Security Sales & Integration March 2022 - 30

SPECIAL REPORT
SSI Hall of Fame
Class of 2022
HALL FAME
INDUSTRY
OF
Why He's on the List
▶ 45+ years of dedicated service within his
own organization as a leading authority on
security & fire/life-safety codes and standards
as well as to the industry at large by
sharing knowledge through trade
associations, events and publications
Shane Clary
Vice President -
Codes and Standards
Compliance, Bay Alarm
THE CLARY FILE
▶ Born in Inglewood, Calif.
▶ One sister, father
was a plumber and
oversaw maintenance
for McDonald Douglas;
mother was a homemaker
▶ Married to wife Susan,
with no children
▶ Other industry honors
include CAA George
A. Weinstock Award,
LABFAA Person of the
Year Award, NFPA Special
Achievement Award;
AFAA Special Service
Award; and TMA Mel
Mahler Award
▶ Longtime columnist of
SSI's Fire Side Chat
▶ Says if career had taken
another path, he might
have been a doctor or a
funeral home director
▶ Other interests include
avid reading, especially on
WWII, travel and aspiring
to build a model railroad
▶ Security industry start began in 1974 when
he accepted a job as an alarm dispatcher for
Reagan Alarms in Gardena, Calif., where he
served for around 10 years, including after the
company was acquired by United States Alarm
▶ After United States Alarm sold to API, he
joined Bay Alarm in Walnut Creek, Calif., where
he has remained for more than 35 years
▶ Interest in fire alarms came early, just after
high school working in a hospital burn unit
he came to realize the key role code for fire
sprinklers and alarms played in prevention
▶ Deep involvement in numerous trade associations
including WBFAA (now CAA), CAFAA,
AFAA and NFPA began in earnest during the
early 1990s and has remained intensive
Keys to Success
" For me, it was about learning the ways and
means of building codes and standards. It was
also learning through a lot of study about the
laying out of a fire detection system. While I
started as a one-person operation at Bay Alarm
designing fire alarm systems, it has grown to
having over 20 designers, which differentiates
the company among our competitors. But
I would have none of my 'success' without
the support of my wife Susan, the Westphal
family and Bay Alarm [founders Bruce & Roger
Westphal enshrined in Hall of Fame in 2016].
Both have allowed me the time and provided
the resources for me to be involved with the
process of code and standards promulgation.
There is always the occasional reminder of why
it is important to be involved. "
Setting a Standard
for Code Contributions
" My involvement with the WBFAA UATC has
been very rewarding in that it has opened the
doors to a number of entry-level personnel
in obtaining their Fire/Life Safety Technician
certification in California. The industry needs to
be heard within the codes and standards arena,
and it should not just be from a manufacturers
perspective. Every firm that installs fire alarm
30
Security Sales & Integration MARCH 2022
systems uses NFPA 72. Every firm that installs
any device that has an electrical connection also
uses NFPA 70. These two documents need input
from the installation side, including the limited
energy industry. The same is true for monitoring
of system with NFPA 72. The industry also needs
to be involved with ICC and the promulgation of
the building and fire codes. "
The Men Who Helped Shape the Man
" My first mentor was Jim Whittle, who was a
service technician for Reagan Alarm Systems. I
would go out with him on service calls to learn
how to repair alarm systems. Next is Robert
Leaper of United States Alarms, who led the
way for me into alarm company management
and industry associations. But the biggest
influence was Frank Meiners, who I met the
same time as Leaper when both were working
the WBFAA booth at 1980's ISC show in Los
Angeles. I worked under Frank for about 10
years through Security Alarm Services, then a
subsidiary of Bay Alarm Co., where I learned
more on alarm management, running a central
station and fire alarm systems. "
(l-r) SSI Industry Hall of Famers Ron Spiller, Les
Gold, Shane Clary and George Gunning joined
Clary when he received CAA's Weinstock Award.
Gazing Into the Crystal Tech Ball
" IoT could have a major impact. Will an actual
control panel be required? All components of
a system could be interconnected and 'talk' to
each other. Systems will use more AI to learn
and adapt to a building's environment. The
next five years will see an increase in the DIY
market, residentially and commercially. There
will also be an expansion of regional firms to
move their brands across the nation as signal
transmission means make this more possible
for video surveillance systems. In fire alarm
systems, I expansion into more wireless as the
next really big thing. "
securitysales.com
2022
http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration March 2022

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