301.519.9237 exdirector@nesaus.org

NationalMonitor

February 23, 2015

Door to Door Sales

  • Crooks fooling Valley homeowners with fake security system upgrades
    21.15 – ABC15 Arizona – “He pointed out it was an older alarm sign and that’s why they wanted to come in to see if the phone system worked with my keypad.” LeRoux says she knew that … More Info

Public Safety Updates

  • CT: Council Moves Ordinance Requests To Committee
    19.15 – The Newtown Bee – According to local police commissioners, by reducing the number of false alarm responses, police would have more time to respond to actual problems, … More Info
  • IN: Businesses asked to update after hours contacts for 911 Dispatch
    16.15 – The Banner-Graphic – A recent alarm call at a local business has officials at Putnam County 911 Dispatch asking businesses to update their after hours contacts. During the call in … More Info
  • TX: DeSoto City Council approves application for $80K grant for victims …
    18.15 – Dallas Morning News – An ordinance requiring an annual registration for alarm companies was passed by a 6-1 vote. The ordinance also includes a $500 penalty fee to alarm … More Info

Industry News

  • 157 years ago today, the burglar alarm was born in Boston
    21.15 – BetaBoston – As electrical alarms goes, this was as simple as one can get — less today’s iPhone-integrated smart alarm and more of a burglar telegraph … More Info
  • Time Warner Cable Starts Selling IntelligentHome DIY Home Automation at Best Buy
    18.15 – EHDaily – Several service providers are making it easy to have the smart home system you’ve always wanted. One of those options is Time Warner Cable’s IntelligentHome. More Info
  • Doorbells Become Eyes and Ears of Smart Homes
    17.15 – WSJ – What if your doorbell could talk? Two gadgets have turned the humble doorbell, little changed since the Victorian era, into a digital doorman. More Info
  • AT&T’s ‘seamless hub’ strategy
    18.15 – SSN – Atlanta – AT&T’s Kevin Petersen tells Security Systems News how its plan to become a central, seamless hub that integrates a variety of systems into its Digital Life platform is coming along. More Info
  • ASG buys Fleenor Security: How the two complement each other
    18.15 – SSN – Beltsville, Md. – Joe Nuccio and Ralph Masino of ASG Security talk about what the super-regional brings to recently acquired Fleenor Security, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based full-service security company. And Mike Fleenor talks about what Fleenor brings to ASG. More Info
  • Vivint boss goes undercover
    18.15 – SSN – Provo, Utah – Find out how Vivint CEO Todd Pedersen’s incognito stint on “Undercover Boss” prompted him to make some tweaks in his business. More Info
  • NewsPoll: SSN readers debate the utility of CES home automation gadgets
    18.15 – SSN – Yarmouth, Maine – Home automation gadgets coming out of the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show are interesting, but are they all useful? Read what Security Systems News readers said in SSN’s latest NewsPoll. More Info
  • Blog! Net neutrality and central station monitoring: Why should you care?
    18.15 – SSN – CSAA recently posted on its site about the matter of net neutrality, as well as sending out a message from Alarm Industry Communications Committee chair Lou Fiore concerning the topic. Capitol Hill has various items up for consideration on net neutrality, according to Fiore. More Info
  • Global home automation market projected to hit $12.81 billion by 2020
    18.15 – SSN – Dallas – The North American home automation market will grow from $2.21 billion in 2013 to $4.29 billion in 2020, a CAGR of 9.17 percent, according to a new report from Marketsandmarkets. More Info
  • Will smartphones make access cards obsolete?
    18.15 – Security Info Watch – Why mobile credentialing could be a better security model More Info
  • A Google employee posted this nightmarish video of a bunch of Nest …
    16.15 – Business Insider – But one Google employee has had enough of his Nest Protect smoke detector signaling false alarms and being impossible to shut off. Last week, Brad … More Info
  • Adventures in home security system repairs
    18.15 – Dallas Morning News – Thinking about former (and beloved) colleague Rod Dreher today as I sit here at home waiting for the Monitronics alarm tech to arrive. Longtime blog readers … More Info
  • 7 On Your Side examines weaknesses in home security systems …
    19.15 – abc7news.com – 7 On Your Side spoke with a hacker who tested 16 smart security systems, connected smoke alarms and thermostats and he found weaknesses in every single … More Info
  • Better Business Bureau Utah 2014 year in review, most complaints …
    20.15 – The Independent | SUindependent.com – The Better Business Bureau Utah has released their 2014 statistics. Below is the 2014 year in review for complaints and inquiries. Burglar Alarm Companies … More Info
  • Vivint CEO Todd Pedersen Uses An Abacus
    20.15 – 2paragraphs.com – In 2011, he changed the name of his security company from APX Alarm to Vivint, “to reflect its emphasis on living intelligently through home automation.” It was a … More Info
  • New area code takes effect in Marin
    21.15 – Marin Independent Journal – Examples include life safety systems, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems, call forwarding settings and voicemail systems. More Info
  • Fire and Smoke Alarm Manufacturing in the US Industry Market …
    22.15 – IT Business Net – The Fire and Smoke Alarm Manufacturing industry is tightly connected to the downstream construction market, as most safety alarms and detectors are installed … More Info

Legislative News

Bill Text Brief Description and Current Status
ILSB01300

Text

New Act Creates the Smart Phone Kill Switch Act. Requires that any smart phone manufactured on or after July 1, 2016 that is sold or purchased in Illinois must be equipped with preloaded anti-theft functionality or be capable of downloading that functionality. Requires the functionality to be available to purchasers at no cost. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall adopt rules regarding smart phone anti-theft functionality. Requires wireless communications device dealers to maintain a written record of every purchase or acquisition of a used wireless communications device for resale. Sets forth information that must be included in the written record. Provides that a law enforcement agency that has probable cause to believe a device has been stolen or is evidence of a crime may place an investigative hold on or confiscate the device. Requires the installation of video security cameras at a dealer’s physical location. Provides that a violation of the Act is a Class B misdemeanor. Provides exemptions from the application of the Act, including wireless telephone providers who acquire devices for trade-in or for repair and refurbishment programs.
Status: 2/18/2015 : Senate Referred to Assignments
History ILSB01300

Text

ILSB01350

Text

225 ILCS 447/10-31 new Amends the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004. Provides that no licensee shall contract with any municipality for the provision of auxiliary police services. Provides that an employee serving as an auxiliary police officer shall perform only those duties provided by the Illinois Municipal Code and shall, at all times during his or her service, comply with all other requirements of the Code.
Status: 2/18/2015 : Senate Referred to Assignments
History ILSB01350

Text

ILSB01355

Text

105 ILCS 5/10-20.56 new 105 ILCS 5/17-2.11 from Ch. 122, par. 17-2.11 105 ILCS 5/34-18.49 new Amends the School Code. Provides that a school board shall require that each school building in the district be equipped with approved carbon monoxide alarms within one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act, unless a school building does not have or is not close to any sources of carbon monoxide. Allows a school board to use remaining funds on hand in the Fire Prevention and Safety Fund for the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in school buildings. Effective immediately.
Status: 2/18/2015 : Senate Referred to Assignments
History ILSB01355

Text

ILSB01355

Text

105 ILCS 5/10-20.56 new 105 ILCS 5/17-2.11 from Ch. 122, par. 17-2.11 105 ILCS 5/34-18.49 new Amends the School Code. Provides that a school board shall require that each school building in the district be equipped with approved carbon monoxide alarms within one year after the effective date of the amendatory Act, unless a school building does not have or is not close to any sources of carbon monoxide. Allows a school board to use remaining funds on hand in the Fire Prevention and Safety Fund for the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in school buildings. Effective immediately.
Status: 2/18/2015 : Senate Referred to Assignments
History ILSB01355

Text

State & National News

  • Uber Adding ‘Panic Button’ in Chicago
    18.15 – SIA Update – Uber plans to add a panic button to its mobile app in Chicago that users can press to alert police if they feel threatened. More Info
  • Landline vs. cellphone?
    9.15 – Grand Haven Tribune- This technology is also compatible with alarm systems, emergency devices such as Life Alert and fax machines. Many of the newer alarm systems and medical … More Info
  • Beware of smoke detector con
    18.15 – The Connexion – In the case of rented properties, the law says that a landlord is responsible for buying the smoke alarm, or should reimburse the cost of purchase to the tenant. More Info
  • No to telecom bill
    21.15 – The Courier-Journal – Basic landline telephone service is a lifeline for many Kentucky seniors. Most alarm services, heart monitors, and other medical devices depend on landlines to … More Info
  • Law requiring installation of CO detectors set to take effect in …
    21.15 – SecurityInfoWatch – Source: The Valley News-Dispatch, Tarentum, Pa. The Carbon Monoxide Alarm Standards Act, signed by former Pennsylvania Gov. More Info

Business Tips

  • Putting the Customer First Has Its Perks
    15.15 – CIOInsight – In an era where branding is huge, mobility matters and social is indispensable, Starbucks perfectly blends these components. More Info
  • Fatigue Is a Factor in Many Workplace Mistakes
    19.15 – CIOInsight -Worker fatigue has grown so pervasive that it’s considered a bigger productivity distraction than social media, according to a new study. More Info
  • Determining the Cost of a Bad Hire
    19.15 – Commercial Integrator – Making a poor hiring decision can affect your bottom line. But what exactly is the financial host of a bad hire? More Info
  • Why Tech Distractions Make It Hard to Get Anything Done
    12.15 – CIO Insight – NEWS ANALYSIS: If you’re like most professionals, you’re struggling to get your work done. It’s not your fault. Understanding this phenomenon starts with ecology. More Info

Fire News

  • AR: 3 found in house fire were shot, police say
    22.15 – Arkansas Online – “About 6 o’clock this morning, we were sleeping and our alarm went off in our house, and it woke us up,” he said. “I came out to check to see what was going on … More Info
  • AZ: Gullible Circle K workers trash their own store after falling for absurd …
    22.15 – Daily Mail – They followed the commands because they were told it was the only way to shut off a silent fire alarm, police said. After smashing the computer, the two realized … More Info
  • AZ: Propane leak closes Coronado Elementary in St. Johns
    17.15 -White Mountain Independent – St. Johns – A small propane leak set off alarms at Coronado Elementary School in the early morning hours of Feb. 17. The alarm went off about 6:30 a.m. … More Info
  • BC: Teens sought in connection to rash of fire alarms
    16.15 -Langley Times – Police would like to question the group of teens pictured here in relation to a series of false fire alarms that have been raised in the Township since the … More Info
  • CA: Fresno apartment fire displaces family of six
    17.15 -Fresno Bee – A neighbor heard the apartment’s smoke alarm and called 911 shortly after 9:40 p.m., Cabral said. One of the family’s dogs was killed in the fire, but a second … More Info
  • IN: Investigators rule electrical outlet as cause of house fire
    16.15 -wlfi.com – “God has watched over us because we could have been there because we left out of the house at 12:30 p.m. and the alarm trip at 12:47 p.m.,” said McKinney. More Info
  • IN: Woman, children escape Terre Haute fire
    17.15 -WISH-TV – She said no smoke alarm warned them that a fire raged above their apartment. Her alarm was a fireman she saw in the hallway. “He said, ‘You gotta get out now … More Info
  • KS: Wichita State chemistry building evacuated because of fire concern
    17.15 -Wichita Business Journal – Wichita State University evacuated McKinley Hall, its chemistry building, after smoke alarms went off, but it was determined that there was no fire in the building. More Info
  • LA: Harvey restaurant avoids fire from attached structure after sprinklers …
    20.15 – NOLA.com – The sprinkler system activated, triggering an alarm that notified the fire department, McAuliffe said. The system suppressed most of the blaze, with firefighters … More Info
  • MD: Abingdon Residents Displaced by Townhouse Fire: Officials
    18.15 – Patch.com- At 7:49 p.m., a residential alarm alerted authorities that there was a fire, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. More Info
  • MD: Fire Alarm at Ring Factory Elementary Draws First Responders
    18.15 – Patch.com- Crews were dispatched to the school when a fire alarm activated, according to Rich Gardiner of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company. When they arrived … More Info
  • ME: Real-life stories personalize smoke alarm message
    18.15 -Hometownlife.com – The Portland home had no working smoke alarms, so the smoke continued to enter the home. Some of the six may have awakened to the fire and smoke, while … More Info
  • MI: Smoke detector alerts family to fire
    22.15 – Dearborn Press and Guide – A mother grabbed her child and the dog when the smoke alarm sounded and quickly ran out of the house to safety. Firefighters were called to the home on … More Info
  • MN: Meeker County Sheriff’s Office report
    17.15 -Crow River Media – On the 13th at 6:04 a.m. the Sheriff’s Office responded to and dispatched the Grove City Fire Department to a report of a fire alarm at a residence … More Info
  • MO: Automatic sprinkler system extinguishes fire in Lee’s Summit
    19.15 – Lee’s Summit Journal – At the same time, the alarm company reported activation of the automatic fire sprinkler system and alarm. When the fire department arrived, no smoke or fire was … More Info
  • NC: Smoke alarm helps save homeowner from fire
    16.15 –Ansonrecord – The 64-year-old resident credited the house’s smoke alarm with the early notice of the fire. “Working smoke alarms save lives, cutting the risk of dying in a home … More Info
  • NJ: Smoke alarms save Lyndhurst family in basement fire
    16.15 -Cliffviewpilot.com – You read it here first: Smoke alarms got a Lyndhurst family out of their home and a water pipe that burst in the heat acted as a sprinkler, limiting the … More Info
  • NJ: Water line break repaired at Leuchter school
    17.15 -Vineland Daily Journal – The leak at Johnstone triggered the fire alarm, which summoned firefighters to the scene. At Leuchter school, water ran unchecked for a longer period. More Info
  • NY: Attempt to thaw pipes may have caused $1 million fire
    17.15 -Buffalo News – Eleven fire companies responded to the alarm. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority provided a Metro Bus for use as a warming station by first … More Info
  • NY: Man trying to thaw frozen pipes sets outside of house on fire — and …
    16.15 –RiverheadLOCAL – The bitter cold weather is keeping volunteer firefighters busy today. Frozen and burst pipes led to “water flow” alarms at three different Route 58 stores and a deli … More Info
  • OH: Smoke sets off alarms at Cleveland federal courthouse, three floors …
    19.15 – cleveland.com – Smoke in the elevator machine room at the federal courthouse in Cleveland set off a fire alarm Thursday morning, temporarily displacing workers on a few floors. More Info
  • OH: WLWT Exclusive: Burst pipe causes major headaches at Middletown …
    17.15 -WLWT Cincinnati – First responders said around 12:30 p.m. an alarm was triggered after the pipe burst in the high schools offices, the water spilled into the hallways and cafeteria. More Info
  • ON: Should you leave your high-rise unit when fire alarm goes off …
    16.15 -Newstalk 1010 – When the fire alarm goes off in your high-rise building, the first thing you might think of doing is heading for the stairwell and then the lobby. Firefighters, though … More Info
  • PA: Fire alarm wakes up Washington Capitals at 1:30 in the morning …
    22.15 – FanSided – The Washington Capitals were just trying to unwind at a hotel when fire alarms forced them out of bed in the early morning hours. More Info
  • SC: Police investigate attempted arson, multiple break-ins at restaurant
    22.15 – WYFF Greenville – Firefighters determined the cut gas lines, broken fire alarm, along with a lighter and rags found at the scene indicated someone had attempted to set the building … More Info
  • TN: Kingsport family displaced after early morning fire at Jersey Street …
    19.15 – WJHL – Just after 4 am (February 19, 2015) a Kingsport family was awakened by their smoke alarm. A fire had started near an in-wall heater. More Info
  • VA: Low temps triggering false fire alarms for Arlington apartment residents
    20.15 – WJLA – Arlington, Va. – Sprinklers can help save lives when there’s a fire, but imagine how much of an inconvenience it can be when there’s no emergency … More Info
  • VA: Norfolk home destroyed after resident tries to thaw frozen pipes with …
    17.15 -wtkr.com – The people inside of the home were able to get out safely after they were alerted by the smoke alarm inside. Crews found fire inside of the walls in the home and … More Info
  • VT: Burst pipe closes Barre City Elementary & Middle School
    17.15 – Barre Montpelier Times Argus – Water from the sprinkler system came shooting out of the pipe, setting off the fire alarm and bringing firefighters screaming to the scene where the School board … More Info

Crime News

  • CA: APD: Security camera catches DUI outside of business
    22.15 – Redding Record Searchlight – In the early morning hours of Wednesday – about 1:30 a.m. – officers were sent to a car dealership after a video burglar alarm was triggered, … More Info
  • CA: Ventura Man Robbed AT&T Store Of Cellphones
    21.15 – KEYT – Ventura police arrived just before 8 p.m. after an employee activated the store’s panic alarm. The suspect used the scissors to … More Info
  • CO: Deputies respond to burglar alarm, 911 misdial, harassment
    21.15 – Journal Advocate – At 11:15 a.m. a deputy was dispatched in reference to a burglar alarm. At 3:05 a.m. Roberto Calderon, 22, was arrested… More Info
  • GA: 17-year-old goes on a burglary spree in downtown Decatur
    16.15 -Decaturish.com – Ross said the suspect next tried to break into the Square Convenience Store, setting off the burglar alarm. “An officer located a male … More Info
  • GA: Sheriff’s Calls: Facebook Threats, Firearms Stolen, IRS Scam
    20.15 – Patch.com- Alarm – Walton County Deputies responded to an alarm at a residence on Clarence Odum Rd. Residence checked. Everything okay. Zone 5. Burglary – A … More Info
  • IL: Evanston man charged in Elgin gas station burglaries
    22.15 – Chicago Tribune – At about 4:40 a.m. Saturday, Elgin police responded to a burglar alarm at the Citgo. Again, a window was shattered and lottery tickets and … More Info
  • LA: Monroe Police seek suspicious suspect caught on deer camera
    20.15 – Knoe.com- The residents at this location have motion detection alarms and deer cameras set up. When the unknown male approached the carport, the motion alarm … More Info
  • MA: Barnstable police bust B&E suspect hiding in the bushes
    20.15 – Cape Cod Today- According to a Barnstable police release, officers responded to a burglar alarm at Friendly’s around 2:23 a.m. Friday morning. After confirming a … More Info
  • MA: East Longmeadow police: Snowy footprints lead to arrest of 2 …
    16.15 -MassLive.com – The incident occurred when the homeowner, awaked by his burglar alarm, called police to his home. It appears that the suspects entered the rear screened … More Info
  • MA: Marlborough Police Log: Multiple Burglar Alarms, Suspicious Activity …
    20.15 – Patch.com- At 6:09 p.m. police responded to a burglar alarm at On Site Analysis Inc. – At 9:28 p.m. police responded to reports of vandalism at 238 … More Info
  • MA: Sandwich Police Arrest Man On Breaking And Entering Charges
    21.15 – CapeNews.net – Sandwich police responded to a burglar alarm at 2:07 AM on February 12 at Paradise Liquors in the Stop & Shop Plaza. Prior to this alarm being … More Info
  • MI: Albion police arrest man suspected of three burglaries in less than …
    18.15 – MLive.com – Officers found him a few blocks from Dollar General after they responded at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday to an alarm sounding at the store, where … More Info
  • MI: Eyeglasses stolen in four Battle Creek-area break-ins
    17.15 -Battle Creek Enquirer – At the second break-in at the Battle Creek Rx Optical store, police arrived about 90 seconds after the alarm sounded and the thief was already gone, according … More Info
  • MI: Safety vest bandits hit Marysville credit union
    20.15 – Port Huron Times Herald – About 9:45 a.m., the Genisys Credit Union workers hit an alarm when they saw two men dressed in safety vests and hard hats near the building, Buckmaster said … More Info
  • MO: Van Goghz Martini Bar Victim of Hit and Run Robbery
    20.15 – Riverfront Times – Here’s the full report from SLMPD: Officers responded to the above business after the alarm was sounded. A witness reported seeing four suspects exit a maroon … More Info
  • NJ: 2 women stole $1600 from beauty store on Route 22, police say
    18.15 – NJ.com – The women were captured on surveillance video leaving the store without activating the alarm, police said. Police said the suspects left in two separate cars — a … More Info
  • NJ: Thieves steal ATM with $6K inside from Jersey City fast food restaurant
    16.15 -NJ.com – The manager told police that when he arrived the building alarm was not working. Police also found tire tracks near the front entrance, the police report said. More Info
  • OH: Armed robbers pistol-whip Sandusky woman
    18.15 – Sandusky Register – At about 10 p.m. Tuesday, a woman returned home after learning her security alarm had been set off, according to a … More Info
  • OH: Norwalk police looking for suspects from break-in
    18.15 – Sandusky Register – no details on what they took, etc. etc. you would think a county business would have a security alarm system going right to the sheriff’s department. More Info
  • OK: Surveillance video catches thieves on camera
    16.15 – KOCO Oklahoma City- It was scary to hear your car alarm go off and go out there … the car’s headlights flashing, the crooks set the alarm when … More Info
  • RI: Police arrest two in Westport break-in
    18.15 – Providence Eyewitness News- Moments later the house alarm went off, prompting the driver to take off. The homeowner told police that a hooded suspect ran from behind her home and … More Info
  • TN: Car crashes into restaurant in North Memphis
    22.15 – wreg.com – Memphis police dispatch says the call originally came in as an alarm call but has been upgraded to being an accident. No arrest have been made. Stay tuned to … More Info
  • TX: HPD: Man shot multiple times during drive-by near McDonald’s
    18.15 – KHOU – Witnesses in the McDonald’s said they heard a thumping sound and pulled the panic alarm in the restaurant. Later they found the victim slumped over near the … More Info
  • TX: Tyler Police arrest man for allegedly stealing copper in south Tyler
    21.15 – KETK – Tyler, TX – On February 21, 2015 at 3:37 a.m., the Tyler Police Department received an alarm call … More Info
  • WA: Federal Way man steals $77000 from bank to help with ‘family …
    17.15 – Federal Way Mirror – 29, 2014 after they discovered he entered the bank through an unlocked door, used his personal code to disarm the bank’s alarm system, taped up the cameras … More Info
  • WV: Phone, computer scam artists target residents
    17.15 – Clarencebee – A burglar alarm was reported at a residence. The alarm had been set off by a neighbor who was dropping off a package. Thursday, Feb. 12. 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