by Jessica Barnes | May 7, 2024 | Uncategorized
Rockford, Minn. (May 7, 2024) — WH International Response Center (WHIRC) recently renewed the prestigious “TMA Five Diamond Monitoring Center” designation from The Monitoring Association (TMA) for the 21st straight year. WHIRC first earned the “Five Diamond” designation in 2004. It is granted annually to monitoring centers that satisfy all the requirements of the “five points of excellence.” These are:
- Commitment to ongoing job-related education and testing by having 100% 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 WHIRC 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.
Of the nearly 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 WHIRC apart.
To learn more, visit WHIRC’s website at whirc.com or call (800) 858-7811.
WHIRC is a leading national central station monitoring partner for residential and commercial security, alarm, and personal emergency response system dealers. WHIRC’s headquarters are in Rockford, Minn.
by Jessica Barnes | Apr 1, 2024 | Uncategorized
Partnering with the right monitoring center ensures you can focus on growing your business. When you choose WHIRC, you’re not just getting a monitoring center; you’re entering a relationship that prioritizes customer service and quality with a personalized touch.
Choosing WHIRC means selecting a partner dedicated to your success. Our commitment to swift onboarding, customization, expertise in the field, and a personal touch sets us apart in the industry.
At WHIRC, we believe in the power of customization. Our relationship begins with a detailed conversation with you and our technical sales team. We take the time to understand the nuances of your business, from jurisdictional considerations to the types of security services you offer. This deep understanding allows us to tailor our monitoring services to meet your business’ specific needs. Regardless of the size or location of our dealers, WHIRC ensures every partner receives the same level of exceptional service.
One of the key aspects that sets WHIRC apart from other monitoring centers is our commitment to a swift onboarding process. In as little as a week, our dealers are up and running with our TMA Five Diamond and UL Listed monitoring center, ready 24/7 to provide outstanding security monitoring services.
Changing monitoring centers has its challenges but WHIRC is here to make it seamless. We not only assist in the swift transfer of data, but also provide support to help dealers smoothly convert their accounts. Our goal is to make the monitoring transition as smooth as possible, ensuring minimal disruption to your operations.
by Jessica Barnes | Feb 26, 2024 | WHIRC News
by Jessica Barnes | Nov 6, 2023 | Uncategorized
According to Park Associates, the home security camera market is expected to grow by nearly five million households in the next five years. Video verification and video health monitoring can be an excellent source of recurring monthly revenue (RMR). For dealers looking to expand their service offerings, a monitoring center with the Universal Connector from Bold can be a solution.
A Universal Connector is a virtual monitoring center receiver that processes communications from devices in the field to create an alarm in the same way receiving a signal from a burglar or fire panel does. WH International Response Center (WHIRC) uses its universal connector to provide monitoring to a variety of security products. Some examples include HVAC systems, GPS devices, video health monitoring, and alarm verification. Texts, email, open database connectivity (ODBC), protocols including FTP, TCP, and UDP, and simple files can now be processed as an alarm.
WHIRC also uses the Universal Connector to monitor outdoor automated external defibrillator (AED) smart cabinets created by Advocates for Health. In October 2023, WHIRC was able to dispatch first responders to a local park after a good Samaritan opened the monitored cabinet to retrieve an AED to help someone having a heart attack, saving his life.
Jessica Theisen from Advocates for Heath noted, “the Universal Connector receiver allows WHIRC to work with Advocates for Health’s monitoring software to receive critical alerts from a monitored cabinet that stores an AED. When these alerts are received, WHIRC can send out important texts, emails, and most importantly, dispatch emergency services so that help can be sent to the location of the emergency.”
Two of the most common use cases for the Universal Connector are video health monitoring and remote alarm verification.
Video health monitoring can trigger alarms when a part of the system isn’t working. Some examples of alarms that can be created include when a hard drive is full, a camera is not working, hard drive failure, poor video quality, and poor network connection. The process to set up video health monitoring with your monitoring center includes reviewing how the recording devices communicate, establishing a template for alarm generation, and identifying the type of response required.
Remote alarm verification allows your monitoring center to view security camera footage to see what activated the alarm and confirm the emergency. This information is sent to emergency services for a quicker, more accurate response. Camera systems send an email with events and can include video clips. From there, the dispatch staff can determine what caused the event and how to proceed. Custom programming is required to properly parse out information to identify which account is sending the notification. Once the account is identified, dispatch staff will follow the action steps developed in the planning phase.
A Universal Connector can monitor nearly any type of camera system with minimal integration, regardless of brand. It enables security system dealers to generate RMR while providing a very valuable service to your customers.
by Jessica Barnes | Aug 22, 2023 | WHIRC News
On behalf of all of us WHIRC, we would like to thank all our customers, dealers, manufacturers, and peers that attended our 13th annual Partner Symposium, which was held at Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake, MN on July 20, 2023.
If you were unable to join us this year, here is what you missed.
We focused on the theme Reliability You Can Count On. One of the many highlights of the day-long event was the four-person dealer panel, which gave guests the opportunity to discuss several topics including how technology sunsets impact our business, labor and staffing, and technology integrations. Industry peers shared best practices and discussed changes in the industry.
Guest speakers from OneTel, Alula, Bongo Technologies, and Telguard presented their latest products and shared insights on navigating the POTS sunset. Vendors answered questions and provided additional information on a variety of topics including products, platforms, technology, and regulatory standards.
For the first time, WHIRC was able to deliver continuing education credits to its attendees. Scott Gobbi from Telguard presented a Certified Class on Alarm Communication Technology.
Some dealer comments heard throughout the day included: “Great event;” “Thank you so much for all the information;” and “We will be evaluating how to implement this new technology.”
Some other positive feedback we heard came from Chris Walsh from Stone Security: “We pass any increased costs onto our customers through our monitoring pricing because we monitor with the best.”
WHIRC is proud to host a space for dealers, manufacturers, and industry partners to come together and exchange ideas, connect, and learn about the latest technology. If you missed the opportunity this year, we hope to see you in the summer of 2024!
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