SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported) December 20, 1999 (December 17, 1999) WESTERN RESOURCES, INC. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter) KANSAS 1-3523 48-0290150 (State or Other Jurisdiction of (Commission (Employer Incorporation or Organization) File Number) Identification No.) 818 KANSAS AVENUE, TOPEKA, KANSAS 66612 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) Registrant's Telephone Number Including Area Code (785) 575-6300 WESTERN RESOURCES, INC. Item 5. Other Events On December 17, 1999 Protection One, Inc. announced Westar Capital, an unregulated subsidiary of Western Resources, has acquired the debt and assumed the lenders' obligations under Protection One's revolving credit facility. Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits (c) Exhibits Exhibit 99.1 - Press release dated as of December 17, 1999 issued by Western Resources, Inc. and Protection One, Inc. SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. Western Resources, Inc. Date December 20, 1999 By /s/ William B. Moore William B. Moore, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Date December 20, 1999 By /s/ Leroy P. Wages Leroy P. Wages, Controller EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit Number Description of Exhibit 99.1 Press release dated as of December 17, 1999 issued by Western Resources, Inc. and Protection One, Inc.
Exhibit 99.1 WESTAR CAPITAL ASSUMES PROTECTION ONE LENDERS' OBLIGATIONS TOPEKA, Kansas, and CULVER CITY, California, Dec. 17, 1999, Protection One (NYSE:POI) today announced Westar Capital, an unregulated subsidiary of Western Resources (NYSE:WR), has acquired the debt and assumed the lenders' obligations under Protection One's revolving credit facility. Protection One has received from Westar Capital under this revolving credit facility an extension of the covenant waiver until January 15, 2000. Westar Capital and Protection One also are negotiating the terms and conditions of further waivers or amendments to the credit facility. An independent committee has been established by Protection One's board to consider Westar Capital's proposal to acquire Protection One's Continental Europe operations and to negotiate the terms of any such transaction. Further, Protection One continues to examine other options including selling assets to reduce debt and refinancing the credit facility. For further discussion of Protection One's credit facility, see its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 1999. Western Resources owns approximately 85 percent of Protection One, which provides monitoring and related security services to more than 1.6 million residential and commercial subscribers in North America and Europe. Western Resources (NYSE: WR) is a consumer services company with interests in monitored services and energy. The company has total assets of more than $8 billion, including security company holdings through ownership of Protection One (NYSE: POI), which has more than 1.6 million security customers in North America and Europe. Its utilities, KPL and KGE, provide electric service to approximately 614,000 customers in Kansas. Through its ownership in ONEOK Inc. (NYSE: OKE), a Tulsa-based natural gas company, Western Resources has a 45 percent interest in the eighth largest natural gas distribution company in the nation, serving more than 1.4 million customers. For more information about Western Resources and its operating companies, visit us on the Internet at http://www.wr.com. Protection One, one of the leading residential security alarm companies in the United States, provides monitoring and related security services to more than 1.6 million residential and commercial subscribers in North America and Europe. Forward-Looking Statements: Certain matters discussed in this news release are "forward-looking statements." The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 has established that these statements qualify for safe harbors from liability. Forward-looking statements may include words like we "believe", "anticipate," "expect" or words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements describe our future plans, objectives, expectations, or goals. Such statements address future events and conditions concerning the consummation of the possible asset sale and credit facility described in this press release, capital expenditures, earnings, litigation, rate and other regulatory matters, closing of the KCPL transaction, successful integration of Western Resources' and KCPL's businesses and achievement of anticipated cost savings, the outcome of accounting issues being reviewed by the SEC staff, possible corporate restructurings, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, liquidity and capital resources, interest and dividend rates, year 2000 issue, environmental matters, changing weather, nuclear operations, ability to enter new markets successfully and capitalize on growth opportunities in nonregulated businesses, events in foreign markets in which investments have been made, and accounting matters. Our actual results may differ materially from those discussed here. See the company's and Protection One's 1998 Annual Report on Form 10-K and 10K/A, quarterly reports on Forms 10-Q and current reports on Form 8K for further discussion of factors affecting the company's and Protection One's performance. Western Resources disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this news release. Other risks and uncertainties are described in Protection One's 1998 Form 10-K/A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 2, 1999, and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed on May 17, 1999, August 16, 1999 and November 12, 1999. Protection One disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release. /CONTACT: Media: Michel' Philipp, news@wr.com, 785.575.1927, or fax: 785.575.6399, or Investors: Jim Martin, jim_martin@wr.com, 785.575.6549, or fax: 785.575.8160, both of Western Resources/ Media: Robin Lampe, 785.575.6468, or fax 785.575.6511, or Investors: Adam Goldston, 310.258.6502, or fax 310.342.6382, both of Protection One