The Pref-Tech Way isn’t for everyone, but it provides some food for thought on how sometimes bucking the trends can lead the way to success.

911inform announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has officially designated its innovative emergency management platform as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology (QATT) under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act.

Columnist Roy Pollack challenges professionals to test their knowledge in the latest 5 Minute Tech quiz.

The Biden administration’s new Energy Star-like labels are intended to make it easier for consumers to purchase secure IoT gear and help ward off cyberattacks.

A guide to the latest NFPA code updates for security dealers and integrators.

Dave Engebretson shares a new innovation in the intrusion detection and alarm monitoring space. 

The NIOSH-approved Comfort-Air Nx (industrial) and Comfort-Air NxMD (health care) half-masks are designed without an exhalation valve for workers who change out their disposables often. These reusable masks provide an airtight seal and can be sanitized after heavy use.

Milwaukee Tool expands its N95 respirator line to include an Unvalved N95 Respirator in addition to the existing N95 Valved Respirator and N95 Valved Respirator with a Gasket. Designed to stay comfortable all day, the respirators feature two soft adjustable straps and a flexible nose bridge for a better fit.

Protex SR9520S is a small NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirator designed to protect workers with smaller faces. It features the patent-pending Protex All Day Comfort System that combines a uniquely soft but strong inner layer, an incredibly lightweight but highly efficient and effective inner filtration layer, and high-sealing viscoelastic nose foam for a secure but comfortable seal.

The DC365 surgical N95 respirator is NIOSH-certified PPE that’s easy to don and doff. Fluid resistant and designed with comfort in mind, its flexible, lightweight construction conforms gently to the face to minimize pressure points.

These SEO-friendly content writing tips can help security industry professionals enhance their online visibility, attract more visitors and outperform their competition.

Boulder, CO – Researchers are calling on Colorado to require reporting of all fires and explosions in the state’s oil and gas industry, after an analysis showed an incident rate significantly lower than that of neighboring Utah, where reporting is mandatory.

Washington — OSHA has published COVID-19-related guidance intended to help employers in the oil and gas industry reduce exposure among workers, including personnel in the subindustries and those whose tasks “make up the broader oil and gas industrial sector.”

Washington — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has “continued to fulfill its mission” during the COVID-19 pandemic by performing safety and environmental inspections for offshore oil and gas operations, the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General concludes in a report issued Sept. 21.

Verkada’s newly released 2024 State of Cloud Physical Security report is based on insights from IT and physical security leaders across various sectors.

Washington – A pair of high-profile incidents overseas has prompted a study into the emotional and mental health of commercial pilots in the United States.

Atlanta — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published a series of fact sheets for airport, airline and transit employers to help protect their workers from exposure to COVID-19.

How well do you know OSHA? Take our quiz to test your knowledge of the agency’s terms, programs and procedures.

Washington — OSHA has warned Arizona, South Carolina and Utah to adopt their own version of the agency’s emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 for health care workers or face possible revocation of their State Plan status, according to multiple reports.

Sacramento, CA — Additional revisions to California’s emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 have been adopted by the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, to include the California Department of Public Health’s latest recommendations for reducing the spread of the disease.

Oakland, CA — Two fact sheets, along with an updated FAQ document, from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health highlight the latest revisions to the state’s emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 – adopted April 21 by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.

Sacramento, CA — California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has voted to adopt non-emergency COVID-19 prevention regulations.

Washington — In the absence of an emergency temporary standard on infectious disease from OSHA amid the COVID-19 pandemic, North America’s Building Trades Unions and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training have developed national guidance on infectious disease exposure control practices for construction sites.

The video surveillance market is strong and will continue to grow. It is less a lumbering giant, though, and more an agile athlete, able to pivot and adapt — it just happens to be the largest one on the security court.

Doomsday didn’t happen. For all the concern many security dealers have shown in recent years — particularly about the rapidly changing residential market — all indicators seem to finally point to what was always the hope in the midst of the fear: that all the new entrants, technologies and business models would start to grow the pie for all.

The U.S. fire market was steady and strong in 2018, with an equal or better outlook for 2019.

For decades the dominant story in access control has been that it was a victim of its own success: that is, customers were reluctant to change out what was still working — even 15 or 20 years on — and didn’t see the benefit in spending the money to upgrade, even for significantly new or different features.

Is the smart home market maturing and stabilizing, showing a clear path forward for security dealers wanting to capitalize on the new desires of homeowners to interact with many areas of their home life, including security? Not exactly. But there are definitely signs that it has moved to another level of adoption and interest, making the time ripe for action on the part of those who want to adjust their business model to capture opportunities and revenue in this fast-growing space.

SDM 100 security dealers mutually tallied $655 million in RMR on December 31, 2018, on 12.6 million subscribers.

Historically, PPE has been designed with a man’s body size and shape in mind. But when Safety+Health reached out to the International Safety Equipment Association regarding progress on designing personal protective equipment for women, manufacturers’ representatives were quick to respond.

Washington — Two new fact sheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are intended to help fitness center employers and workers reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Two generations of the Pastore family direct Crime Prevention Security Systems—and consider employees their extended family. From left: Office Manager Jessica Pastore; Vice President of Sales Randi Elrad; President John

This year, as hundreds of companies all over the country shrunk and cut back, one security company in Provo, Utah, did something unusual. APX Alarm Security Solutions Inc. (APX) grew

In 2008, ADS Security was the SDM 2008 Dealer of the Year Honoree. Since then nothing — and everything — has changed at the company, which is the 2014 Dealer of the Year.

SDM’s 2015 Dealer of the Year combines both old and new ideas to pave the way for the future.

They say necessity is the mother of invention.

From its humble beginnings in a Toyota Corolla, CPI Security — originally Crime Prevention Inc. — has operated with a singular focus.

Faced with debt, higher than desired attrition, challenges in retaining employees, inflation and supply chain issues caused by a global pandemic, this company managed to get completely debt-free, lower attrition, raise both wages and prices, and still make a profit — all of which resulted in a “war chest” that helped them invest in key cyber and marketing efforts.

Washington — The ongoing health problems of workers who responded during and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are the focus of an online exhibit recently unveiled by NIOSH and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will issue guidance intended to “ease the transition” to full implementation of its rule – set to go into effect Dec. 18 – on electronic logging devices in commercial motor vehicles, the agency announced Nov. 20.

Washington — Commercial motor vehicle drivers transporting items intended to assist in COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts are temporarily exempt from federal hours-of-service regulations, under an expanded national emergency declaration issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on March 18.

Vienna, VA – The annual Drive Safely Work Week, presented by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, is scheduled for Oct. 5-9.

Hamilton, Ontario — A series of free guidance documents from the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety is intended to help workers and employers in essential or high-risk occupations and industries reduce their exposure to COVID-19 and curb the spread of infection.

Gaithersburg, MD — A new online tool from the National Institute of Standards and Technology is intended to help curb airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

SDM's Top Systems Integrators: SUSTAINED GAINS

Click to expand and see full integrator rankings. Total annual revenue of nearly $8 billion, built upon more than 61,000 project starts, marked an extremely robust year for the 100

In the security systems integration business, fewer than 20 firms operate globally or nationally. The majority of integrators are regional and local businesses, which depend on construction and spending

Revenue classified as North American systems integration revenue rose from $6.29 billion in 2012 to $7.36 billion in 2013 — even though seven fewer companies are included in the report. However, for comparison purposes, SDM measures the top 100 companies’ 2012 integration revenue ($6.25 billion) against the top 100’s 2013 integration revenue ($7.33 billion).

Security integrators describe the 2018 market for integrated security systems as “strong,” “hot” and “accelerated” — all apt terms, given that the nation’s largest integrators grew their systems integration revenue by at least 14 percent last year.

Which manufacturers and distributors do the largest security integrators use most? This Top Systems Integrators brand-usage report lists the companies that earned the majority of their business in 2022.