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LOOK FOR THE RED STAR [Business People (IN)](Business People (IN) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Day or night, a red star shines in Fort Wayne. This distinctive symbol represents Certified Burglar & Fire Alarm Systems and carries with it the promise of peace of mind. Locally-owned and -operated, Certified Alarm provides security systems and monitoring services to businesses and homeowners from the heart of downtown. The company boasts more than 2,000 customers within a 150-mile radius of Fort Wayne, but each one receives personal service. "We know our customers individually," says Steve Koch who owns and operates the business with his wife, Dianne. That kind of service is exactly why people call Certified Alarm. Though many have tried national alarm companies, they eventually turn to Certified seeking the faster response times that come with personalized service. Certified has real people to answer telephone calls, monitor systems and dispatch assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Unlike other companies that may route incoming calls to centers around the country, Certified takes all calls at its Fort Wayne office. The company also employs its own service technicians, allowing it to respond quickly to requests for service. Its response time is so prompt, in fact, that national alarm companies that compete with Certified occasionally call the company to ask for help in providing service to their local accounts. Dianne and Steve recognize that their employees play a key role in Certified's ability to provide top-notch service. When people join the staff, they stay with the company for a long; some have been there for 40 years. Dianne wants to keep it that way, too. She and Steve work hard to create a work environment that employees find compelling. They build good working relationships and treat their employees like friends. "We're a family," says Dianne. "Employees really like working here." That family attitude carries a deeper meaning at Certified than at most companies. Certified has remained in the hands of the Koch family since it was founded in 1925 by Steve's father, Sylvester, who recognized an unmet need for security systems. Together with his wife Evelyn, they literally built the business; everything they installed was designed and built by hand. Calls came to a phone line in their home. The Kochs were the company's only employees for more than 25 years. When Sylvester died in the 1950s, Evelyn took over the company and hired a technician to handle service calls. Her son, Steve, joined the business in 1970 after he finished college and gained experience outside the security industry. Evelyn's wisdom and Steve's patient hard work paid off for Certified. The company's alarm services are among the most respected in the area and have the lowest incidence of false alarms of any company in Fort Wayne. It has earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana and has never had a complaint filed against it. In addition, Certified's business has grown consistently, despite downturns in the economy. Certified has consistently embraced advances in technology to provide its customers the best solutions for their security needs. It employs a Point ID system, for example, that allows its dispatchers to know in exactly which room or at which access point an alarm has been tripped. This allows the dispatcher to direct firefighters to the origin of a fire even though the smoke that had spread through the building or lead police to an intruder who had broken into a school by following his movements from room to room. Technology aside, what sets Certified Alarm apart is its service. From its state-of-the art equipment solutions and local monitoring capabilities to its relationships with customers and employees, Certified offers Fort Wayne and the surrounding area a first-rate menu of security options. When people see the red star that has adorned the business since its inception, they can rest assured that Certified is on the job. Certified Burglar & Fire Alarm Systems Address: P.O. Box 10658 Fort Wayne, Indiana 46853 Telephone: (260) 426-2345 Owners: Steve and Dianne Koch Number of employees: 13 Website: www.certifiedalarm.net Email: [email protected] Years in business: 87 Products and Services: Certified Alarm provides security and on-site, central station monitoring services with 24-hour supervision for northeast Indiana and the surrounding counties. Services include security systems, fire/smoke detection, sprinkler monitoring, central station monitoring, cellular radio back-up, hold-up, medical alert, video surveillance, door entry systems, card access systems, driveway sensors and metal detection. (c) 2012 Michiana Business Publications, Inc. |