The Connection Magazine AIM MUTUAL Spring 2020 | Page 29

“We handle
every aspect of
our customers’
security so we can
ensure quality. ”
24-7 security monitoring center, which
is Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
certified and qualified by state and
federal governments for high-security
installations.
“Many companies use very large thirdparty
monitoring centers, which could
be halfway across the country, handling
hundreds of security dealers. We have
a different model,” said Louis Sampson,
chief financial officer at American
Alarm. “We handle every aspect of our
customers’ security so we can ensure
quality. Our approach also avoids gaps
in responsibility, so there is no hand-off
that customers need to navigate when
they have questions or need service.”
American Alarm’s security monitoring
center receives thousands of signals
daily from its customers. The vast
majority are routine, such as test pings
from components to make sure they are
communicating.
Others are trouble signals from devices
or operating systems that indicate
maintenance is needed. These signals are
important so American Alarm can make
sure their customers’ systems are ready
when needed.
Priority alarms also yield data that
American Alarm uses to help customers.
The company recently published a
study of verified priority alarms from
2014 through 2018. During that time,
American Alarm handled 1,644 verified
alarms, including 532 fire alarms, 333
burglary (intrusion) alarms, 224 elevator
entrapments, and 185 panic alarms.
Further, the study found that fire
alarms in New England spiked in January
and February, driven by increased heating
needs in the cold weather that led to
furnace malfunctions or problems with
alternative heating sources like wood
stoves and space heaters.
Burglar alarms were more frequent
in the winter and summer, concentrated
in the late evening and overnight hours.
Panic alarms from banks and retail
locations spiked in the beginning of the
business day at banks, and late at night at
24-hour convenience stores.
“We use this data to understand local
trends and to help people better manage
risk,” Louis Sampson said.
American Alarm has been an A.I.M
Mutual policyholder since 1990. The
company’s relationship with the
Associated Industries of Massachusetts,
the employer association that helped
launch A.I.M. Mutual, goes back
even further. In addition to workers’
compensation insurance, American
Alarm uses a variety of their consulting
services, including safety training,
wellness programs, and HR leadership
development programs.
“The quality and value of their programs
is excellent,” Louis Sampson said.
The wellness and safety programs help
American Alarm maintain a reasonable
MOD rate, an important safety metric
used by a number of vendors the company
deals with, Wells Sampson noted.
Today, American Alarm has its own
HR department and continues to rely on
A.I.M. Mutual for support. “They are great
to work with,” said Joe Doyle, director
of human resources at American Alarm.
“Their claims process is great. They have
an excellent online tool, and their staff is
very responsive.”
For example, while recently dealing
with a difficult workers’ compensation
case, Wells Sampson got a call from A.I.M
Mutual’s CEO Michael Standing to discuss
the situation.
“To get that call directly from Mike
meant a lot to me,” Wells said. “It showed
me that we’re not just a number, but a
valued partner. We’re very happy with our
relationship with A.I.M. Mutual. We use
them for our operations in Massachusetts
and New Hampshire, and I hope we get the
opportunity to use them in Rhode Island
soon.”
By: Michael Cohen, a freelance business
writer based in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
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