ASAP Service Reduces Call Handling Time at Riverside (Calif.) 911 Center

The Monitoring Association (TMA) announced that the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in City of Riverside, Calif., saved more than 33 hours a month in 2024 by using TMA’s ASAP Service to process alarm and sensor notifications.

The estimate is based on an average savings of two minutes per call across 12,231 alarm notifications delivered via ASAP Service last year. Traditionally, each notification required multiple voice calls to collect dispatch and response details, but with ASAP Service the data is sent directly to the ECC’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system.

“The streamlined call-handling enabled our telecommunicators to focus more on priority 911 emergencies, which was especially beneficial during periods of high call volume,” said Michelle Brandt, the city’s police/fire communications manager. “ASAP Service has been a valuable tool for our center, and I’m surprised that more agencies haven’t adopted it.”

Riverside’s ECC handled more than 756,000 calls for service in 2024. Officials implemented ASAP Service in 2023 for law enforcement-related alarm notifications to reduce the burden of administrative phone calls, which can number as many as five per incident.

Developed by TMA in collaboration with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol streamlines how alarm and sensor notifications reach emergency centers. The service also integrates the Alarm Verification Scoring standard, which assigns priority levels to alarms, helping telecommunicators gauge severity.

Launched in 2011, ASAP Service enables direct electronic dispatch of first responder calls from alarm companies to public safety answering points and ECCs, improving both accuracy and efficiency.