Program simply because the chapter believes it important to give back to the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way on a daily basis in service to the community.

“We would like to say ‘Thank You’ by recognizing the academic and community achievements of two of their children through the WIESA Youth Scholarship program,” she said.

WEISA will award a $750 scholarship to a deserving son or daughter of both a police office and firefighter. One will be chosen to compete at the national level for an opportunity to win a $7,500 or $2,500 scholarship.

If your state is interested in taking part in this program, visit www.alarm.org/pubsafety/ysp or contact Jason Smith, ESA communications specialist, at (888) 447-1689 ext. 231.

Tri-Ed Distribution has extended the deadline to March 1st for applicants hoping to earn one of the three college scholarships it is offering for the 2010-2011 Academic Year. Tri-Ed’s Scholarship Program is open to any graduating high school senior who is a child of a current ESA (formerly NBFAA) member.

The $1,500.00, $1,000.00 and $500.00 scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit. To be considered, applicants are required to provide:

• A copy of their high school transcript, including college entrance exam scores (SAT or ACT)
• A copy of their college application essay
• A letter of recommendation from their high school guidance counselor or   high school teacher of their choice
• A list of the colleges they are applying to
• ESA member name & company

The new deadline for completed applications is March 1, 2010. All applications are being accepted via e-mail at marketing@tri-ed.com.

Names of the three winning students will be announced at the Tri-Ed booth during ISC West 2010. All winners will also be notified in writing.

Scholarship award checks will be made payable to the college or university the winners will be attending – upon their acceptance – and will be for the sole use of tuition

Tri-Ed is a strong advocate of industry causes and this scholarship program is indicative of its commitment to supporting the industry’s largest association – the ESA– and its members.

“Tri-Ed is pleased to help ease some of the financial burdens of higher education for three deserving scholarship winners and their families,” says Pat Comunale, COO.

NBFAA has begun accepting applications for the 2010 Youth Scholarship Program which will award $10,000 in scholarships to two children of active duty police officers and firefighters. The first place winner will receive $7,500 to put towards their college education and the second place winner will receive $2,500.

Since the NBFAA Youth Scholarship Program was created in 1996, the association and its affiliated Chartered Chapter Associations have donated more than $300,000 in scholarship funds to students whose parents are police and fire officials.

Eligible students must be between 15 and 20 years old, a graduating high school senior and have been accepted for admission to an accredited college or university. Each eligible student must have a father, mother or natural guardian who is a full-time police officer or firefighter. Students will be required to write an essay titled, “What it means to me to have my parent or guardian involved in securing our community.”

Students residing in a state with a participating NBFAA Chartered Chapter Association must enter through their state-level scholarship program to be considered for the national awards. The winners from each state are automatically considered for the national scholarship. Students who reside in a state without an NBFAA chapter or in a non-participating state should submit their applications directly to NBFAA of which one student will be chosen to compete with the state winners.

Awards are based on a combination of academic achievement, national test scores, extracurricular participation and the essay. The deadline for submitting applications is March 31, 2010. For complete scholarship rules and a list of participating states visit NBFAA’s Web site at www.alarm.org and click on Public Safety.

This is a powerful tool for you to use to build relationships with local law enforcement and fire officials. Visit them and make sure that they are aware of this program for their children. You will no doubt earn a feather for your cap!

Tri-Ed Distribution is pleased to announce that it will be offering three college scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year. Tri-Ed’s scholarship program is open to any graduating high school senior who is a child of a current NBFAA member.

The $1,500, $1,000 and $500 scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit. To be considered, applicants are required to provide:

• A copy of their high school transcript, including college entrance exam scores (SAT or ACT).
• A copy of their college application essay.
• A letter of recommendation from their high school guidance counselor or high school teacher of their choice.
• A list of the colleges to which they are applying.
• NBFAA member name and company.

The deadline for completed applications is January 31, 2010. All applications are being accepted via e-mail at marketing@tri-ed.com.

Names of the three winning students will be announced at the Tri-Ed booth during ISC West 2010. All winners will also be notified in writing.

Scholarship award checks will be made payable to the college or university the winners will be attending – upon their acceptance – and will be used solely for tuition.

Tri-Ed is a strong advocate of industry causes and this scholarship program is indicative of its commitment to supporting the industry’s largest association – the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association – and its members.

“Tri-Ed is pleased to help ease some of the financial burdens of higher education for three deserving scholarship winners and their families,” says Pat Comunale, COO.

Tri-Ed Distribution is pleased to announce that it will be offering three college scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year. Tri-Ed’s scholarship program is open to any graduating high school senior who is a child of a current NBFAA member.

The $1,500, $1,000 and $500 scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit. To be considered, applicants are required to provide:

• A copy of their high school transcript, including college entrance exam scores (SAT or ACT).
• A copy of their college application essay.
• A letter of recommendation from their high school guidance counselor or high school teacher of their choice.
• A list of the colleges to which they are applying.
• NBFAA member name and company.

The deadline for completed applications is January 31, 2010. All applications are being accepted via e-mail at marketing@tri-ed.com.

Names of the three winning students will be announced at the Tri-Ed booth during ISC West 2010. All winners will also be notified in writing.

Scholarship award checks will be made payable to the college or university the winners will be attending – upon their acceptance – and will be used solely for tuition.

Tri-Ed is a strong advocate of industry causes and this scholarship program is indicative of its commitment to supporting the industry’s largest association – the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association – and its members.

“Tri-Ed is pleased to help ease some of the financial burdens of higher education for three deserving scholarship winners and their families,” says Pat Comunale, COO.