CAA MIRROR JANUARY 2002


PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
By Patty Hartman
We are into another New Year!

I want to thank all those who made our Winter Convention so successful especially the many new members along with the familiar faces that we have not seen for sometime. It would not have happened without our staff Jerry Lenander, Louis DiCenzo and Kurt Meierhenry and we really do appreciate all your hard work and dedication.

I want to welcome all our new Regional Presidents and if any of you need anything in the coming year, please contact the Board and we will all jump in to help you. To all the outgoing presidents, I hope you will not be absent and you will all still attend the CAA functions and share your experience and expertise. You donated much of your time and your input is highly valued. I also want to thank the Board that served us for 2001 and I am grateful that many of them will be serving us in 2002.

Though 2001 is behind us there are unresolved issues and I count on the board to get resolutions to many of the issues. Along with Saratoga, the apprenticeship program, the many fund raising projects we need to do for the WBFAA, we also have another goal! Each local president and their members needs to visit what we call an AHJ (authorities having jurisdiction). We need to let them know the positive roles we play in our community and we need to work with them and help educate them in what we do for a living.

This year it is very important for us to continue our grass roots efforts to work with the police, fire departments and our local city councils. This is going to be a crazy year for California and nothing should surprise us. We need to be prepared and stay focused on what is going on in all our communities from the North to the South. This is what makes an association strong.

I want to also acknowledge how generous many of you have been in the past year. I am pleased to see the CAA PAC Fund still going strong and supporting our legislative advocacy programs.

And finally, to Harvey Eisenstadt; seeing you tear up at your tribute dinner did us all in for the night. It is truly a night I will not forget. I am already looking forward to our next recipient.

Something tells me this will be a very good year because I have opportunity to work with some of the greatest in our Industry.

ACCOUNTING NOTES
COBRA Coverage - Need To Know When It Applies
By Charles Schwager CPA
Barkin, Perren & Schwager, LLP

The year is wrapping up as this goes to press so as the New Year begins, I would like to wish all of our readers, as well as the leaders of our association, a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year. May 2002 be free of the incredible events and tragedies we have seen in the past months.

The state of the economy is a question asked daily, with different answers just as frequently. Truly a roller coaster ride that is likely to continue. Many companies have had to respond to the economic events by becoming leaner and more cost conscious. With this there have been layoffs, as well as early terminations or retirement.

Health insurance coverage for all Americans has been a political buzzword. But for those employed by companies that offer health coverage, the loss of employment can have serious ramifications for health coverage. Hence the other health coverage buzzword, COBRA. What is it, and when does it apply? I hope this information is pertinent to both employees who may be affected by loss of coverage, and employers who need to be sure to notify employees of its availability when cutting back on staff.

COBRA was created to reduce the effect on health coverage upon loss of employment. If an employer contributes to a group health plan, the employer can be required to temporarily continue the health benefits for terminated employees and certain other individuals. Note that new employers are not subject to COBRA until at least their second year due to how the provisions are applied.
One or more qualifying event needs to occur that would otherwise cause a loss in coverage. These events include:
Job termination (for reasons other than employee gross misconduct) or a reduction in hours.
Death.
Divorce or legal separation.
Enrollment in Medicare.
The end of a child's status as a dependent under a parent's health plan.
Employer bankruptcy causing a loss of coverage to a retired covered employee.

COBRA requires employers to give employees the opportunity to remain under the group health insurance policy, but there is no requirement that employers pay the premiums for such coverage. Usually the outgoing employee pays the premiums, and cannot be charged more than 102% of the applicable premium.
Former employees may continue the health coverage for 18 months or, if earlier, until they either become eligible for Medicare or coverage under another health plan or fail to pay the required premiums. Dependents can be covered under the policy if they were covered on the day before the termination. COBRA participants are allowed to change their coverage upon the birth or adoption of a new child.
Coverage can also be extended for an additional 11 months if the former employee or dependent is disabled for social security purposes. The employer must be notified during the original 18-month period and the charge for the premiums can be up to 150% of the applicable premium. A spouse or dependent child can extend the coverage for an additional 18 months if:
The employee dies.
The employee and spouse divorce or legally separate.
The employee no longer can be covered under the plan due to being eligible for Medicare.
The child is no longer classified as a dependent under the policy.
The election period consists of the employees being given at least 60 days to accept or waive continued coverage from the later of the date they lose coverage under the plan or the date they receive the plan administrator's notification of their COBRA rights.

COBRA is not permanent and may not be required of an employer due to the size of the company. Some companies will structure continued coverage for retired employees without reference to COBRA. It is important to remember that in a society where health coverage is critical, and economic change is constant, preparation is the key.

Employers need to be responsible and keep their employees informed. Employees need to know their options, in or out of the employer's organization, and prepare for any change in coverage for all members of their family in the event of a change in employment, whether planned or not.

Be healthy, stay informed, and as always, call me with any questions.



LEGAL BRIEFS
Wage Audits: What Every California Employer Should Know
An Overview of the Audit Process
By Lessing Gold and Stacy West

A wage audit is an investigation by the federal Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division or California's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) to determine if an employer is in compliance with wage and hour laws.

When do wage audits occur?
Often, audits occur in response to an employee complaint about an employer's violation of wage and hour laws. Employers who have violated wage and hour rules in the past can also be audited again to ensure compliance. Wage audits can also be conducted at random.

What do investigators do during a wage audit?
During an audit, the federal or state agency conducting the audit can inspect and copy employer's records, question employees and gather data regarding wages, hours, working conditions and employment practices for the purpose of determining whether violations of the law have occurred.

What must an employer do during a wage audit?
During an audit, the employer must produce certain records for the investigation, including records of wages paid, hours worked and tasks employees performed. The investigating agency may require that other records be produced.

How are wage audits done?
Wage audits are conducted in a several step process. For example, a wage audit generally involves the following three steps:

1. The employer and the investigator meet, and the employer is told by the investigator which records are needed from the employer in order for the investigator to conduct the audit.

2. The investigator gathers facts and data. The employer produces the records necessary to determine the applicable laws and exemptions. The records may include records of employer's government contracts, records showing employer's interstate commerce and records showing employer's annual dollar volume of business. The investigators also may review payroll and time records. The investigators conduct private interviews with employees to confirm the information contained in the records and determine applicability of any exemptions.

3. The employer and investigator meet a second time. At this conference, the investigator informs the employer of any violations of wage and hour laws. If violations were found, the employer is told how to correct the violations.

What happens when the audit uncovers violations?
Penalties for minimum wage and overtime violations vary. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the federal wage and hour law, an employer can be liable for up to $1000 per violation if it "repeatedly" or "willfully" violates the FLSA minimum wage or overtime pay provisions. An employer repeatedly violates the FLSA when it engages in conduct a government agency has already cited as violative of federal law or when a court has previously decided the employer violated the FLSA. An employer also willfully violates the FLSA when the employer knows its conduct was prohibited by the FLSA and engages in it anyway or when the employer shows reckless disregard for the requirements of the FLSA. Penalties are similar but not identical under state law.

Generally, the penalty imposed by the state or federal agency will reflect the seriousness of the violations and the size of employer's business. State and federal agencies will consider many factors in assessing the penalty, such as the number of employees affected by the violations, the employer's history of violations and it's commitment to future compliance.

Strategies for Dealing with Wage Audits

An employer contacted by a federal or state agency regarding an upcoming audit should consider the following:

Most importantly, an employer should hire a lawyer as soon as possible after the employer finds out it will be audited.

The employer should make sure it understands the reason and theory behind the audit. For example, an employer can be audited for unpaid overtime or misclassification of employees. Understanding the reason behind the audit will allow the employer to respond appropriately with the right documents.

The employer should be friendly and helpful to the investigators, and make efforts to ensure investigators are comfortable. For example, the employer should provide the investigator with adequate work space.

The employer should also cooperate with the investigator to the extent possible. The employer should be aware that the employer is required by law to make information available to the state and federal agencies. This cooperation may often result in a better outcome for the employer. For example, in state audits, the DLSE may allow a cooperative employer to self-audit. The means the employer can audit his or her own records instead of turning them over to the DLSE. The agency will then spot check the self-audit.

The employer is prohibited from retaliating against an employee cooperating with the investigator. In the interview, the investigator will ask the employee if the employee felt intimidated or was pressured by the employer in relation to the interview. The employer should either not discuss an upcoming interview with the employees at all, or tell the employees about the investigation and suggest they tell the truth at the interview.

Lessing Gold of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp is CAA Legal Counsel.
Stacey West is a senior associate specializing in labor and employment law issues at Mitchell, Silberberg and Knupp in Los Angeles.

ASSOCIATES NEWS
A Special Message
By Harvey Eisenstadt

I am taking the liberty of using my column this month for a personal message.

Last month the California Alarm Association held its Winter Convention in San Francisco. Hundreds of industry people came to participate in this very successful three days of serious business meetings, presentations, networking and social activities. However, to steal the tone and meaning of a famous quote of one of our greatest Presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, December 7, 2001 will live with me forever. At least in my life it will long be remembered and cherished as one of the most memorable events of my career. The wonderful people of our industry, an industry that I've so enjoyed as my profession for nearly thirty five years, came together and chose to honor me with the George A. Weinstock Award for Lifetime Achievement. There are many honors one can receive in their lifetime, but to be the choice of your peers, and honored by them, is the one that is difficult to surpass.

To further enhance this honor, the members of the CAA and industry professionals from across the country dug deep and their tribute contributions exceeded that of previous years. Financial assistance so desperately needed for the many issues being addressed by the CAA. Yes, we as an industry recognized a need and, yes, we as an industry once again stepped up to the plate and delivered. And the exciting correlation to me is that my name is attached to that support. My heartfelt appreciation goes to all that gave so generously and the hundreds who joined me in what I consider a once in my lifetime celebration. Ideally, I would like to personally thank each of you individually; however, realistically I know I'd inadvertently forget someone. So, to all who gave so generously and participated in the tribute, I thank you for your recognition and generosity and to a few I do have some special words.

Neither I nor our industry, can truly say enough to thank you, George Weinstock, for your contributions. Your name attached to this award sets the level of achievement at its professional peak. I am so thrilled to have achieved this goal and I know so many more will strive to reach it.

To my good friend and mentor, Ron Spiller, I thank you for quarterbacking this event to success. Your humor and wisdom kept everyone involved and festive. We, the entire Eisenstadt Family, thank you for your friendship and devotion.

We all owe Detection Systems/Radionics a very warm show of appreciation. As a new member of the Bosch Group, under the leadership of Peter Ribinski, CEO/President, they have supported the CAA through their generous contributions and the recognition of the value of my activities in the association.

A very special thank you goes to Executive Director Jerry Lenander and his staff at the CAA office, Kurt Meierhenry and Louis DiCenzo, for their tireless effort to the details of this convention as well as all the CAA business. They also deserve a special pat on the back for tolerating me during the planning of this convention and keeping the details of the tribute a surprise. Let's face it. This is the team that makes the Convention Chair look good.

And to my family, my wonderful wife Judy, my children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. There is lots of love in the Eisenstadt homestead and they know how to humor and tolerate me. I love them all and they have been my inspiration.

Again, there are so many more whose contributions, personally and financially, have endowed the CAA to move ahead in their efforts to face the challenges in the interest of the alarm industry. It would take a column many times this size to mention everyone individually. You know who you are and we, too, know you. To all of you, I thank you for your unselfish support of the California Alarm Association and for making 2001 my year of infamy.

My very best wishes to you, and your families for a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.


LEGISLATIVE REPORT
California Chooses Leadership in 2002
By Alan L. Edelstein and Donald B. Gilbert

The Legislature is due to return for the regularly scheduled second year of the 2001-2002 session on January 7, 2002. Bills that did not make it all the way through the Legislature in 2001 can be considered in 2002. However, those that did not pass out of their "house of origin" (i.e. Assembly bills in the Assembly and Senate bills in the Senate) must do so by the end of January to stay alive. That is not an easy hurdle.

For both the remainder of the current fiscal year and for the 2002-2003 budget, which the Governor must propose in January, it is clear that the only areas that will not be impacted will be law enforcement and other budget items associated with security. One of the big issues will be whether the public health system, which is acknowledged as inadequate in many ways and which will have to deal with any bio-terrorism incidents, will be beefed up along with traditional law enforcement.

It is widely assumed that Governor Davis, who is facing a tough reelection campaign and probably wants to run for President, certainly will not propose and likely will not acquiesce to tax increases. It is also widely assumed that, since a tax increase requires two-thirds vote of the Assembly and the Senate, it is unlikely the Legislature would pass one without a request from the Governor.

Nevertheless, there has been mention of an effort to reinstate some of the vehicle license fees (known commonly as the "car tax") that were lowered significantly when the state's budget was overflowing just a couple of years ago. There has also been some mention of imposing a sales tax on services such as California has on goods. The argument for this tax is that as the economy moves from one based on goods to more of a service economy, the state loses out on revenues.

You may recall that a sales tax on services was proposed in the early 1990's when the state faced a $14 billion deficit. Every trade and professions group impacted raised a storm and the effort was defeated. Expect a similar huge battle should the idea receive serious consideration during the current crisis.

The current make-up of the Legislature is overwhelmingly Democratic. The Democrats hold 50 of the 80 seats in the Assembly, and 26 of the 40 seats in the Senate. On majority vote bills they can afford to let party members in difficult seats not vote with the party. On votes requiring two-thirds of the house, such as the budget and other bills appropriating money, they are often able to find sufficient Republican votes. In the Senate they only need one Republican; in the Assembly they need four.

When the state was experiencing widespread energy shortages and skyrocketing prices, some speculated that Governor Davis could have serious opposition in the primary. While he still has a budget crisis to deal with, the Governor seems to have weathered he energy storm and will have no serious opposition.

Nevertheless, with Republicans consistently criticizing his leadership and with several of the Republican primary candidates pointing out his alleged deficiencies on a daily basis, Governor Davis and several key advisors are focusing intensely on his reelection. A prodigious fundraiser who has raised money almost from the day of his first election, the Governor has a bountiful campaign war chest.

Three Republicans are running for their party's nomination. One candidate is William Simon, a wealthy Los Angeles businessman whose father is a former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Simon can raise significant funds and reportedly has enough wealth of his own to support a run for governor. Mr. Simon is considered bright and conservative enough to please the rightward leaning Republicans who dominate Republican primaries. Secretary of State Bill Jones is the only Republican who currently holds statewide office. He is termed out this year and, therefore, has nothing to lose by running for Governor. Still conservative but probably a bit more moderate than Simon, Jones switched from supporting President Bush to Senator McCain in the middle of last year's presidential primaries. Riordan, who recently completed two terms as Mayor of Los Angeles, is considered the front-runner for the Republican nomination and a tough opponent for Governor Davis. A wealthy businessman, he was reelected mayor in a city that is clearly Democratic. Most citizens give his tenure as mayor favorable marks. He is a classic non-politician politician.

CAA PAC FUND
The CAA has retained Edelstein & Gilbert as the legislative advocate for the industry in Sacramento. This commitment will result in a higher profile for the industry in the state capitol and ensure that the interests of the companies are presented in a positive way to the legislators. The commitment of funds is significant and is being support by membership dues and special fund raising efforts. See minutes from CAA General and Board of Directors Meetings in this issue for update.

The California Alarm Association Political Action Committee was formed to provide support to the legislative advocacy of companies conducting business in California in the electronic security and systems industry.

Funds to a state PAC, which this one is, can be corporate or personal, although they are not tax deductible.

CONTRIBUTIONS SHOULD BE MADE AS FOLLOWS:
Payable to CAA PAC
Mail to:
CAA PAC
c/o Richard Eichman
1127 11th Street, #300
Sacramento, CA 95814

IMPORTANT: Include YOUR name, address, employer and occupation. This is required for the contribution. Check can be personal or business account.

INDUSTRY NEWS
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh will headline the SIA Security Industry Forum to be held February 3-5, 2002 at the Westin Innisbrook Resort in Tampa, Florida. Freeh will address Forum attendees during the dinner event held on February 4. The theme of the conference, which has become renowned for its focus on trends and solutions for end-users, dealers, integrators and manufacturers, is "The Digital Revolution and the Convergence of Technologies."

"Compensation in the Security/Loss Prevention Field" 13th Edition is now available. This new two-volume, 276-page report contains information on salaries in 26 benchmark positions provided by 197 organizations. For more information call 708/672-4200 or visit their web site at http://abbott-langer.com

CAA SHAKES, RATTLES AND ROLLS
The California Alarm Association is pleased to welcome five new members to the CAA and the NBFAA. Accularm Security Systems of Oroville will be represented by Dan Ledford and be active in the Sacramento Area Alarm Association. Also joining Sacramento is Action Security of Sacramento, Inc. with President James Sloan and Sales Consultant Ruben De Leon representing the company. Alarm Acquisitions of Pasadena will be represented by Paul Udell and be active in the Greater Los Angeles Security Alarm Association. Diamond Enterprises of Madera will be represented by Sam Tarin and be active in the Mid-Cal Burglar Alarm Association. EnerSys Inc. will be represented by Debra Burkhardt as the newest Associate Member in the Greater Los Angeles Security Alarm Association. Welcome all to the California Alarm Association.

PROTECTION INDUSTRIES, INC., LLP has appointed of Keith Company to the position of General Manager for Southern California, which includes regional offices in San Bernardino, Palm Springs, San Diego, and the Greater Los Angeles area. Keith was formerly the Vice President of Sales for Protection One in Culver City, CA where he was in charge of all sales activity for their 600 plus independent dealer program in North America.

PACIFIC SECURITY SYSTEMS has promoted David Ingham to Vice President of Operations.

THE GREATER ALARM COMPANY has hired Larry Farmer to head the company's Northern California access control systems division. He is based out of Greater Alarm's Sacramento Valley branch office in Roseville.

THE 4TH ANNUAL GREATER ALARM CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC recently held at Marbella Country Club in San Juan Capistrano, CA netted $25,000 for Kids Cancer Connection (KCC), a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the day-to-day lives of families of children with cancer. This year's total brings Greater Alarm's four-year total contributions to more than $152,000.

Troy Taylor, co-owner of Taylor Made Security in Citrus Heights, CA passed away on December 3 after battling for many months the burns and injuries suffered due to his aircraft accident on April 28. Troy is survived by his wife Mary and their two young boys Gage, age 6 and Cody, age 3. Anyone wishing to make a donation to help the family may contact Gary Buth at 888-633-9921 or gbuth@sai-inc.com

NTS Instructors Needed
The CAA Education and Training Committee is looking for individuals interested in becoming Certified NTS Instructors and for persons who are already certified by NTS. Instructors are paid a fee and expenses for teaching one to three day courses for NTS and the CAA. For further information, contact Chris Rogers at 800/230-1654.

You can get information on licensing in California on the Internet by pointing your browser to the BSIS at WWW.dca.ca.gov/bsis. The site includes new information on 1999 legislation, links, and e-mail contact for the BSIS office.

NBFAA members can receive discounted payroll services from Paychex. Contact Paychex at 800/PAYCHEX and request NBFAA Use Code 5606.

NBFAA logos designed for use in your printed material are available free to CAA members. Call the NBFAA at 301/585-1855 for information on other products available to members.

CAA Members can send their company news, personnel announcements and other information to THE MIRROR. E-mail information to jlenander@netvip.com, fax to 310/395-8186 or mail to CAA Headquarters (see page 3 for address).

REGIONAL CHAPTER NEWS

SACRAMENTO AREA ALARM ASSOCIATION
By Stephen Pereira, SAAA President

Sacramento continues to be a strong local association. Our meeting on December 4 was attended by over 70 members, spouses and associates. It was a great Christmas meeting with a strong emphasis on the spirit of the season. A great time was had by all. The meeting was the last of the year for our President Andy Anderson ,CPP Alarm and Video of Sacramento. As you can see from the list below of our new officers, alarm dealers from far outside of Sacramento are becoming more involved in this local association.

This year we will be looking for more participation from both the members and associates to bring more dialogue and interesting forums to our meetings. So to those who have a better idea, bring them or better yet e-mail me with your thoughts and let's get you in the loop. My address is Stephen@certifiedsystems.net. Our next general meeting will be on February 5, 2002. Bring your sweetheart as we will be celebrating Valentines!

May all have a Happy and Prosperous New Year….2002 the best is in front of us!

SAAA OFFICERS 2002
President: Stephen Pereira, Certified Systems

Vice President: Peter Saar, Safe Side Security
Treasurer: Kathy Harrold, Dial One New West
Secretary: Chris Rogers, Grand Central Station
Sergeant at Arms: Donna Blakeman, Brinks Home Security
Director at Large: Mark Snider, Capitol Alarm

SAAA Website Online
The SAAA web site is now up and running, the address is WWW.SACAAA.COM please check this out, and advise Jackie De Leon if there in any changes or suggestions you have for the site.

MEETINGS
SAAA Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. sharp at Holiday Inn Northwest.

GREATER LOS ANGELES ALARM ASSOCIATION
By Mark Sepulveda, President

To all GLASAA members and associate members, I personally want to thank each and every one of you who attended our magically successful vendor's appreciation dinner at The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey, November 27, 2001. The response from of the all of the attendees has been nothing short of "what a great evening." To the invited guests that were unable to attend, we missed your presence, your laughs and most of all your friendship.

I would like to thank our executive director Jerry Lenander and his staff of Kurt Meierhenry and especially Louis DiCenzo for his diligence in working closely with myself, The Ritz-Carlton, and with all of our members to make the evening such a success.

I would also like to thank all of the members for their participation in the raffle, which raised $1,000.00 for the "PAC FUND." We met our goal with the last $100.00 being donated by Les Gold and his lovely wife Sandy. The board has also approved our annual $1,000.00 donation for the 2002 CAA State Scholarship Fund. I would like to remind our members that the above-mentioned programs are absolutely vital to OUR industry.

Our first general meeting for 2002 will be on February 19 and I look forward to seeing all of you. I also look forward to seeing any new members or prospective new members. Let's go into the New Year with the membership drive and momentum we have created for GLASAA in the past few months.

CAA Winter Convention
The CAA winter convention in San Francisco was the best I've been to many years. We're going to have some new faces on the Board this year and they appear to have the drive, determination and willingness to participate that is so important to our industry.

This highlight of the convention was the tribute dinner awarding Harvey Eisenstadt the George A. Weinstock Award. Ron Spiller was an excellent emcee and kept the audience in stitches with his sharp wit and humor. Alan Pepper did a great job with the Industry Incorrect breakfast on Saturday. And Stacey West from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp did a very informative presentation on Independent Contractors and what you should know as an employer. If you didn't come, you not only missed a great program, but you also lost the ability to network with dealers from across the state. These are invaluable business contacts. If you don't believe that, then you have your head in the sand.

Meeting Schedule
At our last Board of Directors meeting we voted to change our meeting schedule to have four regular meetings through the course of the year. Each meeting will be a mini event with vendor booths and interesting speakers. Our next meeting is January 15th at the Phoenix Club.

New OCAA Board Members
Welcome to two new Board members for 2002.
Akemi Shubert - National Monitoring Center
Cris Cannon - General Monitoring Services
Thank you both for coming forward and working with us in the coming year.

For additional information about the Orange County Alarm Association, contact Bev Cramer, Saddleback Security, at 949/837-0749 or the OCAA Management Office at 800/339-1420.


EAST BAY ALARM ASSOCIATION
Why Should I Belong To The California Alarm Association?
By Keith Buerke, EBAA President

What an interesting question. Why should you belong to the CAA?

It is a question I have asked myself dozens of times since being elected EBAA President. I do not ask this question because I am unsure of why I personally belong, for I can list many reasons. I ponder this question because I know in the year ahead that other non-members will be asking me why they should belong, or at least I hope they will. I decided not to list every reason you should belong to the Association, that would be preaching and I dislike being preached to. Instead, I decided to list a few reasons why you cannot afford to not belong to the Association.

It takes too much time, money and energy to continue to reinvent the wheel. Stop and consider the meaning of the words "Association" & "Associate." Where else can you bounce ideas off of a group of individuals that have been there and done that? Not only will you be able to discover which of your ideas may be unsuccessful, but you will also be able to streamline your operation so that it achieves maximum results. Skipping the trial and error phase of an idea will save you huge amounts of time and money. This one reason alone will pay off for years to come. Ideas I have brought back from meeting with other members of various associations have netted my company tens of thousands of dollars over the years.

You will not add additional accounts that you would have through your Association with the CAA. The value of one new account acquired from your association with the CAA is worth the year's dues. I am not saying that you will acquire any accounts directly from you association with the CAA. But through active participation you will get ideas on how to acquire many new accounts.

Help protect your industry!
In order for the CAA to continue to thrive it requires a constant injection of new blood. The members are the lifeline of the Association. Harvey Eisenstadt, George Gunning, Patty Hartman and Chris Rogers are just a few of the members that have been working tirelessly for years to protect your industry. They do not ask for recognition for their efforts because they understand the correlation between those efforts and our continued success. The problem is that they cannot continue to do it alone; they need assistance from people like you.

A wise man once told me, "To be successful surround yourself with successful people." Just take a look at the CAA's member list. It is not a coincidence that the majority of successful companies in the state belong to the CAA. Ask any of those company owners and I am sure they will tell you that their association with the CAA has contributed greatly to their success.

If some of you do not step up to the plate, there will soon be no plate to step up to. There are a lot of organizations out there that would love to take your livelihood away from you. You need not look any farther that AB921/931 for proof of that. You cannot afford to allow them to WIN!

I think the CAA slogan says it best: Together Everyone Achieves More. United We Stand, Divided We Fall!

2002 EBAA Meeting Schedule
General Meetings
January 8, March 12, May 14, July 9, September 10, November 12 (election meeting)

Board Meetings
February 12, April 9, June 11, August 13, October 8, December 10

EBAA OFFICERS 2002
President: Keith Burke, All Guard
Vice President: Mike Salk, Reed Brothers
Secretary: Ron Lenz, ADI
Treasurer: Don Miller, Royal Alarm
Associate Rep: Frank Benedetto, Tri-Ed
Director at Large: Eric Billings, Denalect Alarm
Director at Large: David Ingham, Pacific Security
Director at Large: Stephanie Schwenk, Eye-On Alarm

For information on the EBAA, contact Keith Buerke 925-932-2211 or Michael Salk at 510-652-2477.

MID CAL ALARM ASSOCIATION
For information, contact Sam Tarin, Diamond Enterprises, at 559/662-1676.

SILICON VALLEY ALARM ASSOCIATION
By Larry Walker, The Alarm Company
SVAA President

Thanks to you who have donated and to you others who are just about to write that check. Please make your check out ASAP to CAA-PAC and mail to CAA PAC, c/o Richard Eichman, 1127 11th Street #300, Sacramento, CA, 95814. Help us with this fund. Don't leave CAA to handle this alone. This affects everyone in the alarm industry. If you are not a CAA member this would be a good time to show your appreciation for the few that do work for the many. Donate to the CAA PAC to help watch your back.

For more information on the SVAA please call Larry Walker at the Alarm Company 408-358-1500 or fax 408-358-2050.


GOLDEN GATE ALARM ASSOCIATION
By Chris Rogers, President

For information on the Golden Gate Alarm Association contact Chris Rogers at 800-230-1654


GREATER VALLEY ALARM ASSOCIATION
Meetings
Our meetings are the first Wednesday of every month and are held at the Best Western - Stockton Inn at 7:30 a.m. All are welcome.

For information contact Gerry Adams, Valley Burglar & Fire Alarm Co., Inc., at 209-943-5292


INLAND EMPIRE ALARM ASSOCIATION
By Scott Simmons, ADI

THE IEAA ADVISOR
Our newsletter is The IEAA Advisor is available to all IEAA Members and Associate Members, and is mailed monthly. If you are not receiving it, please call the IEAA office at 800/559-9060.

Membership
The strength of any association is in the members. We are constantly looking for new regular and associate members to build our association. If you would like to become a member, or have any suggestions on ways to increase our membership, please give us a call!

Scott Simmons of ADI is President of IEAA 909/225-9055. For information on the IEAA, contact Scott Simmons or IEAA Administrator Charlotte Weiss at 800/559-9060.


BURGLAR & FIRE ALARM ASSOCIATION OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Hal Lewis has resigned as President and the San Diego Chapter is reorganizing and is looking for members who are interested in working together to promote the industry and enhance the environment in which we all do business. For information contact the CAA Office at 800/437-7658.