SIA, ESA and TMA Letter to Leaders on Importance of Electronic Security, Fire, Life Safety and Monitoring Services

The electronic security and life safety industry associations, in partnership with hundreds of industry executives, are calling state leadership to ensure that essential emergency services are not suspended or impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

The Security Industry Association (SIA), the Electronic Security Association (ESA) and The Monitoring Association (TMA) have partnered to circulate a letter drawing state public safety leaders’ attention to the essential emergency services provided by electronic security, fire, life safety and monitoring companies and ensure that those who depend on them are not adversely impacted during the evolving situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter, which has already garnered nearly 500 signatures from industry CEOs, company owners and leaders, highlights the critical functions of alarm response centers for monitoring, saving first responder resources, alerting businesses to potential break-ins or troubles, monitoring and notifying customers of health emergencies, following industry standard best practices and more. Please keep in mind the current DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers is guidance and not a requirement. The purpose of this letter is to ensure the guidance becomes state and local policy. The memorandum states “Accordingly, this list is advisory in nature. It is not, nor should it be considered to be, a federal directive or standard in and of itself. … Response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic are locally executed, state managed, and federally supported.” The letter’s two requests for state leaders are to:

1. Ensure that government policy reflects that companies providing essential emergency services and field service and dispatch remain operational
2. Provide an exemption for electronic security, monitoring and life safety services as essential services in any shelter-in-place, quarantine or similar order

[Note: SIA is continuing to collect signatures from executives at firms in the security industry. To add your firm to the letter, please email SIA CEO Don Erickson at derickson@securityindustry.org and affirm your consent to sign.]