DeKalb County, Georgia Alarm Users to Experience Faster, More Accurate Emergency Alarm Response

Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) technology goes live at county’s 911 center.

  • May 06, 2020

DeKalb County, Georgia has implemented Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) to automate communication between alarm monitoring central stations and Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) / 911 centers, resulting in faster, more accurate emergency response for users of monitored alarms.

The benefits of ASAP for monitored alarm users and first responders include:

  • Less phone calls to emergency response centers. Alarm monitoring center data is passed to PSAPs / 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.

Monitored alarm users throughout DeKalb County will benefit, including customers of Vector Security and its authorized dealers. Because ASAP delivers alarm notification information directly from the alarm monitoring centers to PSAPs via computer rather than by phone,

Many agencies using ASAP can expect alarm response times to potentially drop to as little as 90 seconds or less. 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. Vector Security was the first alarm company to debut ASAP in Richmond, VA in 2012.

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

“We continue to see more and more PSAPs recognizing the value of this technology and implementing it in order to better protect citizens of their communities,” said Anita Ostrowski, VP, Central Station Services for Vector Security. “As one of the pioneers of ASAP, our company is proud to play a role in helping more communities benefit from this program.”

Nationwide, more than 80 agencies have implemented, or are in the process of implementing ASAP. For a current list, visit here. For more information on the benefits and features of ASAP, visit here.

Featured

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

  • Report: Cyber Attackers Continue to Turn to AI-Based Tools to Avoid Detection

    Comcast Business recently released its 2025 Cybersecurity Threat Report, a comprehensive analysis of 34.6 billion cybersecurity events detected between June 1,2024 and May 31, 2025. Now in its third year, the report offers business leaders a unique perspective into the evolving threat landscape and provides actionable insights to help organizations strengthen their defenses and align cybersecurity with business risk. Read Now

  • Axis Communications Creates AI-powered Video Surveillance Orchestra

    What if cameras could not only see the world, but interpret it—and respond like orchestra musicians reading sheet music: instantly, precisely, and in perfect harmony? That’s what global network technology leader Axis Communications set to find out. Read Now

  • Just as Expected

    GSX produced a wonderful tradeshow earlier this week. Monday was surprisingly strong in the morning, and the afternoon wasn’t bad at all. That’s Monday’s results and asking attendees to travel on Sunday. Just a quick hint, no one wants to give up their weekend to travel and set up an exhibit booth. I’m just saying. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

  • NOLA: The Crescent City

    Twenty years later we finds ourselves in New Orleans. Twenty years ago the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced exhibitors and attendees to look elsewhere for tradeshow floor space. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
Most   Popular

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities