What Is ASAP?

The Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) is a national service that is the next generation for the processing of information from alarm monitoring stations needing emergency dispatch.

Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, ASAP is designed to increase the efficiency and reliability of emergency electronic signals from monitoring companies to emergency communications centers. ASAP uses ANSI standard protocols developed cooperatively by APCO International and The Monitoring Association. Using the ASAP service, critical information about life safety events is delivered digitally directly to the CAD system in seconds through the Nlets nationwide public-safety network. The use of data communications ensures that complete and accurate information is transmitted to the ECC every time.

The ASAP Standard

2.101.3-2021 Alarm Monitoring Company to Emergency Communications Center (ECC) Computer – Aided Dispatch (CAD) Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP)

The Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) is a successfully proven data exchange that has demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness in streamlining alarm notifications between alarm monitoring companies and public safety Emergency Communications Centers since 2009. This standard is the product resulting from the joint effort by APCO and The Monitoring Association (TMA) formerly known as the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA).

Updates include the renaming the introduction of schema version 3.4 including new data fields and message types available to the users of this standard and critical to the mission of public safety. An emphasis on address verification/synchronization between the alarm companies and the ECCs is included. New alarm event types are also introduced as well as methods to indicate that an alarm has been verified positively as a real-life crime, fire, or emergency medical event.

Connected ECCs and Alarm Companies

A growing list of CAD platforms have ASAP interfaces and the number of ECCs of all sizes gaining benefit from the ASAP service is steadily growing. The alarm monitoring industry is committed to ASAP, with local, regional and national monitoring companies connected to the service. Seamless deployment is realized through the use of standardized technology and an experienced ASAP technical team.

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