The bylaws of ALOA now allow for the establishment of divisions. Current di- visions include the Safe and Vault Tech- nicians Association (SAVTA), the In- ternational Association of Investigative Locksmiths (IAIL), ALOA Latino and the ALOA Institutional Locksmiths (AIL), all of which make for a better association and enhancement to the security indus- try. Each member of ALOA is eligible to join the divisions if applicable to their professional skills, with the exception of the AIL, which includes those employed at institutions and facilities such as uni- versities, hospitals, government agencies or other related entities. Education One of ALOA’s chief priorities is to have an educated membership that’s prepared for the future. Members shall have timely updates, technical assistance and access to basic, intermediate and advanced training, allowing members to become certified in the following security system specialties: 1.) Automotive 2.) Electronic Security 3.) Safes, Vaults, and Safe and Vault Servicing and 4.) Mechanical Security. Last year, the ALOA Continuing Edu- cation (ACE) program conducted 149 full- day and 16 half-day ACE classes and six seminars at 19 locations. Fiſty percent of these full-day classes were conducted at the annual conventions and ALOA Training Center. The balance of classes were conducted at local tradeshows and events across the United States. ALOA has developed a skilled service network of members for each area of specialization. To that end, last year we conducted training in: Automotive, 14 classes/140 students; Electronic Security, 12 classes/110 students; Safe and Vault Servicing, 22 classes/236 students; Me- chanical Security, 95 classes/961students; and Business Management, six classes/36 students. Student counts are approxi- WWW.ALOA.ORG “IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE ASSOCIATION RECOGNIZE THAT OUR MEMBERS ARE THE BEST SECURITY PROFESSIONALS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY OF HEIGHTENED SECURITY.” mate, as many sponsors do not report final attendee counts. Recognition The Proficiency Registration Program (PRP) provides recognition for the par- ticipants inside and outside of the lock- smithing/access control community. We administered the PRP at 19 full sittings with 186 participants. There were 22 ACE classes that provided aſter-class PRP ex- ams. There were 81 students who chose the option to take the aſter-class PRP for that class. The pass rate for these exams is 61 percent. Currently, there are 315 CMLs, 217 CPLs, 804 CRLS, 112 CALs, 16 CMSTs and 127 CPSs. This represents more than 26% of the entire member- ship — that’s one of the highest ratios of trade association voluntary certification in the industry. ALOA members are recognized as se- curity professionals by related industry groups. It’s important that those outside of the association recognize that our members are the best security profes- sionals, especially in this day of height- ened security. In the course of soliciting advertising and booth sales, manufac- turers and distributors are constantly reminded of the quality of our members and the association. The primary effort in increasing the use of the logo has been the assignment of a logo registration number to every member. The number must be used when the logo is displayed for advertising and promo- tional purposes. ALOA has several logos: the corporate logo with or without the slo- gan “Locksmiths You Can Trust;” a logo with the slogan “Security Pros You Can Trust,” and the original logo with Associ- ated Locksmiths of America. Members can also access and download the ALOA logo in EPS and JPG formats in the Members Only section of the website for printing or website use. We also encourage our members to display the logo on their storefronts, service vehicles and uniforms. There is a wide variety of apparel, pins and decals available in the ALOA store. Communication Members’ access to industry experts at all appropriate levels is best displayed in the numerous technical articles written by these experts each month in Keynotes. In 2015, we had a wide menu of technical articles on every relevant topic. Keynotes’ new format has made it easier to focus on specific aspects of locksmithing from one month to the next, because we show- case various categories of locksmithing in each issue, from mechanical to elec- tronic; from institutional to investigative; and from safes to automotive. There is information concerning business, taxes, employment, legislation and many other topics that members find useful. One of the most visible methods of communication is the ALOA Weekly Update e-Newsletter, which is forwarded to the membership routinely, provid- ing timely updates on ALOA activities and articles relative to the industry and businesses in general. Material for the JULY / AUGUST 2016 KEYNOTES 23
