May 6, 2020 

Saturday, May 2, 2020, the General Assembly passed two COVID-19 relief bills.  Senate Bill 704 addresses policy changes related to the pandemic, and House Bill 1043 addresses funding.  The new laws became effective immediately.  The whole process was marked with bi-partisan cooperation which we have not seen in Raleigh in many years.  Read the full report from the Kochanek Law Group.

May 1, 2020 

The North Carolina General Assembly arrived (some virtually) in Raleigh on Tuesday the 28th. The House had held virtual working group meetings for a month and the legislation filed on Monday reflected the discussions and drafts that were created in those groups. The mystery was on the Senate side where no public meetings or real information had been provided about how they intended to address the session. Now we know that Senators have been working behind the scenes in a bipartisan way so that by the next day their bill was unanimously approved.  Read the full report from the Kochanek Law Group.

April 28, 2020

The General Assembly is working on  a  COVID response and is expected to convene for remote committee work on April 28 with voting to begin on April 30.  After a package is passed, this session is expected to adjourn  until July or August for the traditional "short" session when the impact on a budget will be more clear.   Read the full report from the Kochanek Law Group.

NCESA is committed to representing your interests during this challenging time. The rapid government response through executive action, regulatory changes, and legislation at the local, state, and federal levels to the COVID-19 virus is unprecedented. NCESA stands together with other industry associations to assure all members, consumers, and other stakeholders that this industry will continue to remain on the front lines as a vital partner in public safety.

Steps Dealers Can Take to Minimize COVID-19 Spread

Recently published guidelines from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provide strategic guidance to state and local jurisdictions toward the unified effort to maintain the Nation’s critical infrastructure during COVID-19 response. The list of “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers” identified by the CISA pamphlet and important to you include:

• Workers supporting communications systems and information technology used by law enforcement, public safety, medical, energy, and other critical industries;

• Maintenance of communications infrastructure – including privately owned and maintained communication systems supported by technicians, operators, call-centers, wireline and wireless providers, cable service providers, satellite operations, undersea cable landing stations, Internet Exchange Points, and manufacturers and distributors of communications equipment;

• Installation, maintenance, and repair technicians that establish, support, or repair service as needed;

• Workers who support command centers, including, but not limited to Network Operations Command Centers, Broadcast Operations Control Centers, and Security Operations Command Centers;

• Data center operators, including system administrators, HVAC and electrical engineers, security personnel, IT managers, data transfer solutions engineers, software and hardware engineers, and database administrators;

• Dispatchers involved with service repair and restoration.

This is a template of a letter you may customize for use by your essential employees. In addition to a letter, we also recommend that employees carry their professional state licenses and an employee ID.

Thank you for the work you do to protect property and lives. NCESA is here to help you, your company, and the essential critical infrastructure services you provide.

NCESA MEMBERSHIP

Now, more than ever, membership in NCESA is a valuable tool for your business

As a business leader in North Carolina’s electronic security industry, membership in the North Carolina Electronic Security Association (NCESA)* just makes sense.  NCESA provides you with current legislative updates, COVID-19 preparedness information, technician training, and connections in the industry.  Join NOW!

 Join as a REGULAR Member 

Join as an ASSOCIATE Member

The return on your investment in NCESA membership includes:

• Networking with like-minded leaders in commercial and residential life safety, security and integrated systems.

• Member-discounted professional development and National Training School (NTS) that meet North Carolina Alarm Systems Licensing Board’s requirements.

• Advocacy and monitoring of legislation that could threaten the electronic security industry – and your bottom line – in North Carolina.

• Industry news critical to your long-term success including updates on COVID-19 measures for the industry.  

• Partnership with the Electronic Security Association in the areas of National Training School training, Youth Scholarship Program, as well as national advocacy and public policy.

NCESA is dedicated to representing, promoting, and supporting you and your business.

Click here to learn more!

*Please note that the Electronic Security Association (ESA) has elected to sunset its chapter program. Beginning in 2020, NCESA and ESA memberships will be independent of one another and dues payments will be collected separately by each organization.