The city of Westerville, Ohio has joined a growing number of municipalities across the nation to implement Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) at its Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

Monitored alarm users in Westerville will experience faster, more accurate police, fire and EMS dispatch as a result of the implementation. Fire and EMS dispatches for Blendon Township, Ohio will benefit from ASAP as well.

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. Vector Security was the first alarm company to debut ASAP in Richmond, Va. in 2012. Vector Security assisted with implementation by helping to conduct extensive testing prior to the system going live in Westerville.

“As a security provider, Vector Security actively seeks ways to promote ASAP’s value to municipalities and public agencies for the greater good of the industry, as well as for the increased safety of our communities,” said Anita Ostrowski, central station vice president, Vector Security. She noted that hundreds of customers served out of Vector Security’s Columbus and Mansfield, Ohio branches will benefit from the ASAP launch.

With ASAP delivering alarm notification information directly from the alarm monitoring centers to PSAPs 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 90 seconds or less.

“The implementation of the ASAP to PSAP protocol within the city of Westerville ECC provides the communications employees with another avenue to more efficiently and expediently dispatch fire and police responders to alarm calls involving both businesses and residences within Westerville,” said Holly Wayt, Westerville Communications Division’s communications manager. “We are truly excited about bringing this advancement in service to our community; increasing our ability to assist in saving lives and protecting property by decreasing the amount of time it takes to respond to and subsequently dispatch in progress alarm calls.”

Nationwide, more than 85 agencies have implemented, or are in the process of implementing ASAP. For a current list, go to https://tma.us/asap/.