by Chris Heaton - Vice President for Advocacy and Public Affairs

Congress took a break from perpetual division to support a bi-partisan measure that will modernize and update workforce development funding for high-skill, high-demand jobs like those in electronic security.

This philanthropic initiative recognizes the work of first responders, who serve to save and protect our country, by granting scholarships to their graduating sons and daughters. In 2018, ESA was supported by COPS Monitoring and Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) to award two overall first and second place winners.

by Merlin Guilbeau, IOM - Executive Director & CEO

Some of the post event coverage is calling ESX the “UN” event — the disruptor that is redefining what expos and industry shows should be offering to our channel.

The Electronic Security Association announced its support for the signing of H.R. 2353, the “Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act,” by President Trump. This bill re-authorizes and modernizes the “Perkins Act”, which was very much needed to help close the “skills gap” that many industries including the electronic security and life safety industry need to address the increasing shortage of qualified people for current and...

Workforce shortages within the industry have been a cited concern in trade media for the past few years. As the number of technical job postings increase, ESA’s National Training School (NTS) is tackling the issue head on, aiming to expose the industry to high school CTE (career and technical education) programs by providing it’s very first high school partnership program in Pennsylvania, with hopes to expand the initiative throughout the US.

Recently, changes were made to local Louisiana regulation with R.S. 40:1664.16(C). A major issue we as an industry have had challenges with include local municipalities passing ordinances that charge alarm fines to the companies rather than the customer. Local ESA chapters and SIAC have fought tirelessly for years to combat these issues.