Rapid Security Solutions, LLC - Experts & Thought Leaders

The winning products and services of the 2019 Innovation Awards were revealed at ESX 2019 on June 4 in Indianapolis. Each year, the ESX Innovation Awards programme recognises outstanding products and services that drive the electronic security and life safety industry forward. This year’s winners continue that legacy with novel innovations and improvements. To determine the best of the best, judges selected winners from a pool of applications from manufacturers and service providers serving the industry with innovative end-user offerings and tools that help dealers, integrators and monitoring professionals become more efficient and profitable. Category winners were as follows: Access control pdqSMART+, Grade 1 Cylindrical Lock by PDQ Industries Enterprise Access Control by Alarm.com OmniAssure Touch by Honeywell Commercial automation / control systems / networking TruProtect™ Integrated Security Solution by Interlogix Dealer services QuoteAnywhere G2.0 – Mobile Sales Quote & Sign Platform by WeSuite CSR Readiness PRO by CSR Privacy Solutions, Inc. Digital health / well-being systems Essence 3D Sense Fall Detector by Essence Smart Care Fire / life safety DynamixSmoke by Advanced Honeywell Home SiXCOMBO Two-Way Wireless Smoke/Heat and Carbon Monoxide Detector by Resideo Installation / service tools fireNspec by PnewSoft, LLC. System Surveyor by System Surveyor Intrusion systems BX Shield Outdoor Boundary PIR Series by Optex, Inc. IQ Panel 2 Plus by Qolsys 1122 Wireless (PIR) Motion Detector by DMP - Digital Monitoring Products BAT-Connect Communicator by Alula Mobile apps for consumers Honeywell Total Connect VISTA Partitions by Resideo Video Verification App by DICE Corporation Smart Signal by Alarm.com Monitoring station CHeKT Visual Verification Bridge by CHeKT Specialty products & services WattBox 150 IP Power Outlets with OvrC (1 controlled bank, 2 outlets) by SnapAV Video surveillance SecureCom Video NVR™ by DMP - Digital Monitoring Products Thermal-Optical DeepinView Turret Camera DS-2TD1217-3/V1 by Hikvision USA Umbo AICamera by Umbo Computer Vision DuraVisionDX0211 by EIZO Inc. Umbo Light by Umbo Computer Vision Next-gen products Judges from across the country were invited to provide their expert opinions  The winners selected are recognised as next-gen products and services that offer significant opportunities for growth. Judges from across the country were invited to provide their expert opinions based on thorough criteria. This year’s judges were: Rodger Reiswig, Johnson Controls (Florida); Grady Medcalf, Spectrum (Colorado); Michele Monheim, Amherst Alarm (Upstate New York); Steven E. Paley, Rapid Security Solutions (Florida) and Adam Thompson, Wired-Up Systems (Arizona). Criteria of judging Entrants to the Innovation Awards program were judged on: features and functions, innovation, end-user experience, ability to solve a problem, revenue growth potential, impact on company efficiencies and compliance with regulations. These metrics provided a rubric that determined the most innovative and exceptional products and services in the industry. Winners of the Innovation Awards were featured in the ESX Innovation Awards Showcase in Booth 615 during live expo hours.

Video surveillance is used for more than just safety and security: users are discovering that high-resolution images and user-friendly features make surveillance cameras a valuable asset for all sorts of applications. A cattle ranch in Manatee County, Florida found that a Dahua PTZ was the perfect way to observe eagles without disturbing their habitat. Dahua PTZ cameras  When Hurricane Irma pummeled Florida in 2017, Victoria and Nicholas, a pair of American bald eagles, watched their nest get destroyed. Undeterred, they began building a new nest in a tree right next to the old one. The ranchers on whose property the eagles lived were so inspired by this show of dedication that they decided to install cameras nearby to share the eagles’ story with the world. They reached out to Jens Buff, security consultant with Rapid Security Solutions, for support, and he contacted Dahua. Dahua donated a 4MP 30x IP PTZ, which was mounted to a tree in order to observe the nest up close. Dahua donated a 4MP 30x IP PTZ, which was mounted to a tree in order to observe the nest up close But disaster struck yet again! In 2018 “an unnamed storm, unexpected and unseasonable, blew through our area with pounding rain and ferocious winds,” stated the Eagle Country YouTube page. “Sadly, the eagles’ nest was blown to the ground in pieces again! We wondered if they would relocate, but this was Nicholas and Victoria. The very next day they began to rebuild. The cameras we placed after Irma were not destroyed and we are able to watch this incredible story continue.” Smart IR and day/night surveillance Dozens of YouTube videos, as well as a live feed, give viewers a rare glimpse into the day-to-day lives of these majestic birds. Whether they’re incubating eggs, eating dinner, cleaning house, or fending off intruders, their activities are captured in clear video both day and night. The camera’s true day/night IR cut filter and Smart IR allow for crisp nighttime images without “whitening out” as the eagles get close to the camera. True WDR preserves the image in the direct sunlight that’s unavoidable at the top of a tree in the Sunshine State. The easy-to-use PTZ features let the ranchers follow the eagle’s actions without bothering them by manually repositioning the camera. “Dahua’s PTZ was the perfect choice to view one of life’s most beautiful creations living in nature,” Mr. Buff remarked.

ESX has announced the winners of its 2018 Innovation Awards program, which recognises outstanding products and services that drive the electronic security and life safety industry forward. Judges selected winners from a pool of applications from manufacturers and service providers, serving the industry with innovative end-user offerings and tools that help dealers, integrators and monitoring professionals become more efficient and profitable. The winners selected are recognised as next-gen products and services that offer significant opportunities for growth. 2018 award winners Electronic/Mechanical Locks Yale Locks & Hardware – Nest x Yale Lock Gate/Door Operators Nortek Security & Control – Linear Smart Garage Door Operator Hosted/Managed Access Systems DMP – Virtual Keypad Access Cable & Structured Wiring Comtrend – PG-9172PoE G.hn Powerline Adapter with PoE (Power over Ethernet) Cable & Wiring Accessories - Connectors/Wiring Harnesses/Terminals Mag Daddy – ¾” Bridle Ring with 65# Magnet PERS Essence – Care@Home Communicator Controllers & Control Panels - Analogue/Addressable/Conventional Systems NAPCO Security Technologies – FireLink Detection Appliances - Smoke/Heat/Gas Detection Devices Nortek Security & Control – 2GIG Stove & Grill Guard Sensor Productivity Mobile Applications DMP – Dealer Admin 2.0 Installation and Service Tools/Testers Mag Daddy – Camera Mounting Kit Cellular/Radio Communicators M2M Services – MQ03-LTE Controllers & Control Panels Alula – Connect+ Two-Way Voice Platform Notification Appliances - Monitor/Contacts/Environmental OPTEX – WFX-360 Series Outdoor Detection OPTEX – Fitlink Series Commercial App for Security/Life Safety Systems DMP – Virtual Keypad 6.0 Residential App for Security/Life Safety Systems Honeywell – Honeywell Lyric Controller and Apple Homekit Enhanced/Verified Monitoring NMC – Proactive Video Monitoring Home Automation/Home Control Systems Interlogix – Interlogix Command Button Internet of Things (IoT) Device Interlogix – UltraSync Doorbell Camera Drones Nightingale Security – Robotic Aerial Security Hosted and Managed Video Systems (VSaaS) DICE Corporation – Cloud Video Recording IP Cameras Hikvision USA Inc. – Thermal Bi-Spectrum Camera System Megapixel/HD Cameras Honeywell – Honeywell Total Connect Wireless HD Video Camera Family Monitors EIZO Inc. – DuraVision FDF2304W-IP Video Analytics Dahua Technology – 2MP AI Network Box Camera (IPC-HF824FN-FR) The standard-setting awards program was judged by a panel of industry professionals in the following areas: Features and functions Innovation End-user experience Ability to solve a problem Revenue growth potential Impact on company value and efficiencies Compliance with regulations The top ten category winners will compete in the TechVision Challenge – a live, Shark Tank-style competition judged by industry experts at ESXTop-10 winners in TechVision Challenge The judges for the 2018 Innovation Awards were: Don Childers of Security Central; Michele Monheim of Eastern States Sentinel Alarm Services, Inc.; Mike Moritz of RFI, Steve Paley of Rapid Security Solutions, LLC; and Mark Sepulveda of USA Alarm Systems. Winners will be featured on the show floor at the ESX Innovation Awards Showcase in Booth 707 during expo hours, June 20-21. In addition, the top ten category winners will compete in the TechVision Challenge – a live, Shark Tank-style competition judged by industry experts at ESX. The judges for the 2018 TechVision Challenge will be: Steve Firestone of Select Security, Robert Few of The Connection Xchange and Melissa Brinkman of Custom Alarm.

In an emergency, information is pivotal. More information provides better understanding of an emergency and empowers potentially life-saving decision-making. Emergency response teams depend on information to guide their efforts and to deliver targeted assistance. On the front lines of emergency response are 911 and field responder agencies, which must direct reaction to life-or-death situations rapidly and efficiently. Historically, 911 operators had to respond based on very little information, perhaps just a voice on the phone or a location on their screen. Providing critical information Today, there are literally millions of information sources available, ranging from connected buildings to vehicle telematics to live video streams to health information from wearable devices. In fact, there are 540 million connected devices, any one of which could provide critical information in an emergency. But how can those information sources be leveraged to improve emergency response? That’s the mission and value proposition of RapidSOS, an ‘intelligent safety platform’ company that connects 911 operators with the vast universe of information available to promote better and faster emergency response. Highly sophisticated operation The platform is integrated into every major public safety software system and first responder agency “RapidSOS fuses human and artificial intelligence to put critical information from any connected device directly into the existing systems and operating procedures of first responders across the United States,” says Michael Martin, CEO of RapidSOS. RapidSOS is widely used by first responders. The platform is integrated into every major public safety software system and first responder agency. There are more than 4,600 software integrations that serve more than 21,000 first responders and 911 agencies. In 2023, RapidSOS supported the lifesaving work of public safety across 171 million emergencies with 3.3 billion data payloads. The system is adaptable and configurable to support any agency, from a highly sophisticated operation in New York City to a local sheriff running their own 911 center. Intelligent analytics and reporting RapidSOS Unite is the latest evolution of the product, a single solution that includes AI automation, rich content pathways, redundant connection to caller phones, and access to millions of connected devices. In an emergency, Unite intelligently fuses data from among millions of sensor feeds into a unified picture of an incident, allowing public safety officials to view real-time location, health profile, telematics, alarm data, and more. RapidSOS Unite is the latest evolution of the product, a single solution that includes AI automation RapidSOS offers core modules that handle call, text, video, sensor, mapping, and administration tools, and that provide partner data from connected devices. Additional modules provide enhanced geographic information system (GIS) data, and automated translation and transcription. There is also a single sign-on (SSO) upgrade, intelligent analytics and reporting, and seamless integration into field responder applications. Field responder applications Consider how an emergency might unfold and how RapidSOS can help. In a car accident, data from a modern automobile telematics system can alert a 911 operator of the accident as it happens. Data from a passenger’s wearable device might provide information about their health and condition. A nearby video or traffic camera could fill in details of how the accident occurred. Useful information in an emergency might come from any one of thousands of sources, including public safety data, sensor feeds, enterprise security systems, smart phones, etc. In a train derailment, electronic access to the cargo manifest can identify which train cars contain hazardous materials and how to manage the specific type of hazmat. This information could save valuable time when responding to incidents like the Feb. 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train derailment involving 38 cars in East Palestine, Ohio. Consider how an emergency might unfold and how RapidSOS can help Institutional security partners Norfolk Southern is one of the companies that provides information to first responders using RapidSOS; in effect, the company provides a direct digital link from their rail security operations to any first responder in the United States. Amazon’s global operations centers also interface with RapidSOS to provide critical information to first responders. Partnering with corporate security helps to better support the flow of data from institutional security partners and their solutions. Information can transform and guide emergency responses. For example, in a structure fire, real-time sensor feeds throughout a building can help 911 and first responders understand how the fire is progressing. Real-time security camera footage Having access to live feeds can save lives as 911 provides pre-arrival instructions such as CPR Leading the way to providing video feeds from private camera systems to 911 operators is an agreement between Eagle Eye Networks and RapidSOS, which was announced in April 2024. The agreement allows an enterprise to opt-in to share real-time security camera footage from an Eagle Eye video stream during a live 911 call. Having access to live feeds can save lives as 911 provides pre-arrival instructions such as CPR.  “Security cameras are crucial in many locations, including schools, but previously those cameras could not be accessed by 911 during an emergency but were only used for investigation after an incident,” says Martin. Improving fire and life safety systems RapidSOS is also integrated with Honeywell’s Connected Life Safety Services (CLSS) system, a cloud platform that combines software and hardware to improve fire and life safety systems. Technology integrations between the two companies further modernise and digitise the public safety communications process to provide faster, more accurate communications with emergency centers (i.e., 911 agencies). RapidSOS technology securely transmits detailed data about an emergency CLSS provides real-time visibility and connectivity to help systems integrators and facilities managers make informed decisions and manage fire systems more efficiently. When combined with Honeywell's solutions, RapidSOS technology securely transmits detailed data about an emergency, such as the type of hazard, severity, and location within the impacted building, to emergency response centers. Video object detection Rapid SOS’s emerging Harmony artificial intelligence (AI) product serves as a ‘co-pilot’ for 911 operators, helping them manage the high volume of emergencies by making their response more efficient. Harmony pulls all the sensor feeds in an emergency and works to make only the most important information available in the hands of 911 and first responders. Harmony can take key insights from text and video data, use ‘sentiment analysis’ to determine the emotion tone of a message, and help 911 professionals using language translation, keyword alerts and video object detection. Harmony can help local agencies as they address a 25% average staffing shortage by providing additional support to 911 professionals while lessening the workload. Harmony is also working to help RapidSOS expand the ecosystem, stitching more data together and quickly making it more actionable than ever. Emergency response system RapidSOS also interfaces with Iamresponding, a comprehensive end-to-end emergency response system for first responders in the fire and other emergency sectors. Iamresponding’s field responder application is used by RapidSOS to get information out to first responders in the field. More than 650,000 first responders use RapidSOS’s field application RapidSOS’s recent acquisition of Iamresponding helps the company improve the connection with the last mile “in-the-field” piece of the puzzle, ensuring partners across computer-aided dispatch (CAD), integrated applications, mobile data terminals, body cameras and other responders have access to critical data. More than 650,000 first responders use RapidSOS’s field application. Enhancing emergency response RapidSOS’s Safety Pioneer Program formalises the important partnership between RapidSOS and public safety agencies. Participants in the program receive early access to new platform features, contribute to the platform roadmap, and drive feedback to enhance emergency response. “911 and first responders do incredible lifesaving work,” says Martin. “Everything we have done and built at RapidSOS is a direct result of the engagement, partnerships, inside advice and insight we have gotten from public safety. We have learned from them, developed new technologies and tested them.” Martin adds: “Companies have data and we now know how to make that data actionable into the hands of 911 and first responders to save lives. This is an exciting moment for us continuing our mission in partnership with public safety, and for technology and security companies to have a major hand in that.” {##Poll1719488782 - What is the most valuable benefit of artificial intelligence (AI) in an emergency call center?##}

Distributors have traditionally played an important role in the physical security market, ensuring ready availability of products that systems integrators need to complete their projects. But a changing industry has had dramatic impact all along the supply chain of which distributors are a critical link. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How is the role of distributors changing in the market, and what is the impact?

Two reports recently resurfaced – one online and the other on national television – that cited potential vulnerabilities of wireless intrusion door contacts and window sensors, devices commonly used to secure the perimeter of protected premises. These reports came after two independent researchers who work in the industry, but announced their findings independent of their positions, cited that alarm signals from sensors and detectors to the control panel could be subverted to “suppress the alarms or create multiple false alarms that would render them unreliable.” False alarms were initiated using a hacking tool some 250 yards from the system, but the actual disabling of the alarm required a closer action about 10 feet from the home. The report indicated that intruders could walk to a door, suppress the alarm and conduct their activity without alarm notification. The problem occurs with the signals emanating between the door and window sensors to the control panel. According to the researchers, the signal is not encrypted or authenticated, making it easy for someone to intercept the data, decipher the commands/codes and play them back to control panels at will. Other potential problems uncovered included the ability to jam signals and intercept communications, thus rendering the system unresponsive. This type of signalling is separate from the home’s Internet connection via a wireless network. According to the Electronic Security Association, it’s paramount for homeowners to secure their WiFi network with encryption such as strong passwords and other measures. While the possibility of these types of risks may be remote, it’s certainly something for the alarm industry to consider and investigate further, especially as wireless systems become more commonplace, says Steven Paley, President and CEO of Rapid Security Solutions LLC, Sarasota, Fla. Paley is the President of the Electronic Security Association of Florida and holds numerous committee positions with the national ESA. "If the manufacturer offers authentication and anti-hacking in the product, then it’s up to the dealer to use those safeguards, but they need the tools to do that” “Anything is possible,” Paley says. “With one of the providers I use, the keypad isn’t wireless and the system runs over GSM radio. So if someone hacks into the log-on or the system, it goes to their hosted server. It’s certainly more advantageous for dealers and installers to use wireless, and more practical in many instances depending on the nature of the premises. But if someone can disable the system and create a security breach, the obvious solution is for the dealer to avoid installing those devices.” Paley says it’s up to manufacturers to provide remedy so signals from their devices can’t be hacked or intercepted. “If it’s an add-on module that can do this, then it becomes the role of the systems integrator to deploy it. But it’s incumbent upon those manufacturing hardware to put in some safeguards, and the onus shouldn’t be on the dealer. If the manufacturer offers authentication and anti-hacking in the product, then it’s up to the dealer to use those safeguards, but they need the tools to do that.” Paley says he believes the risks of this type of compromise are low, but it’s something that needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis for each customer. “I don’t know of any instance of these breaches occurring, but you have to understand the risks and weigh those for each customer.” He says the issue has been illuminated, and the industry needs to become better educated on the situation. “I suspect if you could hack in and get control of the keypad, then that’s a problem, but we need to know more. It’s on us to investigate it. Security dealers are on the front lines, not the manufacturers, but what I can say is that the first company that develops something to prevent that type of compromise is the one I’m going with.” Seems this also makes another case for video verification of alarms.