California Alarm Association
The California Alarm Association is a nonprofit trade association serving California's electronic security and life safety industry. It provides membership, training, legislative advocacy, and networking to alarm companies, integrators, and industry suppliers across 10+ regional chapters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersMarina Del Rey, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What California Alarm Association does
The California Alarm Association (CAA) is a nonprofit trade association representing the electronic security and life safety industry throughout California. It serves two primary member segments: Regular Members (alarm companies that install, integrate, and monitor intrusion and fire detection, video surveillance, and electronic access control systems) and Associate Members (manufacturers, distributors, and service providers serving the industry). The association operates through 10+ regional chapters spanning East Bay, Golden Gate, Greater LA, Greater Valley, Inland Empire, Mid-Cal, Orange County, Redwood, Sacramento Area, San Diego, and Silicon Valley, providing local networking, training, and advocacy infrastructure.
CAA delivers value through four interlocking revenue streams: recurring membership dues (Regular and Associate tiers, billed annually), advertising in The Mirror monthly digital publication (distributed to 14,000+ industry professionals nationwide), events and conventions (Spring Convention, Winter Conference, Day at the Capitol), and training programs (Technical and management training via WBFAA apprenticeship and NTS webinars). The association publishes The Mirror as its flagship media product, administers named awards (George A. Weinstock Lifetime Achievement, Mark Schubert Memorial), runs the WISE program for women in security, and awards an annual $20,000 youth scholarship.
The go-to-market motion is event-driven and community-led: chapters recruit and retain members, conventions drive sponsorship and registration revenue, and the Annual Day at the Capitol anchors legislative advocacy. CAA maintains strategic alliances with the Electronic Security Association (ESA), Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), Western Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (WBFAA), California Automatic Fire Alarm Association (CAFAA), and California state agencies (BSIS, CSLB). As a California-domiciled nonprofit, CAA has no parent company, no funding rounds, and is governed by a volunteer board of directors including officers and regional chapter representatives from companies such as ADT, Bay Alarm, Valley Alarm, and Farpointe Data.
California Alarm Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- California Alarm Association
- Legal name
- California Alarm Association
- Website
- https://caaonline.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The California Alarm Association is a nonprofit trade association serving California's electronic security and life safety industry. It provides membership, training, legislative advocacy, and networking to alarm companies, integrators, and industry suppliers across 10+ regional chapters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
California Alarm Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Security Industry Trade Association
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- CCTV, Access Control & Alarm Systems Training (Electronic Security) (BPAKAOAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fire Alarm Systems (Inspection/Testing/Monitoring/Service) (IMAIAJAC)
Keywords
Where California Alarm Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marina Del Rey
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
California Alarm Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from regular members (alarm companies that install, integrate and monitor intrusion and fire detection, video surveillance and electronic access control systems) and associate members (companies who serve the industry with growth oriented products & services).
- The Mirror Publication Advertising: Monthly digital publication distributed to 14,000+ industry professionals across the U.S. Revenue generated from advertising sales within the publication.
- Events and Conventions: Revenue from Spring Convention, Winter Conference, and Day at the Capitol events including registration fees, sponsorships, and vendor participation.
- Training Programs: Technical and management training programs through National Training Program and WBFAA apprenticeship programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Regular Membership - For companies that install, integrate and monitor security systems |
| Subscription | Annual | Associate Membership - For suppliers and service providers to the industry |
| Subscription | Monthly | The Mirror Publication Subscription |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
California Alarm Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The California Alarm Association is a nonprofit trade association that delivers membership services to the electronic security and life safety industry in California. Its core offerings include Regular and Associate memberships, the monthly THE MIRROR publication, the WBFAA apprenticeship training program, annual networking and advocacy events (Spring Convention, Winter Conference, Day at the Capitol), the WISE program, and the Youth Scholarship Program.
Product overview
The California Alarm Association is a trade association for the electronic security and life safety industry throughout California, offering membership programs, training, legislative advocacy, and networking events. The Association publishes THE MIRROR magazine (distributed monthly to 14,000+ industry professionals), operates scholarship and awards programs (Youth Scholarship Program, George A. Weinstock Lifetime Achievement Award, Mark Schubert Memorial Award), hosts events (Spring Convention, Winter Conference, Day at the Capitol), and provides professional development through the WISE program and Harvey Eisenstadt Sales Symposium.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Regular Membership Annual membership for alarm companies that install, integrate, and monitor intrusion and fire detection, video surveillance, and electronic access control systems operating in California. Provides access to advocacy, training, events, and industry resources.
- Associate Membership
- THE MIRROR Publication
- Spring Convention
- Winter Conference
- Day at the Capitol
- WBFAA Apprenticeship Training Program
- CAA Women In the Security Evolution (WISE)
- Youth Scholarship Program
- Harvey Eisenstadt Sales Symposium
- George A. Weinstock Lifetime Achievement Award Highest honor bestowed by the California Alarm Association, presented annually at the Winter Convention to recognize lifetime achievement in the electronic security industry.
- Mark Schubert Memorial Award
Quantifiable outcome
- Monthly distribution to 14,000+ industry professionals
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use California Alarm Association
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
California Alarm Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
California Alarm Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BuildingReportscoreNAPCO Security Technologies and BuildingReports partnership announced at NFPA Expo for integration between NAPCO's StarLink Fire Max2 Commercial Fire Alarm Communicators and BuildingReports inspection reporting platform, expanding compliance documentation and system visibility for fire alarm dealers.
- Electronic Security Association (ESA)coreNational trade association for the electronic security industry. CAA chapters are members of ESA. CAA encourages enactment of legislation beneficial to the electronic alarm system industry through ESA affiliation.
- Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC)coreNational coalition addressing alarm management issues. Listed as a resource for members on the CAA website.
- Western Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (WBFAA)coreRegional association providing WBFAA UATC Apprenticeship Program. CAA members can access WBFAA training courses through the CAA website.
- California Automatic Fire Alarm Association (CAFAA)minorState association for fire alarm systems. Listed as a resource for CAA members.
- National Training School (NTS)coreESA's National Training School provides technical training programs. CAA hosts NTS webinars for members.
- Bureau of Security & Investigative Services (BSIS)coreCalifornia state agency regulating security and investigative services. CAA serves as industry advocate and liaison with BSIS for licensing, standards and regulation.
- Contractors State License Board (CSLB)coreCalifornia state agency overseeing contractor licensing. CAA advocates for members on licensing and regulatory matters.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
California Alarm Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFAA): National not-for-profit focused on fire alarm and life-safety code education. AFAA competes for training and continuing-education engagement from CAA's fire alarm installer and monitoring members.
- National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA): Trade association for low-voltage systems integrators including electronic security, AV, and building technology. NSCA overlaps with CAA's integrator members, particularly those handling access control and surveillance, but with a wider systems-integration scope.
- Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA, now The Monitoring Association): Trade association for monitoring centers and central station operators. CAA represents many TMA member companies on the installer side, making TMA a complementary peer for the monitoring-services segment of CAA's membership.
Broad incumbents
- ASIS International: Global professional association for security management professionals. ASIS overlaps with CAA's training and credentialing offerings (CPP, PSP) but serves a broader enterprise security management audience rather than installers and alarm companies.
- NFPA (National Fire Protection Association): Global standards body whose NFPA 72 fire alarm code directly shapes CAA member training and certification content. NFPA's training and expo ecosystem (where NAPCO-BuildingReports integrations are launched) is an adjacent peer in industry education and standards.
- Security Industry Association (SIA): Broad trade association covering the wider security industry including manufacturers, integrators, and service providers. SIA competes for the same supplier/associate member mindshare as CAA but operates at a national level with a wider product portfolio.
Direct peers
- Electronic Security Association (ESA): National trade association for the electronic security industry. CAA's chapters are members of ESA, and the two organizations share National Training School (NTS) programs and advocacy alignment, making ESA the closest comparable as a peer trade body in the same vertical.
- California Automatic Fire Alarm Association (CAFAA): California-based trade association focused specifically on fire alarm systems. CAFAA is listed as a resource for CAA members and represents a directly overlapping membership base among California fire alarm companies and integrators.
- Western Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (WBFAA): Regional trade association providing apprenticeship and journeyman training for alarm professionals. CAA distributes WBFAA courses to its members, making WBFAA a directly comparable peer in training, certification, and trade-association services.
- Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC): Coalition addressing alarm management and false-alarm reduction issues across the U.S. SIAC is listed as a core resource for CAA members and operates with overlapping advocacy and training mandates in the electronic alarm space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
California Alarm Association social profiles
Digital presenceCalifornia Alarm Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
California Alarm Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
California Alarm Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
California Alarm Association 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 California Alarm Association
What does California Alarm Association do?
The California Alarm Association is a nonprofit trade association that delivers membership services to the electronic security and life safety industry in California. Its core offerings include Regular and Associate memberships, the monthly THE MIRROR publication, the WBFAA apprenticeship training program, annual networking and advocacy events (Spring Convention, Winter Conference, Day at the Capitol), the WISE program, and the Youth Scholarship Program.
Is California Alarm Association a public or private company?
California Alarm Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was California Alarm Association founded?
California Alarm Association was founded in 1992. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is California Alarm Association based?
California Alarm Association is headquartered in Marina Del Rey, United States, in the North America region.
How does California Alarm Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are the Mirror Publication Advertising, events and Conventions and training Programs.
Who are California Alarm Association's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFAA), National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) and Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA, now The Monitoring Association). Broad incumbents are ASIS International, NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and Security Industry Association (SIA). Direct peers are Electronic Security Association (ESA), California Automatic Fire Alarm Association (CAFAA), Western Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (WBFAA) and Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC).
Does California Alarm Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for California Alarm Association.
What industry is California Alarm Association in?
California Alarm Association's product category is Security Industry Trade Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKAOAF, CCTV, Access Control & Alarm Systems Training (Electronic Security), with a secondary code of IMAIAJAC, Fire Alarm Systems (Inspection/Testing/Monitoring/Service). Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.