301.519.9237 exdirector@nesaus.org

Public Safety Updates

  • AB: False alarms an increasing issue for local RCMP
    3.27.18 – Bonnyville Nouvelle – “It’s happened to me. I can’t remember what caused it, but as soon as the alarm goes off the alarm company calls you first and asks if it’s a false alarm. Even before that, (if you have a smart phone) as soon as you get an alarm it notifies you… What happened was I was at work, and the alarm company called my cell phone. More Info
  • AZ: Paradise Valley sets out to address mass false alarm calls
    3.29.18 – Paradise Valley Independent – Since 2008 the amount of alarm calls that turn out to be false has fluctuated, police data shows, but it reached a peak of 3,682 in 2017. Paradise Valley Police Chief Peter Wingert has asked for town council’s blessing to examine the issue devouring his department’s resources. In 2017, 99.86 percent of the 3,682 security… More Info
  • GA: Sandy Springs sued for tough stance on false alarms – CBS46 News
    3.29.18 – CBS46 News Atlanta – On an average day in Sandy Springs, police and firefighters go to 30 automatic alarms that turn out to be set off by mistake. They say 98 percent of all automatic alarms turn out to be false. Besides dividing attention from real emergencies, that adds up to $775,000.00 a year worth of wasted time, or $65 per false alarm. More Info

Industry News

  • Bold adds a new data center
    3.26.18 – SSN – Colorado Springs, Colo.- Bold Technologies recently announced that it is adding a second data center in Los Angeles to support its Manitou Cloud Service. More Info
  • AI and smart homes: We may not notice the future
    3.28.18 – SSN – The Jetsons are not walking through your front door anytime soon. Or perhaps they’re already here and you don’t remember life without them. That’s the way technology blends into our lives, often without a formal invitation. The security industry knows this. More Info
  • Who ‘Owns’ Doorbell Camera Surveillance Video? (and 4 Other Legal Questions)
    3.28.18 – CEPro – With the proliferation of front door camera systems such as Ring, Nest Hello and others, the liability and ownership rights to the images is coming to the forefront. More Info
  • 10 Trends to Watch at ISC West 2018
    3.29.18 – Security Sales & Integration – Home security and automation systems still tend to run on triggers, for example, tripping the security alarm when motion is detected, or setting back the thermostat every night at 8:00. More and more, however, true automation is becoming reality thanks to AI, or machine learning. Sensors, beacons and digital readers monitor … More Info
  • TMA Tech Summit Hits High Note Charting Path to Harden Central Stations
    3.29.18 – SSI – Salt Lake City – A specialized boutique event of sorts, the Summit attracted CTOs, CIOs and IT directors of monitoring companies, as well as security dealers and TMA member companies from the manufacturing sector. More Info

State & National News

  • Uptick in homeowners looking at home surveillance
    3.26.18 – KXAN.com – Austin – Home security experts say they are seeing an uptick in the number of people looking at home surveillance cameras after the recent explosions. “People wanting doorbell cameras and video and alarms in general,” said Mary Smothers with Security Consultant Pros out of Cedar Park “That’s probably our… More Info
  • Security companies sue Sandy Springs over new false alarm …
    3.27.18 – Reporter Newspapers – Security companies are suing the city of Sandy Springs over a new false-alarm ordinance, claiming it violates their constitutional rights by fining them for customers’ mistakes. The federal lawsuit was filed March 12 by the Georgia Electronic Life Safety & System Association (GELSSA) and two alarm companies, A-Com and … More Info
  • SIAC Joins Battle to Challenge Sandy Springs, Ga., Alarm Ordinance
    3.27.18 – Security Sales & Integration – Frisco, Texas – The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) is joining with the Georgia Electronic Life Safety & System Association (GELSSA) to contest an ordinance in Sandy Springs, Ga., that would fine alarm companies instead of the end user when systems generate a false alarm. The suit was filed on March 12 in … More Info
  • School Security Gets Funding: $33m Annually
    3.23.18 – SIA – SIA-supported effort passes as part of omnibus spending bill. Here’s what you need to know. More Info
  • New Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Alarms for Rental-Dwelling …
    3.30.18 – Montgomery Community Media – A law passed in 2016 by Maryland’s General Assembly will require carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in the immediate vicinity of sleeping areas in rental dwelling units starting April 1 of this year. The previous law only required an alarm to be installed in a central location outside of each sleeping area within a dwelling unit … More Info
  • ADT Moves W. Va. Bar’s Fire Damage Suit To Fed. Court
    3.30.18 – Law360 – Law360 (March 29, 2018, 6:17 PM EDT) — Security company ADT LLC moved a bar-restaurant’s property damage and product liability lawsuit to West Virginia federal court Wednesday, after the establishment accused ADT in county court of supplying it with a malfunctioning alarm system that failed to notify firefighters and … More Info
  • ADT Settlement Paused Amid 9th Circ. Hyundai Class Row
    3.29.18 – Law360 – A California federal judge agreed Thursday to pause proceedings in five separate proposed class actions that home security company ADT agreed last March to settle for $16 million, citing the Ninth Circuit’s recent axing of a $200 million settlement in multidistrict litigation involving …More Info
  • Firefighters ask schools to think twice before removing fire alarm pull …
    3.31.18 – WTTV CBS4Indy – Indianapolis, Ind. – The nightmare in Parkland, Florida is creating debates across the country about how to best keep our schools safe. Now, firefighters say talk is brewing on social media about getting rid of fire alarm pull stations inside schools. The same thing the Parkland school shooter used to bring kids out of their … More Info
  • Updated security at home showings
    3.31.18 – Warren Tribune Chronicle – When I first started as a Realtor, things were very different. None of them are more different than home security. Forty years ago, we barely had lockboxes that safely keep keys at the house to make showings more secure and easier. Back then, maybe one out of 50 homes had burglar alarms. I remember my biggest fear with … More Info

Business Tips

  • Guide to New Tax Incentives for Security and Fire Protection Systems
    3.23.18 – SIA – The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act makes two important changes to the U.S. tax code providing incentives for businesses to invest in new security, fire protection and alarm systems. More Info
  • Can You Get RMR From Smart Thermostats? New Data Shows Potential
    3.26.18 – SSI – According to new data from Parks Associates, half of U.S. households would pay $5/month for subsidized smart thermostat installation with an ongoing service program. More Info
  • Superion Acquires the Market’s Main 911 False Alarm Technology
    3.28.18 – Government Technology – Superion, a major software provider for local government formally known as SunGard Public Sector, has acquired the main solution on the market for emergency responders to track false alarm calls to 911 systems. It’s the first acquisition Superion has made since it was acquired by the private equity firm Vista Equity … More Info
  • A security company’s three keys to compete
    3.28.18 – SSN – What does it take to be successful in the noisy, competitive security market? Based on the data we have on over 4,000 security salespeople, it takes three key competences, “Hunter,” “Qualifier,” and “Consultative Seller.” I thought it would be fun to dive into that data further for more insights. More Info
  • Service Stinks – More Than You Might Realize
    3.30.18 – Capitalizing on the demand for premium services is harder than it might appear on the surface. Here’s why… More Info

Fire & EMS News

  • IL: Police 1-30-18
    3.30.18 – MyWebTimes.com – Ottawa firefighters responded to an activated alarm at 9:28 p.m. Thursday at McDonald’s. Staff informed firefighters they burnt some food, which had set off the alarm. Firefighters reset the alarm. Streator firefighters responded to an activated alarm at 1:17 p.m. Thursday in an apartment on East Morrell … More Info
  • MD: Smoke Alarm Saves Glen Burnie Man From House Fire: Officials
    3.30.18 – Patch.com – Glen Burnie, MD – A smoke alarm alerted a Glen Burnie man to a house fire early Friday, allowing him to escape the blaze that caused extensive damage, according to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. Officials said that the homeowner escaped the fire without injuries after the alarm sounded about 12:45 a.m.. More Info
  • NJ: Burnt marijuana leads to fire alarm at Centenary University
    3.28.18 – WFMZ Allentown – Hackettstown, N.J. – Officials responded to Centenary University Tuesday in response to a fire alarm at Van Winkle Hall. When officers and fire personnel arrived on scene shortly after 1:30 a.m., they say they smelled burnt and raw marijuana coming from inside a dorm room. Officials determined the marijuana smoke … More Info
  • NJ: Pot Smoke Caused Dorm Evacuation: Hackettstown Police
    3.28.18 – Patch.com – Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, police and fire officials were called to Van Winkle Hall at the college after a fire alarm was activated. Police said burnt and raw marijuana could be smelled coming from a dorm room. No fire was found, and first responders determined that marijuana smoke was what set off the smoke alarm. More Info
  • OH: Security Notebook
    3.31.18 – The Oberlin Review – 12:29 a.m. Officers and members of the Oberlin Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at a Union Street Village Housing Unit. Boiling paraffin wax mixture that had caught fire caused the alarm. The fire was immediately put out with a fire extinguisher. The area was cleared of smoke and the alarm reset. A work order was … More Info
  • TN: Memphis woman in critical condition after early morning house fire
    3.26.18 – FOX13 Memphis – Yarbrough said a smoke alarm started blaring upstairs. The mother of two, ran down to alert her neighbors. The majority were able to get out unharmed, but the elderly woman downstairs was trapped. Yarbrough said he was scrabbling to escape with his grandchildren, who stayed the night. At the time, no one knew his … More Info

Crime News

  • AR: Reportedly homeless man arrested for commercial burglary, theft
    3.29.18 – Hot Springs Sentinel – According to the probable cause affidavit, on March 4, Hot Springs police officers who responded to an alarm at the Exxon Gas Station observed a broken glass window and made contact with the gas station owner who stated someone had used the station’s spare keys to open the cash registers, cash … More Info
  • CA: Grass Valley police catch suspected burglar
    3.30.18 – The Union of Grass Valley – Grass Valley police say they arrested a man early Thursday on burglary accusations after responding to an alarm. Skyler Joel Pingree, 26, of Nevada City, is charged with burglary, vandalism and loitering on private property. Held on $60,000 in bond, Pingree remained Thursday afternoon … More Info
  • CA: LAPD looking for burglary suspect who targets homes while owners …
    3.28.18 – KABC-TV – He entered the garage, which activated the alarm system. He left the location without stealing anything and drove away. Authorities said the victims were attending a funeral when the burglary happened. The suspect is described as a white man with dirty blonde hair, who is between 25 and 35 years old, between 5 feet 11 … More Info
  • CA: State attorney general to review police shooting of Ventura man
    3.27.18 – Ventura County Star – The armed security guard responded to a burglar alarm at the building about 10:48 a.m. He was “attacked and stabbed” by someone later identified as Tyler Rushing, while checking the area, the report states. During the confrontation, the guard shot the Ventura man and afterward Chico police were called to investigate … More Info
  • CO: Sterling Police Department gives tips for protecting your home
    3.29.18 – Journal Advocate – You can also post stickers in your windows that say your house is protected by an alarm system, even if it really isn’t, or put up dummy cameras that you can buy for cheap. Plus, you can use timed lights that will turn on at a set time and give the illusion that you’re home, even if you’re not. For those willing to spend a little … More Info
  • CT: Manchester Police Arrest Homeless Man On Armed Robbery Charge
    3.27.18 – Hartford Courant – The robber fled empty-handed after seeing the clerk hit a hold-up alarm. An officer responding to the scene noticed Talaga, who matched the description of the robber, and stopped him, police said. The clerk identified him as the man who tried to rob the store, police said. Talaga admitted to the attempted robbery, saying he … More Info
  • CT: Trio from Long Island accused of 2 commercial burglaries in Guilford
    3.27.18 – New Haven Register – According to police, officers were dispatched to the location at about 4 a.m. for an activated commercial burglar alarm. When they arrived, they discovered there had, in fact, been a burglary. They detained and arrested the three suspects as they left the area in a vehicle. Officers subsequently discovered a second … More Info
  • DE: Burglar steals cash from store at Newark Shopping Center
    3.29.18 – Newark Post – Someone broke into a store at Newark Shopping Center and stole cash in the middle of the night, police reported. The break-in happened at around 4 a.m. Saturday at the T-Mobile store, according to Sgt. Gerald Bryda, a spokesman for the Newark Police Department. Alerted by a burglar alarm, police found that someone … More Info
  • FL: Deputies: Cat burglar caught hiding in convenience store ceiling
    3.30.18 – WJXT News4JAX – Moments after he fell to the floor, deputies said, surveillance cameras captured him tripping off the alarm. A store clerk, who asked to not be identified, showed News4Jax the surveillance footage. “He started freaking out and started running around trying to open the doors, but we have bars on the doors,” the clerk explained. More Info
  • GA: Meigs man charged with dealership theft
    3.27.18 – Times-Enterprise – He also was charged with two counts of theft by taking and burglary. An alarm at Flowers Honda was set off, also Sunday, Watkins said. Brady is believed to have attempted to enter the business but fled after the alarm went off, according to Watkins. Brady was out on bond from a previous incident at an … More Info
  • GA: Patron Assaulted Outside Sandy Springs Bar: Blotter
    3.26.18 – Patch.com –  3/10: After officers responded to an alarm call, they found a kitchen window shattered by way of a baseball-size rock, found inside. The burglar pulled the alarm panel out but the wires remained intact and working. The residents were out of town so an exact count of any missing items was not … More Info
  • IA: Sheriff’s Office investigating series of Slater burglaries
    3.30.18 – Ames Tribune – 14, and that this time an empty register door was found in Ames, which alerted authorities to the burglary. Just down the street, Ellis said that the Night Hawk Bar & Grill experienced its own burglary March 14, when an alarm was triggered overnight. Ellis said that the surveillance showed that the suspects were unable to get … More Info
  • IL: Police: Online pizza orders placed with fraudulent credit cards in …
    3.31.18 – Chicago Tribune – Officers responded to a burglar alarm on March 29 and found a glass door was broken. The officers searched inside but did not locate any subjects. The business owner told police that several chainsaws were missing…. More Info
  • MA: Bridgewater police log, March 13-19
    3.31.18 – Wicked Local Bridgewater – Police reported the gates were closed and locked and the snow undisturbed. 7:44 a.m.: A low-hanging tree branch was reported on South Street, causing vehicles to serve. Police removed the hazard. 8:16 a.m.: An alarm was reported at Signature Medical Group on Bedford Street. Police checked and secured the building. More Info
  • MA: Rochester police log, March 18-24
    3.27.18 – Wicked Local – 12:26 a.m.: A burglar alarm was reported. 3:15 a.m.: A carbon monoxide alarm was reported. 10:43 a.m.: A burglar alarm was reported. More Info
  • MA: Rockland police log, Feb. 9-15
    3.31.18 – Wicked Local – 12:14 a.m.: A burglar alarm was reported. Police checked OK. More Info
  • ME: Wiscasset Police Report
    3.27.18 – The Lincoln County News – March 25: Officers investigated a report of a burglary, investigated a report of theft/forgery/fraud, responded to a burglar alarm (building/area checked/secured), investigated a … More Info
  • MO: Thief steals $15000 worth of equipment from Kansas City golf course
    3.31.18 – fox4kc.com – The alarm system worked perfectly. Our cameras were operating, and you just can’t expect the police to get there in a minute or 60 seconds.” Schroeder said the handful of bags the suspect got away with were filled with Titleist and Callaway clubs. Cleanup at the course is coming along, and golfers coming through the shop … More Info
  • MS: Cartons of cigarettes stolen from McComb store
    3.26.18 – WAPT Jackson – McComb police are looking for five men who they say stole multiple cartons of cigarettes from a Dollar General store on March 23. Police said they got a call at 4:15 a.m. March 23 after the alarm at the Dollar General store was activated. Officers said they arrived at the store a few minutes later and found … More Info
  • OH: Employee accidentally sets off alarm, is arrested on warrant …
    3.29.18 – cleveland.com – Beachwood, Ohio – At 1:20 a.m. March 21, an employee at The Winking Lizard accidentally set off an alarm at the business. In gathering information from the employee, a Cleveland man, 30, it was learned that he was wanted on a South Euclid police warrant. More Info
  • OH: Police find motorist asleep in his car on the roadway: Middleburg …
    3.26.18 – cleveland.com – The man’s phone did not respond to the alarm system’s report since its battery was dead. The front door was open. He did not notice anything missing initially. Police noted the man seemed a bit apprehensive in showing the rest of his house to police. They noted there was no forced entry. The man told police he believed a … More Info
  • OK: Former Kum & Go employee breaks into store, steals six-pack …
    3.28.18 – Tulsa World – A man who reportedly was recently fired from a south Tulsa Kum & Go was arrested Wednesday on allegations he broke into the convenience store and store a six-pack of beer. Officers were called shortly after 3:30 a.m. to the Kum & Go after an alarm sounded. When officers arrived, they … More Info
  • OR: Police looking for two suspects after robbery at SE Portland lottery …
    3.26.18 – KPTV.com – Police are looking for two suspects following a robbery at a lottery store in southeast Portland early Sunday. Just after 1 a.m., officers responded to the Lucky Spot on the report of a robbery alarm. Employees told police that two men, one armed with a handgun, robbed … More Info
  • OR: Several Douglas County businesses burglarized Saturday morning
    3.29.18 – KEZI TV – And the alarm system probably scared them off because it’s super loud when it goes off.” Law enforcement believe the trail of these crimes means the burglars headed Grants Pass or Medford, and possibly into California. They were driving a silver or light-colored SUV, believed to be a 2015 Chevy Traverse. Though they … More Info
  • PA: Montoursville Police list recent incidents and Charges
    3.26.18 – NorthcentralPa.com – 3/18 – An Officer responded to a burglar alarm at a business. Upon arrival, it … 3/19 – Weis Markets – At just after 3am, and Officer on patrol heard an audible alarm coming from the store. Contact was … 3/22 – An Officer responded to the report of a life alert alarm activation. More Info
  • TX: Doorbell camera alerts woman to large snake at her door
    3.29.18 – KMSP-TV – Spring, Texas (FOX 26) – A Texas woman got a big surprise when her doorbell camera alerted her to a visitor in the early morning hours. A snake slithering up her wall had come to pay a visit and set off the alarm. Allison Keller of Spring, Texas, shared a three-minute video captured by her doorbell camera of the large … More Info
  • TX: Sandwich Man Arrested on Various In-State Warrants Following ...
    3.30.18 – WspyNews – A Sandwich man was arrested on four in-state warrants for various offenses following an accidental burglar alarm in Plano on Thursday. According to the Plano Police Department, officers responded to a business at around 12:27 p.m. to investigate. More Info
  • TX: West Temple businesses fight back after burglaries
    4.1.18 – KCENTV.com – Manager Rizwan Maredia told Channel 6 the chain has already been cut once, but the alarm scared the would-be thief away. “They weren’t able to get in but they cut the chain on the lock,” Maredia said. “Cops showed up in a couple of minutes, next door got hit a week before that too.” …More Info
  • UT: Suspected burglars hit Kmart, flee before police arrive
    3.27.18 – St George News – Officers were dispatched to a business alarm at 2:23 a.m. Several alarms were going off inside the store when officers arrived, Trombley said. “Several items were stolen and the suspects were no longer at the scene,” Trombley said. Detectives were called to the scene to investigate the burglary. As the case is ongoing, … More Info
  • VA: VIDEO: Man hides in popular Richmond restaurant, steals money
    3.31.18 – WWBT NBC12 News – The alarm had gone off the night before when the suspect exited the building but managers thought it was due to a faulty door. “He came in and called me and was like where’s all the money,” Dilisio said. “We looked at the security footage, and it was terrifying”. The incident, understandably so, is shaking up employees. More Info
  • WA: Followup: White Center bank robbery suspect charged
    4.1.18 – White Center Now – Do not press the alarm or I will shoot you (or kill you).” Other details suggest he came to this area four days before the robbery and intended to leave immediately thereafter – he was staying with a cousin at the Boulevard Park complex where he was arrested. He is reported to have told investigators he lives in Utah, though …More Info
  • WI: Waupun Police Beat 3-27, 2018
    3.29.18 – WiscNews – Alarm — Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., police responded to an alarm at a business. Juvenile problem — Tuesday at 1:20 p.m., police responded in reference to a juvenile problem. Juveniles were smoking and swearing. Drug complaint … More Info
  • WI: ‘We don’t have Vivant:’ Armed man visits Milwaukee home claiming …
    3.30.18 – fox6now.com – Milwaukee – A Milwaukee family went to police to file a report after man walked up to their home armed with a gun, wearing a bulletproof vest, and claiming to be an alarm security officer. A Ring security camera captured the incident that happened near 81st and Custer. FOX6 News is blurring the footage because an … More Info
  • WV: Randolph man sentenced in petit larceny
    3.27.18 – The Inter-Mountain – “A customer reported an alarm so I left the register and went to the back where I found many totes of items against the opened fire exit door,” the statement continued. “After finding the items, I watched the footage over and saw the man I had helped trying to open the door and then leaving out the front. He was also the one … More Info

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. Five state associations are part of NESA – Texas Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (TBFAA), Maryland Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (MDBFAA), Kansas Electronic Security Association (KESA), Arkansas Security Alarm Association (ASAA) and Oklahoma Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (OKBFAA). For more info visit www.nesaus.org.

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