The Edge of Empty

From very early days here in law school, my fellow 1L's (first year law students) and I heard about the importance of time. As students, we have been learning to manage our time in order to get things done on time. As lawyers, we have been told that we will be tracking our time in fifteen minute intervals for billing clients. I decided that it is never too early to apply and learn career related skills. To that end, over the holiday break, I dug out one of my favorite parenting tools. Here it is: Yep, it is that magical bit of technology known as a kitchen timer. When the boys were young, we employed these lovely gadgets in many different ways. Quite often, we would make a game of cleaning up their rooms by setting the timer for fifteen minutes and scrambling to clean up as much as possible in that time. This made a game out of cleaning and it also made it more bearable. Those handy timers also were employed in our school room (we homeschooled). Of course, the timers were als...

One of the great features of CryWolf® is the hints and tips that are available right in the software.  Going other places to get information and help is nice (and I do appreciate that you are stopping by my little blog), but don’t neglect the helps that are available right on your desktop.   For example, when you click the “Search” box to find an account (red arrow below),the “Search Options” pop up window opens. Two oft overlooked buttons in this window are the “Options” button (pink circle below) and the “Instructions” button (aqua circle below). When the options button is clicked, the additional search options of “Where” to search and “Type” of search appear.   As shown below, the “where” (brown box) option allows the user to search the “Main Account”, the “Responsible Party”, and “All Related Records”.   The “type” search (green box) allows a default, Soundex, or MetaPhone search.   ( The Soundex or MetaPh...

Change is good, right?  Well, not always.  The last time I updated the look of "The Edge...", I went for the dynamic views template.  I thought it would be fun for everyone to be able to choose how they wanted the blog to look.  Sounded great in theory, but it wasn't working for some. Or me for that matter if I tried to show somebody at work a post.  So, back to simple.  I hope this helps if you were having trouble.  If you have issues with this style, please let me know.  I will miss the dynamic views, but I would much rather that my readers be able to access the blog.

I can't  believe that two weeks have gone by without a new CryWolf® tip.  I do my best to post a new tip each week, but if work is crazy, as it has been lately,  I sometimes don't get the chance.  If you are unfamiliar with the world of blogs, it is possible to subscribe to my blog so that you are notified when something new is posted.  Using the tab on the right hand side will allow you to choose which option suits you best.  My personal preference is to use Google Reader.  This way, all the new posts from the blogs I follow are collected in one place for me to read when I have a chance. This also saves the frustration from checking a blog when nothing new is posted. Here is a simple video from Google explaining Google Reader. The other option is to use the RSS (sometimes referred to as R eally S imple   S yndication, but is technically an R DF S ite S ummary) feed which will send new posts to your email inbox. However you choose to find this ...

I'm not in the office this week because I have been at the FARA Symposium in Albuquerque.  In preparation for being away, I wrote the post below and had it queued up to automatically go live at the appropriate time. On Monday, Public Safety Corporation(PSC) held their annual Users Conference and let me tell you that some brilliant things are on the way. If you missed the conference, you can read about some of the exciting news  here . During the meeting, they asked if there were things that users would like to see added to CryWolf®.  Of course, I have a list at the office of things I would like to see, but one thing that has been weighing heavy on my mind is how to reduce our postage costs.  This is especially critical for my unit since we have already exceeded our postage budget and there are still a few months to go this fiscal year.  In pursuit of a solution, I have been examining ways to do more correspondence through e-mail, but was in a dilemma because n...

One of the advantages of using the CryWolf® alarm billing software is the excellent customer service that they provide. This customer service is available on a daily basis through our rep. However, the company also extends that service with a   User's Conference held each year in conjunction with the FARA symposium .  This demonstrates their commitment to long term relationships with their customers. It also shows their commitment to FARA's mission also. At this meeting, PSC often reveals exciting updates to CryWolf® and shares tips and tricks to make using the system easier. Today's conference was no exception and there are some exciting features already available with more coming soon.  I don't want to steal their thunder, but I was told that I could mention some things. (And just between you and me, it was exciting to have PSC mention my blog and say that they liked it), One of the big changes coming this year is the new website that they will be revealing. Som...

After a recent update to the .Net version of CryWolf®, I noticed what I believe is a new option to send  invoices and account histories by email while in the history of an account.  Before noticing this option, my staff was opening the history, clicking on the invoice, saving it as a pdf file, and then attaching the file to an email.  Now, a simple right click on the invoice number opens the options window where it is possible to send a pdf of the invoice directly to the email addresses on file in the account.  Simply click on the option  and slide over to the right to select an email address.  As can be seen in the sample, the account holder's address appears on top and the responsible party's  email address is below.  It is also possible to send the item to an email address not on the account by choosing the "Other Email" option.  After clicking the selection, a "Quick Email window" opens and a subject line and message may be added...

Occasionally, it has been helpful to send a letter to a group of registered alarm users. If this sounds like something that would be helpful,  scroll down to "Process Bulk Letters" on the File menu in CryWolf®. In the "Bulk Letters" window, there are 3 tabs that can help refine the account selection process: General Search, Based on Outstanding Amounts, and Letter Received. The General Search tab offers options to choose the accounts to send letters.  If the letter needs to be sent to an alarm company, choosing the "Alarm Company" radio button allows the registered Alarm Companies to be searched. The default "Accounts" radio button searches registered users.  The pull down menu to the right of the radio buttons allows the  search to be refined by 7 parameters. The "Based on Outstanding Amounts" tab, allows a search of accounts by the amounts owed and date notification was sent. My favorite tab "Letter Received" allows a ...

We are going to venture away from CryWolf® today to discuss other technology that can assist in the mission of reducing false alarms.  One emerging technology that can be harnessed by alarm units is the QR code. As an example, the QR code below includes the web address for this blog. A QR code is a form of bar code similar to a UPC code but with the ability to hold greater amounts of data. These codes were developed by an auto manufacturer in Japan to help them track parts.  Although the company holds the patent rights, they have chosen to not exercise those rights. This allows free use of the technology. QR codes may be formatted to hold all manner of information such as phone numbers, e-mail addresses, gps data, or a web address. QR codes can easily be added to business cards, brochures, and other printed materials.  Many Home Owner Associations in our area allow us a small space in their publications and QR codes are perfect for this space.  The codes can...

CryWolf® has a lot of great features to make alarm administrators' jobs easier. One of the great features built in to CryWolf® allows jurisdictions to email reports easily to alarm companies.   If you don’t currently use this feature, here is how to start: From the Reports menu, scroll down to "Alarm Company Related" and then over and down to "PDF creation for eMailing to Alarm companies".   Then over to "Accounts by Alarm Company". In the "Accounts by Alarm Company" pop up, use the pull down menus to control the information that the report will include.   For my office, o ur weekly reports are meant to inform the alarm company of any new permit numbers that were issued that week, so we select the alarm company type   and the date that the account was created.   We  then choose the dates that we want the report to cover. CryWolf® also allows you to click the Email Reports box option to send the reports elec...

Our CAD (computer aided dispatch) system places prefixes for streets at the end of the street name which is fine if that is where they belong. However, the Post Office prefers the prefixes to be in their proper place.  There is a difference between N Main St and Main St N.  In our area, some older communities have two addresses that differ only by their prefix.  For example, 100 W Main St and 100 E Main St.  Several communities also have streets that encompass the town center in circular form.  The only way to know where a store is located is to refer to the NE, NW, SE or SW designation.  Maybe natives of the area have some innate sense of where they need to go, but I have spent a great deal of time literally going in circles to find an address.   I  have noticed that our county property tax database is set up the same way, so I imagine that the data from CAD may have originated from the county geo records.  No matter what the source was, wh...

Hello faithful readers.  I know that the weekly CryWolf® hints have not been as consistent as I would like.  I beg your indulgence as my unit continues to struggle with being short staffed.  That situation should be resolved in the next month or so and things should settle back to a manageable level. Even before the loss of one of my staff, I had made an investment in the CryWolf® web module to reduce the amount of time that staff members use each day processing registration renewals.   The module is an independent feature that can be purchased separately from the database to provide some additional functionality.  The addition of the module allows citizens to register and update their accounts online. It can also be used to allow registered alarm companies access to their customer lists. Authorized users can experiment with a range of canned reports.  And these are just a few of the many possibilities that this module offers. The module can be used "...

Many of us inherit the tracking and billing software that we use daily.  For those of you who have the opportunity to compare systems, I am listing the options that I have found. AOT Public Safety Corporation's CryWolf    ATB Services'  Alarm Tracking & Billing Digital Design Group's False Alarm Software EnablePoint Corporation's False Alarm Information Tracking Software Moose Rapids Technologies' False Alarm Tracking PMAM Corporations' False Alarm Management & Reduction Solution Purvis Gray Technology Group's False Alarm Reduction System Many CAD vendors also have some version of alarm tracking software as well.  Have fun comparing the options. If you are a member, FARA has published a guide to choosing software that may be helpful. If you know of other programs, please let me know so I can add them to the list.

I am a bargain shopper.  Friends are always asking me how I get such great deals on things.  Truth is, I shop the end of the aisles or the clearance section first.  One recent shopping trip took me to a local Walmart which was undergoing renovation.  Because of the renovation, there were several aisles of merchandise priced to go.  One section held particular interest because it was packed with various games for all different game consoles.  One of the items that caught my eye was a family game called " Scene It! ". This was appealing because we are always trying to find ways that we can share the boys interests.  And like it or not,  the X-box uses up a huge chunk of their days right now.  This particular version of the game also included the controllers necessary to play the game so I figured that if nothing else, it was a bargain for that reason. I will readily admit that the family didn't express any interest in my acquisition.  I d...

Do you remember those old Apple ads where a nerdy PC interacted with a cool Mac?  If not,  go here for a YouTube refresher. For several years now, our house has been undergoing a transformation back to Apple from PC domination.   I started out using Apple computers way too long ago and have been pushing this transformation.  The first computer that I really remember using was the  Apple IIe .  I remember going to the Apple retailer with my dad to purchase it, and I can still see multicolor apple logo.  After the Hubster and I married, I would have to say that PC's entered our home due to the lower cost and ready availability. A few years ago, I started the move with a Mac mini.  Other MP3 players have been replaced by iPod Touches in all of our pockets except the Hubster who has an iPad.  When I went back to school, I purchased a MacBook Pro.  The transformation is nearly complete and I couldn't be happier. However, I'm ...

Friday morning, I had an idea for a post and was just sitting down to start typing when a high pitched noise began emanating from the vicinity of my nightstand.  This wasn't a noise that could be ignored.  Do you know the sound a mosquito makes as it buzzes your head before making a landing to feast on you?  Imagine that, but with a higher pitch and a higher volume. I have a low tolerance for annoyance, so of course I began looking for the source.  First, I checked all of the electrical items in the bedroom.  On the second round, I went so far as to unplug things and hold the transformers (what are those chunky plug things called anyway?) up to my ear.  When I still hadn't found the noise, I began rummaging around in my nightstand itself since the noise really did seem to be coming from that area.  Still nothing. I was reaching the end of rational behavior at this point.  In desperation, I began picking up items that couldn't possibly be making th...