The members of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm
Association (NBFAA) did not reach a two-thirds consensus
required to authorize a change to the name of the
association. Out of 569 votes, 362 voted to approve a name
change while 207 voted against it – 13 votes of a two-
thirds majority required by NBFAA’s by-laws.
The results of the vote were announced April 6 at the NBFAA
Spring Conference in Las Vegas.
Had members approved the change, NBFAA would have changed
its name to the Electronic Life Safety and Systems
Association (ELSSA). The name change had been HREF=’t_ci_newsView.cfm?nid=2739′ TARGET=’_blank’>approved
31-1 by NBFAA Board of Directors in a late January
strategic summit at the association’s Irving, Texas,
headquarters.
“As the vote indicated, a large percentage of our members
voted for the name change, but since we didn’t reach the
two-thirds majority, we’ll continue to use the NBFAA name,”
says NBFAA Executive Director Merlin Guilbeau. “Our mission
remains strong and focused.”
Association members were mailed the ballots in February.
Had it been approved, the ELSSA name would have been phased
in slowly starting in early 2007. Among the reasons NBFAA
leadership gave for the push for the name change were to
open up the association to more international membership by
dropping “National” and showing the association’s focus
beyond alarms.
In another move by the NBFAA during the Spring Conference,
the addition of two chartered state members in Georgia and
Idaho were announced.
The new Georgia Electronic Life Safety and Systems
Association (GELSSA) joins the NBFAA, replacing the newly
independent Georgia Low Voltage Contractors Association
(GLVCA), which TARGET=’_blank’>broke off from the NBFAA in January.
The Idaho Alarm Association (IAA) has also joined the NBFAA.
