Monroeville is the first municipality in the Pittsburgh area to implement Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP), a technology designed to automate communication between alarm monitoring central stations and public safety dispatch/911 centers.

Vector described the following benefits for residents and first responders that electronic data transmission provides: 

• Fewer phone calls to emergency response centers. Alarm center data is passed to public safety dispatch/911 operators electronically within seconds and then provided to first responders upon dispatch to the location.
• Quicker processing times. Data doesn’t have to be input manually or communicated verbally, resulting in reduced hold times, less chance of human error and faster responses.
• Greater accuracy of information transmitted.
• More prompt action during natural disasters. It’s common for public safety dispatch/911 centers to be overwhelmed with calls during these types of emergencies.

“Every second counts in emergencies,” said Monroeville Chief of Police Doug Cole. “With ASAP, we’ll be able to reduce call-processing times to provide quicker and more accurate emergency response to Monroeville citizens.”

Monroeville receives 2,500 calls at its dispatch center monthly. Historically, its average alarm response time has been between two to four minutes. With ASAP delivering alarm notification information directly from central stations to public safety answering points (PSAPs) and public safety dispatch centers via computer rather than by phone, the municipality expects alarm response times to drop to a minute and a half or less. These benefits will extend across Monroeville police, fire and emergency medical services, and Pitcairn police and emergency medical services.

More than 260 Vector Security customers in the Monroeville area will benefit from improved emergency response times via ASAP. Vector Security customers will be the first to go online following the December 19 launch. Vector Security also assisted Monroeville by helping to perform extensive testing prior to the system going live. 

“We are constantly working to provide a safer environment for the public,” said Anita Ostrowski, vice president of central station services, Vector Security. “We’ve come a long way since being the first alarm company to introduce ASAP to Richmond, Va., in 2012, and we are glad to see the technology make its way into more communities across the nation.”

ASAP was formed following a partnership between The Monitoring Association (formerly the Central Station Alarm Association) and the Association of Public Safety, with Vector Security President and CEO Pam Petrow co-chairing the committee.

Monroeville joins Bucks County as one of only two municipalities in the state of Pennsylvania to employ ASAP.