Virginia Beach, Va. is the latest municipality to implement Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP), technology that automates communication between alarm monitoring central stations and public safety answering points (PSAPs)/911 centers, resulting in faster, more accurate emergency response.

Electronic data transmission results in less phone calls to emergency response centers, quicker processing times and greater accuracy of information transmitted. With ASAP delivering alarm notification information directly from central stations to public safety answering points and public safety dispatch centers via computer rather than by phone, all pertinent data goes directly to first responders and the process takes only about five seconds. Many agencies using ASAP can expect alarm response times to potentially drop to as little as a minute and a half or less.

“Every second counts during an emergency,” said Stephen Williams, director, City of Virginia Beach Emergency Communications and Citizen Services. “With ASAP, we are pleased to be able to reduce call processing times to provide quicker and more accurate emergency response to our citizens in Virginia Beach.”

The Virginia Beach PSAP receives an average of more than 50,000 emergency and nonemergency calls monthly, according to Williams. With ASAP delivering alarm notification information directly from central stations to public safety dispatch centers via computer rather than by phone, Virginia Beach residents will benefit from faster and more accurate dispatches in the event of an emergency.

“Vector Security is proud to offer this technology to our customers in Virginia Beach,” said Anita Ostrowski, vice president of central station services for Vector Security, adding that Richmond is where the company first introduced ASAP in 2012.

ASAP was developed in partnership between The Monitoring Association (TMA) and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), with Vector Security President and CEO Pam Petrow co‐chairing the committee.

“We are glad to see the technology continue to make its way into more communities across the nation and we are proud to be part of this effort to improve first responder dispatches across the country,” Ostrowski said.

Vector Security assisted with the implementation by helping to conduct extensive testing prior to the system going live in Virginia Beach.

Nationwide, nearly 60 agencies have implemented, or are in the process of implementing ASAP. For a current list, go to https://tma.us/asap/.

For more information on the benefits and features of ASAP, visit www.vectorsecurity.com/asap.