301.519.9237 exdirector@nesaus.org

5-26-14 NESA Monitor

May 26, 2014

Association Events

None this week

Door to Door Sales

  • Consumers: Check door-to-door alarm sales licenses
    5.21.14 – The Arizona Republic – Homeowners may be approached this summer by unlicensed door-to-door alarm salespeople More Info
  • Cedar Rapids Police: Ask for licenses during door-to-door sales
    5.21.14 – KWWL Iowa – The Cedar Rapids Police Department is reminding residents that they must have a license to go door-to-door selling items. More Info

Public Safety Updates

None this week

Industry News

  • New CEA Standard to Reveal How Much Energy Every Device in a Home Uses
    5.21.14 – CEPro – A new standard from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA-2047) will enable consumer electronics devices to communicate power usage to homeowners’ computers and mobile devices. More Info
  • Nest recalling 440K smoke alarms for safety risk
    5.21.14 – ABC 7 Chicago – Nest Labs is recalling 440,000 smoke alarms to fix a feature that could prevent the alarm from sounding immediately. More Info
  • Home security company SimpliSafe lands $57M from Silicon …
    5.21.14 – Boston Business Journal (blog) – “Most home security companies are stuck in the eighties with aggressive salespeople, obsolete technology and expensive alarm monitoring contracts that lock … More Info
  • CO restaurant death leads to new laws, but can industry do more?
    5.21.14 – Security Systems News – Centereach, N.Y.— A fire company president calls for digital displays of CO levels on system-connected detectors, but a manufacturer says other safeguards are already in place. The death of a Long Island, N.Y. restaurant manager from carbon monoxide poisoning has prompted several Long Island communities to pass new CO requirements. More Info

Legislative News

None this week

State & National News

  • Protecting Consumers in the Transition from Copper … – FCC
    5.7.14 – www.fcc.gov  – These notices are posted here when we put them out for public comment. … we posted a notice about plans by Verizon to retire copper facilities … More Info
  • Fastest-growing American cities are mostly in the West. And then there’s Gaithersburg, Md.
    5.22.14 – Washington Post – The Census Bureau’s annual list of fastest-growing cities is out. Guess what suburb is on it? More Info
  • Banning the box on criminal backgrounds spreads
    5.22.14 – Stateline – A criminal record is such a stumbling block to employment that many states, cities and counties are passing laws to remove the question from applications for government jobs. Increasingly, some are forcing private employers to ban the question, too. More Info
  • MI: New Mich. law waives fees for vets seeking job licenses
    5.25.14 – northwestohio.com – Two bills unanimously approved by the Legislature would waive fees for veterans applying for occupational, security and alarm licensing fees if they were … More Info

Business Tips

  • Generation gaps: Are we really that different?
    4.29.14 – Multibrief – There are generalizations in the media about the generations in today’s workplace. Countless articles focus on the differences between the generations and the conflict that can arise as a result. Indeed, it’s a major problem with 75 percent of respondents in an Ernst & Young survey stating that leading a multigenerational workforce is a challenge. It’s difficult to build relationships and support others when you focus on the differences. In this article, we wanted to take the opposite approach and examine the similarities between the generations. More Info
  • Your brain is hardwired to make you a certain type of leader — can you overcome it?
    5.13.14 – Fast Company – Your monthly performance metrics are due and you’v e got to focus. But your team is hovering, they need feedback for the first phase of a new project. Can you turn away from the spreadsheet and offer something constructive feedback on a new creative project? The answer: it depends. It turns out that our brains have two distinct networks that align with two different leadership styles. Effective leadership depends on being able to switch from one to the other seamlessly in the moment. But years of management studies indicate that instead of flexing between the two, bosses tend to fall into one mode of operating, rendering them stuck and their teams ineffective. More Info
  • How to Talk Tech Without Sounding Like a Techie
    5.9.14 – CIO Insight – A CIO has to communicate to a broad range of audiences about IT initiatives. Here are 11 tips about how to do so in a clear and compelling manner. More Info
  • Millennials Unprepared for Workplace Challenges
    5.19.14 – CIO Insight – A lack of soft skills and other essentials among Millennials is causing concerns among CIOs and other managers. Find out what this generation needs to improve. More Info
  • How to Deal Successfully With Unhappy Customers
    3.28.14 – Baseline – The IT organization must help the business focus on complaint resolution and place a higher priority on easing the pain customers experience during product and services resolution exchanges. More Info

Fire News

  • BC: False fire alarm at Walmart
    5.19.14 – Castanet.net – A possible fire had West Kelowna fire department making a late night run to Walmart last night, but it turned out to be a false alarm. A store manager named … More Info
  • CA: Richmond: Rave leads to overdose, false alarm calls
    5.25.14 – Oakley News – Richmond — Richmond firefighters were kept busy Friday night responding to overdose and false alarm calls on the first night of a three-day rave at Craneway Pavilion. More Info
  • FL: Smoke fills elevator shaft
    5.22.14 – Palm Beach Daily News – Firefighters responded to the Royal Poinciana South residential building at 333 Sunset Ave. this morning after an alarm was activated by smoke in an elevator shaft. Crews arrived shortly after 8 a.m. and immediately cut power to the elevator and made sure no occupants were in it after finding light smoke had filled the shaft. Crews investigated the elevator electrical room and ventilated that … More Info
  • NJ: Manville: Beeping sound from garbage bag provokes call to police
    5.20.14 – The Manville News – A beeping sound from a black garbage bag brought police to Louis Street and North 7th Avenue at 9:24 a.m. April 28. They found a smoke alarm that still had a battery in it. The battery was removed and the item discarded. More Info
  • TX: False fire alarm at Monterey High School
    5.22.14 – Lubbock Avalanche-Journal – A fire alarm system malfunction at Monterey High School Thursday morning led to an impromptu campus fire drill, according to a statement from the Lubbock Independent School District. Classes resumed following the brief evacuation without incident. More Info
  • WA: Prank caller convincing business owners to pull fire alarm
    5.23.14 – KGMI – The businesses reported getting a phone call from someone claiming to be from an alarm or security agency, who convinces the owner or employee to pull the … More Info

Crime News

  • AL: Florence police arrest 2 in connection to overnight pharmacy burglary
    5.20.14 – The Huntsville Times – Police say Marquis McCray, 25, and Darnell Gilbert, 24, both of Sheffield, broke into Florence Pharmacy early Monday. Police responded to an alarm at the business shortly after 4:30 a.m. A K-9 unit led officers to the suspects in a nearby wooded area. Police recovered pills they believe were stolen from the pharmacy. More Info
  • AL: Huntsville Police Responded To 2 Burglaries at 2 Boost Mobile Stores
    5.25.14 – WHNT-TV Huntsville – Huntsville, Ala. (WHNT) – Police in Huntsville responded to two burglaries at two Boost Mobile stores earlier this morning. Police… More Info
  • CA: Bank Robber Botched Crime With Poorly Written Holdup Note
    5.21.14 – OC Weekly – Santa Ana’s Oscar Omar Rodriguez walked into a Bank of America in April 2012, sat down at a desk and used a sticky note pad to scribble a criminal communication. “I need money fast,” he wrote b…More Info
  • CA: Burglar Targets Old Town Store, Cuts Wires to Alarm System
    5.21.14 – NBC 7 San Diego – Police said the man was seen on surveillance tape cutting wires to the store’s security alarm system. A few hours later, he returned and kicked in the rear door. More Info
  • CA: Burglars steal horse riding equipment
    5.20.14 – Santa Clarita Valley Signal – “The victim stated that when she returned to the storage room … it was locked and the alarm was still activated. The victim informed me that the stable employees … More Info
  • CA: Police: Burglar sets fires in North Park bar
    5.22.14 – KGTV San Diego – The damage to the bar was minor. More Info
  • CA: ‘Professional’ thieves wipe out Mission Viejo jewelry store
    5.21.14 – Saddleback Valley News – Mission Viejo – Thieves dropped in through the bathroom ceiling in the middle of the night, cut the alarm and took their time gathering at least a half-million dollars in cash and jewelry this weekend from a well-known Mission Viejo store. “They… More Info
  • CO: Burglars caught on camera trying to break into Denver home
    5.19.14 – The Denver Channel – Wilde’s neighbors found a carpenter to repair his back door for free, and when he briefly sounded his alarm to show 7NEWS Reporter Jaclyn Allen how it works, … More Info
  • FL: Deputies release surveillance video, photos of Subway robber
    5.22.14 – WESH 2 Orlando – The Orange County Sheriff’s Office releases surveillance video, photos and a composite sketch of a robber who targeted a Subway restaurant earlier this month. More Info
  • FL: Failed Orlando Robber Settles for Tips, Sandwich
    5.23.14 – Officer.com – He leaned over the counter and told the clerk who was making his food that he had a knife, and she activated a panic alarm and ran to the back of the store … More Info
  • IN: Police Investigating Armed Robbery At Speedway
    5.23.14 – WBIW.com – According to Chief Deputy Mike Branham, dispatch received a call from the alarm company that a hold up was in progress. LCPD Capt. Jerome Hettle arrived on … More Info
  • KS: Police seek thief targeting family-owned Olathe restaurants
    5.22.14 – KCTV 5 Kansas City – Police are looking for the public’s help to nab a thief who is targeting family-owned restaurants in Olathe. More Info
  • KS: Wichita music store loses violins to burglar
    5.25.14 – The Washington Times – Wichita, Kan. (AP) – Police in Wichita are looking for a burglar who made off with nearly $10,000 worth of stringed instruments from a music store. KAKE-TV reports the break-in at Jim Starkey Music Center happened just before 6 a.m. Saturday. The suspect broke a front … More Info
  • LA: Alarm leads to burglary arrest at car dealership
    5.20.14 – Minden Press-Herald – Mitchell Jerome – A Minden man who found himself in the middle of an alarming situation early Sunday morning is now sitting in the parish … More Info
  • MA: Westfield police arrest 17-year-old after he allegedly broke into high …
    5.23.14 – MassLive.com – McCabe said police were alerted to the break-in by a burglar alarm that went off shortly before 2:30 a.m. Responding officers heard somebody running inside the … More Info
  • MD: ANNAPOLIS Police probe break-in, attempted break-in at Annapolis …
    5.21.14 – CapitalGazette.com – The first incident occurred at the Annapolis Auto Parts store in the 1900 block of Moreland Parkway at 9:15 p.m. Officers responded to a burglar alarm to find that… More Info
  • MI: Police: Warren teen caught burglarizing Ferndale High School
    5.19.14 – The Macomb Daily – The boy, 15, ran from the building, shortly after an alarm alerted police to the burglary about 3 a.m., said Ferndale Police Lt. William Wilson. More Info
  • MS: Waynesboro business robbed, 6 guns taken
    5.20.14 – WDAM-TV – Waynesboro, MS (WDAM) -. Waynesboro Police responded to a break in on Azalea Drive after an alarm system went off at Xtreme Sound Security & More at … More Info
  • NC: Break-ins have some in Durham’s Parkwood community on edge
    5.23.14 – WTVD-TV – Police are sounding the alarm in other neighborhoods, including the Duke Forest community. An e-mail obtained by ABC11 shows investigators are urging … More Info
  • NC: Police looking into attempted Bank of America ATM break-in
    5.20.14 – Salisbury Post – Salisbury Police responded to an alarm at the ATM Sunday around 4:15 a.m., but nothing was taken. More Info
  • NE: No suspects in robbery at pharmacy
    5.24.14 – Lincoln Journal Star – With the handgun pointed, he asked the pharmacist not to hit the silent alarm, police said. The man left eastbound on foot. Police used dogs to track the man but … More Info
  • NE: Robbery suspect falls off roof
    5.24.14 – KETV Omaha – The alarm call came from Game Stop around 2:00 a.m. Officers realized the suspect had gotten into the store via the roof. More Info
  • NE: Teen arrested in overnight burglary
    5.25.14 – KETV 7 Omaha  – 17-year-old behind bars after attempted burglary at liquor store. More Info
  • NJ: Three Newark residents nabbed in Parsippany break-ins
    5.21.14 – Dailyrecord.com – They also are accused of prying off an exterior screen to a rear window at the home but fled when a burglar alarm went off, the complaints said. More Info
  • OH: Security alarm sounds after church broken into
    5.25.14 – WDTN – Officers were called to the House of Faith Church after 2 a.m. Saturday after the ADT security alarm was set off. Police said … More Info
  • OH: Suspect in two banks robbed in two days caught
    5.21.14 – WKRC TV Cincinnati – Bank workers sounded the alarm and called Colerain Police. They put out a good description that matched the robbery from Fountain Square the night before. More Info
  • PA: Allentown police nab alleged cellphone burglar
    5.19.14 – The Morning Call – A man who allegedly burglarized an AT&T store in Allentown early Saturday morning was caught about an hour later by police. More Info
  • TX: Harris deputies investigating possible hostage situation
    5.20.14 – Houston Chronicle – A pair of employees at a store in northwest Harris County locked themselves into a back room during a robbery late Monday that triggered a SWAT scene lasting several hours. More Info
  • TX: Surveillance video shows thieves stealing high-end eyeglass frames
    5.21.14 – KTRK-TV – He was asleep around 5:00 Wednesday morning when his dog started barking and the alarm was triggered. Nguyen called 911 then went downstairs to … More Info
  • VA: Hampton police investigating robbery at TitleMax
    5.23.14 – Daily Press – Police responded to an alarm at the business at 9:28 a.m. Friday, police spokeswoman Cpl. Mary Shackelford said … More Info
  • VA: Intruder scares Woodbridge woman in shower
    5.21.14 – FOX 5 Washington D.C. – It was like a scene from the movie “Psycho.” A Woodbridge woman was in the shower when suddenly a burglar ripped open the curtain. More Info
  • WV: Alleged burglar found inside Mendota Elementary School
    5.20.14 – Wisconsin State Journal – A man who allegedly was burglarizing a North Side elementary school early Monday was arrested by police responding to a burglary alarm at the school. 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