Public Safety Updates

NJ: Bernardsville may require registration of alarm systems …
3.16.21 -Bernardsville – Owners of alarm systems that directly alert police upon activation would be required to register them with the borough under an ordinance now under consideration.

State & National News

Huntsville landlord pleads guilty to failing to install smoke …
3.15.21 – MyMuskokaNow – A landlord of a rental property in Huntsville, Ont., pleaded guilty to failing to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms where required this past Wednesday. The landlord was also fined $1,250, plus victim surcharges, according to the Huntsville/Lake of Bays fire department.
Job opportunity: How to become a security- and fire-alarm installer
3.15.21 – Democrat and Chronicle – We struggle in the security field to find qualified people.” The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates job growth for “security and fire alarm systems installers” through decade’s end at 10 percent, or “much faster than average.”
Occupational licensing bill cleared for House floor; Senate …
3.16.21 – Florida Politics – … licensing bill cleared for House floor; Senate version passes first test … on local governments when it comes to occupational licenses.
Study Finds Nearly Half the Workforce Is Fatigued from Video Calls
3.17.21 – CI – Virtira Consulting survey tells most workers what they probably already knew: all those video calls are doing damage to their health.
Security Industry Gets A Boost from Biden’s COVID Relief: SIA Summarizes
3.18.21 – CI – SIA details $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief stimulus & outlines key funding areas of importance for security-focused integration companies.
Hikvision, Dahua Among Chinese Companies Deemed a National Security Threat by FCC
3.16.21 – SSI – The FCC has published a list of five Chinese companies that “pose an unacceptable risk to national security” in accordance with the Secure Networks Act.
Recent video surveillance breach is bad for business
3.19.21 – SIW – The security industry was rocked by a massive surveillance hack this month and the scrambling to recover has just begun
Key considerations for returning to offices post-Covid
3.15.21 – SIW – As vaccinations reduce the lethality of the virus, many organizations are eyeing a return to normalcy

Business Tips

Social Media Isn’t an AV Business Cure-All But It Can Definitely Help
3.18.21 – CI: Business consultant Tom Stimson highlights why social media is just the start of building a long-term relationship with customers.
Navigating The Tax Implications Of The PPP And COVID-19 Relief Programs
3.16.21 – CI – This tax season could prove to be complicated for SMBs given tax implications of COVID relief programs like the Paycheck Protection Program.
How a Senior Living Facility Is Using NFC, BLE Technology for Contact Tracing
3.17.21 – SSI – Fobs worn by staff, residents and visitors allow for the recording of movement and interactions of individuals in the facility.
Inside the NFPA’s Proposed Standard for Remote Inspections
3.15.21 – SSI – NFPA 915 Standard for Remote Testing will “provide minimum requirements for remote inspections to deliver an equivalent or improved result as that which would be obtained with other inspection methods.”
How Does the Federal Individual Income Tax Extension Effect …
3.21.21 – Forbes – As highlighted above, the IRS extension only applies to 2020 federal income tax filings for individuals. … The extension will also provide taxpayers additional time to contribute to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), and thereby decrease their AGI to potentially receive more favorable tax benefits.
Remote Workers Alter State Taxes
3.17.21 – CFO – In recent months, many states have issued guidance to address employee income tax withholding for employees working remotely because of the pandemic. Some states have more rigid rules that may require calculations based on the number of days an employee works within a state.

Fire & EMS News

ON: ‘Smoke alarms potentially saved someone’s life:’ No injuries in …
3.16.21 – Deputy fire chief says smoke alarms were working, No one was injured in a house fire in Brougham early Tuesday morning. …. Pickering deputy fire chief Steve Boyd credits working smoke alarms with helping the two occupants get out safely. “Smoke alarms potentially saved someone’s life,” he says

Crime News

AL: Burglary in Huntsville results in chase spanning …
3.19.21 – WAAY – Burglary in Huntsville results in chase spanning five counties across two states and an officer-involved shooting. The suspect identified as …
AL: Trio accused of burglary try to run from the law but get caught …
3.19.21 – Annistonstar – Talladega County Metro Jail records show the three as Christopher Lynn Harvell, 40, of Muscogee, Okla.; Rayven Nicole Wells, 23, of Talladega; …
AR: Documents suggest former principal used science lab, school …
3.19.21 – Jonesboro, Ark. (KAIT) – Documents suggest former principal used science lab, school supplies to make meth on campus. – Months before a principal resigned after testing positive for drugs and amidst allegations he made meth on campus, newly released documents reveal that teachers had their suspicions.
AR: Pine Bluff women arrested Tuesday for burglary and criminal …
3.18.21 – Deltaplex News – Pine Bluff women arrested Tuesday for burglary and criminal mischief … Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies who responded to a burglar alarm at a …
CA: Suspect sought in window-smash burglary at San Carlos …
3.15.21 – Climate Online – About $32,000 worth of high-end jewelry items were estimated to have been stolen during a window-smash burglary early Saturday at a …
IA: Three arrested after burglar alarm triggered at Ameren …
3.15.21 – OurQuadCites,com – Three men were arrested after a burglar alarm alerted authorities to the Ameren substation late Sunday. According to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, around 10:15 p.m., Knox County Deputies, Galesburg Police, and Knoxville Police all responded to the substation at 1885 Knox Highway 40 in Galesburg.
MI: Liquor stolen from Allendale party store after window smashed …
3.20.21 – MLive – Allendale, MI – Bottles of liquor were taken from GV Party Store in the Allendale area after a window was smashed to gain access to the …
MO: 2 Missourians arrested after burglary alarm catches them …
3.15.21 – Fox 2 – A person is dead and two others have been arrested and charged after a seemingly accidental alarm alerted authorities before the suspects …
PA: Smoke Shop Burglary Under Investigation
3.19.21 – Levittown Now – The burglary of the Smoke Shop Tobacco Store in Bristol Borough was under investigation on Friday. Bristol Borough police said the business …
TX: Houston Museum Intruders Use Getaway Boat, Disappear Into …
3.18.21 – NBC Los Angeles – Two people broke into a Houston museum Tuesday night and used a getaway boat to evade police before disappearing into the city’s storm drain system, officers say. Police were called at about 7:30 p.m. to a report of a burglary at the Museum of Fine Arts in River Oaks, police Lt. Larry Crowson said.
VA: Burglar Alarm at Reston Business Prompts Police Response …
3.18.21 – Patch – Reston, VA – Fairfax County Police are investigating a possible commercial burglary that took place early Thursday morning in Reston, according to an alert on the FCPD scanner.
WI: Police investigate Fitchburg gas station burglary
3.18.21 – (WMTV) – The Fitchburg Police Department is investigating, after the Capitol Petro gas station was burglarized Thursday …

The National Monitor is a service of the National Electronic Security Alliance (NESA). Member states are free to reproduce the information contained herein in print or electronic media as they see fit. Contact NESA for more information at 301.519.9237 or bradshipp@4yoursolution.com

NESA is a federation of state associations established to serve and promote the electronic systems industry at the direction of, and through its affiliated state associations. Seven state associations are part of NESA – Arkansas Security Alarm Association (ASAA), Kansas Electronic Security Association (KESA), Louisiana Life Safety & Security Association (LLSSA), Maryland Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (MDBFAA), Mississippi Security Association (MSA), Oklahoma Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (OKBFAA) and Texas Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (TBFAA). For more info visit www.nesaus.org.

NESA Board of Directors