Vector Security, Inc. - Experts & Thought Leaders

The Glenview IL Public Safety Dispatch Centre and the City of Allen, TX Police and Fire Communications became the 140th and 141st Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in the United States to implement The Monitoring Association’s (TMA) Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s ASAP service is designed to increase the accuracy and efficiency of calls for service from alarm monitoring centres to Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs). ASAP-enabled monitoring centres The Glenview IL Public Safety Dispatch Centre is the first ECC in the state of Illinois to implement ASAP. Glenview went live on January 9th & 10th, 2024, with the following companies: Rapid Response Monitoring, Security Central, Quick Response, Securitas, Everon (formerly Protection One), Guardian Protection, Johnson Controls, Alarm Detection Systems, United Central Control, National Monitoring Centre, Affiliated Monitoring, Vivint, Brinks and ADT. Vector Security will be on board soon. Eighty percent of the alarms in the U.S. are monitored by ASAP-enabled monitoring centres “TMA is especially pleased to welcome our first ECC in the state of Illinois to ASAP,” stated TMA President Steve Butkovich. “A total of 22 new ECCs went live in 2023. ASAP now covers over 15% of the U.S. population, which accounts for over 52,000,000 people nationwide. Eighty percent of the alarms in the U.S. are monitored by ASAP-enabled monitoring centres.” TX Police and Fire Communications The City of Allen, TX Police and Fire Communications is the 17th in the state of Texas to implement the ASAP. The City of Allen went live on January 17th, 2024, with the following companies: Rapid Response Monitoring, Vector Security, Security Central, Johnson Controls, Securitas, Dynamark, Alert360, United Central Control, Everon (formerly Protection One), Guardian Protection, National Monitoring Centre, Affiliated Monitoring, Vivint, Brinks and ADT. “We are excited to be live with the ASAP-to-PSAP program at our agency. We look forward to having a partnership with the alarm vendors via ASAP-to-PSAP to help better serve our responders and citizens within our community,” Jennifer Qvist, police specialist for the Allen Police Department.

The Monitoring Association (TMA) welcomed the Seattle WA Community Safety & Communications Centre (CSCC), The Bell County TX Communications Centre, and the Crawford County Department of Public Safety, which are the 128th, 129th and 130th Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in the United States to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s ASAP service is designed to increase the accuracy and efficiency of calls for service from alarm monitoring centres to Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs). The Seattle WA CSCC became the 6th ECC in the state of Washington to implement ASAP. The Centre went live with: Vector Security, Rapid Response Monitoring, Guardian Protection, Securitas, Security Central, DynaMark Monitoring, Affiliated Monitoring, Tyco (Johnson Controls), Vivint, Brinks Home Security, National Monitoring Centre, Securitas (Stanley Div), Protection One and ADT during the week of June 5th. Implement the ASAP Bell Communications Centre became the 15th ECC in the state of Texas to implement the ASAP The Bell County TX Communications Centre became the 15th ECC in the state of Texas to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). The ECC went live the week of June 13, 2023, with Vector Security, Rapid Response Monitoring, Vivint, DynaMark Monitoring, Security Central, Securitas (Stanley Div), Tyco (Johnson Controls), United Central Control, Protection One, Affiliated Monitoring, Securitas, Brinks Home Security, National Monitoring Centre, Alert 360, and Guardian Protection. ADT is planning to go live in the next few weeks. The Crawford County Department of Public Safety became the 7th ECC in the state of Pennsylvania to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). The ECC went live the week of June 19, 2023, with: Rapid Response Monitoring, Vector Security, Johnson Controls, Securitas (Stanley Div), Securitas, Quick Response, Doyle Security, DynaMark Monitoring, United Central Control, Protection One, National Monitoring Centre, Vivint, Brinks Home Security, Guardian Protection, Affiliated Monitoring and ADT.

The Monitoring Association (TMA) welcomed its 119th Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in the United States and its first agency in the state of California to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). The state of California became the 22nd state in the United States to participate in the ASAP programme.  Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s ASAP service is designed to increase the accuracy and efficiency of calls for service from alarm companies to Emergency Communication Centers (ECCs).    ASAP technology “We are excited to introduce our leading-edge technology to our first California ECC,” stated Pam Petrow, co-chair of the TMA ASAP-to-PSAP Committee. “The team at the City of Riverside PD has been an extraordinary partner throughout the implementation process." "We’re looking forward to a positive pilot programme and the opportunity to welcome additional ECCs from across the state of California in 2023.” Monitoring  The City of Riverside PD went live with Affiliated Monitoring, Rapid Response Monitoring, Vector Security, United Central Control, Guardian Protection, Securitas, Security Central, Stanley Security, Tyco (Johnson Controls), Vivint, Brinks Home Security, Protection One, and National Monitoring Centre. ADT will go live with Riverside during a second implementation phase in January 2023.  

The Electronic Security Expo (ESX) will be held at the Indiana Convention Center, June 3-6, in Indianapolis. The show focusses exclusively on the electronic security and life safety industry, including companies that service the connected Internet of Things (IoT) space for homes and businesses. The ESX Main Stage will highlight inspirational presentations from motivational speakers, Dr. Rick Rigsby and Kevin Brown. In addition, there will be a founder of a drone security company and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence from Kleiner Perkins for OpenXchange, and a Secret Service agent for the Closing Keynote. Sharing best practices and trends In breakout sessions, colleagues and business thought leaders will share best practices, trends and opportunities that helped their own companies and careers, so that others might replicate their successes or minimise their failures. These sessions are aimed at propelling attendees to reimagine their business models and go-to-market strategies, says George De Marco, Chairman of ESX and Managing Partner for DECO Ventures LLC. Examples of breakout sessions include: CounterPoint Forum – “False Alarm Dispatches - A Real Threat or a Nuisance to the Industry?” “Top 3 Ways to Grow Your Video RMR” “5 Faster, Smarter Ways to Improve Cash Flow” “Artificial Intelligence Real Time Video Monitoring Solutions” Promoting security professionals’ growth Our goal is to develop next-gen methods that deliver industry content and promote professional growth"“Each year, we challenge ourselves to raise the bar of the educational sessions and main stage events,” says De Marco. “One of the ways is introducing new faces and voices for the peer-developed and peer-driven educational sessions that offer best practices and identify trends, opportunities and challenges for industry professionals to consider today and in the future. Our goal is to develop next-gen methods that deliver industry content and promote professional growth as the industry pivots to the future.” New entrants and disruptors are challenging traditional go-to-market strategies, causing traditional companies to rethink how they rise above the noise in a changing competitive landscape and handle new consumer buying behaviours, says De Marco. Exhibitors at ESX Exhibitors that support ESX include Interlogix (Diamond sponsor), Napco (Platinum sponsor), Alula and DMP (Gold sponsor), and ADI, Altronix, Bold Group, Essence, ICT, Quick Response, Resideo, Secura key, Security Central and WeSuite (Silver sponsors). ESX seeks to connect exhibitors with the influencers and decision-makers from companies that represent a cross section of dealers, integrators and monitoring companies in North America. The exhibit hall will be the focal point for exhibitors to showcase their latest technology in the city’s impressive convention centre. The exhibit hall will be the focal point for exhibitors to showcase their latest technology in the city’s convention centre “We recognise individuals and companies during the Opening Celebration that help propel the industry forward and at our VIP Event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” says De Marco. “During the day, there are meals around the Main Stage sessions which gather attendees around the table for casual conversation before the presentation begins.” Indianapolis, home of the Indy 500, is a unique location that has a lot to offer the attendees of ESX. A special night at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will invite a limited number of guests to share great food and drinks, to experience a trip around the track in an official pace car, and to ‘kiss the bricks’, a speedway tradition. Centrally located in the US, Indianapolis is a convenient convention destination for travel, whether flying or driving. Connecting with peers and colleagues Another benefit of the show is the cross-section of companies represented in the industry, whether large, medium or small There are also networking opportunities throughout the week. The Pub Crawl, an attendee favourite, is a night where long-time friends gather, and new friendships are made. “This is where the real conversations happen between peers and colleagues about real problems of running and growing a company, and solutions that can make a difference,” says De Marco. Another benefit of the show is the cross-section of companies represented in the industry, whether large, medium or small players. This enables professionals to come together to connect with their peers and colleagues, allowing for deep discussions on how to grow their people, revenues and profits, including mentoring opportunities that encourage leadership development, says De Marco. The subject of finding qualified employees is top of mind for almost every industry today, especially the security industry. Sessions that address hiring and managing employees for industry professionals include  “Hiring from Outside the Monitoring Industry: Surprising Resources for Great Operators” “Maximise New Employees: Why Onboarding is Critical to Their Success” “5 Tips for Effective Employee Performance Evaluations” Helping attendees to reinvent their business “Our focus is primarily on the attendee, helping them connect with suppliers, colleagues and opportunities that reimagine their businesses, so they can be stronger competitors,” says De Marco. “If we can provide the right knowledge to inspire or transform the attendees to take meaningful action or implement change that helps them remain relevant, we believe we have succeeded.” There will be an undercurrent of sadness at ESX this year because the industry recently suffered a loss. George Gunning, former CEO of USA Alarm Systems and one of the founding members of ESX, passed away in February. “We would be remiss if we didn’t recognise his contributions and influence on the industry and ESX over the years,” says De Marco. Another founding member of ESX who has passed away is John Murphy, formerly CEO of Vector Security.

Petrow began her career at Vector Security in  1982, and was appointed senior vice president  of the Central Stations and Information Services Group in 1997 Pamela J. Petrow, chief executive officer (CEO) of Vector Security Inc., Warrendale, Pa., has been appointed President of CSAA International, the industry’s leading, 65-year-old central station monitoring organisation. Petrow is the first woman in the organisation’s history to hold this top leadership position. Petrow has served as CSAA First Vice President since October 2013 and was slated to become CSAA President in October 2015. She assumed the presidency early following the change in roles for former President Jay Hauhn, who resigned that position in March to become CSAA’s executive director. Her appointment, voted unanimously by the CSAA Board of Directors, will run through October 2017. In an exclusive interview with SourceSecurity.com, Petrow unveiled her vision of the central station of the future, balancing career endeavours, and other priorities as she takes the helm of one of the oldest professional organisations in the security alarm industry. Regarding her vision for the future of monitoring, Petrow honed in on current and emerging interactive services. Elevating the stature of monitoring “I think central stations have the opportunity to be the hub of connected devices,” she says. “They can receive and respond to anything capable of communicating. With automation we can filter and respond to priorities, and we can continue to be the intelligent eyes, ears and voice of our customer for anything they want to monitor, track or respond to. The opportunity is huge with everything from healthcare to manufacturing automation and the need for someone/someplace to analyse and react appropriately.” "They (central stations) can receive and respond to anything capable of communicating. With automation we can filter and respond to priorities, and we can continue to be the intelligent eyes, ears and voice of our customer for anything they want to monitor, track or respond to", says Pamela J. Petrow - President of CSAA Petrow says CSAA has an opportunity to elevate its stature as a leading voice in providing trends and technology awareness to members through educational programs, conferences and greater interaction with associate members. (CSAA not only has central station monitoring company members, but other levels of membership, including associates, who are from manufacturing and distribution segments of the industry.) “New players have been entering our space, and we anticipate many will seek companies to partner with for monitoring and field services,” Petrow says. “We want to make sure our members understand the opportunities that exist in terms of new services, products and relationships that can add incremental value or transform their organisations.”  Background and History Petrow has been leading Vector Security, ranked among the oldest, continually running installation and central station monitoring companies in the industry, since October 2010, when she was appointed president and CEO. She began her career at Vector Security in 1982, and was appointed senior vice president of the Central Stations and Information Services Group in 1997. In 2004 she was promoted to executive vice president, and in 2008, chief operating officer. In October of 2010, Petrow was named president and CEO of Vector Security. Petrow has been extremely actively in the Electronic Security Association, Pennsylvania Burglar and Fire Alarm Association and CSAA. She is involved with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials – International (APCO), and received its President’s Award in 2009 for outstanding contributions to the electronic transmission of signals between central stations and 911 dispatch centres. In 2014, she was presented with an Ernst and Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia program. In addition, she also received a Woman of the Year award by the Women’s Security Council. With her professional plate full, Petrow shared the secret to balancing a challenging career with her new, top-level association leadership position. “The secret is to surround yourself with great people and empower them to make decisions,” says Petrow. “Having Jay Hauhn in the Executive Director position for CSAA is a huge win for the association and for myself as president. He understands the challenges and opportunities that exist for the industry and will really be key to our future success. With his leadership, the team at CSAA will flourish and the members will benefit.”

ASAP-to-PSAP technology automates communications between alarm monitoring companies & PSAPs and dispatches emergency service In April 2015, Cary, N.C., adopted a technology called Automated Secure Alarm Protocol to Public Safety Answering Point (ASAP-to-PSAP), but currently they are among only a handful of emergency 911 call response locales that use ASAP-to-PSAP technology in the United States. Commander Scott Edson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, speaking to a seminar gathering at ISC West, emphasised the importance of rolling out more implementations of ASAP-to-PSAP. The technology benefits residential and commercial alarm monitoring companies and their customers by eliminating dispatching errors and speeding dispatching times. There are 6,500 PSAPs that respond to emergency 911 calls in the United States. They take more than 250 million 911 phone calls per year from the public and from central station alarm monitoring companies. PSAPs then route the information from 911 calls to the right emergency service and then dispatch police or fire services. ASAP-to-PSAP technology automates the communications between alarm monitoring companies and PSAPs and dispatches the emergency service. The Central Station Alarm Association, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials and Vector Security developed the software technology back in 2009. So what’s the implementation hold-up? “As always, funding is the issue,” says Ron Lander, CPP, principal with Ultrasafe Security Specialists in Norco, Calif. “The cities don’t want to spend the money. The central stations want to implement it. They say it will reduce personnel needs.” Replacing central station phone calls with data entered by a central station operator offers three major benefits, according to a PowerPoint presentation developed by Bill Hobgood, project manager with the Richmond, Va., Public Safety Team. First, it eliminates telephone calls between alarm monitoring companies and PSAPs, which take up time that could be spent with individual 911 callers, who might be in immediate physical danger. It eliminates the inevitable miscommunications between two human beings talking on the telephone – “Speak up, I can’t hear you.” “Was that Fourth Street or Fifth Street?” “Oh, Fifth Avenue, sorry.” Then there are also communications problems related to language in our increasingly multi-cultural society. Finally, and perhaps most important, it speeds the processing and response times by crucial minutes. Research shows that an ASAP communication takes 15 seconds or less to dispatch police or fire units. By comparison, a telephone communication takes 1.5 to 3 minutes or more to dispatch units. Upon implementing ASAP-to-PSAP, there was a 13 percent drop in the number of police alarms handled by telephone An ASAP application carries out three tasks. It translates data from the alarm monitoring company into a format that the PSAP technology can read and process. Second, it updates the alarm monitoring company on the status of the alarm — message accepted and referred to the right emergency service or rejected for one reason or another. Finally, an ASAP application provides continuing updates including cancellation notices from the alarm monitoring company, notices that emergency service has been dispatched, notices that emergency responders have arrived at the scene and notices that events have been closed out. Houston implemented the technology in 2011 and has reaped enormous benefits. According to Bill Hobgood, Houston encompasses 634 square miles, has a population of 2.3 million people and runs the nation’s fourth largest PSAP. The city receives more than 2,600 police alarms weekly from 43,000 alarm systems monitored by three alarm companies. Upon implementing ASAP-to-PSAP, there was a 13 percent drop in the number of police alarms handled by telephone. Non-emergency telephone calls declined by 15 percent. The PSAP estimates that it is saving $1 - $2 million annually. What about accuracy and response times? Hobgood studied results in his own city of Richmond as well as York County, Va., in the Tidewater region, both of which implemented ASAP-to-PSAP in 2011. Hobgood’s study found that when the system eliminated call-taker involvement, it eliminated spelling mistakes and accidental transposition of street address numbers. It also eliminated problems related to low-volume headsets and accents. Those are impressive business and performance improvements, which is driving Commander Edson’s interest in rolling out more implementations.