The system is expected to significantly reduce alarm response times and eliminate transcription errors, miscommunications and misinterpretations. Before implementation, telecommunicators often had to make multiple calls to the alarm-monitoring center to obtain the information needed to dispatch emergency responders, adding an estimated two to eight minutes to the response timeline according to industry estimates and increasing the risk of errors.

“ASAP Service is going to speed things up — the time savings for handling and processing alarms is where we’re going to see the biggest impact,” said Melissa Burns, 911 communications manager. “But there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re also going to experience fewer data errors because the back-and-forth phone calls largely will be eliminated.”

In 2025, the ECC handled 4,161 alarm notifications. With ASAP Service, that volume translates to an estimated 11 to 46 hours saved each month. The time can now be redirected to higher-priority incidents or recovery from the demands of the role.

ECC officials decided to implement ASAP Service in two steps. The first involved leveraging ASAP View, a web-based portal that enabled the center to begin receiving the alarm data within about two weeks.

“It was a fast, low-barrier way to start receiving alarm data right away,” Burns said.

However, the ECC already is in the process of migrating to the version of ASAP Service that will integrate with its CAD system from Tyler Technologies, which represents the second step in this initiative, one recommended by TMA. Both versions of the solution are hosted on the Amazon Web Services GovCloud platform.

The CAD-integrated version delivers alarm data directly into the CAD system, eliminating manual data entry, like an unseen telecommunicator. This streamlined process improves efficiency, accelerates response times and reduces the workload on telecommunicators. ASAP View continues to provide value as a complementary tool, offering additional flexibility in how alarm information is accessed and managed.

“ASAP View provides redundancy in case we experience a technical issue,” Burns said. “In emergency response, it’s always good to have backups.”

ASAP Service was developed by TMA in collaboration with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). It is built on two TMA-developed standards — the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) and the Alarm Verification Scoring Standard (AVS-01) — both accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). 

Standardized, automated data delivery ensures that critical information — such as location, alarm type and severity — is transmitted consistently and reliably, according to Karen Carlson, vice president and general manager for ASAP Service, Mission Critical Partners, which is facilitating the implementation of the solution at ECCs across the country.

“ASAP Service represents a meaningful advancement in how alarm data is relayed to public safety agencies,” Carlson said. “We’re proud to support Rochester–Olmsted County as they take this important step toward faster, more accurate emergency response.”

As of go-live, the following alarm-monitoring companies are transmitting alarm notifications via ASAP Service to Rochester-Olmsted’s ECC: Affiliated Monitoring, Everon, Guardian Protection, National Monitoring Center, Per Mar, Quick Response, Rapid Response, Security Central, United Central Control and Vivint.