By Chief Joe Estey (ret)
SIAC Law Enforcement Liaison
The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) is continuing its key role of building relationships and providing fact-based educational materials to the nation’s chiefs of police at meetings like the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police’s (GACP) Summer Conference.
During the conference Kennesaw Chief Bill Westenberger and I made a brief presentation to the GACP Executive Board on the history and successes of GACP’s Alarm Management Committee (AMC) and the industry’s AVS-01 standard, providing industry educational handouts.
The Alarm Management Committee meeting was held on the second day of the conference. Committee Chair Chief Westenberger led the committee’s discussions on the ASV-01 standard, alarm reduction rates, alarm management and industry issues, new opportunities for SIAC and the committee’s engagement. Discussions included Joe Estey and Glen Mowrey (SIAC), police chiefs, and industry representatives Doug Bassett and Brian Robertson (Comcast), and Scott Hightower (Verified Security).
The Georgia AMC, established by SIAC in 2005, is one of the first Alarm Management Committees. It consists of representatives from the alarm industry, along with chiefs from local departments. One of the committee’s early success stories was creating what is now the basis for the Model Alarm Ordinance promoted by SIAC nationally and considered a best practice for alarm management.
Marrietta, Georgia became one of the first U.S. cities to implement the ordinance and reported a significant reduction in dispatches of 70% in the first 36 months.
Each time SIAC assists as a conference sponsor such as the Georgia Chiefs Summer Conference it builds trust and relationships that help with the passing of local alarm ordinances that significantly reduce unnecessary dispatches while maintaining police response to alarm calls.