We would like to Welcome our new Members to the LLSSA.

Garrison Resources, LLC is a woman and veteran owned and operated small business. They’ve developed a reputation of excellence built upon core values of Safety, Integrity, Quality, Commitment, and Teamwork.  They are licensed with the Louisiana State Fire Marshal to install and maintain your extinguishers and kitchen hood systems to keep you compliant.  You can visit This Associate Member at www.garrison-resources.com

Smartcomm is a leading provider of fiber optic infrastructure, network cabling, server room builds, access control, video surveillance, and more in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. With our expertise and innovative solutions, they help businesses thrive in the digital age. You can visit this Regular member at www.getsmartcomm.com

At this month’s state meeting in Baton Rouge, Erin St. Pierre, Deputy Chief of the Special Services and Support division of the State Fire Marshal’s Office was present. She took the time to speak on the recent Licensing Memorandum 1-2024 released on February 21,2024 to all life safety and property protection contractors. 

The Memorandum clarifies some of the classes approved as in-person courses only provided by the FED. the bulk of the memo focusses on the approval of “years of experience” as a minimum requirement for licensure. These updates apply to Fire Alarm Qualifier, Fire alarm (non-Required) Qualifier, Fire Alarm (Owner) Qualifier, Fire Sprinkler Qualifier, and Security Qualifier. Be sure to review the entire memorandum so that you are up to date on all changes.

The LLSSA Regional Meeting for Region 4 & 5 is Friday March 22nd.  You will find us at the Comfort Suites from 11am – 2pm.  Comfort Suites is at 7950 E. Texas Street, Bossier City, LA 71111.

The agenda includes updates from the LLSSA and local industry professionals.  We will have a representative from the State Fire Marshal’s Office as well.  Don’t miss this chance to catch up on current trends.  Your meal is included with registration.

REGISTER HERE

The LLSSA Regional Meeting for Region 3 is Thursday, March 21st.  You will find us at the Jubilee Room in Abacus at Noon.  Abacus is at 530 Pinhook Road, Lafayette, LA 70503.

The agenda includes updates from the LLSSA and local industry professionals.  Don’t miss this chance to catch up on current trends.  Your meal is included with registration.

REGISTER HERE

The LLSSA Regional Meeting for Region 1 is Wednesday March 20th.  You will find us at the Brick Oven at 2805 Williams Blvd, Kenner, La 70065 at 5:30pm. 

The agenda include updated from the LLSSA and local industry professionals.  Don’t miss this chance to catch up on current trends.  Your meal is included with registration.

REGISTER HERE

The LLSSA State Meeting for Region 2 is Tuesday March 5th.  You will find us at the Main Library at 7711 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge, La 70806 from 9am – 4pm. 

The agenda is packed with CEUs featuring a business Track and a Technicians Track so you will find something to interest you.  Classes include Fraud and AI by HomeBank, Hands-on Edge Panel Training with NICE, How to conduct a site survey for Access control by Assa Abloy, and Hikvision going over Video Basics and Solar Power.

Lunch will be served during the State Meeting with industry speakers like the State Fire Marshal’s Office, Mapes and Mapes Lobbyist, and others.

There will also be time to visit with our vendors.  The Event Sponsor is PELICAN Sponsor – Alarm Monitoring Services.  Other vendors in attendance include Wesco and Systems Distributors Inc.

REGISTER HERE

Mapes and Mapes is the Lobbyist for the LLSSA. A lobbyist is a professional like a plumber, or a lawyer, but lobbyists provide specialized services in regard to the legislature, politics and government. Politics is not everybody’s cup of tea, but that’s the whole point. You wouldn’t want to fix your own leaky pipes and you definitely don’t want to try and take care of your industry’s politics at the Capitol by yourself.

Professional lobbyists work year-round with the legislature and governmental agencies, so when our industry is in a political mess, Mapes and Mapes is ready to take our issues, to the legislature just like a lawyer would take you, and your issue, to court.

A person doesn’t have to go to a special school or get a permit or certificate to work as a lobbyist. They just have to register with the department of ethics as a lobbyist. It’s been said that lobbying is 85% personality and 15% technical knowledge, but without that technical knowledge you’ve just got a really fun person to hang around. To have mastery of the technical knowledge of the legislative process is critical.

Joseph Mapes has worked, in some capacity, in every special, regular, and fiscal session since 1974 — that’s more than 100 legislative sessions in which Mapes has drafted legislation, lobbied legislators and administrators, and worked in alliance with other governmental relations firms, Governors and their staff. He has been representing the LLSSA for many years in the Louisiana Capital.

Mapes and Mapes website