Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/34202
36 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS www.securitysystemsnews.com JULY 2011 SECURITY SYSTEMS NEWS RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS Securing homes on Colorado’s Front Range By Tess Nacelewicz LOUISVILLE, Colo.—Safe Systems, a Honeywell First Alert dealer based here, recently acquired D-Tech Alarm Specialist in Pueblo, Colo. The acquisition expands Safe Systems’ growing security business in southern Colorado, and is the first step in the com- pany’s new strategy, according to company executives. “This is our first one and we are looking for and talking to other companies actively,” Larry Halpern, president of Safe Systems, told Security Systems News. Sales manager Tim Watson added: “We’re looking for strong Colorado companies to help take us to that next level.” The May 7 announcement of the acquisition Larry Halpern of D-Tech is the latest development for the com- pany Halpern started 29 years ago as a University of Colorado student. “It’s quite an entrepreneurial story,” Watson said. Halpern started the business in 1982 “with a shoestring,” Watson said, but today Safe Systems bills itself as Colorado’s largest independently owned, full-service, UL-listed security company. The company generates about $320,000 in RMR and gross rev- enues exceed $6 million. That growth has been organic, but now the company has initi- ated a multi-year acquisition plan with the addition of D-Tech, Watson and Halpern said. COLORADO see page 37 Changes underway at GELSSA The Georgia security association has new director, new initiatives By Tess Nacelewicz KENNESAW, Ga.—The Georgia Elec- tronic Life Safety and Security Asso- ciation (GELSSA) saw its member- ship decline by 60 percent in the last five years, according to John Loud, the group’s president since January. But now GELSSA is working to reverse the trend through John Loud the appointment of a new executive director and new initiatives such as a state expo and golf tournament planned for the fall, and efforts to get legislation vital to the industry passed. Loud owns Loud Security Systems, GELSSA see page 37 New professional groups launch at ESX By Tess Nacelewicz CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Two new groups recently formed by the Electronic Security Association —one for sales and marketing professionals and another for installation and service profes- sionals—slated their inaugural meetings for the Electronic Security Expo (ESX), held here June 6-10. The groups had attracted more than 250 members by early June. The strong response shows the industry has a need for both the ISP (installation service professionals) group and the SMP (sales and mar- keting professionals) group, the groups’ chairmen said. “ESA thought there was a need within their membership to create a forum where instal- lation and service functional managers could share ideas,” Mark Grossman, VP, branch operations, ASG Security in Beltsville, Md. and chairman of the ISP group, told Security Systems News on June 1. “We often struggle within each of our companies with opera- tional issues that are obstacles or bumps in the road for our production.” Gerrit Brusse, regional sales manager, ADS Security in Nashville, and the SMP group chairman, told SSN: “One thing in our business is constant and that’s change in the security industry. Both the SMP and ISP groups are designed to pro- vide forums where people can stay on top of best practices, hot topics, and industry trends. The goal of both M. Grossman groups is to arm members with valuable knowledge that will allow them to maneuver quickly in this dynamic indus- try.” He said the SMP group had 200 members, and Grossman said the ISP group had about 150, but some people are mem- bers of both groups. Member- ship is free for staff of ESA member companies. SSN New York to combat municipal licensing trend By Tess Nacelewicz ALBANY, N.Y.—To end a new trend by New York municipalities to require alarm installers to get local licenses in addition to the mandated state one, a state committee is expected to recommend rewriting state law, according to the president of the New York Burglar & Fire Alarm Association. “Once we get the wording clarified that will pre-empt local communities from passing these kinds of regulations,” Joseph Hayes, owner of All County Security in Putnam, N.Y., and president of the NYBFAA, told Security Systems News in May. According to the New York Department of State (DOS), New York is seeing “a recent trend, imposed by local governments, which requires installers to also obtain an additional license from the municipality.” The DOS notes that its Division of Licens- ing already issues licenses to individuals and companies who install, service, and/or maintain security and other alarm systems. According to the DOS, “this practice [of requiring a local municipal license] is pro- hibited by statute and artificially inflates the cost of doing business, an expense which likely will be passed on to the consumer.” BRIEFS Visonic, iControl form integration partnership PALO ALTO, Calif. and TEL-AVIV, Israel—iControl Networks, a broadband home management leader, and Visonic, a developer and manufacturer of wire- less home security and safety systems and components, on June 1 announced a partnership to integrate Visonic security peripherals into the iControl OpenHome software platform. The joint development and market- ing initiative combines Visonics’ exten- sive experience in wireless security with iControl’s advanced home management technology to enable a versatile range of security sensors and other devices dedicated for use with OpenHome. “The addition of Visonic to the iCon- trol Partner Program is a major mile- stone for us as it enables sensors and devices that are critical to our broad- band service provider deployments,” said Jim Kitchen, VP of strategy at iControl Networks, in a statement. Vector reaches out in upstate N.Y. PITTSBURGH—Vector Security early this year moved into upstate New York for the first time with the acquisition of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Hammond Security, and pledged then to support the communities Hammond had served. On May 23, Vector announced the creation of scholarship program in honor of John Falcone, a Poughkeepsie police officer killed Feb. 18 while responding to a domestic violence incident. “The creation of our Officer John The issue was slated to come before the DOS’ Security and Fire Alarm Systems Advisory Committee for review in May. The meeting was cancelled, but is expected to be rescheduled this summer so the committee can consider such licensing issues as the one involving local munici- palities, Hayes said. The NYBFAA has representation on the advisory committee, as do other groups, including law enforcement, fire officials and the public, he said. The committee’s job is to advise the state on any changes needed to Article 6D, which governs the licensing of security and fire alarm systems installers. Hayes said that one of the purposes of 6D, which he said became law in 1992, “was to eliminate what had happened historically, where every local community had an alarm- installing license.” “When the state took it [licensing] over,” he said, “the state has supremacy so the local licenses basically just disappeared.” Now, however, Hayes said, local communities are interpreting the statute to say that “a local community could pass a law that says, ‘If you want to install any type of wiring, you have to have a license.’” SSN Falcone Scholarship Program is indeed a strong demonstration of our commit- ment to the communities we serve,” Dave Merrick, Vector’s VP of marketing, said in a statement. The scholarships will enable stu- dents to pursue careers in law enforce- ment and criminal justice. Pinnacle Security help build Kenyan hospital OREM, Utah—Pinnacle Security announced May 30 that through its Securing Hope charitable initia- tive it will partner with Going Beyond Borders, an international nonprofit, to raise funds to help build a hospital in western Kenya. The company also said Pinnacle volunteer teams will travel to Kenya in November to help construct the building. Pinnacle said “the new Elukhambi Hospital will replace a facil- ity that closed recently, requiring peo- ple in the area to travel several hours to reach the nearest hospital, making minor accidents or injuries life-threat- ening events.” Pinnacle said it will help raise funds for the hospital in a variety of ways, including sponsored events and dona- tions from employees, company rep- resentatives and the public, and pro- ceeds from its annual 5K run.