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AMERICAN-ALARMS.COM Building Careers From the Ground Up Inside Our New Apprenticeship Program JANUARY 2026
(515) 266-9888
January always feels like a good time to think about new beginnings and how you’ve gotten to where you are. It’s also National Mentoring Month, which is perfect for what’s been on my mind lately. I’ve had mentors at every stage of my life. My parents were the first. Later, there were high school coaches and teachers, college professors, and former bosses. Some were easy to learn from, and others were a little tougher, but each left me with something useful. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to be on the other side of that relationship, too. I’ve helped younger employees find their footing as they grow into roles that suit them well. It’s one of the things I enjoy most about this work. In the trades, you can’t learn everything from a book. You need someone by your side showing you how to do things. That’s how you pick up the technical pieces of the job, but it’s also how you learn how to think through problems and even talk to customers. Last month, I mentioned we were getting ready to launch a new apprenticeship program. Now that it is officially active, it feels like the right time to talk about what it means and why we’re excited about it. This idea grew out of a conversation I had with Darell Butcher, the college and career readiness coordinator at Southeast Polk Community School District. They recently built a new trades building with space for
electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and other hands-on programs. As we discussed their goals, it became clear that our industry could align well with those of other trades. It took time to put the apprenticeship program together, but we eventually landed on a design that met state requirements and also prepared students for real work in the field. It will run for 12 months, and the apprentices will take two electronics classes at Southeast Polk before completing on- the-job training with us to earn their initial alarm technician license. From there, they’ll work toward the Certified Alarm Technician coursework through the Electronic Security Association. By the end of the program, participants should be ready to handle service calls with minimal assistance from a senior technician. They will spend most of their time in the field with one of our two division managers, but they’ll also work with other experienced technicians. The program will teach them the ins and outs of life safety systems, and they’ll also learn the customer care side of what we do. That matters just as much as the technical details. Along with providing students with hands-on experience in a trade, we hope the program helps young people step into adulthood with confidence. Most students entering the program will be finishing high school, and this will be their first time settling into a long-term job. We
want to support them during this transition and equip them with skills they can apply anywhere, even if they decide not to stay with American Alarms or the alarm industry. There’s also a larger reason behind all this. Our industry is growing, but it’s also facing a shortage of workers. Many experienced technicians are nearing retirement, and there aren’t enough people coming in to replace them. Creating a training path helps solve that problem for both our company and the industry as a whole. I’m very proud of how this program has come together, and I’m excited to see what it becomes. More than anything, I hope it gives young people a strong start and shows them they could have a future here. If we
can help even one or two students build a career they feel good about, that alone will be worth it.
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3 Daily Habits That Will Transform Your 2026 As we enter another new year, there’s no
Diet and exercise matter. This is probably not news to you, but we can’t downplay the importance of diet and exercise. Listen to your body; it will tell you what it needs. Many people fall into the trap of overeating without realizing it or starving themselves when they want to lose weight, but this won’t make them feel good. Eat when your body tells you to, stick to a healthy diet, and find time for exercise. You need to find ways to motivate yourself, especially when you want to stay in bed and stick to comfort foods. Your body will thank you. Drink more water. How much water do you drink each day? The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that men should drink about 15.5 cups of fluids daily and women should drink 11.5 cups. If you aren’t hitting these numbers, it’s time to adjust. Start and finish each day with a glass of water. Walk around with a refillable bottle. Staying hydrated will help your body function much better.
better time to adjust your daily habits to help you become the healthiest version of yourself mentally and physically. Here are three strategies you can incorporate into your New Year’s expectations and resolutions that will help ensure 2026 is your healthiest year yet! Start every day strong. Many Americans fall into the same routines year after year, and most are dangerous for their overall well-being. They stay up too late, wake up to an alarm a few hours later, scramble to get ready, and jump in the car as soon as possible to get to work. Your morning routine sets the tone for your day. If you’re in a hurry every morning, you will feel rushed and exhausted. Give yourself ample time in the morning to take care of yourself and some simple chores. Make your bed, have a glass of water, take good care of your hygiene, eat something, and incorporate some movement into your mornings. It will be hard initially, but you’ll feel the benefits within a few weeks.
The New Age of Protection Rethinking the Modern Alarm System
When I look at the systems we work on every day, what stands out to me most is how quickly the technology is changing. Life safety systems used to be mostly hardware. The word Alarms used
business owners. Updates that used to require new hardware can be handled through software. Cloud hosting also provides customers with better ways to integrate these systems with other tools they already use, such as HVAC controls or building management software. When everything works together, the system becomes easier to run and easier to grow with. Another fast-growing area is video analytics. Artificial intelligence is already built into many of the cameras installed today. Depending on the setup, it can identify a person, vehicle, license plate, face, or even a heat signature. A camera can now recognize activity that needs attention and send an alert to the right people immediately. A decade ago, you had to rely on someone watching a monitor. All of this is moving quickly, and we are only at the beginning of what life safety systems will be capable of doing. Software is driving more of the work each year, which gives our customers better tools to protect their buildings and the people within them. The technology will keep changing, but the goal stays the same. We want to help businesses stay ahead of the curve, so the systems they install today will continue to serve them for years to come.
to describe all they could do pretty well. Now they rely heavily on software, processors, and configuration. Most of the panels we service have memory chips, onboard relays, and various processors that each control a
specific part of the system. A lot of the work is in understanding how those parts communicate and how to program the system so it meets code and does what the customer needs. One of the biggest shifts happening right now is the transition to cloud-based platforms. More manufacturers are building their systems to be programmed and managed through the cloud. That creates more flexibility and makes long-term planning easier for
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When most people think about access control, they picture a badge reader on a door. That is still part of the job, but the technology behind these systems has changed so much that opening a door is only the beginning. Access control has become one of the most flexible tools a business can use, and it is surprising how many people never hear about what it can really do. One challenge I often see is a business selecting a system without fully understanding its limitations. Some systems look great on the surface, but they are locked down with proprietary software that can’t grow or connect with anything else. That becomes a real issue when the company expands or wants to add new locations, new tools, or new safety features. When we help someone plan an access control system, we always try to think ahead so they’re not boxed into something that no longer fits five years from now. Modern access control is most powerful when it’s built on a cloud platform. A cloud system gives you the ability to manage users, schedules, and permissions from anywhere. Most importantly, it opens the door for a system to work with other tools it relies on every day. For example, access control can work with HVAC systems so the temperature adjusts the moment someone arrives in the morning. It can tie into a point of sale system to track who is on duty or who handled certain transactions. It can connect with video analytics, allowing a camera to match a face or license plate to an access credential. It can even manage elevator control so certain floors only unlock for certain staff. All of this is possible because the system is designed to communicate with other software, rather than operating independently in a corner. I like helping customers think about the possibilities because it turns access control from a simple door tool to something that actually supports the way they run their business. The right system can save time, reduce errors, and improve security while leaving room for growth. If you want to know what your system can really do, we’d be happy to walk through it with you. UNLOCK MORE FROM YOUR SYSTEM ACCESS CONTROL THAT THINKS BIGGER
Jalapeño Popper Soup
INGREDIENTS
• 4 bacon slices, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces • 5–6 large jalapeño peppers, minced with stems and seeds removed • 1/2 small onion, chopped • 4 garlic cloves, minced • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp cumin • 1 1/2 tsp salt • 1 lb gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite- size pieces • 8 oz full-fat cream cheese • 1 cup shredded fresh cheddar cheese • 2 tbsp lemon juice
1. Place a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, then remove to a plate. 2. Add jalapeños and onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Add garlic to the pot and sauté for 1 minute. 4. Stir in chicken broth, cumin, salt, and potatoes, and simmer for 20 minutes. 5. Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl and add 1 ladle of hot broth before mixing. 6. Add cream cheese mixture to the pot and stir. 7. Remove from heat and add cheddar cheese and lemon juice, stirring until the cheese melts. 8. Pour into serving bowls, topping with bacon and more shredded cheese. DIRECTIONS
Inspired by TheRecipeCritic.com
American-Alarms.com · 3
Complete Fire Alarm and Security Service In Iowa And The Midwest, By A Local Veteran-Owned Company American-Alarms.com (515) 266-9888
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1659 E Euclid Ave, Ste. B Des Moines, Iowa 50313
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. Guiding the Next Generation Forward
2. Make 2026 Your Healthiest Year Yet 2. Changes Redefining Life Safety Tech 3. Smarter Access for Modern Buildings 3. Jalapeño Popper Soup
4. Smart Ways to Find Privacy in an Open-Plan Home
NOWHERE TO HIDE Are Open-Concept Home Plans on the Way Out?
Isn’t it great to enter an open, sunlit home and gaze from the entry through to the kitchen, the family room, and beyond, without obstructions or walls? Maybe … or maybe not. For sheer aesthetics, few layouts rival the open-concept plans that won favor in the mid-20th century. As postwar families grew and the average house size shrank, designers opened communal interior spaces to make houses seem larger, brighter, and more pleasant for entertaining. By the 1990s, open- concept designs had become the standard.
Then, along came another mega-trend: the move to working remotely. As homes began doubling as workplaces, the shortcomings of open-concept plans loomed large. Avoiding interruptions by family members, children, or roommates in an open-concept floor plan is difficult. Also, in an era of soaring energy prices, open-plan designs are expensive to heat and cool. Designers are responding by creating more homes with closed rooms or separate spaces that allow for privacy and quiet. Meanwhile, open-concept plans aren’t going away completely. If you are a remote worker stuck in an open-concept home that isn’t working, consider these strategies to aid concentration. • Try to transform a room or defined space close to your internet router with
• If you manage to create a dedicated workroom, you will probably spend a lot of time there, so consider ways to make the space multifunctional. Add compact workout gear, a meditation mat or chair, or a window seat for reflection to break up that monotonous focus on work. • If your only alternative is to continue working out in the open, use props to signal to others that you’re working, such as noise-canceling headphones or a standing screen around your desk. And as Nir Ayal writes in his influential book “Indistractable,” the most important boundaries may be mental. Cultivating the ability to focus intensely on what you’re doing and manage the psychological discomfort that leads you off track can help you create the privacy you need. Regardless of your future work setting, these skills and room strategies will help you improve your productivity and sharpen your focus.
a door you can shut. Many remote workers have converted closets, garages, laundry rooms, and sheds into functional offices.
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