McLEAN, Va. – The Monitoring Association (TMA) launched Video Monitoring Foundations, a new online training program designed to “build foundational knowledge, judgment and professional practices that support today’s video monitoring environment,” according to the association announcement.
TMA members have exclusive early access with public availability starting Sept. 1, 2026.
Video Monitoring Foundations is “designed to complement an organization’s operator training, providing a shared industry foundation that can be reinforced through company-specific standard operating procedures (SOPs), account instructions, platform training and applicable jurisdictional requirements,” the TMA announcement says.
Developed by industry subject matter experts, the program “uses realistic monitoring center scenarios, guided exercises, knowledge checks and final assessments to connect foundational concepts with day-to-day operator responsibilities,” according to the announcement.
The training is vendor-neutral and “designed for monitoring centers, systems integrators and security professionals seeking a shared industry foundation for modern video monitoring,” the announcement says.
“Video monitoring technology continues to evolve rapidly but effective outcomes still depend on well-prepared professionals who can interpret what they see and respond with sound judgment,” says Wes Usie, vice president of TMA and co-chairman of TMA’s Surveillance and Video Verification Committee, in the announcement.
“Video Monitoring Foundations gives operators a practical, consistent framework for combining technology with situational awareness, clear communication, accurate documentation and fact-based decision-making,” he says in the TMA announcement.
What’s in the TMA Video Monitoring Training Program?
The complete TMA Video Monitoring Foundations course includes five modules:
· Introduction to Video Monitoring Systems: the purpose, services, tools, benefits and limitations of video monitoring.
· Proactive Video Monitoring: System Meets Operator: how analytics and AI-assisted alerts work with operator context, judgment, communication and documentation.
· The Video Monitoring Process: event evaluation, camera tools, evidence, alarm validation, communication with public safety and fact-based reporting.
· Operator Self-Care: stress, fatigue, resilience, recovery and sustained readiness.
· Legal and Computer Safety: privacy, confidentiality, cybersecurity, secure work habits, documentation and professional responsibility.
Learners may enroll in the complete five-module course or select individual modules for targeted development. The curriculum focuses on situational awareness, professional judgment, communication, documentation and fact-based decision-making, while “emphasizing the essential partnership between monitoring technology and trained operators,” according to the TMA announcement.
