Wholesale monitoring executives discuss trends, technologies and services that dominant today’s monitoring ecosystem and where independent security dealers can find success. 

Q&A with TMA Central Station Manager of the Year Runners-Up

The new TMA ANSI standard is approaching publication and implementation.

For security dealers, partnering with a wholesale central station means they do not have to operate their business in isolation. 

Too many central stations consider video to be a particularly complex operation, which in turn bogs them down with execution delays while others take market share. Follow these five approaches to seize the moment.

Artificial intelligence, analytics and other sensing technologies are expected to play a key role in responding to intrusion and other life safety alarm events.

Technology advances, staffing shortages and other influences, are reshaping the traditional guarding and monitoring industries concurrently.

Mark McCall, Chair of the TMA AVS-01 Committee, explains the collaborative effort between the alarm industry and public safety professionals and how the new standard aims to refine alarm notifications and the quality of alarm information.

Lou Fiore discusses how utilizing a mesh network for wireless alarm transmission provides alarm dealers complete control with virtually no reliance on third-party public infrastructure.

Peter Giacalone invokes “invisible” when illustrating future smart home features and benefits that will ride on hardware already deployed in residences.

SDM spoke with the 2023 TMA Monitoring Center Manager of the Year. Ayala is the director of operations at Rapid Response Monitoring Services.

Industry insiders convened at ISC West to discuss AVS-01, a new ANSI-accredited standard aimed at improving alarm validation and enhancing communication between the security sector and public safety agencies.

Remote video monitoring is advocated as a critical solution for addressing labor shortages and enhancing operational efficiency within the security industry, highlighting its evolution and economic advantages over traditional security guarding methods.

Boulder, CO – Researchers are calling on Colorado to require reporting of all fires and explosions in the state’s oil and gas industry, after an analysis showed an incident rate significantly lower than that of neighboring Utah, where reporting is mandatory.

Washington – NIOSH and the California Department of Public Health have collaborated on a video intended to protect oil and gas extraction workers from deadly hazards linked to manual gauging and fluid sampling on production tanks.

Washington – OSHA has published a guide intended to help oil refineries comply with the agency’s Process Safety Management Standard (1910.119).

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board has released a video on last year’s ExxonMobil refinery fire, which severely burned four workers in Baton Rouge, LA.

Washington – Contending that it lacks proper regulatory authority, the Chemical Safety Board on Nov. 14 voted to withdraw its recommendations issued to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement after its investigation into the April 2010 explosion and fire that killed 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

New Orleans — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has introduced a risk-based inspection program intended to improve safety for offshore oil and gas workers.

Washington — Officials from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement met June 21 to discuss a BSEE-sponsored report that outlines strategies for enhancing bolting technology in offshore oil and gas operations, a press release from the agency states.

Washington — Effective process safety management can help prevent hazards and incidents related to process unit startups and shutdowns, according to a new “Safety Digest” from the Chemical Safety Board.

Port Fourchon, LA — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s rollback of certain provisions of a rule intended to prevent a repeat of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig disaster will maintain safety and environmental protections, the agency claims, as advocacy groups announce their intention to fight the move.

Washington — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement recently unveiled a free text message alert system that delivers the agency’s safety alerts and bulletins to offshore oil and gas workers on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Washington — Via its Gulf Research Program, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine has awarded eight grants totaling nearly $7.3 million to projects aimed at enhancing safety culture in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Washington — One year after the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement launched its free BSEE!Safe text message alert system, the agency says more than 6,200 subscribers have received links to BSEE safety alerts and bulletins covering offshore oil and gas work on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Edmonton, Alberta — Contract workers who fly in and out of oil sands may experience higher levels of work-related stress and more mental health issues, according to a recent report led by researchers from the University of Alberta.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is reminding miners working near oil and gas wells to remain aware that “an inadvertent intersection with one of these wells” could be hazardous.

Washington — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has issued a proposed rule that would codify existing agency practice concerning the review and approval of projects proposing to use “new or unusual technology.”

Washington — In response to the death of a drillship worker who lacked formal training on using a hydraulic torque wrench, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has issued a safety alert.

Washington — A new report concludes that offshore oil and gas operations have become safer since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, but it finds “little evidence” that the industry is working together on improving safety culture.

Washington — NIOSH wants to hear from employers and workers involved in oil well servicing and drilling operations for a study exploring motor vehicle safety.

Studies from the Washington-based National Sleep Foundation indicate that about one-quarter of shiftworkers have had a traffic accident or close call in the past year.

Providing roadside vehicle assistance can be fraught with hazards, particularly when towing is involved.

Every year, motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion in medical care, legal expenses, property damage and lost productivity, according to a white paper from OSHA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety.

About 100 people die every day on roadways due to preventable motor vehicle crashes.

Are you worried about your employees driving distracted or using their cell phone behind the wheel?

Construction sites are busy and full of potential dangers. One of these dangers is struck-by incidents. In 2013, more than 17,100 construction workers were injured – and 84 workers died – in struck-by incidents, according to the 2016 edition of the chartbook “Injury Facts,” produced by the National Safety Council.

You might not realize it, but driving to and from work may be one of the most dangerous things you do every day.

Transportation-related incidents accounted for 49,430 on-the-job injuries in 2019, according to Injury Facts, a National Safety Council statistics database. One reason for these injuries? Workers who are driving distracted. 

Landscaping companies and many other businesses use trailers. Make it a safe trip when towing a trailer by following these tips from the Texas Department of Insurance.

At least eight people are killed every day in distracted driving-related crashes. That’s according to the National Safety Council, which observes Distracted Driving Awareness Month every April.

SDM editors share thoughts on their ISC West 2024 experience, plus check out a gallery of images from the exhibit hall and ancillary goings-on during the big show.

Leading security dealers and integrators explain the essential strategies and insights that drive success in the realm of recurring monthly revenue.

Your company’s ability to meet market demand depends on its access to skilled labor in the field. That is a current challenge with low unemployment and ongoing skilled labor shortages. 

The FTC's new rule has triggered a lawsuit from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, raising concerns about legal costs and economic impact on businesses.

Key insights from the PSA TEC 2024 "State of the Industry" panel, where industry leaders discussed trends in AI adoption, private equity investment, regulatory challenges and strategies for workforce development in the security sector.

A Parks Associates white paper reveals that most residential security owners prioritize fast and reliable response times when choosing their systems, while highlighting the challenges and innovations security providers face to meet these expectations.

Zenitel said it is excited to participate in the Audio Streaming Profile Working Group that will define an ONVIF profile for the interfaces and communications mechanisms for configuring and integrating audio speakers and intercom devices.

Commissioned by Eagle Eye Networks, the survey found that a federal mandate was preferred by 56 percent of parents, 29 percent wanted a community-level requirement, and 11 percent favored a school district mandate.  

Adopting Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) in the security industry enhances scalability, flexibility, and business opportunities for installers while generating recurring revenue and offering greater value beyond traditional security solutions.