Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/31502
6 NEWS www.securitysystemsnews.com MAY 2011 SECURITY SYSTEMS NEWS National monitoring license AICC push would make monitoring across state lines easier By Daniel Gelinas WASHINGTON—Following the New York state licensing debate over Article 6-E, the Alarm Industry Communications Committee—the membership com- mittee that handles the security industry’s lobbying in Congress and with the FCC—has formed a subcom- mittee to execute the push for a national license for central stations. The committee, which had its first meeting on March 3, has important work to do, according to industry leaders. n push, and people are saying, ‘We should do this.’ We came up with a draft, based on the old draft. Bill Cooper who co-chairs the subcommittee wrote it.” ADT industry liaison manager Bill Cooper co-chairs the subcommittee with C.O.P.S. president and COO Jim McMullen. For a more robust version of stories in this section, see: WWW.SECURITYSYSTEMSNEWS.COM “The subcommittee is tasked with developing language and a game plan for approaching Congress,” CSAA president Ed Bonifas said. “The project is important because central stations are continuously subjected to redundant state and municipal licensing and registration.” Lou Fiore chairs the AICC and said the subcom- mittee was ready to pick up the national licensing torch. “I think it was five or six years ago that John Murphy was pushing for reciprocity in the monitoring industry, but we didn’t get enough support behind it,” Fiore said. “But with the 6-E issue it breathed new life into this “Our agenda for the immediate future includes presenting a bill for public comment. We’ll ask for suggested changes, addi- tions, etc.,” Cooper said, noting the committee had a deadline of May 13 for comment on the bill, which will be on the AICC website soon. “If the bill looks feasible, we’ll then find a sponsor.” Fiore said he was hopeful the AICC subcommittee could carry a bill through with the current momentum the issue has. “The way this will probably end up reading is that if your state has licensing and you’re licensed there, then you’ll be vetted to monitor in other states,” he said. “We’re putting the draft up on our website and looking for comments back by May 13, after which time we’ll bring it back at the AICC June 2 meeting for approval and preparation to take to Congress.” SSN How I Use My System Talking panels and keypads with Sean O’Keefe S ean O’Keefe is chief execu- tive officer of Dallas-based Texana Security, a full ser- vice security company providing intrusion, fire, access control and CCTV. Texana has been around for 45 years and Sean told Security Systems News Texana plans on being around for many more years by staying on the leading edge of where the industry is going. Texana Security CEO Sean O’Keefe feels extras, like moisture sensors and video, are really essentials. What kind of security system do you have, Sean? I have a Honeywell Vista system combined with RSI Videofied. Do you have any extra features like cameras or home automation and control? Unfortunately, I’ve had the bad experience of having water leaks in the house and I’ve found that’s not a lot different from having a fire in the house, so I have moisture sensors. Now if we have water on the floor I get an alarm and we know about it as soon as it happens. I also have added the Total Connect cameras to the system so that when we’re away, I have the added security of having those cameras. Do you think the industry makes reasonable efforts during municipal and commercial video installs to ensure privacy protection? As surveillance proliferates in commercial installs (parking lots, lobbies, etc.), will more privacy complaints pop up? “Video surveillance ... is an effective tool that helps keep America and its people safer.” —Jim Carino, Intellenet How does your particular system fit into your lifestyle? I travel a good deal of the time and my wife is in and out of the house, so we like the idea of having a full security system—full perimeter—and we like having the moisture sensors ... And then the Total Connect option from Honeywell is a nice convenience to have. And lastly, the Videofied add-on, in the event we do have an alarm, we can see right away if it’s someone coming into the house that shouldn’t be there. What’s the one aspect of your system you wouldn’t want to do without? The water sensors. I’m always surprised at how many people have had that kind of a problem and yet don’t think about moisture protec- tion as part of their security system. What do you see coming as the next big thing in the industry? Verified alarm systems. What I’m finding is that law enforcement is welcoming this with open arms. This is my 30th and I have never had the reception I’ve had the last few years since I’ve been doing verified alarm systems. —Daniel Gelinas NEWSPOLL based on answers provided by 72 respondents in March and April T:10.625 in year in the business Take a Look Inside. If you’re looking for outstanding performance and value in video surveillance, look no further than Samsung. Samsung delivers the quality, flexibility and reliability that you demand for any analog, hybrid or full IP application. Our 2011 product portfolio boasts new additions like 4 and 16 channel NVRs as well as 3.0 megapixel IP cameras featuring our performance enhancing WiseNet II digital signal processor. 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