Security industry associations

CANASA is Canada’s national trade association for the electronic security industry, providing advocacy, training, and the Security Canada trade shows.

Scope

National. Ten regions and more than 1,000 member organizations.

Who it is for

Alarm dealers, installers, integrators, and monitoring companies as regular members; manufacturers and distributors as associate members.

Focus

Advocacy and government relations for the electronic security industry, member education, and running the industry trade shows.

Programs

The Security Canada trade show series: Security Canada Central in Toronto, plus East and West.

Certifications

Alarm Technician Course (ATC)

Membership

Regular members (security businesses) and associate members (manufacturers, distributors). Dues are not publicly listed.

The CFAA is Canada’s national non-profit for the fire alarm industry, known for training and registering the technicians who test and inspect fire alarm systems.

Scope

National. Nine chapters, more than 400 members, and over 3,700 registered technicians and trainees.

Who it is for

Fire alarm technicians and trainees, and the companies that work on fire alarm systems.

Focus

Fire safety education, and the training and registration of fire alarm technicians.

Programs

A five-course training sequence delivered through partner colleges such as George Brown, BCIT, and Seneca.

Certifications

CFAA Registered Fire Alarm TechnicianCFAA Fire Alarm Trainee

Membership

Member, Fire Alarm Technician, and Fire Alarm Trainee categories. Fees are not publicly listed.

Canada Security Collective is a new Edmonton-based national community that helps security professionals build careers and connect through events, mentorship, and workforce programs.

Scope

National community, early stage.

Who it is for

Security professionals at every stage, from students to executives, plus employers and educators.

Focus

Workforce development and community building through career support, mentorship, networking, and communications training.

Programs

A storytelling workshop series and a national conference in Edmonton in November 2026.

Membership

Membership structure and cost are not published. It is a community rather than a certifying body.

ASIS International is the largest global professional body for security management, known for the CPP, PSP, PCI, and APP certifications and the GSX conference.

Scope

International, more than 34,000 members. Over 2,000 Canadian members across roughly ten Canadian chapters, including Toronto (among the largest ASIS chapters anywhere), Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton.

Who it is for

Security management professionals: corporate and physical security directors, consultants, and investigators.

Focus

Professional certification, standards and guidelines, education, and networking for security management.

Programs

GSX, the Global Security Exchange annual conference and expo.

Certifications

CPP — Certified Protection ProfessionalPSP — Physical Security ProfessionalPCI — Professional Certified InvestigatorAPP — Associate Protection Professional

Membership

Individual membership, with chapter and organizational options.

IAPSC is a selective body for independent security consultants who avoid product sales, and it grants the Certified Security Consultant designation.

Scope

International membership. No Canadian chapter structure, though Canadian consultants are welcome.

Who it is for

Independent, vendor-neutral security consultants who stay free of product and service sales.

Focus

Professional and ethical standards for independent consulting, member vetting, and referrals.

Programs

An annual conference and the Successful Security Consulting program.

Certifications

CSC — Certified Security Consultant

Membership

Application with a background review. Annual dues are about US$445, plus a one-time US$200 application fee.

BICSI is the global body for structured cabling and ICT infrastructure, known for the RCDD credential and its cabling design standards, with a dedicated Canadian Region.

Scope

International, more than 26,000 credential holders across about 100 countries. North America includes a distinct Canadian Region with its own district chair.

Who it is for

ICT and structured cabling designers, installers, and project managers, including security integrators doing low-voltage and network infrastructure.

Focus

ICT and cabling standards, credentialing, and training.

Programs

The BICSI Winter and Fall Conferences, and the Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (TDMM).

Certifications

RCDD — Registered Communications Distribution DesignerDCDC — Data Center Design ConsultantOSP — Outside Plant DesignerRTPM — Registered Telecommunications Project ManagerTECH — BICSI TechnicianINSTC / INSTF — Installer 2, Copper and Optical Fiber

Membership

Individual and corporate tiers.

SIA is the leading United States trade association for security-product companies, sponsor of the ISC West and ISC East expos, offering the CSPM and SICC certifications.

Scope

United States based and international, about 1,200 member companies. Canadian relevance comes through member manufacturers and the ISC events.

Who it is for

Companies: manufacturers, distributors, and integrators of security products.

Focus

Advocacy, standards development, market research, and professional development.

Programs

Premier sponsor of ISC West and ISC East, plus SIA GovSummit and Securing New Ground.

Certifications

SICC — Security Industry Cybersecurity CertificationCSPM — Certified Security Project Manager

Membership

Corporate membership, tiered by company size.

ESA is the main United States association for alarm-installing and monitoring companies, running the National Training School and co-producing the ESX expo.

Scope

United States national, more than 2,000 member companies, organized with state and chapter associations. Its National Training School is used by some Canadian technicians.

Who it is for

Alarm-installing and monitoring companies and their technicians across intrusion, fire detection, video, and access control.

Focus

Advocacy, business support, and technician training.

Programs

ESX, the Electronic Security Expo, co-produced with TMA, and the National Training School (NTS).

Certifications

Certified Alarm Technician (CAT) I and IICertified Fire Alarm Technician (CFAT)Certified Fire Alarm Designer (CFAD)Certified Security Systems Integrator (CSSI)

Membership

Company and dealer membership, often through affiliated state associations.

TMA, formerly CSAA, is the trade association for professional alarm monitoring companies and issues the Five Diamond designation that some Canadian monitoring centres hold.

Scope

International trade association for monitoring companies. Canadian monitoring centres hold its Five Diamond designation, among them Damar Security Systems in Sarnia and Blackline Safety in Calgary.

Who it is for

Professional alarm monitoring companies and their operators, plus associated integrators and suppliers.

Focus

Advocacy, monitoring standards, operator training, and a quality designation.

Programs

The TMA Five Diamond Designation, co-production of ESX, and the TMA Annual Meeting.

Certifications

TMA Five Diamond DesignationTMA monitoring operator training

Membership

Corporate membership for monitoring companies, integrators, and associates.