Robeson County, N.C. (November 19, 2025) – Robeson County announced it is now live with Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) Service, which will streamline emergency response and significantly relieve the burden on telecommunicators in the county’s emergency communication center (ECC).
In 2024, the ECC received 11,038 burglar alarm calls and 1,379 fire alarm notifications, contributing to the agency’s total of 286,333 calls for service, including administrative calls. With this significant volume of alarm traffic, the adoption of ASAP Service will streamline operations by reducing call-processing time, minimizing miscommunications, and providing more accurate information from the onset. This means faster, better-informed emergency responses and improved telecommunicator performance – helping to reduce stress and burnout while enhancing public-safety outcomes.
The project demonstrates Robeson County’s commitment to adopting innovative technology to improve service to constituents, according to Chad Deese, director of communications.
“By implementing ASAP Service, we now have an automated system that saves valuable minutes during emergencies, reduces the workload for telecommunicators, and ensures more accurate information reaches emergency responders,” Deese said.
The county joins a growing number of U.S. public-safety agencies using ASAP Service to streamline alarm notifications and improve emergency response — it is the 15th ECC in North Carolina to deploy the solution. The county completed ASAP Service implementation in just over four months in partnership with its computer-aided dispatch (CAD) provider, CentralSquare, which has embedded the capability in the system that Robeson County is utilizing.
ASAP Service was developed by The Monitoring Association (TMA) to deliver alarm notifications automatically and digitally to an ECC’s CAD system, eliminating the need for voice calls, minimizing transcription errors, and significantly reducing response times for police, fire/rescue and emergency medical units. The solution also improves situational awareness by sending images, video links, and attachments captured by the alarm-monitoring center.
Traditionally, ASAP Service has been accessed via state message switches and Nlets but now also can be accessed via Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud, which will speed implementation and provide other benefits, such as alignment with standards like the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) security policy.
As of go-live, the following alarm-monitoring centers are transmitting alarm notifications via ASAP Service to Robeson County’s ECC: Rapid Response, Security Central, Securitas, Vivint, ADT, Vector, Alert360, Dynamark, National Monitoring Center, Brinks Home, CPI Security, JCI, Holmes, UCC, Guardian, Quick Response and Everon.
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