ADT Emergency Operator Honored for Helping Houston Widow Survive Dramatic Home Invasion

BOCA RATON, Fla., July 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADT Inc. ADT, the leading provider of monitored security and interactive home and business automation solutions in the United States and Canada, celebrated a LifeSaver event today in Houston, where a resident survived a home invasion due to her ADT security system and first responders.

Suzanne Smith was alone and asleep in her Houston home when she was awakened by the shrieking noise of her ADT burglar alarm. Fleeing to the bathroom and frantically holding the door shut, Smith was terrified as she heard someone coming toward her bedroom. Right then, ADT called.

"I spoke in a hushed voice because I didn't want the intruder to know where I was hiding," said Smith. "It was a relief hearing the ADT operator tell me police were minutes away."

On the phone was ADT's Stacey Fioravanti who had received Smith's alarm signal and was communicating with police while also keeping Smith calm.

"A big part of our professional training is preventing customers from panicking when there's an emergency," said Fioravanti. "I stayed on the line until police arrived. Later, I learned they made an arrest and everyone was safe."

Smith didn't know the intruder and has no idea why her house was targeted, but she is certain that ADT and first responders helped prevent her from death or injury.

"Without the monitored alarm system, who knows what could have happened to me," said Smith. "I was thrilled to meet Stacey today and give her a hug for helping me."  

Fioravanti also received ADT's highest honor from Lynn Langston, ADT Senior Vice President of Customer Care, who presented Fioravanti with a LifeSaver Award, her third in 18 months.

"Stacey epitomizes excellence and is representative of her thousands of colleagues who work around the clock at our six U.S. monitoring centers protecting millions of people every day," said Langston. "ADT receives over 15 million alarm signals each year and our emergency dispatchers are trained to handle each call like it is an actual incident."

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are over one million home invasions every year with one quarter resulting in someone being the victim of a violent crime.

Langston also awarded $10,000 to the Texas Association of First Responders to help police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel who are injured on the job.

About ADT

ADT is a leading provider of security and automation solutions for homes and businesses in the United States and Canada, people on-the-go and their networks. Making security more accessible than ever before, and backed by 24/7 customer support, ADT is committed to providing superior customer service with a focus on speed and quality of responsiveness, helping customers feel safer and empowered. ADT is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida and employs approximately 17,500 people in the United States and Canada.

Media Relations
Jason Shockley
tel: +1 561.322.7235
jshockley@adt.com