Broadview’s False Alarm Vigilance

Broadview Security is going out with a bang. On the verge of being absorbed into ADT, the company has received the 5th annual Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award for its outstanding false alarm management program. See what makes the plan so strong.

There were many compelling reasons Tyco decided earlier this year to acquire and fold Broadview Security into its ADT Security Services business. Foremost was the sterling reputation Broadview had established as a keenly well managed national provider of security systems and monitoring services. Presently, even as its operations were being integrated into ADT’s as this went to press, that quality has helped Broadview achieve perhaps its final hurrah under that brand name – capturing the 5th annual Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award.

“Our mission statement, ‘Creating Customers for Life,’ drives every initiative at Broadview. By providing an outstanding customer service experience and ensuring that customers know how to properly operate the security system, we ensure the customer has a positive experience,” says Carole Vanyo, ex-Broadview senior vice president customer operations and new vice president, customer experience for ADT. “We also know that continuing to build and expand our strong agency and industry relationships is an integral part of our mission.”

Vanyo highlights two of the overriding tenets of the PDQ program: educating customers about false alarm issues and training them on proper system use, and working closely with responding law enforcement agencies to minimize unnecessary dispatches. But it does not end there as alarm management practices proven to be successful that pertain to salesperson and technician training, monitoring procedures, and equipment configuration are also key.

Established in 2005 by the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA) and SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION (SSI), the PDQ program aims to raise industry-wide awareness, motivate alarm companies to be proactive and provide workable models for others. The PDQ Award annually recognizes the security company that best demonstrates an enthusiastic, cooperative and successful effort in alarm reduction strategies. This year marked the first time the PDQ presentation took place at ESX rather than during SSI‘s SAMMY Awards at ISC West.

PDQ applications are scored by three independent judges in 15 different areas. In its winning application, Broadview noted a police dispatch rate for 2009 of .40 (down from .44 in 2008) in the Fort Worth, Texas, region that also includes the firm’s Irving-based headquarters. The figure is derived by dividing the provider’s total false alarm dispatches (in this case 2,618 excluding cancellations) by the total alarm sites maintained by the provider in that jurisdiction (in this case, 6,546).

While Broadview’s submission was regional, it has set a high standard for effective alarm management nationwide. In fact, the company has become the first two-time winner of the PDQ Award, also capturing the 2006 honor when it was known as Brink’s Home Security. Let’s take a closer look at what to this point is the industry’s most comprehensive and successful approach to alarm management and false dispatch reduction.

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About the Author

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Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].

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