Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police Partners With The Response Network for Online Training

The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP) has entered into a strategic partnership with The Response Network (TRN) to provide Virginia law enforcement agencies with specific online in-service training courses offered exclusively by TRN at its PoliceCommunity.net online training portal. PoliceCommunity.net provides an integrated, simple-to-use approach to online in-service training that is considered by many law enforcement agencies to be “The Standard” for training law enforcement, public safety and security professionals.

Simultaneous with the announcement of this strategic partnership, The Response Network today introduced its first new online in-service course developed exclusively for the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and all other Virginia law enforcement professionals — “The Virginia Commonwealth Law Enforcement Legal Updates and Changes in the Law.” Regular legal training is mandated for all Virginia sworn law enforcement officers. The course is available at www.policecommunity.net.

Under the terms of the partnership agreement announced today by Bradley J. Naples, President & CEO of The Response Network, TRN will immediately begin developing customized courses for the VACP as Virginia law enforcement officers begin taking TRN’s current series of courses. There are a number of Virginia law enforcement agencies that are already TRN subscribers. The Virginia Beach Police Department, Newport News Police Department, and the Hampton Police Division already have moved to adopt and use TRN’s online training for in-service training.

In addition to its partnership with the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP), The Response Network’s training programs are also endorsed by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), Brit Insurance, The FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Association of Public Safety-Communications Professionals (APCO).

“This strategic agreement leverages the technical training expertise of The Response Network for the benefit of the VACP and Virginia law enforcement agencies,” said Naples. “We look forward to working with the leadership of the VACP to provide an ongoing series of cutting edge, cost-effective online in-service training courses that engage and educate Virginia law enforcement officers.”

According to Dana Schrad, Executive Director of the VACP, “The VACP has been studying ways to provide law enforcement agencies with a comprehensive, creative and cost-effective way to maintain their required state of preparedness. We believe that The Response Network’s online training portal is the only solution that can meet the standard we have set for quality, creativity and cost-effectiveness. The Response Network’s online in-service training courses are nothing less than compelling. They engage as they educate and that is no small achievement. We look forward to developing a series of courses that will benefit the Virginia law enforcement profession.”

A growing number of agencies nationwide have adopted The Response Network’s online training program, including metropolitan Detroit Police Department, the Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff's Office, the Saint Augustine, Florida Police Department, the Saint John's Sheriff's Department, the Clayton, Ohio Police Department, the Park Ridge, Illinois Police Department, the Aberdeen, South Dakota Police Department, Ocean City, Delaware Police Department, the Story County Sheriff's Department in Ames, Iowa, and the Lincoln, New Hampshire Police Department, among others.

The VACP, formed in 1926, is an incorporated non-profit professional association. Its membership of more than 600 is made up of active and retired federal, state, local, campus and private law enforcement and criminal justice agency executives, administrators and managers. Membership also includes persons in law enforcement related businesses, support industries or government agencies. The purpose of the VACP is "to promote the professional development of all executive and management personnel within duly constituted law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth of Virginia; to encourage close cooperation of all law enforcement agencies in the prevention of crime, detection of crime and the apprehension of those responsible for the commission of crimes; to promote the highest standards of the police profession through selection and training of law enforcement officers and generally pledge and strive for the highest degree of respect for law and order throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia."

Arkansas Family Creates Their "Magic House" With An ELAN g! Control System Installation

When Larry and Stacey Newcomb moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas and built a new house, Larry knew he wanted big flat screen TVs, and Stacey knew she wanted a pool for the kids. What neither of them knew was that they could control their entire home from their iPads and iPhones. But once Ryan Heringer, President of Jonesboro, Arkansas-based Sound Concepts, showed them the IP-based ELAN g! Control System, they suddenly realized that they could have their dream “Magic House”.

“When we first met to discuss the technology that could be incorporated into their new home, the Newcombs simply wanted to know what I could do for their audio/video systems,” said Heringer. “So I showed them the ELAN g!Mobile app and how it controls the audio/video, and then continued explaining all the other possibilities with the ELAN g! Control System. By the time I told them they could turn off every light in the house at once from an iPhone or iPad, they didn’t want to live without it! And that’s what is so great about the g! system – customers love the g!Mobile app and once they see it, they’ve got to have it.”

According to Stacey Newcomb, they call their new home the “Magic House”. They use iPads to dim the lights, turn on music, and adjust the heat and air conditioning. And if they don’t have an iPad handy, there is an ELAN TS Series touch screen in a wall in nearly every room of the house, just like a light switch. And speaking of light switches, thanks to ELAN g! the Newcombs hardly ever need to use them anymore! Stacey has the system set so all of the house lamps automatically turn on at 5 p.m. and turn off at 10 p.m., eliminating the need to walk through the house to make sure all the lights are off before retiring for the night.

From a peace of mind perspective, the Newcombs can always be assured their twin daughters are home on time with the ELAN g! Control System, which tells the user which TVs and lights are on, and lets them know when people enter or leave the house, and even through which door.

The Newcomb’s fully integrated ELAN g! Control System comprises every system in their house. It controls all 156 lighting dimmers in the house, the landscaping and the pool house. Throughout the house and pool house are 23 pairs of ELAN speakers, offering 20 distinct zones of audio with a choice of 12 sources including 2 Sirius satellite radios, 2 AM/FM radios, an ELAN VIA!migo iPod dock, a VIA!dj digital music server, and even music from a player piano in the music room. There are 10 TVs that can access four satellite feeds (one for each family member), two Kaleidescape Blu-Ray players, videos from iPods and the front door surveillance camera.

The ELAN g! Control System also gives them full control over four zones of HVAC, the home’s security system, the front door surveillance camera and the pool equipment.

The ELAN g! 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.

Take1 Insurance Reintroduces Customized Coverage For Independent Filmmakers - At A Time When They Need It Most

At a time when major studio feature film production schedules are nearing capacity, Take1 Insurance, the entertainment industry insurance division of U.S. Risk, Inc., today reintroduced for independent feature film producers an insurance program that provides the same insurance protection provided to most major film studios.

Take1’s reintroduced Specialty Film Production Program has designed coverage for production companies. This coverage applies anywhere in the world. The program offers Cast Coverage; Props, Sets & Wardrobe coverage; Negative film and Faulty stock coverage; Third Party Property Damage and coverage for most animals used in filming. The program contemplates stunts, multi-location shoots and multiple days of principal photography.

“The film production industry is cyclical,” said Take1 Insurance Program Director Scott Carroll. “For long periods of time the studios are the only ones doing film production on any significant scale. Often, when their schedules become full, the only way an independent filmmaker can get their project off the ground is to produce it him or herself.

Carroll reminded the vast world of independent film producers that there are options for them to get their movies properly insured. Through a major entertainment insurance carrier, Take1 Insurance offers full feature film production insurance for budgets starting at $1 million. Through this program, the independent filmmaker can feel free to focus on their primary task at hand, which is to create memorable feature films that people want to buy and see.

“The bottom line is this,” Carroll emphasized. “Any independent feature film or content creator who thinks that they cannot afford to protect their product, on their own, the way the studios do when they buy a project, is just dead wrong. It is time that this misplaced perception disappear and we’re doing our best to make this community understand that. Already this year, Take1 has quoted policies for several independent feature film projects since December, each with an average production budget of $16 million, and there are many more in the pipeline. That’s up from one project quoted all of last year.”

One of the key strengths offered by Take1 Insurance, Carroll emphasized, is access to the same coverage for the independent filmmaker usually reserved only for the major studios. This affords a level of expertise in the unique world of production insurance, at an affordable price, for the independents. This insurance is offered nationwide, “So if you are a filmmaker in Walla Walla, Washington or Tallahassee, Florida, we are here for you.”

Family Owned Chain of Pharmacies Keep An "Eye on Their Stores" Using the ELAN g! Control System

The Lomax family is no stranger to running a successful business. Founded in 1973, the family’s pharmacy business is experiencing rapid growth and now includes five northeastern Arkansas pharmacies. In 2009, their then newest pharmacy suffered, in a two-month period, two break-in attempts and several false alarms from the store’s security system. And every time an incident occurred someone had to get up, even at 2 a.m., and drive 50 miles to reset the alarm and survey the situation. The family realized this was an extremely inefficient and inconvenient way to manage security for multiple stores, so they went in search of a solution, and found it – the ELAN g! Control System.

The Lomax’s introduction to the ELAN g! Control System occurred in the fall of 2010 when they were getting ready to open their newest of five pharmacies. They met with Ryan Heringer, President of Jonesboro, Arkansas-based Sound Concepts, who suggested and installed the ELAN g! Control System to give them remote control over the store’s surveillance cameras, security system, heating, air conditioning and lighting.

“I knew the ELAN g! Control System was what they needed for the pharmacy,” said Heringer. “And once they saw how simple it is to control their whole store from the iPhone app, they knew it too. Now they can monitor surveillance cameras and the alarm system from home, and also control lighting, heating, audio and video, so it was the perfect solution.”

Now, instead of waking up to drive 50 miles when an alarm is triggered, Kyle Lomax can open the g!Mobile app on his iPhone and instantly view the live surveillance cameras, and turn off or reset the alarm. “On Saturday we close at noon, and one Saturday I got a call from our alarm company at 2 p.m. that the alarm tripped, and they asked if they should dispatch the police,” said Lomax. “I said yes, and then immediately logged in to the g! iPhone app to view the surveillance system. Before the police even got there I knew it was a false alarm. If I didn’t have the g!Mobile app, I would have had to go all the way back to the store right after I got home.”

The Lomax’s know that pharmacies are a potential target for criminal activity, so security and surveillance are very important to them. “We’ve had people try to come in through the drive-thru window before, so now we have a camera right above the window,” said Lomax. “There’s another one outside the front door and the back door, and seven more inside the store. We can’t see the whole interior from the register area, so having all the camera feeds on one screen right on the counter is important for the safety of our employees and our store. And we can adjust everything from any computer in the pharmacy.”

To reduce their energy costs, they programmed the system to automatically turn on and off the lights, heating and air conditioning at specific times every day. The system also includes three zones of audio with ELAN Elios speakers and a 37-inch HDTV in the waiting area that displays the pharmacy’s internal marketing messages and cable news programs.

The Lomax’s are now installing the ELAN g! Control System in all five of their pharmacies, as well as any new locations that they open. “As our business grows, we will increasingly rely on the remote-monitoring system to ensure our stores run smoothly and to handle any incidents,” said Lomax.

The ELAN g! Series 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' TVs 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.

Take1 Insurance Announces Coverage Protection For Producers of "Docu-Soap" Television Shows

Underscoring its commitment to meet the needs of all segments of the television and film production market, Take1, the entertainment division of the U.S. Risk Insurance Group, today announced that “Docu-Soaps,” a new and rapidly growing segment of the television production market, are now covered under its DICE (Documentary, Infomercial, Commercial, Educational) package.

Simultaneously, Take1 announced that it is providing coverage for Knoxville, Tennessee-based Jupiter Entertainment’s “Sons of Guns” television show, shown nationally on the Discovery Channel. The show documents the daily business of Red Jacket Firearms, a Louisiana company that manufactures and sells custom weapons and also tests and fixes both classic and state-of-the-art weaponry.

“This show involves people working with live ammunition and even explosives on a daily basis and represents a new and emerging genre (“Docu-Soaps”) of television that presents unique insurance requirements that we contemplate meeting,” said Scott Carroll, Vice President and Program Director of Take1 Insurance. “In a situation where there are constant safety concerns that might worry other providers, Take1, through the specialty entertainment insurance markets it represents, is able to provide the kind of comprehensive insurance protection that allows Jupiter Entertainment to do what they do best — make memorable television programming that networks want to buy and viewers want to watch.”

“As television programming gets edgier and edgier, it tests the limits of what a traditional entertainment insurance program is willing to cover,” said Carroll. “And that’s where Take1 emerges as the television producer’s preferred insurance partner. We understand the nature of the business, the requirements of the show, the potential risks involved there-in and we have the program that takes all of these concerns into account with the result being a comprehensive package of protection that is also affordably priced.”

Because Take1 is squarely focused on both film and television production companies, it has a very clear understanding of the kind of insurance coverage these companies need — anywhere in the world. The Take1 program offers Cast Coverage; Props, Sets & Wardrobe coverage; Negative film and Faulty stock coverage; Third Party Property Damage and coverage for most animals used in filming. The program contemplates stunts; multi-location shoots and multiple days of principal photography.

“When a show involves restoring and testing a World War II flamethrower or building a remote-controlled machine gun, there are obvious concerns about both personal safety and equipment damage,” according to Nathan Kerr, Vice President of Scott Insurance, Jupiter Entertainment’s insurance agent who placed their policy through Take1.

“When I met with Jupiter Entertainment and they told me what the show was about, I knew that we, together with Take1, had properly placed Jupiter with an insurer who could best understand the nature of the show and the careful approach taken by our insured. I knew that Take1 would provide insurance for the production of the show,” said Kerr. “Jupiter came up with a great new idea for a show that is wildly successful, and it never would have gotten off the ground without the coverage that we provided. Scott Insurance, along with with Take1, understood the show’s requirements and delivered a broad and flexible program of coverage that keeps pace with Jupiter’s creativity.”

Take1's Specialized Insurance Program Stands By Chaos Visual Productions On 2010 John Mayer "Battle Studies" Tour

One of the fastest growing companies in the live event production industry very much does business the old fashioned way — largely based on quality work, trust, character, and, yes, a handshake. This commitment to exceeding customer expectations has made John Wiseman’s Chaos Visual Productions the “go to” source for cutting edge live video playback and video capture services for many of today’s leading recording artists — John Mayer, Katy Perry, Enrique Iglesias, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Tom Petty, Green Day, Beyonce, and Justin Bieber, among many others. In fact, the two-year-old company was cited as the Video Company of the Year by industry peers when it received the 2010 Parnelli Award.

“For us, it always has been and always will be about the work,” Wiseman explained. “When we are retained for a project we give our word that our clients can and will receive the highest level of creativity backed by the highest levels of support. No excuses, ever.”

Last summer Wiseman found out that his insurance underwriter, Take1 Insurance, the entertainment arm of U.S. Risk, Inc., and the carrier they underwrite for, the entertainment division of one of the world’s largest insurance carriers, has the same commitment to standing by its customers. Wiseman’s Chaos Visual Productions had ten tours out on the road last summer, and one of the biggest was the John Mayer “Battle Studies” Tour, a massive world tour to support his 2009 album of the same name. The tour performed 122 shows in 331 days and encompassed the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Chaos was hired by tour production manager Chris Adamson and production designer Marc Brickman to provide the live video playback for each venue on the schedule. Together Chaos, Adamson, and Brickman created a 50’ wide X 20’ tall LED video wall composed of 45 Martin LC 2140 panels, along with four Barco 20k projectors that shot onto a custom screen, and a four-HD camera system to capture and playback the concert to the audiences. “It was definitely an eye-popping display of state-of-the-art video technology in action,” Wiseman explained, but there was one hitch. “The video wall was designed for indoor use.”

On July 25, 2010, on an otherwise beautiful sunny day, the decision was made to put up the wall in an outside venue. And that’s when Mother Nature showed her sense of humor. Once the wall was up and ready to go, the sky turned grey, then black, and a monsoon-level storm literally blew in and destroyed the $1-million video wall in a matter of seconds. “The winds came up out of nowhere and whipped the wall around like it was a rag doll. We were devastated by what had happened and, frankly, we didn’t know what to do. Fortunately, we spoke with our insurance broker, Paul Lopez of Snapp & Associates, who placed our business through specialty underwriter Take1 Insurance, and from the minute the accident happened he never ever left our side.”

Not only did Take1 work directly with the carrier to honor the claim on the video wall, it continued to cover the remainder of the tour and all of the other tours that Chaos had out on the road. “We all have our insurance company stories,” Wiseman noted. “And unfortunately many of them are not good ones. Well, this is one of the good ones. Take1 came to our defense and fought the good fight for us. They restored my faith in the insurance industry, not to mention in mankind!” Wiseman joked. “As far as I am concerned, Take1 is a partner in the business with us. They’ve proven their willingness to stand by us in the same way that we stand by our clients, every day, without excuses.”

According to Paul Lopez, “Chaos has been a client since it was formed in January 2009. When they were starting out, I sat down with Chaos CFO Rich Oster and we found that their previous policy, from a provider not specialized in the entertainment industry, was insufficient and left them vulnerable to substantial losses. So we crafted an air-tight, and in this case, water-tight policy that keeps them protected all the time, no matter where their business takes them — anywhere in the world.”

Take 1’s specialty program has designed inland marine coverage, among other specialty covers for the entertainment industry, that automatically applies everywhere in the world, without the need for additional riders or endorsements. It eliminates co-insurance, thus protecting 100 percent of the insured value of the equipment covered; provides automatic replacement cost valuation; allows for separate limits in key individual coverage areas like owned equipment, equipment rented from others, equipment in the insured’s Care Custody and Control (CCC), and equipment in transit; flood coverage for equipment in transit; and blanket limits that eliminate the need for clients’ to itemize each and every piece of equipment, cable, LED panel, etc. being covered.

Chaos Visual Productions formed in January 2009 under partners John Wiseman, Chris Kaman and Chuck Burtzloff. The company has since provided specialized video production services on several major world tours as well as on the sets of several Hollywood blockbuster movies.

ELAN Home Systems Wins CE Pro's First-Ever Quest For Quality Gold Award For Training Programs

Proving that innovation and dedication to educating dealers and installers is the backbone of its customer support service, ELAN Home Systems today received CE Pro’s first-ever Quest For Quality Gold Award for Training Programs. Voted on by the readers of CE Pro, this award recognizes ELAN’s suite of training services as among the best in the industry.

To instruct dealers and installers most effectively, ELAN Home Systems has developed programs that meet each customer’s unique training requirements. In addition to regional in-person training classes, ELAN has been offering the best in remote training since 2003, when it debuted ELAN U, the first-ever online installation-training program. To date, installers have taken more than 300,000 classes at ELAN U.

Most recently introduced within ELAN U is the ELAN g! School training program for its new g! Series Home Control System. The ELAN g! School introduced a breakthrough, industry-first online software simulator where users can practice setting up the g! software before ever touching a physical unit. Available wherever you are, whenever you need it, ELAN U is the easiest, fastest training method available today.

“Providing our dealers and installers with the industry’s best training services benefits everyone,” remarked ELAN President Paul Starkey. “Online access to a full range of training classes lets dealers and installers learn cost-effectively on their own schedule and cuts travel costs, and it allows us to get live feedback on what dealers want to see included in the training, making the program better every day.”

The company constantly updates ELAN U and adds classes that are then immediately available to all subscribing members. What’s more, the installers and dealers that attend face-to-face training automatically get a full year of free access to ELAN U, a $125 value. ELAN U currently offers nearly 300 ELAN and Sunfire courses, and by the end of 2011 the ELAN g! School will expand to feature up to 150 unique courses. ELAN U has been the recipient of the CEA Mark of Excellence Award for Best Training and Support Programs and the Inside Track Certificate of Excellence for Best Dealer Training.

ELAN’s flagship product is the g! Series Home Control System, which 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.