Northborough Police Department Becomes First in Massachusetts to Go Live with ASAP Service
The Northborough Police Department (NPD) has become
the first law enforcement agency in Massachusetts to go live with the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol
(ASAP) Service, a digital alarm service that automates the exchange of alarm information between
alarm-monitoring companies and emergency communications centers (ECCs). NPD deployed ASAP
View, a web-based solution that enables faster, more accurate alarm delivery directly to emergency
communications personnel.
For Northborough, ASAP View provided a clear path to achieving the benefits of digital alarm delivery
without requiring a direct Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) integration. The department selected the
platform as a practical, infrastructure-friendly option that enabled them to receive alarm information
electronically rather than by phone, eliminating transcription errors and delays common to voice calls.
“Our goal was to get alarm information into the hands of our telecommunicators as quickly and
accurately as possible,” said Amie Bullard, communications and records supervisor, Northborough
Police Department.
ASAP View is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and provides a secure, standards-based
connection to alarm monitoring centers representing 80 percent of the market. The system reduces
manual administrative calls, lightens dispatcher workload, and improves response times—turning what
used to take minutes into seconds.
As of go-live, Rapid Response is transmitting alarms via ASAP Service to NPD, and more alarm
monitoring centers are in queue to transmit soon.
Developed through a partnership between the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials
(APCO) and The Monitoring Association (TMA), the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) enables
faster, more accurate, and more informed emergency response — saving valuable minutes when every
second counts.