by Jessica | Mar 25, 2020 | WHIRC News
All of us at WHIRC want to keep you informed about the changes we are making due to COVID-19 and how we will continue to provide monitoring to all our partners. Our decisions are made with the utmost concern for our employees, partners and community.
WE ARE AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS.
Under Department of Homeland Security guidelines, WHIRC dispatchers and support staff are designated “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers.” This means our work will continue uninterrupted when the “Stay at Home” order begins in Minnesota on Friday, March 27.
WE ARE WORKING REMOTELY.
To protect the health and safety of our employees, those who can are now working from home and have been equipped with the necessary technology to complete their jobs remotely. All employees accessing account databases are using a secure VPN connection to ensure all account information remains safe.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO OUR PARTNERS.
We have made a number of changes in how we conduct our work, but the end result is the same. We will continue to deliver excellent monitoring services to help protect lives and property. If you have any questions at all, give us a call at (763) 477-4275.
~ Ashley Raisanen, WHIRC Business Manager
by Jessica | Mar 13, 2020 | WHIRC News
WHIRC Partners:
I write to provide you WHIRC’s plan regarding our COVID-19 plan. Our decisions are made with the utmost concern for our employees, partners and community. We remain aligned with the guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The following actions are effective immediately:
- All non-essential business travel and in-person meetings will be cancelled, rescheduled or conducted remotely. This includes conferences, trade shows and vendor meetings.
- Even for routine business, we will use telephone or video conferencing whenever possible to minimize face-to-face interaction.
- The MDH and CDC are encouraging everyone to practice “social distancing” to prevent the spread of the virus. Therefore, we are prepared to execute alternate schedules, isolation from other work groups and remote working arrangements where feasible.
The most important things we can ALL do to prevent the spread of any illness are to:
- Stay home from school, work and activities/events if you are not feeling well.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Cough and sneeze into your sleeve (or tissue).
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- We encourage employees to reschedule personal travel where possible, especially to areas in high concentration of the virus.
Thank you for your cooperation as we do our part to keep employees safe and service continuity in place.
~ Ashley Raisanen, WHIRC Business Manager
by Jessica | Mar 12, 2020 | WHIRC News
Rockford, Minn. (March 12, 2020) — WH International Response Center (WHIRC) recently renewed the prestigious “TMA Five Diamond Monitoring Center” designation from The Monitoring Association (TMA) for the 17th straight year. WHIRC first earned the “Five Diamond” designation in 2004. It is granted annually to monitoring centers that satisfy all of the requirements of the “five points of excellence.” These are:
Commitment to ongoing job-related education and testing by having 100 percent of its monitoring center operators certified using the TMA online training series on industry best practices.- Commitment to random inspections and quality criteria standards by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as FM Approvals, Intertek/ETL and UL.
- Commitment to raising the industry standards through TMA membership and participation in its activities.
- Commitment to reducing false dispatches.
- Commitment to the highest levels of customer service.
The TMA Five Diamond designation means that a monitoring company has demonstrated an exceptionally high degree of responsibility to their businesses and customers through the investment of time, money and commitment to quality operator training.
There are approximately 2,700 monitoring centers in the United States that communicate and interact with police, fire and emergency services agencies. Fewer than 200 have achieved the Five Diamond designation, setting these companies apart.
To learn more, visit the WHIRC website at whirc.com or call (800) 858-7811.
by Jessica | Jan 28, 2020 | WHIRC News
Did you know that WHIRC has received its Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) listing as a Central Monitoring Station for 25 years in a row, dating back to 1994? This means we have met or exceeded quality, safety and training standards set by UL. WHIRC is committed to exceeding UL’s standards to ensure continuity of quality service to its customers. In fact, our passion for fast, accurate and professional monitoring is so strong that we might even say we are obsessed with it. It’s what we do, 24/7/365.
We strongly feel the human element in home security is irreplaceable and the effort we put into our company and our monitoring efforts shows how seriously we take our responsibility to help protect lives and property.
While there are plenty of DIY security systems out there allowing customers to monitor their own home, a professionally monitored system means that someone is there for you during the most difficult situations. All of us at WHIRC are here not only for your customers, but for you as well. Our dispatchers are here to take your call all day, every day. We make sure your accounts are covered whether it’s a weekday or weekend. Going on vacation? We’ll still be here to take care of your accounts while you’re taking a break. Sometimes, you need backup. This is one reason why, when you choose WHIRC as your monitoring partner, you get the best team in the business.
Our dispatchers are highly trained, educated and are there for you and your customers 24/7/365. Their efforts have helped WHIRC receive a “Five Diamond” designation from The Monitoring Association annually. This status is granted to monitoring centers like us that are committed to the industry’s highest standards. There are 2,700 monitoring centers in the United States and fewer than 200 have achieved the Five Diamond designation.
We are committed to be among the very best and work hard every day to surpass these high standards time and time again. Everyone at WHIRC is passionate about monitoring. It’s what we do. To learn more, visit whirc.com or call (763) 477-4275.
by Jessica | Nov 6, 2019 | Industry Trends
To many, the news that Interlogix was discontinuing its product line came as a surprise. Many dealers have built their business around this product line and were disappointed by the sudden news. However, WHIRC is prepared for exactly this kind of situation. Our long-standing relationships with many different manufacturers allow us to help dealers get connected to continue with sales, service, installation and monitoring as they transition away from Interlogix.
WHIRC has already helped dealers move product lines and start implementing new offerings. Depending on your focus, there is a solution that WHIRC can help you migrate to and we will continue to support the Interlogix platform moving forward. We provide training resources, pricing information, distribution contacts and networking opportunities with the different manufacturers. And, most of all, we provide continued monitoring and support service as dealers move forward.
WHIRC is also moving ahead with its 3G conversion plans. As a partner, we are working with our distributors and manufacturers to bring you options and cost-effective solutions to upgrade this outgoing technology. Our focus is on the future. We have overcome technology challenges in the past and expect more in the future as technology continues to evolve at a faster and faster rate.
These are exciting times and with change comes additional opportunities. As security and technology providers, we need to be flexible and proactive. WHIRC is committed to helping you through this transition with timely product, service and monitoring support. Let us know how we can help you!
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