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7-18-16 NESA Monitor

NationalMonitor

July 18, 2016

About NESA

The National Electronic Security Alliance 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. Over the next weeks we will give you short articles about the alliance.

Government Monitoring

NESA subscribes to a nationwide monitoring service that allows us to track when bills are introduced in any state that might impact the industry. We public with information each week in this National Monitor Email newsletter to let you know what is going on. In addition we search for news articles about legislation and include that as well. Keeping up with trends in legislation allows association leaders and members to anticipate what might be next in their area.

Door to Door Sales

  • Homeowners with Security Systems Getting Phony Visits
    7.15.16 – KRGV – “Most alarm companies will set your appointment.” Cruz said he always verifies his identity when he goes to homes on appointments. “Usually with my card, first …More Info

Public Safety Updates

  • FL: Boca police first in state to using new dispatch system for home …
    7.12.16 – WPTV.com – Plenty of people have used their alarms. The police department said it received 7,560 alarm calls in 2015. Most were false alarms. Police reported 321 home … More Info
  • FL: New public safety strategies taking shape in Coral Gables
    7.12.16 – Miami’s Community Newspapers – Fire Alarm Responses: Since January, the number of residential and commercial false fire alarm responses has been reduced. An analysis of trigger issues is … More Info
  • GA: Warner Robins alarm ordinance deadline approaching
    7.13.16 – 13WMAZ.com – In 2015, the call center received 6,816 calls from alarm company operators that were calling for businesses and homes in Warner Robins. In 93 percent of those …More Info
  • IA: Commercial Security Camera Ordinance on Tap in Iowa Municipality
    7.15.16 – SSI – In Waterloo, law enforcement and city officials are proposing that retailers and other businesses upgrade their video surveillance systems to meet higher standards. More Info
  • NV: False alarm code on hold
    7.15.16 – Reno Gazette Journal – “Does Lyon County have a false alarm problem? Yes. Last year, we had 2,036 calls. Only 13 of those were legitimate burglaries. That’s less than one-half of 1 … More Info
  • SC: False security alarm calls on the rise in Greenville
    7.11.16 – WFXG.com – The city of Greenville has had an alarming increase in their number of false security alarm calls. Greenville police says they’ve responded to hundreds of false … More Info

Industry News

  • Alarm Company Ruled Not Liable for Burglary
    7.15.16 – Law.com – Alarm services company ADT is not liable for damages after the burglary of a customer’s home, a state judge has ruled. Jennifer Baker alleged ADT did not … More Info
  • Home Security and Energy Savings 2 Reasons for Smart Home Adoption, Study Finds
    7.14.16 – SSI – Home security remains one of the key drivers for smart home adoption, according to a recent research report. The study also found that energy savings are a critical point of emphasis, too. More Info

State & National News

  • FBI Background Checks Surge in June
    7.11.16 – SIA – The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted more than 2.1 million background checks in June 2016, compared to about 1.5 million in June 2015, an increase of about 40%.  More Info
  • Hands Free Is Still Distracted!
    7.8.16 – OHS – In this current fast-paced culture, cell phones have become an extension of our body and our main means to keep in communication with work and home. The increase of cell phone use over the last decade has been great for work productivity but has created very unsafe driving conditions. More Info
  • FCC Sets the Ground Rules for Shutting Down the Phone System …
    7.14.16 – Public Knowledge Tech News and Comment – Consider the following hypothetical scenario: you have a child in elementary school, that school has a fire alarm, and that fire alarm has a copper wire that plugs .. More Info
  • Fire Marshals ask Amazon to stop selling untested smoke alarms
    7.15.16 – Valley News Live – (KARE) Washington state fire officials are warning people about potentially unsafe smoke alarms that have been sold online. The concern is for fire protection … More Info

Business Tips

  • Legal Watch: The PERS Path to Profits
    7.14.16 – SecurityInfoWatch – If you are using an standard alarm contract for PERS subscribers, you are asking for trouble. Here’s a list of some of the issues your PERS agreement should … More Info
  • Partnership Possibilities: Local Connections
    7.14.16 – SecurityInfoWatch – For alarm dealers, this means spending time developing relationships with local, consumer-facing businesses that can build up their brand and become a part of … More Info
  • 12 Ways to Land Media Coverage Without a Press Release
    7.17.16 – Entrepreneur – There are many more ways to approach the media than with the zillionth press release they will receive that afternoon. More Info

Fire News

  • CA: Homeowner Meets Dispatcher Who Saved Her Dog’s Life From Fire
    7.16.16 – NBC Southern California – She also installed a smoke detector, despite thinking a fire would never happen. However, the smoke alarm would come to save her home — and her dog’s life. More Info
  • FL: Dog awakens Rockledge family to overnight kitchen fire
    7.11.16 – Florida Today – With the smoke alarm blaring, Zysset, her husband, 4-year-old son, along with four dogs, two cats and three turtles managed to escape a fire that broke out about … More Info
  • IA: Opportunity Village cottage evacuated due to fan malfunction …
    7.12.16 – Mason City Globe Gazette – … briefly around 4 p.m. due to a fire alarm at the facility on Second Street Northeast in Mason City. The fire alarm was caused by a contractor. There was no fire. More Info
  • KS: Hays Fire Department responds to fire alarm on the Hays Med campus
    7.13.16 – hays Post – At 2:12 p.m., Wednesday, July 13, 2016, City of Hays 911 Dispatchers received a report of an automatic fire alarm at the HaysMed Center for Sleep Disorders, … More Info
  • NY: Man accused of cooking cat in oven
    7.12.16 – KARE – Firefighters were called to an apartment just after 9:00 p.m. Monday for a smoke alarm activation. When they entered the smoky apartment, … More Info
  • NY: Smoky fire damages Hudson Valley Sausage Company
    7.12.16 – Poughkeepsie Journal – Four minutes later, the automatic alarm sounded. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ulster County Cause and Origin … More Info
  • OR: Fire destroys cabin near Wolf Creek
    7.13.16 – KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2 – The Wolf Creek Fire Department said two residents were at a neighbor’s house when they heard the smoke alarm sounding. They attempted to put out the … More Info
  • PA: Smoke at Westgate triggers firefighter response
    7.15.16 – Pocono Record- An inattentive cook set off a smoke alarm that summoned local fire departments at Stroudsburg’s Westgate Apartments on Friday. A female resident of the … More Info
  • TX: Brownwood Fire Department – Fire & Rescue Reports 7/13
    7.13.16 – Brownwood News – Fire Crews were unable to reset the fire alarm and advised the staff to contact their alarm company. *2:24 PM – Brownwood Fire Department responded to a … More Info
  • WA: POLICE LOG: July 13, 2016
    7.13.16 – Port Townsend Leader – Officers responded on July 1 to a fire alarm in a multistory residence downtown. A suspect was located and taken into custody for tampering with the fire alarm. More Info

Crime News

  • AL: Burglaries arrest made
    7.12.16 – Atmore Advance – “An officer with the Atmore Police Department was on patrol on North Main Street when he heard an audible alarm going off at one of the businesses,” Brooks … More Info
  • AL: Weapons stolen early Tuesday morning from Tuscaloosa business
    7.12.16 – WIAT 42 – Tuscaloosa police responded to a call of an alarm around 4 a.m. Tuesday morning and discovered the business had been burglarized, and the suspects had … More Info
  • CA: 4 Businesses Broken Into in Miramar Overnight
    7.11.16 – NBC 7 San Diego – “Last night I didn’t activate the alarm. I thought [since] there’s nothing in here, nobody is going to break in. But I think we should be okay. I’m going to keep going … More Info
  • CA: ATM stolen from Auburn-area bank
    7.15.16 -Sacramento Bee – The Sheriff’s Office was alerted about 5:10 a.m. by a burglar alarm at the Chase Bank on Grass Valley Highway. When deputies arrived, they found that the … More Info
  • CA: Bar shooting leaves one dead
    7.12.16 – Highland Community News – On Monday, July 11, 2016, at 8:58 p.m., the San Bernardino Police Department Dispatch received a “Hold-up” alarm from the Office Bar … More Info
  • CA: Berkeley Police Investigating Attempted Robbery At Dunkin Donuts …
    7.15.16 – Patch.com – The alarm was set around 8:40 p.m., shortly after the man demanded the money and made “threatening gestures” to the employees, the chief said. The male … More Info
  • CA: Burglars hit 3 Placentia restaurants but don’t make off with much
    7.13.16 – KABC-TV – Officers were alerted to the burglary by the store’s alarm, and another alarm went off five minutes later at Meat Up BBQ i … More Info
  • CA: Caught on Camera: Men Steal Computers From Pet Clinic
    7.14.16 – NBC 7 San Diego – Seconds after the men are inside the clinic, the security alarm sounds off and the suspects begin to move quickly, grabbing an Apple computer from a nearby … More Info
  • CA: Man arrested in connection with burglary in Oxnard
    7.16.16 – Ventura County Star – Oxnard police arrested a man Saturday morning after police on patrol heard the sounds of a blaring alarm coming from a store, authorities said. Jessie Rivera … More Info
  • CA: Merced police catch man burglarizing car dealership
    7.11.16 – Merced Sun-Star – Merced police arrested a man they found inside a car dealership after a burglar alarm sounded. Police responded to Ron Smith Buick .. More Info
  • CA: Suspects arrested in 2 gun-store thefts
    7.13.16 – SFGate – Fong said he got a call about 4 a.m. from an alarm company that there had been a break-in, and when he got to the store 15 minutes later, he walked into “a total … More Info
  • CT: Police: Man recently released from prison leads police on pursuit …
    7.11.16 – Meriden Record-Journal – About 3:36 a.m., officers were sent to an alarm at the Gulf gas station. Officers found the front door smashed and items stolen from inside … More Info
  • CT: Suspect in Branford Burglaries Goes on Crime Spree Days After …
    7.16.16 – Patch.com – At 3:36 a.m., Wallingford patrol officers were dispatched to an alarm at the Gulf Station. Officers arrived and found the front … More Info
  • FL: Bicycle bandit sought in Orlando attempted bank robbery, police say
    7.12.16 – WFTV Orlando – When the teller went to reach for the alarm button, though, the woman got nervous and left, police said. It did not appear the woman had a weapon and her note … More Info
  • FL: Orlando Police Investigate Burglary at Pulse Nightclub
    7.15.16 – KTLA – The alarm system, which includes video surveillance, had not been turned on, police said. A reporter with CNN affiliate WFTV said a crime scene unit was at the … More Info
  • FL: Security camera leads to burglary suspect’s arrest
    7.13.16 – Gainesville Sun – … Army T-shirt with a logo of the superhero Punisher along with camo shorts entering the home but quickly leaving about 15 second later as an alarm sounds. More Info
  • GA: Police investigate burglary at Best Pawn Shop on Holly Avenue
    7.13.16 – Columbus Ledger-Enquirer – Officials said they were called to the business around 2:50 a.m. after its alarm was activated. Officials determined that one or more people broke into the building. More Info
  • IA: Fort Madison bank robber shooting justified
    7.13.16 – Keokuk Gate City Daily – “Once Evans exited the bank, he became visible to Fort Madison Officers Doyle and Brown who were dispatched as a result of the bank alarm,” according to … More Info
  • MA: Chicopee Police arrest man in store break-in: Still searching for …
    7.12.16 – MassLive.com – The burglar alarm was activated but he and a woman grabbed money, food and other items before police arrived, Wilk said. He was identified after police … More Info
  • MA: Police/Fire: Caller may have foiled break-in
    7.12.16 – Gloucester Daily Times – 1:15 a.m.: Police who responded to an activated alarm on Marmion Way determined it was an accidental activation. 4:24 p.m.: Police and rescue personnel … More Info
  • MD: Charles Co. Sheriff’s Reports
    7.11.16 – Southern Maryland Online – While the officers were still on the scene, they heard an alarm coming from a carwash at a nearby shopping center. Officers responded and found that the … More Info
  • MD: Charles County police briefs
    7.13.16 – So Md News – On July 10 at approximately 4:31 a.m., officers responded to a store for an intrusion alarm. Upon arrival … More Info
  • ME: Sprinkler system saves lives and building
    7.15.16 – Scarborough Leader – This prevents activation of the entire building’s fire alarm system and the evacuation of the facility due to burnt toast or other minor events that cause a small … More Info
  • MI: Coney Island break-in caught on tape
    7.17.16 – Livingston Daily – The restaurant’s alarm company called police as well as Fillmore and her husband, who co-own the restaurant, at 3:42 a.m. Saturday to report the break-in, .. More Info
  • MO: Bank robber who claimed he had bomb pleads guilty
    7.13.16 – KSPR – The bank manager, who had already activated the alarm, attempted to stall Polodna and suggested Polodna wait in the office while he went to the vault alone. More Info
  • MO: Missouri man pleads guilty to bank robbery, kidnapping
    7.14.16 – kttn – The bank manager, who had already activated the alarm, attempted to stall Polodna and suggested that Polodna wait in the office while he went to the vault … More Info
  • NJ: Alarm scares off would-be burglar in Franklin Lakes
    7.11.16 – NJ.com – Franklin Lakes – A security alarm scared off a man who tried to get into a home early Monday, police said. A resident of the home saw the man … More Info
  • NV: Armed Home Owner Shoots Intruder in His Bedroom
    7.16.16 – AmmoLand Shooting Sports News – An alarm system and/or yappy dog can be a big help with sneaky burglars. Getting some warning that lets you wake up also usually causes the intruder to find a … More Info
  • NY: Police: Niskayuna man accused of burglarizing Clifton Park home
    7.11.16 – WRGB – Police say Fardin Sharifipour entered a home in Clifton Park, setting off a silent alarm. When Police arrived, troopers say Shrifipour was found inside a closet and … More Info
  • OH: Computers stolen, vandalized in Rent-A-Center break-in
    7.13.16 – WDTN – Police responded to a burglary alarm and noticed a rock had been thrown through a front window to the store, and it was still laying inside a broken display case. More Info
  • OR: Masked man accused of crashing stolen car after burglarizing …
    7.12.16 – KATU – The mini mart’s burglar alarm quickly went off, and several Clark County Sheriff’s deputies quickly responded. They chased the suspect for some time, before he … More Info
  • VA: Five teens caught playing Pokemon Go in school after-hours, police …
    7.14.16 – WUSA9.com – Police responded to Keene Mille Elementary School around 11 p.m. for a report of analarm at the school. Officers said they found two 18-year-olds and three … More Info
  • WA: Lake Stevens farm owner catches thief on video, saves wedding
    7.13.16 – KIRO Seattle – “I had to install cameras and an alarm,” he said. When Carleton noticed a very large flower basket was missing Tuesday morning, with the assistance of his … 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.

NESA Board of Directors