Habitec Security Wins 2014 Police Dispatch Quality Award
FRISCO, Texas (June 25, 2015) – The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) is proud to award the 2014 Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award to Habitec Security. The PDQ award is given to the company that promotes best practices working with law enforcement to reduce the number of unnecessary dispatches to alarm customers. The award was presented at the Public Safety and Networking Luncheon at ESX in Baltimore on June 24th.
“Habitec Security has long been an industry leader in promoting best practices in reducing the number of alarm dispatches,” said Stan Martin, SIAC Executive Director. “Their commitment to their customers and their drive to partner with law enforcement is evident by their implementation of proven dispatch reduction strategies.”
Having the only locally owned and operated Central Station in Northwest Ohio allows Habitec Security to handle each alarm call in a timely and appropriate manner. This local focus is a large contributing factor in reduced police dispatches in their communities. In 2011, Habitec implemented Enhanced Call Verification (ECV). Additionally, the company began an extensive six month Supervisor guided training for new hires.
In addition, the company achieved a 75 percent adaptation of CP-O1 alarm panels and required video installation for customers who had outside motion detectors. The firm also educated its customers by notifying them in writing and by telephone if they had more than two false alarms in a given period. If the customer was having a service issue the company would offer reduced prices to troubleshoot the problem.
“With these implementations along with a false alarm notification program and policy change in residential panic alarms and outdoor motion detection, we were able to reduce false alarms by 57 percent,” said John Smythe, Habitec Security President. “We also use video monitoring for verification.
“The safety and security of our customers is our number one priority and it is an honor for our company to win such a prestigious award,” said Smythe. “Our dedicated team work very hard across all departments to deliver consistent, high quality service while continuing to be a valuable partner to emergency agencies throughout the country.”
The PDQ Award is given annually by SIAC and the False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA), and co-sponsored by Honeywell Security, Security Sales & Integration Magazine, and the Installation Quality (IQ) Program.
ABOUT SIAC
SIAC represents one voice for the electronic security industry on alarm management issues – communicating solutions and enhancing relationships with law enforcement. SIAC is comprised of four major North American security associations--Canadian Security Association (CANASA), Security Industry Association (SIA), Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), and the Electronic Security Association (ESA). For more information, go to or follow us on
ABOUT FARA
The False Alarm Reduction Association, established in 1997, is an organization of public safety false alarm reduction professionals and alarm industry representatives, whose main mission is to provide a forum for the exchange of information on successful false alarm reduction programs, to serve as a clearinghouse for agencies seeking to reduce false alarms and to foster an environment of cooperation among law enforcement, the alarm industry and the alarm user. For more information, visit
ABOUT Habitec Security
Habitec Security, founded in 1972, is headquartered in Toledo, Ohio and has two full-service branches in Columbus, Ohio and Charlevoix, Michigan. Habitec owns and operates its own U.L. central station, which monitors 17,000 customers. The Habitec team consists of nearly 80 employees with an average of 20+ years in the security industry. In 2015, Habitec was named by The Toledo Blade as a Top Workplace.