SILVER SPRING, Md. — The National Fire and Burglar Alarm Association (NBFAA) has announced a change in its dues structure that includes a 71-percent increase in the annual fee for companies with one to six employees. Officials at the NBFAA say the dues increase is necessary to deal with the loss in revenue that used to come when the NBFAA ran the ISC shows and to continue to bolster the services the association provides.
The largest fee increase will affect the largest portion of NBFAA membership. NBFAA Executive Director Merlin Guilbeau says about 70 percent of the NBFAA’s members are in the one-to-five category and will see their annual dues increased from $175 to $300. Larger companies will see a smaller percentage increase in their dues. Guilbeau says the association is not “picking on the little guy” but that larger companies have been paying a larger percentage than other members.
“Some companies are spending hundreds of thousands a year. We’re asking the smaller companies to pay their share,” Guilbeau says. “Let’s look at the total picture. We’re asking companies to dedicate the equivalent of one monitored account per year to the industry.”
The dues increase has drawn several complaints from members, most notably from the Virginia Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (VBFAA), which in late September dropped its chartered state association status and ended its relationship with the NBFAA, citing the dues increase and the need for increased service.
Guilbeau says he is dealing with a “double-edged” sword where some members are demanding increased services but aren’t in favor of dues increases that would create them. He says he expects other state associations to follow Virginia’s lead and break off from the NBFAA in the coming months.
“We’re not going to hide behind the issue,” Guilbeau says. “Frankly, Virginia is not the only state considering leaving.”
