Hamilton County, OH Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Implements Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP)

PITTSBURGH, July 30, 2019 – The Hamilton County, Ohio Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is the latest agency to implement Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP), technology that automates communication between alarm monitoring central stations and PSAPs / 911 centers, resulting in faster, more accurate emergency response for users of monitored alarms.

The implementation includes all areas of Hamilton County, excluding the City of Cincinnati, which operates a separate PSAP and is not using ASAP technology at this time.

The use of ASAP results in the following benefits for monitored alarm users and first responders:

• Less phone calls to emergency response centers. Alarm monitoring center data is passed to public safety dispatch / 911 operators electronically within seconds and then provided to first responders upon dispatch.

• Quicker processing times. Data doesn’t have to be input manually or communicated verbally, resulting in reduced hold times and faster responses.

• Greater accuracy of information transmitted. Electronic transmission of data reduces chances for errors.

With ASAP delivering alarm notification information directly from the alarm monitoring centers to PSAPs via computer rather than by phone, all pertinent data goes directly to first responders and the process takes only about five seconds. Many agencies using ASAP can expect alarm response times to potentially drop to as little as 90 seconds or less.

“Every second counts during an emergency,” said Bryan Knepper, Central District Vice President, Vector Security. “We are pleased to be able to reduce call processing times to provide quicker and more accurate emergency response to Vector Security customers served by the Hamilton County PSAP.”

ASAP was developed in partnership between The Monitoring Association (TMA) and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), with Vector Security President and CEO Pam Petrow co-chairing the committee. The technology made its debut in Richmond, VA in 2012.

Vector Security assisted with the implementation in Hamilton County by helping to conduct extensive testing prior to the system going live.

“We are glad to see the technology continue to make its way into more communities across the nation and we are proud to be part of this effort to improve first responder dispatches across the country,” said Anita Ostrowski, Vice President, Central Station Services, Vector Security.

“As a security provider, we continue to actively seek ways to promote ASAP’s value to municipalities and public agencies, and help other alarm companies implement it for the greater good of the industry, as well as for the increased safety of our communities,” she added.

Nationwide, more than 70 agencies have implemented, or are in the process of implementing ASAP. For a current list:  https://tma.us/asap/.

For more information on the benefits and features of ASAP, visit www.vectorsecurity.com/asap.

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