There is no other award in the alarm industry that recognizes individuals for the work they do on the front lines with customers than the Central Station Alarm Association’s “Central Station Excellence Awards.” The fifth annual awards were presented last week at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX), by SDM Editor Laura Stepanek, chairperson of the CSAA Awards subcommittee; Ed Bonifas, CSAA president; and Stephen Doyle, CSAA executive vice president and CEO.

These awards have a serious mission, which is to:

-   Establish and promote the inherent value of central station services.

-   Honor those who have made the most significant contributions to the service.

-   Promote the distinct level of professionalism attained by central stations certified by any of the CSAA-approved nationally recognized testing laboratories, such as UL or FM.

In the new category of “Central Station Support Person of the Year,” Excellence Awards were given to:

Winner: Phil Arnold, IT support manager, Alarmco.

Honorable Mention: Lori Kibler, ISG special support, Vector Security.

In the category of “Central Station Operator of the Year,” Excellence Awards were given to:

Winner: Lindsay Marcell, emergency dispatch operator, ADT Security Services.

Honorable Mention: Diane Cowgill, central station operator/records, Alarmco.

Honorable Mention: Wendy Allerding, central station operator, EPS (Engineered Protection Systems Inc.).

In the category of “Central Station Manager of the Year,” Excellence Awards were given to:

Winner: Greg Hurst, central station manager, Monitronics International.

Honorable Mention: Amy Jo Feliciano, central station operations manager, EPS (Engineered Protection Systems Inc.).

Honorable Mention: Susie Nye, vice president of operations, AvantGuard Monitoring Centers.

In the category of “Central Station of the Year,” Excellence Awards were given to:

Winner: Doyle Security Systems.

Honorable Mention: Wegman’s Food Markets Inc.

The winners’ full stories will be presented in the cover story of SDM’s August 2010 issue.