(Editor’s Note: This is a second in a series on SIAC’s partners.)
Laws, regulations and policies affecting the electronic security industry and alarm management issues aren’t easy to track if you are a small to mid-sized alarm company. That’s one reason the Electronic Security Association (ESA) is important to so many companies in our industry: They do a lot of the heavy lifting so you don’t have to. We’re proud to have ESA as one of the four founding associations that came together to create SIAC (along with CSAA, SIA and CANASA).
ESA serves companies of all sizes in the electronic security industry. If an important issue comes up regarding licensing, new types of training or education, ESA has the resources to alert you, give you the information you need and get you up to speed. If you run a company and don’t have that extra manpower to be on top of some industry-related issues, ESA is even more invaluable.
Education and training fall under ESA’s umbrella. Through ESA education and training, the technicians who take to the field are better prepared to install and service equipment to the highest standards. That improves alarm management practices by reducing the number of errors that could come from an alarm system. We appreciate that, and not only do individual companies benefit from this, but our entire industry does because fewer false dispatches means alarm system owners get better response times from local emergency services. ESA makes us all look better.
Beyond those benefits, ESA advocates for you by staying on top of government regulations and legislation. They provide insurance tools. They post regular updates electronically, and set up special meetings and lobbying sessions, all to ensure the interests of the electronic security industry are properly represented. There are many reasons to join ESA and participate in the many different types of events offered by ESA. One of the most important is that they have extra expertise to make your business better.
One of the most significant opportunities you gain is networking with other companies. This is a hidden treasure of ESA membership! Dealers outside of your local competition are usually very eager to share their successes at national meetings. One good idea, one enhancement to sales or operations can easily cover the cost of your membership and the expense of travel to one of these meetings. In fact, the annual ESA Leadership Summit is just around the corner!
We appreciate ESA’s continued support. It’s far too easy to overlook the ongoing benefits ESA provides. We never do. For more on ESA: http://www.esaweb.org/.