6.3. ERMUSR 03-08-2005J~
Elk River
Municipal Utilities
13069 Orono Parkway phone: 763.441.2020
Elk River,l~4N 55330 Fax: 763.941.8099
March l , 2005
To: Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission
Jerry Takle
.iim Tralle
John Dietz
From: Bryan Adams
Subject: Security System Monitoring
The security systems that we market and install have been monitored in the past by IDC
on a 24 hours/day, 7 days/week basis. Their monitoring location was Bloomington,
Minnesota. A couple of years ago, Criticom International purchased IDC. We have
recently discovered that Criticom has closed the monitoring/dispatching function in
Bloomington, Minnesota and transferred them to New Jersey. We are experiencing more
billing discrepancies with Criticom and are having a difficult time resolving them. As
billing or monitoring questions arise, we keep getting transferred to different Criticom
offices throughout the country and find it difficult to talk to the same person twice.
Criticom is now changing their account numbering system so we must now contact our
customers to alert them of the change. As long as we must contact our customers, now
may be the time to change monitoring companies.
WH International Response Center (a division. of Wright Hennepin Electric). has a first
class monitoring and dispatch center. They are located in Rockford, Minnesota. They
currently provide security system monitoring and dispatch service for many organizations
and would be delighted to provide this service to us. The advantages of using WH
International include lower service costs than Criticom, they are much easier to do
business with, and they're local. This change over will require some reprogramming of
the individual security systems. This can be done in most instances over the phone, but
on occasion, will require an on site visit.
The consolidation of security system companies will continue. As much as we do not
like this complication, your staff now feels it is time to switch our security system
monitoring, and dispatching services to WH International. We ask authorization to do so.