Diebold, Incorporated, a global provider of integrated self-service solutions, security systems and services, went live with ASAP in the city of Richmond, Va., on September 9. 

 

"The momentum with ASAP continues as we add another national provider," said CSAA President Pamela J. Petrow. "We are excited to have Diebold now transmitting alarm activity through the network and look forward to their expansion into additional cities."

 

ASAP was launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, designed to increase the efficiency and reliability of emergency electronic signals from central station alarm companies to public safety answering points (PSAPs). ASAP utilizes ANSI standard protocols developed cooperatively by the Association of Public Communications Officials and the Central Station Alarm Association. 

 

“With ASAP, priority alarm signals are processed within seconds, not minutes, ensuring that complete and accurate information is transmitted from the Diebold Monitoring Center to the PSAP every time,” said Damon Kanzler, Diebold electronic security, vice president, centralized services and business processes. “This time savings will improve dispatching services for Diebold customers while reducing the volume of time-consuming alarm calls to local PSAPs and increase our dispatcher productivity.”  

 

With ASAP, critical life safety signals and accurate information is processed more quickly, through the Nlets system of state-to-state PSAP communication, insuring that complete and accurate information is transmitted to the PSAP every time. The ASAP program has the potential to save PSAPs and emergency services millions of dollars, according to the CSAA.

 

“The city of Richmond is delighted that Diebold, one of the largest national central stations, has joined the ASAP program and is using ASAP to deliver alarms to the city of Richmond,” said Bill Hobgood, project manager, public safety team Department of Information Technology City of Richmond. “The percentage of alarm notifications transmitted to Richmond using the ASAP service has increased exponentially with the addition of each new central station to the ASAP program. In contrast, the Richmond Emergency Communications staff are receiving fewer telephone calls from central stations, one of the ASAP goals. This reduction in the 10-digit telephone number call volumes has generated greater customer satisfaction by allowing the 9-1-1 call-takers to focus greater attention on the citizens who dial 9-1-1. Diebold is a welcome addition.”