KEN KIRSCHENBAUM, ESQ ALARM - SECURITY INDUSTRY LEGAL EMAIL NEWSLETTER / THE ALARM EXCHANGE You can read all of our articles on our website. Having trouble getting our emails? Change your spam controls and whitelist ken@kirschenbaumesq.com ********************** Is it legal to outsource alarm monitoring August 30, 2023 ******************************* Is it legal to outsource alarm monitoring ******************************* Ken Could it ever be legal to outsource alarm monitoring labor? Or are alarm monitoring businesses required to have UL-Listing which requires the labor (for example command station operators) to be in the US? MB ********************** Response ********************** I think you are asking if a central station can use non-employees as operators. You mention that UL requires operators to be in the US; I don’t know if that is an accurate statement. First of all, a central station does not need to be UL listed. Technically anyone receiving signals on the telephone or computer on their bedside table can monitoring alarm signals. Obviously those days are long over but that’s because of technology and evolution of the central stations. But, seriously, not all central stations have UL listing which means they either don’t pay for the listing, don’t meet the listing criteria, or both. Licensing is required in many states for alarm monitoring and some of those license laws will require the operators to be employees and licensed or certified or approved for employment by the licensing agency. A non-employee would not qualify unless the central station made that person an employee. I don’t know what UL has to say about a central station having its operations exclusively in the US. However, certain subscribers will prohibit foreign based central station operations, such as federal defense facilities [may be all federal and state facilities]. That prohibition may also extend to any private business who is a vendor to the federal government. That said, I don’t think there is any law that would prohibit my home alarm from being monitored in a foreign country. I don’t think that monitoring in foreign countries or Artificial Intelligence monitoring is yet effective or practical, but not so sure it’s illegal except as noted above. This is more than having operators work from home. We’d like to hear from the central stations on this issue. ************************* STANDARD FORM AGREEMENTS: To order up to date Standard Form Alarm / Security / Fire and related Agreements click here: www.alarmcontracts.com *************************** CONCIERGE LAWYER SERVICE PROGRAM FOR THE ALARM INDUSTRY - You can check out the program and sign up here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/concierge or contact our Program Coordinator Stacy Spector, Esq at 516 747 6700 x 304. *********************** ALARM ARTICLES: You can always read our Articles on our website at www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/alarm-articles updated daily ************************* THE ALARM EXCHANGE - the alarm industries leading classified and business exchange - updated daily. https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/alarm-exchange ************************* Wondering how much your alarm company is worth? Click here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/what-is-my-alarm-company-worth ****************************** Getting on our email list / Articles archived: Many of you are forwarding these emails to friends or asking that others be added to the list. Sign up for our daily newsletter here: Sign Up. ************************** Ken Kirschenbaum,Esq Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum PC Attorneys at Law 200 Garden City Plaza Garden City, NY 11530 516 747 6700 x 301 ken@kirschenbaumesq.com www.KirschenbaumEsq.com
