Press Release

IQ BOARD APPROVES CHANGE TO PROGRAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 14, 1998

Contact: Jennifer Burnstein, IQ Program Coordinator

The IQ Certification Board today approved a change to the IQ Certification Program designed to address concerns about the program.

The approved amendment allows for an exception to the IQ verification requirement in extraordinary circumstances.

The approved amendment reads:

Central Station Dispatchers shall attempt to verify all burglar alarm signals as well as all other signals that can be prudently verified, before requesting police dispatch. An exception to this guideline may be made if the IQ Certified installing company has strong reason to believe that this guideline will create a life/safety situation for the particular customer and then only if non-verified dispatch is permitted by law. In this event, the IQ Compliance Officer shall place a written waiver of verification signed by the customer and the qualified installer, which states the compelling reason for non-verification, in the company’s IQ Compliance file.

This amendment allows non-verified dispatch in the event of repeat crimes or precarious circumstances, but places a burden on the IQ Certified company that would take this option. According to newly seated IQ Board Chairman Ron Cain, "We all have high-risk customers who require immediate police dispatch such as people under terrorist threat. My own company has one or two such individuals. This amendment allows for this rare situation, and places a responsibility on any company that uses this exemption to explain to the IQ Board why it is doing so."

During the meeting, the Board rejected two other proposed amendments. The first would have allowed contract monitoring centers to monitor for an IQ Certified installing company without obtaining IQ Certification themselves by signing an agreement to observe IQ procedures for IQ Certified dealers. However, the Board tabled consideration of an amendment that would allow IQ Certified Contract Monitoring companies to not attempt to verify signals of non-IQ Certified installing dealers if the installing dealer so requested. The Board is further studying this issue before taking a final decision.

The Board also rejected an amendment that would have allowed multi-branch companies to attain IQ Certification one branch at a time. This amendment was rejected as creating an unwieldy procedure that would inevitably create confusion among the public.

Also during the call, the Board approved 9 new companies for IQ Certification and recertified 15 companies, bringing the total number of IQ Certified Companies to 55.

The newly certified companies are S & S Security Systems of Tacoma, Washington; I.R.A. Security Systems of Paramus, Wisconsin; ABC Burglar Alarm Systems in Bowie, Maryland; Monitoring America Alarm Co-op in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Crime Prevention Resources in Jasper, Tennessee; American Eagle Security Systems in Remer, Minnesota; Metrodial in Hicksville, New York; Securall Monitoring in Manasquan, New Jersey; and Bur-Tel Security in Alexandria, Virginia.

For more information about the IQ Certification Program, or to obtain an IQ Certification Application, contact the IQ Certification Board at 8300 Colesville Rd, Suite 750, Silver Spring, MD 20910, fax: (301) 585-1866, e-mail info@iqcertification.org.