Leading Virginia Law Enforcement Agencies Turn To The Response Network For Their In-Service Online Training

Underscoring the speed with which training conscious, budget strapped law enforcement agencies are turning to its portal for high quality, cost effective, in-service online training, The Response Network today announced that the Virginia Beach, Newport News, and Hampton, Virginia Police Departments have now enrolled their officers at the PoliceCommunity.net  training portal.  Simultaneous with this announcement, The Response Network also debuted a customized online training course specifically designed to meet the needs of all Virginia law enforcement agencies —  “Virginia Legal Updates.”

“Officer training must be constant, and now it is very affordable, consistent from officer to officer, and extremely time and cost-effective,” today said Bradley J. Naples, President & CEO of The Response Network.  “The question is how to best maintain the levels of readiness required in today’s world with increasingly limited training budgets, reduced headcount but with civilian leaders still demanding the same level of police performance.  We believe the only long-term viable solution is to turn to the Internet for in-service training. 

“Over the last three years, The Response Network, through its PoliceCommunity.net training portal, has brought together leading third-party subject matter experts, a growing syllabus of courses, state-of-the-art LMS administrative controls, and law enforcement agencies into a vital and growing training community that is only going to become more important over time.  We welcome the Virginal Beach, Newport News, and Hampton, Virginia Police Departments.”

According to Naples, in response to the customized needs of Virginia Police Departments, The Response Network has created a new course for all Virginia law enforcement agencies, “Virginia Commonwealth Law Enforcement Legal Updates + Changes.” This one course alone pays for any agency’s annual investment in time, accuracy of content to this important subject domain, and budget savings.

Naples emphasized today that more than 10,000 law enforcement officers from agencies in fourteen different states are now enrolled in training courses at the PoliceCommunity.net portal.  “Working in close collaboration with our law enforcement and public safety partners, national and local subject matter experts, state POSTS and training officials, we strive to deliver the best quality self-paced distance learning training all at one low price. For only $74.95 per user per year, a subscriber can access any and all courses regardless of the number of courses available during their year of subscription. Courses will provide assessments and automatic updates to superiors and training directors.” 

The current list of courses offered by The Response Network includes:

•  Use of Force

•  Applied Ethics

•  Sexual and Workplace Harassment

•  Maintaining Mental Health in Law Enforcement

•  Active-Shooter for Public Safety Communications

•  Emotional Intelligence for Law Enforcement

•  Customer Service/ Community Policing

•  U.S. Supreme Court Legal Updates

•  Coming Soon

·      Terrorism Training

·      Cultural Diversity/Bias-Free Policing

·      Officer Survival Techniques

PoliceCommunity.net is owned and operated by The Response Network Inc. The Response Network's mission is to develop and deliver to law enforcement and public safety professionals a complete curriculum of educational courseware that meets their needs for everything from In-Service training to degree granting programs.  For general information, please e-mail pcn@policecommunity.net. Please provide your contact information so we can respond to your inquiry. You may also call us toll free at 1-877-288-0451.

Buffalo Wild Wings Franchisee Uses ELAN g! To Master 62 TVs With The Touch Of A Button

Brett Babick, David and Mike Gianascoli, and Chris Paphites, the partners of Desert Wings, LLC, can turn on, set up and change the channel on all 62 TVs at once at each of their three Southern California Buffalo Wild Wings locations, and all from an iPod touch with the ELAN g! Control System.  With this innovative system, it doesn’t take a whole team of employees to manage and constantly change the channel on 62 TVs, which was precisely the problem they had in a restaurant they previously owned.

“In the old restaurant, we used a system that we thought gave us top-of-the-line video distribution and control,” recalled Babick.  “All the TVs were physically controlled from a central point, where we had to walk over and manually switch to control a specific TV set, then change the channel for just that set.  In an establishment like Buffalo Wild Wings, we can have up to 70 TVs showing almost a dozen different sporting events, so any time a customer asks us to change the channel it was incredibly inconvenient and time consuming to manually identify and adjust each TV.”

So when they decided to open three new Buffalo Wild Wings locations in Southern California, they turned to Craig Curran at Smart Systems Technologies (SST) to design a fluid, simple-to-operate audio/video system, based on the ELAN g! Control System.  With an innovative interface that is uniform across all platforms, including iPhones, iPads, PCs and even retail POS (point-of-sale) terminals, ELAN g! provides users with incredibly simple control over the entire audio/video system, and can even expand to control lighting and monitor surveillance cameras.

“I came into Brett’s previous restaurant and showed him how we could improve the system and make it much simpler to use and manage,” Curran said. “We agreed that embracing new, better technology in the three new locations would be the best thing for him and his customers, and would remove some of the hassle and headaches.”

“As soon as Craig changed the channel from a handheld device he had, I was sold,” said Babick.  “Now, we have select employees who can access the A/V control system through 10 or more POS terminals and the manager can even control the TVs with an iPod touch we bought for each restaurant! Thanks to the POS integration, we can control the system from more than a dozen spots.  We used to literally use hand signals to relay customer requests, and a manager or I would have to leave the floor.  Now with our new system, the instant a customer asks us to change a TV, it’s done.   Some customers have actually said ‘Wow, how did you do that?’ when they saw us use the iPod.  Now there’s no leaving the restaurant floor, no time wasted.”

Thanks in part to the ELAN g! system, Babick believes that they’ve “got the best Buffalo Wild Wings in the country.”  In fact, one of their locations is ranked one of the company’s top 10 franchises.  In addition to seamless, instant control, they set up the ELAN g! Control System to automatically turn on and set the channel on every TV at 10:30 a.m. before they open, and automatically turn off at midnight when they close. 

One of his favorite features is the ability to display personal marketing messages right on the TVs. “Now we can run a ‘ticker’ on the bottom of any TV we want, just like ESPN does. We use it to promote specials and let customers know what games are coming up, and it really adds a sense of professionalism whenever you see that on the screen,” Babick remarked.

Desert Wings’ Buffalo Wild Wings locations have up to 62 TVs, including up to a dozen 11-foot and one 13-foot HD projection screens and up to 49 HD LCD TVs, most of which are 55” LG sets.  He can show 16 different video feeds at once, combining 10 DirecTVÒ receivers and a DVD player as well as internal marketing programming. The ELAN g! Control System also controls the restaurants’ audio systems, which have up to 30 speakers in six discrete zones, allowing customers to listen to music in one section and the big game’s play-by-play in another.

Curran sees the ELAN g! Control System as one of the best new tools for business owners as well as installers.  “The price point and ability to duplicate installations are making media integration and distribution more available for the mass market,” he remarked.  “And it’s the same with automation.  Not having to custom program subsystems and graphical user interfaces makes it much more attractive and infinitely simpler to use.  You can control everything – security, surveillance, lighting, heating and air conditioning, audio/video systems – right from your PC, iPhone or iPod.  Automation has never been easier, or as affordable.”

The ELAN g! Series Home Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touch pads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room as across the globe.

G-Wiz Home Control Apps Make Connected Home A Reality For New Generation Of Homebuyers

It used to be that the dream of owning a centrally controlled home — a home where consumers could control audio, video, lighting, security, heating, and more from a single wall mounted touch pad— was a reality reserved for only the highest end multi-million dollar homes. Hard wiring, custom software programming, ongoing maintenance, and system costs all guaranteed that no one but the wealthiest of Americans could even consider the idea.

DiGiacomo's new homes seamlessly blend style and technology.

Now that dream is well within the reach of just about anyone. A whole new generation of IP (Internet Protocol) based wireless home control systems that can be controlled and managed by a variety of touch pads, remote controllers, on-screen displays (like your television) and iPhone and iPad devices are now making their way to market, some as affordable as $5,000 to start, and their availability is starting to forever change the dynamic of home building and home buying — in some cases dramatically.

Rocky DiGiacomo, founder of 20-year-old Minneapolis, Minnesota based DiGiacomo Homes and Renovation, Inc., in many ways represents the leading edge of this new American revolution — he is now pre-wiring every new house he builds for home automation and control.

“I’ve always known that affordable home control would be a dream come true,” said DiGiacomo. “Recent advances in home control technology, coupled with the mass adoption of wireless technology products in popular culture, have taken the dream and turned it into reality. It’s no surprise that someone who uses their iPhone® to program a DVR would love to use their iPhone to control their entire home. With affordable new systems offering a multitude of control functions and media services, there really is a system for everyone. Whether you want to invest $5,000 or $50,000, you can start living in the future, today.”

DiGiacomo’s solution of choice is the ELAN g! Home Control System manufactured and marketed by Carlsbad, California based ELAN Home Systems. Debuted at the start of this year, ELAN g! is perhaps the most modular, and hence affordable home control system currently available. From music distribution and lighting control to advanced energy management and security integration, ELAN g! offers a full range of solutions to fit any lifestyle and any budget. Requiring zero custom programming and coming standard with iPhone, iPad and PC control, home automation is now as easy as checking your email!

Coinciding with the availability of more affordable technology is the fact that the children of the first Internet generation are now entering the national housing market and, as in every aspect of their always-on lives, they expect their homes to be able to respond quickly and fluently to their changing needs.

“I believe that our industry is on the verge of a market upswing of historic proportions,” ELAN Home Systems President Paul Starkey explained. “The first generation of Americans raised from birth on the Internet, smart phones, iPods and iPhones are becoming homebuyers. They are going to demand that the home they buy supports their media and technology passions. This generation of buyers is not going to stand for running their mobile lives from an iPhone only to return home to the dark ages of individual appliance control!

“To me the analogy is clear. Just as yesterday’s homeowner looked for upgraded kitchens and baths when they purchased their home, today’s new homebuyers are going to expect integrated control systems to be a part of the home they purchase. That’s a fact that is going to drive market growth and opportunity for our entire industry — in new home construction, existing home retrofits, and multi-unit apartment and condominium developments.”

Starkey believes that consumers will benefit from a new generation of what he calls ‘affordably innovative’ system solutions that offer consumers specific levels of multi-room and multi-function systems that are clearly differentiated by retail price points. “I believe you will soon see every new home, and indeed many existing homes, offer system solutions that are price appropriate for the price of the home. The higher you go in the home price, the greater its degree of home function integration and control.”

Custom integration dealers are ready for this new era of growth. The Minneapolis dealer who works with Rocky DiGiacomo, Jay Vandermyde of J.J. Vanderson & Co. asserted, “We’re seeing more and more consumers coming into our storefront asking if its possible to control the appliances in their home from their iPhone just as they control their email, texting and business calendars. Now, with systems like Elan g!, we can tell them, yes it is.”

California Board Of Behavioral Sciences Approves Northcentral University's Marriage & Family Therapy Master's Program

Underscoring the quality of its 100% online Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) master’s degree program, Northcentral University today announced that the program is now approved as meeting the educational requirements for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist set by the California Department of Consumer Affairs Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS).

In doing so, the University joins a select number of regionally accredited online universities, and the first university based outside of the state of California, to meet the rigorous standards established by the BBS, according to Dr. Branden Henline, Chair of Marriage and Family Therapy Programs. The MFT master’s level program began as a specialization in psychology in 2004 and was introduced as a new master’s degree program by the University in January 2010. The University also launched an MFT doctoral degree program at that time.

“We have worked hard to design a curriculum and clinical training process that sets new standards for MFT education,” Dr. Henline said today. “We are pleased, but not surprised, that our programs meet the education requirements for licensure by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. With this achievement, we are truly breaking down the barriers to online Marriage and Family Therapy education and training.”

What’s more, according to Dr. Henline, while a select number of other regionally accredited online universities have been approved by BBS, Northcentral University is unique in that its program does not require periods of physical residency on campus. “This provides our Learners with an enormous degree of flexibility. They do not have to disrupt their professional life, family schedules, or incur costly travel expenses in order to complete their degree program. And, while most universities only offer master’s level training, we also offer a doctoral level program with several specialization options.”

Northcentral University’s MFT graduate programs broke new ground in higher education when they were first introduced in January 2010. Other marriage and family therapy degree programs have residency requirements, which can be costly and difficult to schedule. Some programs that appear to be focused on marriage and family therapy are in fact generic counseling programs that offer a few courses in family therapy. “Marriage and family therapy is a unique profession and requires a curriculum that is clearly focused on training MFTs. Northcentral University offers genuine family therapy training with a course-by-course focus on MFT practice. By granting approval for the education requirements for licensure, the Board of Behavioral Sciences has recognized that our dedication to these specific material subjects puts us ahead of other online programs.”

Northcentral University's clinically-focused Marriage and Family Therapy MA and PhD degree programs can lead to a career as a licensed therapist and can prepare students for therapeutic and educational careers in a variety of settings including private practice, mental-health centers, public-service agencies, correctional institutions, the military and schools.

These degrees provide an integrated learning experience that explores family and couple dynamics, family therapy models and interventions, therapy with children and adolescents, couple’s therapy, working with people in crisis, issues related to gender and diversity, individual and family development, ethics and current research in family therapy. Degree requirements also involve ongoing clinical work and supervision. The degree offerings prepare students for a professional practice consistent with their personal goals. The fact that the coursework is designed to meet the BBS’ rigorous requirements ensures that the education and training received reflects the highest academic and ethical standards.

Northcentral offers the following MFT graduate degree programs:

* Master of Arts (MA) in Marriage and Family Therapy
This program develops the personal and professional skills necessary for an effective practice and is designed to meet national standards so graduates can seek licensure in the area where they reside. Individuals are encouraged to review their own local licensure regulations in order to ensure that this program meets their needs.

* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Marriage and Family Therapy
This program offers advanced clinical education and training, opportunities to develop specializations tailored to individual interests, research coursework and opportunities, and supervision training and experience. As a PhD graduate, individuals will be prepared to carry out advanced clinical work and supervision and/or education and research in the field of marriage and family therapy. Doctoral Specializations are available in General Family Therapy, Child and Adolescent Therapy, Couple Therapy, Medical Family Therapy, and Therapy with Military Families.

The California Department of Consumer Affairs Board of Behavioral Sciences is dedicated to protecting Californians by promoting consumer awareness, advocating for improved mental health services, and setting, communicating, and enforcing standards. The Board of Behavioral Sciences is a California state regulatory agency responsible for licensing, examination, and enforcement of Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), and Licensed Educational Psychologists (LEP). In addition, the Board regulates Marriage and Family Therapist Interns (IMF), Associate Clinical Social Workers (ASW), Continuing Education Providers (PCE), and MFT Referral Services (MRF).

The Board also works alongside other mental health agencies and organizations to advocate for increased consumer awareness and access to mental health services. The Board’s outreach program provides information to consumers, licensees, registrants, and students on consumer rights, California licensing requirements, and other Board related activities. The Board is composed of 12 members; seven (7) public members, two (2) Licensed Clinical Social Workers, one (1) Licensed Educational Psychologist, and two (2) Marriage and Family Therapists. Nine (9) members are Governor appointed. The Speaker of the Assembly appoints one (1), and the Senate Committee on Rules appoints another.

About Northcentral University: Since its founding in 1996 Northcentral University has pioneered a distinct approach to online Undergraduate, Graduate, and Post Graduate education that is dedicated to teaching individuals rather than classes. Combining the power of the Internet with an unparalleled faculty mentored approach, Northcentral offers students the flexibility to cost-effectively study on their own schedule using their own individual style while receiving personalized attention from course instructors whenever it is needed. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the for-profit, 100% online university currently serves nearly 10,000 students worldwide, offering Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education, and Behavioral and Health Sciences.

Forward-Thinking Minnesota Builder Now Pre-Wires Every New House For ELAN g! Whole Home Automation

When Rocky DiGiacomo, a forward-thinking Minneapolis home builder, heard about the ELAN® g! Series IP-based Home Control System that can use the iPhone to control every household function, he knew home buyers would love it. Now DiGiacomo is putting his belief into action and pre-wiring every new home he builds with ELAN g! home control technology — leaving it up to the consumer to then decide which functions and which components they want to install in their new home as part of the finishing process.

DiGiacomo, founder of 20-year old DiGiacomo Homes and Renovation, Inc., wanted his houses to include value-added features to differentiate them from the competition, and he found one solution – ELAN g! He believes the ELAN g! system is going to help him sell a new $1.3 million house in Golden Valley, Minnesota. This is his first ELAN g! system installation, and he integrated 6-zone independent and simultaneous audio/video sourcing into 9 rooms, energy management control, and pre-wired for the home’s security system and surveillance cameras.

Well aware of the iPhone’s massive popularity, he believes that the ELAN g! iPhone app is a way to make home control simple and intuitive. The ELAN g! app is also available on internet-connected iPads, laptops, and PCs, providing complete home control from anywhere in the world.

“We’ve seen the success of the iPhone, and believe that with it, we can make home control attractive and accessible to anyone,” said DiGiacomo. “The ELAN g! app is simple enough for anyone to use, and can even do some things on its own, such as when you pull in the driveway, it can automatically open the garage door and turn off the security system. You don’t even have to hit a button. And you can monitor security cameras and control climate settings from anywhere in the world.”

When DiGiacomo heard about ELAN g! he turned to J.J. Vanderson & Co., a dealer that has been selling ELAN systems for more than 15 years, for a demo. Owner Jay Vandermyde asserts that people who want home control want all the features that ELAN g! offers, including web-streaming music and audio/video distribution. And he tells builders that with remote lighting and heating controls, the ELAN g! System even helps homeowners save on energy costs and makes homes more eco-friendly.

“In today’s crowded marketplace, builders need to make their properties stand out from the competition,” said Vandermyde. “ELAN g! is great because the consumer can expand the system as their needs and wants change. It’s easy to sell, easy to demo, and easy to install and maintain, which limits or eliminates service calls.”

The ELAN g! Series Home Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touch pads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room as across the globe.

Individual apps for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks, and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.

New Dual Use Waterproof Outdoor Flashlight Puts Safety First For Motorists, Bicyclists, Boaters, Campers And Homeowners!

An innovative new dual-use LED flashlight was introduced today by Sentina™, the industry-leading manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, affordably priced, eco-friendly LED consumer and business lighting solutions.

Available for immediate purchase here for just $16, the waterproof Sentina uLite LED-76 with a magnetic base delivers 100 Lumens of hands-free lighting wherever it is needed. With two settings, one that projects forward and one that shines red as an emergency warning light, the uLite LED-76 is perfect for use in the home or as an emergency flashlight in the car. It also makes an excellent bicycle headlight thanks to the included mounting bracket. And, because it is totally waterproof, the uLite LED-76 can be used anywhere on the water or under water!

The magnetic base can be applied to any metal surface, providing hands-free use and making it an indispensable roadside companion in the event you have to fix a flat tire or need attention on the highway.

Sentina’s LED lights are highly energy efficient, last a lifetime, and produce super-bright white light. Three AAA alkaline batteries provide up to 15 hours of use in flashlight mode and up to 70 hours of use in beacon mode. Built to heavy-duty standards and completely waterproof, the uLite LED-76 travels and performs anywhere people travel — at home, in the car, on the boat, in the truck, or outdoors on the hiking trail!

Headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey, Sentina™, a division of Teledex, Inc., is a leading manufacturer and marketer of innovatively designed, affordably priced consumer and business LED lighting solutions, household, travel and mobility, products that are both energy and cost efficient. For more than 15 years, the company has proudly met the needs of smart consumers seeking smarter living solutions. To date, more than 20-million consumers have joined the Sentina family of satisfied customers.

ELAN® Home Systems Introduces Turnkey ELAN g! Series Dealer Demo System

Underscoring its commitment to enable dealers communicate the full benefits of its ELAN® g! Series Home Control System to the largest number of end-users in the shortest amount of time, ELAN Home Systems today announced the introduction of its ELAN g! Dealer Demo System, an ultra-affordable fully capable demo system for showroom or on-site demonstrations. The system will be introduced at EHX Expo 2011 at Booth 1001 in Orlando, Florida from March 17-19.

According to Joe Lautner, Manager of Business Development and Product Management for ELAN Home Systems, the fully configured, ready-to-go g! Dealer Demo System will be offered to its certified dealer network at an extremely attractive price. The system includes a controller, 7” touch screen, 4” touch pad in a tabletop mount, the brand-new HR2 remote, an amplifier, 2 tabletop Sunfire® speakers, a Panasonic IP camera, all the g! Pro Apps, and 5 viewer licenses to connect iPhones, iPads and computers. The system includes all the parts necessary to connect the gear and make it work. All the dealer needs to add is a television to demonstrate the On-Screen Display (OSD).

“Our new g! Dealer Demo System truly speaks for itself. By offering a full system at such at such an aggressive price point, we’re effectively removing the price barrier for dealers to show off the complete capabilities of the remarkable g! system,” said Lautner. “This exceptional demo package will help dealers sell more g! systems by showcasing its simplicity and vast range of features.”

The g! Dealer Demo System arrives pre-configured in demo mode, so dealers will be and to play music, view and control the IP camera and demo all other system applications. The demo system can be easily transported to a customer home, a home show or anywhere a dealer wishes to demonstrate the powerful ELAN g! entertainment and control features. The system can also be used to run a showroom by connecting it to all the demo room’s systems.

The ELAN g! Series Home Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive, icon-based control from their favorite devices including TVs, touchscreens, touchpads, PCs , iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g! Mobile app that users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touchscreens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Individual "apps" for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks, and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.