The Connection Magazine AIM MUTUAL Spring 2020 | Page 28

POLICYHOLDER SPOTLIGHT
American Alarm
And Communications:
Where Security Comes First
Left to Right:
Wells Sampson , President
Louis Sampson, CFO
WHEN THE priority alarm pops up
on the screen, it’s highlighted in red to
distinguish it from routine signals in the
queue. It could be a fire, a burglary in
progress, elevated levels of the deadly
gas carbon monoxide, or a panic button
activation from a bank in the midst of an
armed robbery.
In a matter of seconds, American Alarm
monitoring center operators grab the
signal, evaluate the alarm, and take action.
“We respond to priority alarms in 20
seconds or less, on average,” said Wells
Sampson, president of American Alarm.
“Response time is an essential metric we
track daily, because it’s the combination
of secure technology and rapid human
response that provides best-in-class
security.”
American Alarm and Communications
was established in 1971 by three
engineers who met at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT). Among the
founders was Richard “Dick” Sampson,
who would eventually take control of the
company and remains chairman of the
board nearly 50 years later. Day-to-day
leadership of the company has passed to
the second generation of the Sampson
family.
The company now has 270 employees
at six locations in New England—four in
Massachusetts, one in Rhode Island, and
another in New Hampshire. American
Alarm systems protect more than 32,000
homes, businesses, institutions, and
government buildings in the region. Their
team includes more than 100 licensed
systems technicians on the road every
day.
Unlike most security companies,
American Alarm maintains its own
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