Northborough Police Department Becomes First in Massachusetts to Go Live with ASAP Service

Web-based alarm delivery solution provides faster, digital access to critical information—without requiring CAD integration

The Northborough Police Department (NPD) has become the first law enforcement agency in Massachusetts to go live with the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol
(ASAP) Service, a digital alarm service that automates the exchange of alarm information between alarm-monitoring companies and emergency communications centers (ECCs). NPD deployed ASAP View, a web-based solution that enables faster, more accurate alarm delivery directly to emergency communications personnel.

For Northborough, ASAP View provided a clear path to achieving the benefits of digital alarm delivery without requiring a direct Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) integration. The department selected the platform as a practical, infrastructure-friendly option that enabled them to receive alarm information electronically rather than by phone, eliminating transcription errors and delays common to voice calls.

“Our goal was to get alarm information into the hands of our telecommunicators as quickly and accurately as possible,” said Amie Bullard, communications and records supervisor, Northborough Police Department. ASAP View is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and provides a secure, standards-based connection to alarm monitoring centers representing 80 percent of the market. The system reduces manual administrative calls, lightens dispatcher workload, and improves response times—turning what used to take minutes into seconds.

As of go-live, Rapid Response is transmitting alarms via ASAP Service to NPD, and more alarm monitoring centers are in queue to transmit soon. Developed through a partnership between the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and The Monitoring Association (TMA), the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) enables faster, more accurate, and more informed emergency response — saving valuable minutes when every second counts.