For members of the California Alarm Association (CAA),
summer has already started. The nation’s largest state
alarm association gathered under the palm trees of Palm
Springs for its 2005 Summer Convention May 12-14, where CAA
members discussed some of the hot issues in the alarm
industry, saw firsthand some of the newest products,
honored some of their own and shared a few poolside laughs
to the sounds of big band music.
The CAA reported a 25-percent increase in attendance for
this year’s summer event at the Hilton Palm Springs Resort.
Educational sessions were capped by a thorough discussion
of NFPA 731 (TARGET=’_blank’>see related story here.) and a
discussion of the “most expensive HR mistakes.” Another
session featured a mock city council demonstrating how to
deal with city governments formulating alarm ordinances.
Stan Martin, executive director of the Security Industry
Alarm Coalition (SIAC), filled in as the mayor of the
mythical “Horizon, Calif.”
Accompanying the networking opportunities in the main
ballroom were displays from several companies including
Dedicated Micros, Tri-Ed Distribution, Wheelock and ADI.
The event culminated in a poolside dinner and dance as the
sun set behind the nearby San Jacinto mountains with music
from a full 1930s-style big band.
During the convention, CAA President Jon Sargent announced
Rod Uffindell, head of Walnut Creek, Calif.’s Denalect
Alarm, as the winner of this year’s George Weinstock
lifetime achievement award. The CAA will officially present
Uffindell with the award at its Dec. 1-3 Winter Convention
in San Francisco.
Just after providing attendees a report on the convention,
CAA Board of Directors member and Associates Chairman
Harvey Eisenstadt was surprised when Sargent presented him
with the CAA’s Mark Shubert Award for an associate member
who is an active participant and “helps the industry grow.”
“I’m at a loss for words,” Eisenstadt, the director,
national accounts for Bosch Security Systems, told
attendees. “This is something I will truly cherish.”
Also during the convention, it was revealed that longtime
California and national industry figure – George Gunning of
Monrovia, Calif.’s USA Alarm Systems – is running unopposed
for the presidency of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm
Association (NBFAA).
