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Code of EthicsUpdated March 19, 2008 | Download PDF or Microsoft Word version America’s Emergency Network CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS THIS CODE APPLIES TO EVERY DIRECTOR, OFFICER (INCLUDING OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER), AND EMPLOYEE OF AMERICA’S EMERGENCY NETWORK AND BRAMPTON CREST INTERNATIONAL, INC. (THE "COMPANY"). THE TERM EMPLOYEE INCLUDES ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT IS PAID ON THE COMPANY PAYROLL OR AS A CONSULTANT. To further the Company's fundamental principles of honesty, loyalty, fairness and forthrightness, we have established this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (this "Code"). Our Code strives to deter wrongdoing and promote the following six objectives: Below, we discuss situations that require application of our fundamental principles and promotion of our objectives. If there is a conflict between this Code and a specific procedure you should consult the Legal department for guidance. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE
TABLE OF CONTENTS Accounting Policies ACCOUNTING POLICIES The Company and each of its subsidiaries will make and keep books, records and accounts, which in reasonable detail accurately and fairly present the transactions and disposition of the assets of the Company. All directors, officers, employees and other persons are prohibited from directly or indirectly falsifying or causing to be false or misleading any financial or accounting book, record or account. You and others are expressly prohibited from directly or indirectly manipulating an audit, and from destroying or tampering with any record, document or tangible object with the intent to obstruct a pending or contemplated audit, review or federal investigation. The commission of, or participation in, one of these prohibited activities or other illegal conduct will subject you to federal penalties, as well as punishment of up to and including termination of employment. AMENDMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS OF THIS CODE There shall be no amendment or modification to this Code except by a vote of the Board of Directors or a designated board committee that will ascertain whether an amendment or modification is appropriate. In case of any amendment or modification of this Code that applies to an officer or director of the Company, the amendment or modification shall be posted on the Company's website within two days of the board vote or shall be otherwise disclosed as required by applicable law or New York Stock Exchange rules. Notice posted on the web site shall remain there for a period of 12 months and shall be retained in the Company's files as required by law. ANONYMOUS REPORTING If you wish to report a suspected violation of this Code anonymously, you may call the Company’s outside securities attorney, Joseph Emas at (305) 531-1174. You do not have to reveal your identity in order to make a report. If you do reveal your identity, it will not be disclosed to the Company unless disclosure is unavoidable during an investigation. ANTI-BOYCOTT AND U.S. SANCTIONS LAWS The Company must comply with anti-boycott laws, which prohibit it from participating in, and require us to report to the authorities any request to participate in, a boycott of a country or businesses within a country. If you receive such a request, report it to Brian Norcross. We will also not engage in business with any government, entity, organization or individual where doing so is prohibited by applicable laws. For more information on these laws contact the Legal department. ANTITRUST AND FAIR COMPETITION LAWS The purpose of antitrust laws in the United States and most other countries is to provide a level playing field to economic competitors and to promote fair competition. No director, officer or employee, under any circumstances or in any context, may enter into any understanding or agreement, whether express or implied, formal or informal, written or oral, with an actual or potential competitor, which would illegally limit or restrict in any way either party's actions, including the offers of either party to any third party. This prohibition includes any action relating to prices, costs, profits, products, services, terms or conditions of sale, market share or customer or supplier classification or selection. It is our policy to comply with all U.S. antitrust laws. This policy is not to be compromised or qualified by anyone acting for or on behalf of our Company. You must understand and comply with the antitrust laws as they may bear upon your activities and decisions. Anti-competitive behavior in violation of antitrust laws can result in criminal penalties, both for you and for the Company. Accordingly, any question regarding compliance with antitrust laws or your responsibilities under this policy should be directed to the Legal department. Any director, officer or employee found to have knowingly participated in violating the antitrust laws will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Below are some scenarios that are prohibited and scenarios that could be prohibited for antitrust reasons. These scenarios are not an exhaustive list of all prohibited and possibly prohibited antitrust conduct. When in doubt about any situation, whether it is discussed below or not, you should consult with the Legal department. The following business arrangements could raise anti-competition or antitrust law issues. Before entering into them, you must consult with the Legal department: BRIBERY You are strictly forbidden from offering, promising or giving money, gifts, loans, rewards, favors or anything of value to any governmental official, employee, agent or other intermediary (either inside or outside the United States) which is prohibited by law. Those paying a bribe may subject the Company and themselves to civil and criminal penalties. When dealing with government customers or officials, no improper payments will be tolerated. If you receive any offer of money or gifts that is intended to influence a business decision, it should be reported to your supervisor or the General Counsel immediately. The Company prohibits improper payments in all of its activities, whether these activities are with governments or in the private sector. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS The Company's goal and intention is to comply with the laws, rules and regulations by which we are governed. In fact, we strive to comply not only with requirements of the law but also with recognized compliance practices. All illegal activities or illegal conduct are prohibited whether or not they are specifically set forth in this Code. Where law does not govern a situation or where the law is unclear or conflicting, you should discuss the situation with your supervisor and management should seek advice from the Legal department. Business should always be conducted in a fair and forthright manner. Directors, officers and employees are expected to act according to high ethical standards. COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS For business purposes, some officers and employees are provided telephones and computer workstations and software, including network access to computing systems such as the Internet and e-mail, to improve personal productivity and to efficiently manage proprietary information in a secure and reliable manner. You must obtain the permission from the CEO or CFO to install any software on any Company computer or connect any personal laptop to the Company network. As with other equipment and assets of the Company, we are each responsible for the appropriate use of these assets. Except for limited personal use of the Company's telephones and computer/e-mail, such equipment may be used only for business purposes. Officers and employees should not expect a right to privacy of their e-mail or Internet use. All e-mails or Internet use on Company equipment is subject to monitoring by the Company. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION BELONGING TO OTHERS You must respect the confidentiality of information, including, but not limited to, trade secrets and other information given in confidence by others, including but not limited to partners, suppliers, contractors, competitors or customers, just as we protect our own confidential information. However, certain restrictions about the information of others may place an unfair burden on the Company's future business. For that reason, directors, officers and employees should coordinate with the Legal department to ensure appropriate agreements are in place prior to receiving any confidential third-party information. These agreements must reflect a balance between the value of the information received on the one hand and the logistical and financial costs of maintaining confidentiality of the information and limiting the Company's business opportunities on the other. In addition, any confidential information that you may possess from an outside source, such as a previous employer, must not, so long as such information remains confidential, be disclosed to or used by the Company. Unsolicited confidential information submitted to the Company should be refused, returned to the sender where possible and deleted, if received via the Internet. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION It is the Company's policy to ensure that all operations, activities and business affairs of the Company and our business associates are kept confidential to the greatest extent possible. Confidential information includes all nonpublic information that might be of use to competitors, or that might be harmful to the Company or its customers if disclosed. Confidential and proprietary information about the Company or its business associates belongs to the Company, must be treated with strictest confidence and is not to be disclosed or discussed with others. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, confidential and proprietary information includes any and all methods, inventions, improvements or discoveries, whether or not patentable or copyrightable, and any other information of a similar nature disclosed to the directors, officers or employees of the Company or otherwise made known to the Company as a consequence of or through employment or association with the Company (including information originated by the director, officer or employee). This can include, but is not limited to, information regarding the Company's business, products, processes, and services. It also can include information relating to research, development, inventions, trade secrets, intellectual property of any type or description, data, business plans, marketing strategies, engineering, contract negotiations, contents of the Company intranet and business methods or practices. The following are examples of information that is not considered confidential: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Conflicts of interest can arise in virtually every area of our operations. A "conflict of interest" exists whenever an individual's private interests interfere or conflict in any way (or even appear to interfere or conflict) with the interests of the Company. We must strive to avoid conflicts of interest. We must each make decisions solely in the best interest of the Company. Any business, financial or other relationship with suppliers, customers or competitors that might impair or appear to impair the exercise of our judgment solely for the benefit of the Company is prohibited. Reporting Conflicts of Interest or Potential Conflicts of Interest. CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS See Investor Relations and Public Affairs. CORPORATE OPPORTUNITIES AND USE AND PROTECTION OF COMPANY ASSETS You are prohibited from: DISCIPLINE FOR NONCOMPLIANCE WITH THIS CODE Disciplinary actions for violations of this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics can include oral or written reprimands, suspension or termination of employment or a potential civil lawsuit against you. The violation of laws, rules or regulations, which can subject the Company to fines and other penalties, may result in your criminal prosecution. DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND CONTROLS The continuing excellence of the Company's reputation depends upon our full and complete disclosure of important information about the Company that is used in the securities marketplace. Our financial and non-financial disclosures and filings with the SEC must be transparent, accurate and timely. Proper reporting of reliable, truthful and accurate information is a complex process involving cooperation between many departments and disciplines. We must all work together to insure that reliable, truthful and accurate information is disclosed to the public. The Company must disclose to the SEC, current security holders and the investing public information that is required, and any additional information that may be necessary to ensure the required disclosures are not misleading or inaccurate. The Company requires you to participate in the disclosure process, which is overseen by the CEO. The disclosure process is designed to record, process, summarize and report material information as required by all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Participation in the disclosure process is a requirement of a public company, and full cooperation and participation by the CEO and, upon request, other employees in the disclosure process is a requirement of this Code. Officers and employees must fully comply with their disclosure responsibilities in an accurate and timely manner or be subject to discipline of up to and including termination of employment. ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY The Company is committed to managing and operating our worldwide assets in a manner that is protective of human health and safety and the environment. It is our policy to comply, in all material respects, with applicable health, safety and environmental laws and regulations. Each employee is also expected to comply with our policies, programs, standards and procedures. FAIR DEALING WITH OTHERS No director, officer or employee should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts or any other unfair-dealing practice. FILING OF GOVERNMENT REPORTS Any reports or information provided, on our behalf, to federal, state, local or foreign governments should be true, complete and accurate. Any omission, misstatement or lack of attention to detail could result in a violation of the reporting laws, rules and regulations. FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT The United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits giving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to foreign government officials or foreign political candidates in order to obtain, retain or direct business. Accordingly, corporate funds, property or anything of value may not be, directly or indirectly, offered or given by you or an agent acting on our behalf, to a foreign official, foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for a foreign political office for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of such foreign person or inducing such person to use his influence or in order to assist in obtaining or retaining business for, or directing business to, any person. You are also prohibited from offering or paying anything of value to any foreign person if it is known or there is a reason to know that all or part of such payment will be used for the above-described prohibited actions. This provision includes situations when intermediaries, such as affiliates, or agents, are used to channel payoffs to foreign officials. INSIDER TRADING OR TIPPING Directors, officers and employees who are aware of material, non-public information from or about the Company (an "insider"), are not permitted, directly or through family members or other persons or entities, to: Another Company's Securities. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS Except as otherwise agreed to in writing between the Company and an officer or employee, all intellectual property you conceive or develop during the course of your employment shall be the sole property of the Company. The term intellectual property includes any invention, discovery, concept, idea, or writing whether protectable or not by any United States or foreign copyright, trademark, patent, or common law including, but not limited to designs, materials, compositions of matter, machines, manufactures, processes, improvements, data, computer software, writings, formula, techniques, know-how, methods, as well as improvements thereof or know-how related thereto concerning any past, present, or prospective activities of the Company. Officers and employees must promptly disclose in writing to the Company any intellectual property developed or conceived either solely or with others during the course of your employment and must render any and all aid and assistance, at our expense to secure the appropriate patent, copyright, or trademark protection for such intellectual property. Works of authorship including literary works such as books, articles, and computer programs; musical works, including any accompanying words; dramatic works, including any accompanying music; pantomimes and choreographic works; pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works; motion pictures and other audiovisual works; sound recordings; and architectural works are protected by United States and foreign copyright law as soon as they are reduced to a tangible medium perceptible by humans with or without the aid of a machine. A work does NOT have to bear a copyright notice in order to be protected and without the copyright owner's permission, no one may make copies of the work, create derivative works, distribute the work, perform the work publicly, or display the work publicly. We have agreements in place, which grant employees permission to make use of copyrighted works under certain conditions provided that the limitations of those agreements are followed. You are authorized to make partial photocopies of certain works pursuant to our agreement with the Copyright Clearance Center. Copyright laws may protect items posted on a website. Unless a website grants permission to download the Internet content you generally only have the legal right to view the content. If you do not have permission to download and distribute specific web site content you should contact the Legal department. If you are unclear as to the application of this Intellectual Property Policy or if questions arise, please consult with the Legal department. INVESTOR RELATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS It is very important that the information disseminated about the Company be both accurate and consistent. For this reason, the Investor Relations department and the Public Affairs department are responsible for the Company's internal and external communications. The Investor Relations department is responsible for public communications with stockholders, analysts and other interested members of the financial community. The Public Affairs department is responsible for our marketing and advertising activities and communication with employees, the media, local communities and government officials. The Public Affairs department serves as the spokesperson in both routine and crisis situations. In some cases where information about a non-routine incident should be made available to the media before someone from the Public Affairs department has arrived, field personnel who have been trained in crisis response are authorized to speak for us until someone from the Public Affairs department is available to handle media inquiries. NON-RETALIATION FOR REPORTING In no event will the Company take or threaten any action against you as a reprisal or retaliation for making a complaint or disclosing or reporting information in good faith. However, if a reporting individual was involved in improper activity the individual may be appropriately disciplined even if he or she was the one who disclosed the matter to the Company. In these circumstances, we may consider the conduct of the reporting individual in reporting the information as a mitigating factor in any disciplinary decision. We will not allow retaliation against an employee for reporting a possible violation of this Code in good faith. Retaliation for reporting a federal offense is illegal under federal law and prohibited under this Code. Retaliation for reporting any violation of a law, rule or regulation or a provision of this Code is prohibited. Retaliation will result in discipline up to and including termination of employment and may also result in criminal prosecution. PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, AND TRADEMARKS See Intellectual Property. POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS You must refrain from making any use of Company, personal or other funds or resources on behalf of the Company for political or other purposes which are improper or prohibited by the applicable federal, state, local or foreign laws, rules or regulations. Company contributions or expenditures in connection with election campaigns will be permitted only to the extent allowed by federal, state, local or foreign election laws, rules and regulations. You are encouraged to participate actively in the political process. We believe that individual participation is a continuing responsibility of those who live in a free country. PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES We have policies prohibiting the use of alcohol, illegal drugs or other prohibited items, including legal drugs which affect the ability to perform one's work duties, while on Company premises. We also prohibit the possession or use of alcoholic beverages, firearms, weapons or explosives on our property unless authorized by an Executive Officer of the Company. You are also prohibited from reporting to work while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. We perform pre-employment and random drug testing on employees. PUBLIC AFFAIRS See Investor Relations. RECORD RETENTION We have detailed document retention policies to establish retention periods for records created or received in the normal course of business. A record is any information, regardless of physical format, which has been created or received in the transaction of the Company's business. Physical format of a record includes hard copy, electronic, magnetic tape, disk, audio, video, optical image, etc. Each corporate department is responsible for the maintenance, retrieval, transfer, and destruction of its records in accordance with the established filing procedures, records retention schedules and procedures. The alteration, destruction or falsification of corporate documents or records may constitute a criminal act. Destroying or altering documents with the intent to obstruct a pending or anticipated official government proceeding is a criminal act and could result in large fines and a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Document destruction or falsification in other contexts can result in a violation of the federal securities laws or the obstruction of justice laws. Before any destruction of any documents or records, you must consult the Company's document retention procedures. You are required to review, follow and abide by the terms of those procedures. If the procedure is not clear, questions arise, or there is a pending or anticipated official proceeding, then the General Counsel must approve any document destruction. RELATIONS AMONG EMPLOYEES: RESPECT AND CONTRIBUTION We function as a team. Your success as part of this team depends on your contribution and ability to inspire the trust and confidence of your coworkers and supervisors. Respect for the rights and dignity of others and a dedication to the good of our Company are essential. A cornerstone of our success is the teamwork of our directors, officers and employees. We must each respect the rights of others while working as a team to fulfill our objectives. To best function as part of a team, you must be trustworthy and dedicated to high standards of performance. The relationships between business groups also require teamwork. To facilitate respect and contribution among employees, we have implemented the following employment policies: REPORTING OF CODE VIOLATIONS You should be alert and sensitive to situations that could result in actions that might violate federal, state, or local laws or the standards of conduct set forth in this Code. If you believe your own conduct or that of a fellow employee may have violated any such laws or this Code, you have an obligation to report the matter. Generally, you should raise such matters first with an immediate supervisor. However, if you are not comfortable bringing the matter up with your immediate supervisor, or do not believe the supervisor has dealt with the matter properly, then you should raise the matter with the Vice President in charge of your division or, if a law, rule or regulation is in question, then consult with the General Counsel. The most important point is that possible violations should be reported and we support all means of reporting them. WAIVERS There shall be no waiver of any part of this Code for any director or officer except by a vote of the Board of Directors or a designated board committee that will ascertain whether a waiver is appropriate under all the circumstances. In case a waiver of this Code is granted to a director or officer, the notice of such waiver shall be posted on our website within five days of the Board of Director's vote or shall be otherwise disclosed as required by applicable law or New York Stock Exchange rule. Notices posted on our website shall remain there for a period of 12 months and shall be retained in our files as required by law. A waiver for a specific event arising under the "Conflicts of Interest" section of this Code may be granted to an employee that is not a director or officer on the' approval of two of the following officers: the Vice President in charge of the division or department for which the employee works; the General Counsel; and, the Chief Governance Officer. No other waivers of this Code are permitted. CONCLUSION This Code is an attempt to point all of us at the Company in the right direction, but no document can achieve the level of principled compliance that we are seeking. In reality, each of us must strive every day to maintain our awareness of these issues and to comply with the Code's principles to the best of our abilities. Before we take an action, we must always ask ourselves: CERTIFICATE OF ETHICS FOR THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER In my role as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") or Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") of Brampton Crest International, Inc. or America’s Emergency Network (the "Company"), I have adhered to and advocated to the best of my knowledge and ability the following principles and responsibilities governing professional conduct and ethics: 1. Act with honesty and integrity, avoiding actual or apparent conflicts of interest in personal and professional relationships. A "conflict of interest" exists when an individual's private interests interfere or conflict in any way (or even appear to interfere or conflict) with the interests of the Company. 2. Provide constituents with information that is accurate, complete, objective, relevant, timely and understandable. If 3. Comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of federal, state and local governments, and other appropriate private and public regulatory agencies. 4. Act in good faith, responsibly, with due care, competence and diligence, without misrepresenting material facts or allowing my independent judgment to be subordinated. 5. Respect the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of business except when authorized or otherwise legally obligated to disclose the information. I acknowledge that confidential information acquired in the course of business is not to be used for personal advantage. 6. Promote ethical behavior among employees at the Company and as a responsible partner with industry peers and associates. 7. Maintain control over and responsibly manage all assets and resources employed or entrusted to me by the Company. 8. Report illegal or unethical conduct by any director, officer or employee that has occurred, is occurring or may occur, including any potential violations of the Company's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the "Code"). Such report shall be made to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors and shall include conduct of a financial or non-financial nature. 9. Comply with the Code. I understand that if I violate any part of the Code, I will be subject to disciplinary action. I understand that the Code is subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations. I understand that there shall be no waiver of, modification of, or change to any part of the Code except by a vote of the Board of Directors or a designated Board committee. In the event that a waiver of, modification of, or a change to the Code is granted, then the notice of the waiver, modification and/or change shall be posted on the Company's website within five business days of the Board of Director's or designated Board committee's vote or shall be disclosed otherwise as required by applicable law or NYSE or SEC rules. Notices posted on the Company website shall remain there for a period of 12 months and shall be retained in the Company's files as required by law. Bryan Norcoss Brad Hacker [Date] |
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