PSA Security Network, an electronic security cooperative representing security system integrators, held its annual training and conference event May 16-20 at the Westin Westminster in Westminster, Colo. 

Digital Monitoring Products (DMP), a manufacturer of intrusion, fire, access control, network and cellular communication products, is supporting relief efforts for tornado victims in the Joplin, Mo. area and encouraging members of the DMP Authorized Dealer Network to join in. The tornado struck on Sunday, May 22, killing 138 people (reported to date) and destroying thousands of homes and buildings. DMP is providing aid via support of Convoy of Hope, a Springfield-based charity that provides disaster relief and other humanitarian services around the world.

his year’s SentryNet dealer conference and cruise was held on board the Carnival Elation, an 855-foot long cruise ship sailing from its home port in Mobile, Ala. to sunny Cozumel in Mexico April 28 to May 2. As the exclusive media sponsor for the conference, SDM was present to report on the event and continuing education classes, talk to dealers, pick up on upcoming trends in the monitoring space and learn company news.

“If FedEx knows where your package is, we should be able to tell you where your technician is,” said Jamie Haenggi, chief marketing and customer experience officer at Protection 1. With that line of thinking, Protection 1, Romeoville, Ill., ranked the second largest electronic security company in the United States in the SDM 100, announced the nationwide launch of Tech Tracker^sm, a service that notifies customers when a service technician is on the way, to growing customer accolades.

The Seattle Times reported this week that The King County Library System is removing security cameras from its libraries, citing patron privacy concerns in handing over video surveillance to police departments. The usual paranoia over government-sanctioned surveillance is present in reader comments on the news article, but so are a majority of disapproving comments from area readers. Combined with displeasure from the Des Moines Police department quoted in the article, the decision seems to be getting little support from the King County community.

This spring has been a heartbreaking year with so many fatal tornadoes. I grew up in the Midwest, so tornado warnings and hunkering down in the basement during tornado season are something I grew up with.