First Alarm
First Alarm is a private US security and investigations company, founded in 1966 and headquartered in Aptos, California, providing central station and remote monitoring services to residential and commercial customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersAptos, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What First Alarm does
First Alarm is a private, for-profit security and investigations company founded in 1966 and headquartered in Aptos, California. The firm provides central station monitoring and remote monitoring services, a recurring-service model built around 24/7 receipt, triage, and escalation of alarm and sensor signals from protected premises. Operationally, this implies dedicated monitoring infrastructure, trained dispatch staff, and contractual relationships with end customers (residential and/or commercial) whose sites are equipped with compatible alarm hardware.
The company describes itself as having between 101 and 250 employees, consistent with a mid-sized regional central station operation that must maintain staffed shifts around the clock. Its website (firstalarm.com) returned a verification/loading page during data collection, so no additional product, pricing, customer, or technology disclosures were available. Founder Jarl E. Saal is the only leadership figure listed in the available data.
From a business-model perspective, First Alarm's revenue mechanics are consistent with the standard alarm-monitoring industry structure: recurring monthly monitoring fees, contractually defined service periods, and likely adjacent one-time installation revenue tied to hardware provisioning. No pricing tiers, customer segment mix, named accounts, geographic footprint details, channel structure, certifications, or AI/ML feature set are documented in the available input, leaving most qualitative dimensions of the business unverified.
First Alarm firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First Alarm
- Website
- https://firstalarm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- First Alarm is a private US security and investigations company, founded in 1966 and headquartered in Aptos, California, providing central station and remote monitoring services to residential and commercial customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
First Alarm industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Security Monitoring Services
- NAICS
- Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Security Systems Services (56162)
- SIC
- Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial & Industrial Alarm Monitoring (BPAKAFAB)
Keywords
Where First Alarm is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aptos
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
First Alarm business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
First Alarm product offering
Product offeringCore offering
First Alarm is a security and investigations company that provides central station monitoring and remote monitoring services. The firm operates a dedicated central station to receive, evaluate, and respond to alarm and event signals from client premises. Its offering centers on continuous, off-site monitoring delivered as a recurring security service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Central Station Monitoring
Companies that use First Alarm
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
First Alarm technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
First Alarm competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Protection One (now part of Everon/Tyco): Commercial-focused monitored alarm and security provider (formerly Protection One). Comparable in monitoring-centric business model with an emphasis on commercial intrusion accounts.
- ADT: Largest national provider of monitored security and alarm services for residential and commercial customers. Directly comparable because both firms deliver central-station monitored intrusion and emergency services on a subscription basis.
- Brinks Home Security: National monitored home security brand built on the Monitronics platform, providing professionally monitored alarm services. Comparable because subscription-based central-station monitoring is its core offering.
- Vivint: National smart-home and professionally monitored security provider. Comparable in that both companies sell professionally monitored alarm subscriptions, though Vivint is far larger and bundles smart-home equipment.
Direct peers
- CPI Security: Regional professionally monitored security provider in the Southeast US offering intrusion, video, and life-safety monitoring. Comparable as a similarly sized operator running in-house monitoring centers.
- Guardian Protection: Mid-market provider of home and business security with UL-listed central monitoring stations. Comparable as a similarly scaled professional monitoring company focused on intrusion and life-safety services.
- Affiliated Monitoring: Wholesale central-station monitoring provider serving independent alarm dealers nationwide. Comparable because both firms operate monitoring centers that deliver the underlying alarm response service for dealers and end-customers.
- CPS Security Solutions: California-headquartered commercial and industrial monitoring provider. Comparable as a same-state operator offering central-station alarm monitoring with similar customer-segment overlap.
- Sterling Security: Independently owned monitoring and security systems provider serving residential and small-commercial customers on the West Coast. Comparable as a similarly sized regional central-station operator.
- Bay Alarm: California-based family-owned alarm monitoring and security systems provider serving residential and commercial customers across the West Coast. Closely comparable as a same-geography, similar-size, family/private competitor with central-station offerings.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
First Alarm social profiles
Digital presenceFirst Alarm financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First Alarm leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
First Alarm funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First Alarm M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about First Alarm
What does First Alarm do?
First Alarm is a security and investigations company that provides central station monitoring and remote monitoring services. The firm operates a dedicated central station to receive, evaluate, and respond to alarm and event signals from client premises. Its offering centers on continuous, off-site monitoring delivered as a recurring security service.
When was First Alarm founded?
First Alarm was founded in 1966. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is First Alarm based?
First Alarm is headquartered in Aptos, United States, in the North America region.
Who are First Alarm's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Protection One (now part of Everon/Tyco), ADT, Brinks Home Security and Vivint. Direct peers are CPI Security, Guardian Protection, Affiliated Monitoring, CPS Security Solutions, Sterling Security and Bay Alarm.
Does First Alarm have an API?
No public API is recorded for First Alarm.
What industry is First Alarm in?
First Alarm's product category is Security Monitoring Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKAFAB, Commercial & Industrial Alarm Monitoring. Its NAICS code is 561621 and its SIC code is 4899.