Frederick, Md. (May 14, 2025) – The Monitoring Association (TMA) announced today that the Frederick County (Maryland) Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) recently implemented ASAP Service to lessen the impact of alarm calls that its 911 center receives. The solution leverages the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP), which was developed jointly by TMA and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). More than 150 implementations of ASAP have occurred across the United States.
DEC’s 911 center processes emergency and nonemergency calls and provides dispatch services for the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick City and Thurmont police departments, and several fire/rescue and emergency medical departments. It also coordinates after-hours communications for several county agencies. Each year, the center handles about 40,000 calls.
The department’s decision to implement ASAP Service naturally followed an earlier decision to upgrade the 911 center’s computer aided dispatch (CAD) system.
Traditionally, alarm alerts have been delivered to 911 centers via telephone. Each one required manual interaction between alarm monitoring center personnel and 911 telecommunicators. Sometimes it takes as many as five voice calls to deliver the information needed by the 911 center to dispatch the appropriate emergency response. This approach is time consuming and prone to human error — both outcomes are highly detrimental to the ability of emergency responders to save lives and property.
ASAP eliminates these challenges by electronically transmitting alarm data directly into the 911 center’s computer aided dispatch (CAD) system, reducing response times by two minutes on average and freeing telecommunicators to prioritize 911 calls that require their unique skills and expertise.
Alarm companies supporting ASAP Service in the region served by DEC include ADT, Brinks Home Monitoring, Dynamark Monitoring, EverOn, Guardian Protection, Rapid Response Monitoring Service, Securitas, Tyco/JCI, Vector Security, and Vivint.
Learn more about how TMA's ASAP Service is saving lives every day nationwide at www.ASAP911.org.
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About The Monitoring Association
The Monitoring Association (TMA), formerly the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), is an internationally recognized non-profit trade association that represents professional monitoring companies, security systems integrators, and providers of products and services to the industry. Incorporated in 1950, TMA represents its members before Congress and regulatory agencies on the local, state and federal levels, and other authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) over the industry. Learn more online at https://tma.us/about-tma/.
About TMA’s ASAP Service
Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) service allows for the direct electronic dispatch of first responder calls for service from alarm companies to PSAPs and ECCs. Increasing the accuracy and efficiency of dispatches, the ASAP service utilizes ANSI standard protocols developed cooperatively by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and The Monitoring Association (TMA).
CONTACT:
Julie Howerter, Marketing Strategist
The ASAP Service
815-501-5832
marketing@asap911.org
