FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...
We love talking to people, so feel free to call us. But, if it’s 2am in the morning, you can’t sleep and are just looking around, start here with some of the questions we hear the most then call us in a few hours and we’ll be happy to answer any other questions you might have.
Is this a “dealer program” or a wholesale monitoring program? I don’t want to be a dealer!
We don’t blame you. Keep your accounts for yourself. We’re not going to try to trick you out of them. Although we refer to our wholesale monitoring customers as “dealers”, we do not offer a dealer program in the traditional sense of the word.
We provide wholesale monitoring along with a number of other ways of helping you as will be discussed elsewhere. When you sell an account, you put your yard sign and window decals up, not ours. The customer is yours. We just monitor their alarm system and notify you of messages, events, etc. that involve your customers.
When the time comes for you to sell your accounts or the business as a whole then, yes, we would be interested in taking a look at how many accounts you have and will likely make a competitive offer. Until then, our job is to support and help you grow your business.
Where is the central station located?
Our monitoring facility is located at 3205 E. Thompson Road, Indianapolis, Indiana. You are welcome to tour the facility at any time. Another facility is currently being constructed in another state.
How will the phone be answered when my customers call in?
You’re the boss so you tell us. Generally, the phone will be answered "Central Station, are you calling to cancel an alarm?" If you have any objections or special requests, accommodations can be made to suit your needs. We are happy to answer the phone in your company’s name as well and we generally suggest that you consider this. It depends on whether or not you’ve made it clear to your customers that you sub-contract the monitoring service.
What is your quality assurance program for your operators?
Quality assurance starts with a rigorous hiring process to find only the best staff members. We begin by discarding any applicant whose written application is not thorough, professional and accurate. Next, applicants have an interview with the Director of Operations and the Customer Service Team Leader. Upon passing that interview, applicants are subjected to a thorough background investigation that includes criminal history, civil records (lawsuits, etc), driving history, previous employment verification, a 7 panel drug screening (5 panel tests are standard) and a review of their credit report. If the applicant passes the background and drug screening, he/she will be given the opportunity to sit in the central station for a period of 2-4 hours. During that time, they are expected to observe all aspects of the position. At the end of the evaluation, if the applicant continues to show interest in the position and the central station staff gave a good report, the applicant will interview with David Myers, the company’s owner. Upon passing that interview, the applicant will be hired.
Quality of our service is also assured by having all calls recorded. Dealers are welcome to have a copy of any call involving one of their accounts.
The Director of Operations also reviews response time reports on all operators. Any operator exceeding the average response time of the company (less than 20 seconds) on a regular basis is investigated and retrained or terminated. Operators that do not portray the values of the company are given the opportunity to improve and placed on a 30 day review program. If the operator fails to improve, he/she is terminated.
Any and all complaints from customers, dealers and employees are immediately and thoroughly investigated.
How long has First Choice Monitoring Solutions been in business?
First Choice Monitoring Solutions has been in business for over 16 years and has customers in three states. The Myers family has been in business in central and southern Indiana since the 1940s and, aside from the alarm company, owns two of the 100 largest privately owned businesses in Indiana.
Is First Choice Monitoring Solutions UL or FM listed?
Absolutely not! We see no need to spend the considerable about of money each month (that would be charged to you via higher rates) to be UL and/or FM listed. We currently meet or exceed all requirements of U.L. for alarm monitoring facilities. If you require UL listing for one or more of your accounts, we will place them with our backup facility which is U.L. listed. The vast majority of accounts do not need to be with a U.L. listed monitoring facility. And many people do not realize that U.L. will not cover them in the event of a loss if they haven’t paid extra for their coverage! We find U.L. to be a great organization that sets very good, exacting standards. But, if we meet and exceed those standards, why should we charge you more money each month because of needing to pass along those extra expenses? We want you to have a serious competitive edge!
The following is a list of the requirements to be a U.L. listed monitoring facility. We meet each and every requirement.
Facility
1. Must be located in a fire-resistant building
2. The Operating Room and the Alarm Investigator's Room must be protected at all times against unauthorized entry
3. There must be a direct line to a police station or another central station
4. Entrances to the Operating Room must be kept locked at all times with positive ID to allow access to the room
5. The Operating Room must be arranged so that people outside cannot see the interior of the room
6. Transparent windows at ground level must be covered to prohibit viewing from the outside.
Central Station Fire Protection & Emergency Lighting
1. All Central Stations must be constructed to minimize the threat of fire
2. Fire extinguishers are required for the Central Station, satellite stations, power, battery and generator rooms / areas
to protect the equipment in case of damage from water overhead, a watershed must be installed over the equipment.
This watershed may be permanent, or may be a moveable cover or shield installed next to the equipment so that it
maybe pulled over the equipment by one person
3. Emergency lighting is required in the Operating Room, the Alarm Investigator's Room, the power room and near the
engine-driven generator. With a loss of power, emergency lighting must activate immediately and must be
independent of the regular power source
Alarm Receiving Equipment
1. There are provisions that require certain types of wiring connections and wire routing
2. Spare alarm receiving equipment must be kept on site, and must be available to be installed in less than one hour in
case of malfunction or failure
3. Audible signals are required for alarm receivers
Power Systems
1. The Central Station must remain operational at all times
2. One or more of the following are required:
a. Storage batteries having sufficient total capacity to power the system under normal conditions for 24 hours
b. A permanently-installed engine-driven generator of sufficient capacity to power the system under maximum
normal load and storage batteries with a four hour capacity
c. Two or more permanently-installed engine-driven generators may be used as stand-by power. If the largest
capacity generator is out of service, the other generator must be capable of providing power to the system under
maximum normal load. One of these generators must be equipped with an automatic starting mechanism
d. When computers are used to receive and or process signals, they must be equipped with an uninterruptible
power supply with sufficient capacity to power the computer system for at least fifteen minutes
e. When using engine-driven generators, fuel must be available to power the generator for at least twenty-four
hours
f. Security must be provided to any engine-driven generator
Is First Choice Monitoring Solutions licensed to do business in my state?
Based on the number of accounts you will be placing with us, we are happy to consider becoming licensed in your particular state. We are already licensed in the jurisdictions where we presently work. However, licensing is generally not required on our end if you are properly licensed in the state(s) where you do business. While the call from the alarm system to us may originate in a licensed state, all services being performed are done so in Indiana. Although states want their licensing money from as many people as they can get it from, they have no legal authority to regulate interstate commerce or to require licensing from companies that do no market or do work in their state. Nonetheless, when the account base is enough to warrant the expense, we become licensed (i.e. there’s a big difference between 50 accounts and 500).
Do you have dealer financing programs?
Want to sell your accounts? We will very likely be willing to buy them and pay you a top multiple. If you want to borrow money on your existing accounts, we can put you in touch with some of the nation's top lending sources. For more information, contact David and we’ll be happy to talk more about it.
What is your pricing?
Our monitoring rates start at $2.50 per month with no gimmicks. A full price list is available from the main page on the navigation bar. Prices are sometimes lowered if you will be having us monitor a large number of accounts. Please contact David or Terry at 317-865-1014 or 888-MPS-ALARM for more information. There will be no high-pressure sales tactics or no obligations.
What kind of training do your operators have?
First Choice Monitoring Solutions demands that its operators be efficient, friendly, and courteous to both you and your customers. We know that customer satisfaction is the only thing which will keep us in business. All of our operators have successfully completed a background check (criminal, civil, credit and driving) as well as having successfully completed the SIA Certified Operators (Course Levels I and II). When you send a signal to First Choice Monitoring Solutions, you can be assured it is responded to by a qualified, fully trained operator.
What is the average operator response time to an alarm signal?
Our average response time is less than 13 seconds.
How do I sign up with First Choice Monitoring Solutions?
Please call 317-865-1014 or 888-MPS-ALARM and speak with David Myers or Terry Jared to request a dealer packet by fax or snail mail. You may also download the forms from this site. You will need to complete a Dealer Monitoring Agreement as well as an Dealer Information Form. We need hard copies with your original signature as well as an insurance certificate in our file before we can begin to monitor your accounts. We will provide you with all of the paperwork that you will need to be a Dealer, give you as much training and support as you need and personally guide you through the process. You will also be given the cell phone numbers of the owner (David Myers) and Director of Operations (Terry Jared).
More questions?
Please contact us from this website or call us at 317-865-1014 or 888-MPS-ALARM.
We love talking to people, so feel free to call us. But, if it’s 2am in the morning, you can’t sleep and are just looking around, start here with some of the questions we hear the most then call us in a few hours and we’ll be happy to answer any other questions you might have.
Is this a “dealer program” or a wholesale monitoring program? I don’t want to be a dealer!
We don’t blame you. Keep your accounts for yourself. We’re not going to try to trick you out of them. Although we refer to our wholesale monitoring customers as “dealers”, we do not offer a dealer program in the traditional sense of the word.
We provide wholesale monitoring along with a number of other ways of helping you as will be discussed elsewhere. When you sell an account, you put your yard sign and window decals up, not ours. The customer is yours. We just monitor their alarm system and notify you of messages, events, etc. that involve your customers.
When the time comes for you to sell your accounts or the business as a whole then, yes, we would be interested in taking a look at how many accounts you have and will likely make a competitive offer. Until then, our job is to support and help you grow your business.
Where is the central station located?
Our monitoring facility is located at 3205 E. Thompson Road, Indianapolis, Indiana. You are welcome to tour the facility at any time. Another facility is currently being constructed in another state.
How will the phone be answered when my customers call in?
You’re the boss so you tell us. Generally, the phone will be answered "Central Station, are you calling to cancel an alarm?" If you have any objections or special requests, accommodations can be made to suit your needs. We are happy to answer the phone in your company’s name as well and we generally suggest that you consider this. It depends on whether or not you’ve made it clear to your customers that you sub-contract the monitoring service.
What is your quality assurance program for your operators?
Quality assurance starts with a rigorous hiring process to find only the best staff members. We begin by discarding any applicant whose written application is not thorough, professional and accurate. Next, applicants have an interview with the Director of Operations and the Customer Service Team Leader. Upon passing that interview, applicants are subjected to a thorough background investigation that includes criminal history, civil records (lawsuits, etc), driving history, previous employment verification, a 7 panel drug screening (5 panel tests are standard) and a review of their credit report. If the applicant passes the background and drug screening, he/she will be given the opportunity to sit in the central station for a period of 2-4 hours. During that time, they are expected to observe all aspects of the position. At the end of the evaluation, if the applicant continues to show interest in the position and the central station staff gave a good report, the applicant will interview with David Myers, the company’s owner. Upon passing that interview, the applicant will be hired.
Quality of our service is also assured by having all calls recorded. Dealers are welcome to have a copy of any call involving one of their accounts.
The Director of Operations also reviews response time reports on all operators. Any operator exceeding the average response time of the company (less than 20 seconds) on a regular basis is investigated and retrained or terminated. Operators that do not portray the values of the company are given the opportunity to improve and placed on a 30 day review program. If the operator fails to improve, he/she is terminated.
Any and all complaints from customers, dealers and employees are immediately and thoroughly investigated.
How long has First Choice Monitoring Solutions been in business?
First Choice Monitoring Solutions has been in business for over 16 years and has customers in three states. The Myers family has been in business in central and southern Indiana since the 1940s and, aside from the alarm company, owns two of the 100 largest privately owned businesses in Indiana.
Is First Choice Monitoring Solutions UL or FM listed?
Absolutely not! We see no need to spend the considerable about of money each month (that would be charged to you via higher rates) to be UL and/or FM listed. We currently meet or exceed all requirements of U.L. for alarm monitoring facilities. If you require UL listing for one or more of your accounts, we will place them with our backup facility which is U.L. listed. The vast majority of accounts do not need to be with a U.L. listed monitoring facility. And many people do not realize that U.L. will not cover them in the event of a loss if they haven’t paid extra for their coverage! We find U.L. to be a great organization that sets very good, exacting standards. But, if we meet and exceed those standards, why should we charge you more money each month because of needing to pass along those extra expenses? We want you to have a serious competitive edge!
The following is a list of the requirements to be a U.L. listed monitoring facility. We meet each and every requirement.
Facility
1. Must be located in a fire-resistant building
2. The Operating Room and the Alarm Investigator's Room must be protected at all times against unauthorized entry
3. There must be a direct line to a police station or another central station
4. Entrances to the Operating Room must be kept locked at all times with positive ID to allow access to the room
5. The Operating Room must be arranged so that people outside cannot see the interior of the room
6. Transparent windows at ground level must be covered to prohibit viewing from the outside.
Central Station Fire Protection & Emergency Lighting
1. All Central Stations must be constructed to minimize the threat of fire
2. Fire extinguishers are required for the Central Station, satellite stations, power, battery and generator rooms / areas
to protect the equipment in case of damage from water overhead, a watershed must be installed over the equipment.
This watershed may be permanent, or may be a moveable cover or shield installed next to the equipment so that it
maybe pulled over the equipment by one person
3. Emergency lighting is required in the Operating Room, the Alarm Investigator's Room, the power room and near the
engine-driven generator. With a loss of power, emergency lighting must activate immediately and must be
independent of the regular power source
Alarm Receiving Equipment
1. There are provisions that require certain types of wiring connections and wire routing
2. Spare alarm receiving equipment must be kept on site, and must be available to be installed in less than one hour in
case of malfunction or failure
3. Audible signals are required for alarm receivers
Power Systems
1. The Central Station must remain operational at all times
2. One or more of the following are required:
a. Storage batteries having sufficient total capacity to power the system under normal conditions for 24 hours
b. A permanently-installed engine-driven generator of sufficient capacity to power the system under maximum
normal load and storage batteries with a four hour capacity
c. Two or more permanently-installed engine-driven generators may be used as stand-by power. If the largest
capacity generator is out of service, the other generator must be capable of providing power to the system under
maximum normal load. One of these generators must be equipped with an automatic starting mechanism
d. When computers are used to receive and or process signals, they must be equipped with an uninterruptible
power supply with sufficient capacity to power the computer system for at least fifteen minutes
e. When using engine-driven generators, fuel must be available to power the generator for at least twenty-four
hours
f. Security must be provided to any engine-driven generator
Is First Choice Monitoring Solutions licensed to do business in my state?
Based on the number of accounts you will be placing with us, we are happy to consider becoming licensed in your particular state. We are already licensed in the jurisdictions where we presently work. However, licensing is generally not required on our end if you are properly licensed in the state(s) where you do business. While the call from the alarm system to us may originate in a licensed state, all services being performed are done so in Indiana. Although states want their licensing money from as many people as they can get it from, they have no legal authority to regulate interstate commerce or to require licensing from companies that do no market or do work in their state. Nonetheless, when the account base is enough to warrant the expense, we become licensed (i.e. there’s a big difference between 50 accounts and 500).
Do you have dealer financing programs?
Want to sell your accounts? We will very likely be willing to buy them and pay you a top multiple. If you want to borrow money on your existing accounts, we can put you in touch with some of the nation's top lending sources. For more information, contact David and we’ll be happy to talk more about it.
What is your pricing?
Our monitoring rates start at $2.50 per month with no gimmicks. A full price list is available from the main page on the navigation bar. Prices are sometimes lowered if you will be having us monitor a large number of accounts. Please contact David or Terry at 317-865-1014 or 888-MPS-ALARM for more information. There will be no high-pressure sales tactics or no obligations.
What kind of training do your operators have?
First Choice Monitoring Solutions demands that its operators be efficient, friendly, and courteous to both you and your customers. We know that customer satisfaction is the only thing which will keep us in business. All of our operators have successfully completed a background check (criminal, civil, credit and driving) as well as having successfully completed the SIA Certified Operators (Course Levels I and II). When you send a signal to First Choice Monitoring Solutions, you can be assured it is responded to by a qualified, fully trained operator.
What is the average operator response time to an alarm signal?
Our average response time is less than 13 seconds.
How do I sign up with First Choice Monitoring Solutions?
Please call 317-865-1014 or 888-MPS-ALARM and speak with David Myers or Terry Jared to request a dealer packet by fax or snail mail. You may also download the forms from this site. You will need to complete a Dealer Monitoring Agreement as well as an Dealer Information Form. We need hard copies with your original signature as well as an insurance certificate in our file before we can begin to monitor your accounts. We will provide you with all of the paperwork that you will need to be a Dealer, give you as much training and support as you need and personally guide you through the process. You will also be given the cell phone numbers of the owner (David Myers) and Director of Operations (Terry Jared).
More questions?
Please contact us from this website or call us at 317-865-1014 or 888-MPS-ALARM.