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CAA MIRROR
Advertising Rates
Ad Specifications
- Cole Hunter Wins
- 2008 CAA Scholarship Top
Award
- Cole Hunter (center) received the top award
for the 2008 CAA Youth Scholarship Program at the CAA Summer
Convention in Palm Springs. Congratulating Cole were CAA Vice
President George De Marco, his father Patrick Hunter of the Los
Angeles Sheriff’s Department, CAA President Jon Sargent and CAA
Vice President Matt Westphal.
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- Tim Sproul Recieves 2008
- CAA Mark Schubert Memorial
Award

- Tim Sproul of Total Monitoring Systems
received the 2008 CAA Mark Schubert Memorial Award in
recognition of his support and contributions of the
associations. He was nominated by the SAAA and was joined at the
award ceremony by Michael Schubert.
Tim Sproul Receives CAA Mark Schubert
Memorial Award
Tim Sproul of Total Monitoring Services received the 2008 CAA
Mark Schubert Memorial Award in recognition of his extraordinary
support of associations on the local and state level. The award
was established to honor the memory of Mark Schubert who was
active in the industry for 20 years with National Alarm Computer
Center. Mark was an advocate of the CAA and the regional
associations and promoted membership and participation on the
local and state level.
Each year the Regional President may nominate a finalist for the
CAA Mark Schubert Award to recognize their support for
association programs and activities. The CAA President selects a
recipient, and the award includes $500 which the recipient can
designate to any industry program or association. Following are
the finalists nominated by the Regional Presidents:
REGIONAL CHAPTER FINALIST
Julie Buller (SVAA) Rick Gombar –Gombar Insurance Services
Tom Rood (EBAA) Larry St. John – Eclipse Insurance
Stephen Pereira (SAAA) Tim Sproul - TMS
Mike Matson (MCAA) Brian Fullhart – GE Security
Tom Courtney (OCAA) Bob Johnson – CSSS (In Memorium)
Bob Michel (GLA) Steve Eisenstadt - PSR
Richard Jimenez (IEAA) Vaughn Wells – Tri-Ed
Past recipients are:
2002 Dave Keays CSSS
2003 Ron Lenz ADI
2004 Sharon Elder National Monitoring Center
2005 Harvey Eisenstadt Bosch Security Systems
2006 Stan Hellman Professional Sales Representatives
2007 Michelle Johnson Tri-Ed Distribution
CAA Selects
2008 Youth Scholarship Winners
The California Alarm Association (CAA) has selected four top
students is in the state as recipients of the 11th Annual CAA/NBFAA
Youth Scholarships with awards totaling $6,500. The state
winner, Cole Hunter of Moorpark High School, has been submitted
to the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) Youth
Scholarship Program for consideration for an additional $20,000.
CAA Scholarship Chair Frank Burke oversaw the program with three
judges; CAA Past President Frank Meiners, Stephen Pereira of
Certified Security Systems and Bob Jennison of Post Alarm.
Hunter was recognized at the CAA Summer Convention where he was
joined by his father, Lt. Patrick Hunter of the Los Angeles
County Sheriffs Department. Hunter read his winning essay on how
he feels about his father helping to secure the community and
received a standing ovation at the CAA General Session.
“This program recognizes outstanding academic achievement and
service to the community by the students,” said CAA President
Jon Sargent. “Their essays demonstrate their understanding of
how their parent serves our communities through their work in
law enforcement or the fire service.” The annual program is
funded by the 10 regional associations of the CAA and promoted
through every high school, fire department and law enforcement
agency in California.
The regional associations who have winners in their area are
planning special presentations in their area at association
meetings, city council and county supervisor meetings.
2008 CAA/NBFAA YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA - FIRST PLACE
TOTAL AWARD: $2,500
Cole Hunter
Moorpark High School
PARENT: Lt. Patrick Hunter, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department
STATE OF CALIFORNIA - SECOND PLACE
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – FIRST PLACE
TOTAL AWARD: $2,000
Nicholas Iturraran
Lodi High School
PARENT: Captain Peter Iturraran, Lodi Fire Department
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – SECOND PLACE
TOTAL AWARD: $750
Lauren Raney
Trabuco Hills High School
PARENT: Darrel Raney, Costa Mesa Police Department
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – SECOND PLACE
TOTAL AWARD: $750
Tessa Miller
Foothill High School
PARENT: John Miller, Tiburon Fire Department 415/435-7200
- PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Celebrate Mission
By Jon Sargent
This month marks the celebration of the National Burglar & Fire
Alarm Associations 60th Anniversary and I hope you are planning
to join us in Nashville at ESX at the end of the month.
Sixty years is along time for any relationship, and the NBFAA
has done well by serving the common needs of an ever evolving
industry. I suspect there are few similarities between the
companies who founded the organization in 1948 and your company
today. It was a different time and a different industry.
While the NBFAA membership may have changed over the decades,
the mission of service to the industry remained strong and
consistent. Common goals and objectives established by the
membership are what make organizations vital and valuable and
are the foundation of their growth.
If you are a member of the association, you will soon receive a
60th Anniversary Tribute Book with more than 200 pages of
history. I hope you will spend some time reviewing the material
and gain an understanding of the proud legacy that has allowed
us to continue to work together today.
The NBFAA conference in Nashville will also mark the end of our
very own George Gunning’s tenure as president of the NBFAA. We
know him well in California and his leadership in our local and
state associations, expansion and growth of our conventions,
creation of a comprehensive apprenticeship and training program
and his strong advocacy in the public policy arena continue to
benefit our industry.
During his time at the NBFAA he has established a national
apprentice program through the U.S. Department of Labor and it
is now being adopted by other states. He drove the initiative to
establish ESX with CSAA to produce a conference and trade show
that addresses our needs and will support the growth of our
associations. A lifelong advocate of the contribution we make to
public safety, you can always hear his voice in the public arena
when the issue is raised.
If you recall from George’s tribute dinner, the security
industry is the second (or maybe third) profession where he has
been successful. We are all grateful that not only has he
succeeded in building a strong business but more importantly
that he chose to invest his time and energy in the advance of
professionalism in our industry.
Thanks, George for your extraordinary service. You have served
us well.
ASSOCIATES CORNER
Communicate to Succeed
By Harvey Eisenstadt
Time and again we have heard it said that the difference between
success and failure is the ability to communicate clearly and
effectively. For years educators have been emphasizing the
importance of communication skills to present a message with
clarity, understanding and intelligence. Never before, in our
industry, has this been more critical than in today’s highly
intense technologically competitive marketplace. Since all
salespeople are delivering similar messages i.e., effective
solutions, quality service, competitive pricing and so on, the
explicitness of their oral delivery and the prospects
understanding and feeling for what they are saying will weigh
heavily on the final decision.
There are several prerequisites that govern the success of the
sales professional. I categorize them as looking like a
professional, acting like a professional and speaking like a
professional. Of course, to look like a professional the
salesperson must dress appropriately and be well groomed. To act
like a professional the salesperson must recognize the need of
the prospect, focus on that need and express empathy as they
present their solution. Now, to speak like a professional is
where the salesperson must eloquently and clearly communicate
with the prospect so that the prospect feels the salespersons
empathy and begins moving over to the side of the salesperson.
Success for a salesperson will only occur once the prospect is
on their side thinking the same as the salesperson. Successful
salespeople will always remember that in the final analysis it
is the spoken word that will prevail and create this
relationship.
To communicate successfully the salesperson need not necessarily
be a master of public oratory, however, sharpening their public
speaking skills would provide significant benefits in their
competitive environment. The ability to speak well in public is
a critical attribute for business leaders. Likewise, the
salesperson that possesses this quality enters a presentation
with a prospect embracing a distinct advantage over their
competitor. The simple fact is that speech proliferates the
relationship. The salespersons challenge is to build and
strengthen the relationship with the prospect. With a command of
their communication skills the salesperson clearly and
authoritatively has the advantage of winning the attention of
the prospect. From their very first contact with the prospect,
and assuming their appearance as a professional has already
raised the expectations of the prospect, what they say and how
they say it will deliver that all important first impression.
Obviously, we all recognize that there are no second chances for
a first impression.
Every salesperson that I have had the opportunity to travel
with, mentor or train wants to excel in their selling
environment but also possesses the aspiration to move up the
ladder into a leadership position. As they grow professionally
they realize to be a leader requires exceptional communication
skills. The salesperson must take advantage of every opportunity
to sharpen these skills. Just as salespeople must communicate
with their prospect to be successful, leaders must communicate
with their team to achieve success and meet or exceed their
goals. Regardless of the stage of your career in which you
presently reside think of effective and clear communications as
the link to take you from where you are to where you want to be.
There are many programs and books dedicated to sharpening
communication skills. Find the one that is comfortable for you
and take that vital next step to success.
PHOTO SENT
IM MEORIUM
RONALD DWAIN TRUSTY
February 21, 1944 – April 30, 2008
Ron died peacefully at home after a very courageous year and a
half battle with colon cancer at the age of 64. He was born in
North Platt, Nebraska to Helen and Sylvester Trusty and spent
his childhood years in Nebraska, Montana, and southern
California.
He graduated from UCLA in 1967 with a degree in math and
physics. He briefly worked in the aerospace industry but spent
most of his working years in the security systems business. In
the late 70’s, he started at Action Alarm which was part of the
Dictograph family of companies. Then in 1988, Action
Alarms/Dictograph was purchased by National Guardian. In 1989,
he started his own business, Tri County Alarm Systems Inc, in
Burlingame, CA. The partnership has been growing for the last 14
years with the help of Scott M. Stoehr. The business has a
bright future because Ron had planned well for the continuation
of the business.
Ron lived most of his adult life in the San Francisco Bay Area,
living in San Rafael for the last 28 years. He loved the
outdoors and spent many hours hiking the trails of Marin County
with his wife Jeanne. He was a quiet, kind and very thoughtful
person, always thinking of others before himself.
He is survived by his wife Jeanne of San Rafael and sister Linda
of Birmingham, AL. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice by the Bay, 17
East Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Larkspur, CA 94939 or County of
Marin, Dept of Parks and Open Space, 3501 Civic Center Drive, RM
415, San Rafael, CA 94903. A memorial service was held in Ron’s
honor on May 10, 2008.
CAA PAC
Mail to:
CAA PAC
c/o Richard Eichman, CPA
1127 11th Street, #300
Sacramento, CA 95814
Funds can be corporate or personal, although they are not tax
deductible.
IMPORTANT: Include your name, address, employer and occupation
with each contribution.
VISA/MASTERCARD
To make donation with your VISA/MasterCard call the CAA office
at 800/437-7658.
WBFAA UATC Apprentice Classes
Visit www.WBFAA.net for links to the state site and information
on our state-approved, statewide apprenticeship program and
certification prep material and courses.
CERTIFICATION – FIRE/LIFE SAFETY TECHNICIAN
For Fire/Life Safety Technicians with 4,000 hours of work
experience, the state law will require them to be certified by
passing the state exam.
For information on the Electrician Certification Program visit
www.dir.ca.gov/das and follow the links.
The WBFAA UATC has certification prep material available to
member companies of the WBFAA UATC. If you are a member and
would like the material, please contact the WBFAA UATC at
800/809-0280 or email info@wbfaa.net.
BSIS Address and Telephone Numbers
Bureau of Security and Investigative Services
2420 Del Paso Road, Suite 270
Sacramento, California 95834.
The following are a list of important Bureau numbers to update
your records:
Main Number: 916/322-4000
Toll Free Number: 800/952-5210
Licensing Fax Number: 916/575-7290
Enforcement Fax Number: 916/575-7289
Email: bsis@dca.ca.gov
Web Homepage: www.dca.ca.gov/bsis
For additional information on any of the topics discussed in
this article, please visit the Bureau’s Web site at
www.dca.ca.gov/bsis.
NBFAA
Louisiana Approves Apprentice Program
The Louisiana Life Safety and Security Association (LLSSA)
announced that the LLSSA’s standards for a state-wide registered
apprenticeship program have been approved by the Louisiana
Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Division.
Ron Foreman, LLSSA apprenticeship chairman credited the work of
the NBFAA and the original donors who contributed to the
development of the first apprenticeship program advanced by the
California Alarm Association for use in that state. “This
accomplishment would not have been possible without the support
of the NBFAA and the work of Art Webster, Apprenticeship Program
consultant, and the courses developed by California,” Foreman
explained.
Heather Stefan, state director of apprenticeship for Louisiana,
stated, “I am thrilled to welcome LLSSA into our apprenticeship
community here in Louisiana. I have every confidence that this
will develop into an excellent program, because it is clear that
the organization understands and embraces the fundamentals of
registered apprenticeship, and recognizes that this is the
premier training vehicle for developing our workforce. This
speaks very highly of LLSSA’s dedication to their members and
the workers in our state.”
Ron Petrarca, NBFAA Apprentice Committee chairman, added, “This
is just one more step towards having apprenticeship programs in
every state. Everyone in our industry understands the need to
expand the labor pool, to attract the very best technicians, and
to provide a mechanism to introduce and train on new products,
technologies and applications. Our hope is that all of our
chapters will follow Louisiana’s example and provide a
foundation that allows technicians to advance in their
profession and improve the ability of the industry to recruit,
train and retain the very best technicians from a competitive
labor pool.”
“We are very gratified to be able to take advantage of the
national guidelines and obtain passage in our state,” said Mark
Lagarde, LLSSA president. “When NBFAA received approval in
September 2006 from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of
Apprenticeship (OA) for National Guidelines for Apprenticeship
Standards for the occupation of Protective Signal Installer
(Fire/Life Safety & Electronic Security Installer), we knew the
LLSSA would not be far behind in working to develop a program
for Louisiana.”
According to the U.S. Labor Department, the standards approved
in 2006 serve as a model for developing local apprenticeship
programs registered with the OA or State Apprenticeship
Agency/Council for all occupations listed in the guidelines. The
purpose of the National Guideline Standards is to provide policy
and guidance to employers, employer associations and their local
affiliates in developing Standards of Apprenticeship for local
approval and registration.
NBFAA’s apprenticeship program has its roots in a program
developed in California. Beginning in 2000 — when a state law
mandated that technicians be enrolled in a state-approved
apprenticeship program — the California Alarm Association and
the California Automatic Fire Alarm Association joined forces to
develop a comprehensive and relevant training and education
program.
The California program offers traditional classroom training,
but the goal from the beginning was to make the related
theoretical training available online with a comprehensive
distance learning program. “Ever since NBFAA was able to obtain
approval of a federal apprenticeship program, our goal has been
to work through our National Training School (NTS) and our state
chapters to create the administrative and delivery systems to
make apprenticeship accessible to technicians in every state,”
said George P. Gunning, NBFAA president.
2008 CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER
9 EBAA Meeting San Leandro
10 Nevada Alarm Association Las Vegas
11 SVAA General Meeting Santa Clara
15-18 ASIS 2008 Atlanta
17 OCAA General Meeting Anaheim
OCTOBER
2 GVAA Meeting Stockton
2 SAAA General Meeting Sacramento
2 GLASAA Golf Classic Moorpark
8 WBFAA Golf For Fun Spokane
9 WBFAA Security Show Spokane
24-29 CSAA Annual Meeting Grand Cayman Islands
29 Triton Awards Dinner New York
29-30 ISC East New York
NOVEMBER
11 EBAA Meeting San Leandro
12 Nevada Alarm Association Las Vegas
18 IP Users Group San Francisco
19 OCAA General Meeting Anaheim
20 SVAA General Meeting Santa Clara
DECEMBER
11-13 CAA Winter Convention San Francisco
11 SAAA Holiday Party Sacramento
CAA CONVENTIONS
2008 December 11-13 San Francisco
2009 May 14-16 Hilton Palm Springs Resort
2009 December 10-12 San Francisco
2010 April 30- May 1 Hilton Palm Springs Resort
2010 December 9-11 San Francisco
ISC East – New York
www.isceast.com
2008 October 29-30
ISC West – Las Vegas
www.iscwest.com
2009 April 1-3
Send your events to CAA Mirror: info@caaonline.org
TRAINING AND EDUCATION
July 25
Digital Watchdog
CCTV Counter day & BBQ
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tri-ed - North Hills
818/895-8830
www.TRI-ED.com
July 29-30
NTS Video System Technologies
San Diego
866/636-1687
www.alarm.org
August 1
Samsung GVI
CCTV Counter day & BBQ
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tri-ed - North Hills
818/895-8830
www.TRI-ED.com
August 5-6
NTS Video System Technologies (VST)
Portland
866/636-1687
www.alarm.org
August 7-8
NTS Electronic Access Control (EAC)
Portland
866/636-1687
www.alarm.org
August 6
Whole House Audio Systems
ADI Webinar Wednesday
www.nationaltrainingcenter.net
August 8
PSR
Counter day & BBQ
10 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Tri-ed - North Hills
818/895-8830
www.TRI-ED.com
August 14
Portland
ADI Expo
www.adilink.com
August 15
Cyrex Intercom/
CCTV Counter day & BBQ
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tri-Ed - North Hills
818/895-8830
www.TRI-ED.com
August 27
Secura Key Course
Chatsworth
www.securakey.com
August 28
Santa Clara
ADI Expo
www.adilink.com
August 29
DSC
Intrusion Counter Day/BBQ
Tri-Ed - North Hills
818/895-8830
www.TRI-ED.com
September 3
New Codes for Security, CCTV, and Access Control
ADI Webinar Wednesday
www.nationaltrainingcenter.net
September 9-11
NTS Certified Alarm Technician Level 1
Honolulu
866/636-1687
www.alarm.org
September 16-18
NTS Certified Alarm Technician Level 1
Seattle
866/636-1687
www.alarm.org
September 30-October 2
NTS Level One Alarm Technician
San Diego
866/636-1687
www.alarm.org
October 1
IP technology for the Security Industry
ADI Webinar Wednesday
www.nationaltrainingcenter.net
October 14-15
NTS Video System Technologies (VST)
Seattle
866/636-1687
www.alarm.org
October 16-17
NTS Electronic Access Control (EAC)
Seattle
866/636-1687
www.alarm.org
October 22
Secura Key Course
Chatsworth
www.securakey.com
November 5
Systems Integration
ADI Webinar Wednesday
www.nationaltrainingcenter.net
November 18-20
NTS Level One Alarm Technician
Riverside
866/636-1687
www.alarm.org
December 3
Resources for Success
ADI Webinar Wednesday
www.nationaltrainingcenter.net
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Complying the AB 2073 – Changing your
Residential Agreements
By Alan Pepper
When the California Legislature and Governor first approved sweeping
changes to the law governing home improvements performed by
contractors, the alarm industry was able to obtain some concessions
regarding duplicative requirements for providing the 3-day right of
rescission notices, however the new law has imposed significant
added requirements that would have made typical residential alarm
agreements quite cumbersome and probably confusing for customers.
The California Alarm Association was able to cause the passage of AB
2073 which provides some relief from the new compliance requirements
of the Home Improvement Act (the “HIA”). These new provisions go
into effect on January 1, 2007. Following is a brief description of
the state of the law and the obligations of an alarm dealer. Bear in
mind that this only applies to residential systems and has no
relevance for commercial or institutional systems.
The HIA applies only to systems that are not covered exclusively by
the California Alarm Act. Typically, alarm dealers sell or lease,
install, monitor and service dual systems that have both a security
(burglar/hold-up) system and a fire/smoke system.
The fire/smoke portion of the system is not covered by the Alarm Act
and is covered by the HIA. Therefore, if you are only selling and
installing a security system, you do not have to comply with HIA for
that system. However, if you are selling or leasing and installing a
fire/smoke system in conjunction with a security system, or selling
or leasing and installing a stand-alone fire/smoke system, then
compliance with the HIA may be required.
The economic threshold for compliance is $500.00, and the various
possibilities are:
1. If you sell a combination security alarm and fire/smoke alarm
system and your selling and installation costs (not price to the
customer) to you for the fire/smoke system is under $500.00, then
you don’t have to comply with the full contract requirements of the
HIA, and instead you can comply by adding a statement in your
contract that states:
“If a fire alarm system has been installed, we certify that all
costs attributable to making the fire alarm system operable for the
residence identified by this document, including sale and
installation costs do not exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00).”
It is important to note that the cost of monitoring service is NOT
included in the $500.00. This can also be done in a separate
certificate/document which must be signed by your selling agent and
delivered to the customer with the contract. The text is slightly
different, and incorporating the text into your base agreement may
be the better alternative.
Also, if your standard alarm panel includes both security and fire
capabilities, and you use this panel whether or not you use the fire
portion, then the entire cost of the panel could be allocated to the
security system.
However, if you use a different, more expensive panel, for dual
systems than you use for a security-only system, then the cost
differential should be included in the determining if you are under
the $500.00 cost threshold.
2. If you sell a stand-alone fire/smoke alarm and the total price
(not cost) to your customer, including monitoring is less than
$500.00, then you do not have to comply with HIA.
3. If you sell a stand-alone fire/smoke alarm and the total price
(not cost), including monitoring is $500.00 or more then you must
comply with all of the contract requirements of the HIA which should
be done with an agreement that is designed for that purpose. You
will need to use a similar agreement for other non-security systems
priced at over $500.00, such as home theater, central vacuum,
intercom and similar systems that are governed by the Contractor’s
law.
4. If you sell or lease and install a combination security alarm and
fire/smoke alarm system and the cost to you of the fire/smoke
portion of the alarm system is $500.00 or more, then you must comply
with the full requirements of the HIA, which can be done by using
either a complete contract form or an addendum to your standard
contract that meet the requirements.
The new law imposes other requirements. If you use the certification
process described in paragraph #1 above, you must retain copies of
the agreements for five years and make them available to the CSLB
within 30 days of their request. The provisions should not be taken
lightly – if you rely on the certification be sure you can
demonstrate that your costs for the fire/smoke alarm system are
under $500.00.
This new change and relaxation of the contract requirements, does
NOT, in anyway, change the requirement to have a Contractor’s
license for installing fire/smoke systems. You should contact your
attorney or other contract advisor regarding the full details of the
new HIA requirements and the exceptions permitted under AB2073.
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