Security expert advises on how to manage load shedding episodes

Home owners are urged to test their security systems as a matter of urgency and to pay particular attention to battery backup systems. The message comes from an expert in the armed response industry as South Africa finds itself in the grips of widespread load shedding.

“Many people are under the incorrect assumption that their home alarm system is deactivated when the power supply is interrupted. However, if you have a stable and correctly programmed system coupled with a battery that is in good condition, it will continue to protect your premises during a power outage – regardless if the outage is because of load shedding or not,” says Charnel Hattingh, national marketing and communications manager of a leading security company.

The only time it may not function correctly is when there is a technical issue, or if the battery power is low.

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Keep safe during load shedding

“Most modern alarm systems have a back-up battery pack that activates automatically when there is a power failure,” says Hattingh.

She adds that there are a number of practical steps that can be taken to ensure security is not compromised during any power cuts. “Some of these include ensuring that the alarm system has an adequate battery supply, that all automated gates and doors are secured,” Hattingh says homeowners should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to security providers or to the South African Police Service.

With the added inconvenience of the lights going out at night due to power cuts, candles and touch lamps are handy alternatives, adding that home and business owners should consider installing light-emitting diode (LED) technology, which is integrated into the alarm system’s wiring and automatically switches on for a maximum of 15 minutes when there is a power outage.

“If there is an additional battery pack, the small, non-intrusive LED lights can stay on for the duration of the power outage – or a maximum of 40 hours – without draining the primary alarm battery.”

The most important tips to remember are the following:

• It is important that your alarm system has an adequate battery supply. Batteries should be checked regularly.

• Alarms should be checked during extended power outages to keep systems running.

• Power cuts can impact on fire systems and fire control systems, so these also need to be checked regularly.

• The more frequent use of gas and candles can increase the risk of fire and home fire extinguishers should be on hand.

• Vigilance during a power cut is crucial as well as looking out for suspicious activities which should immediately be reported a security company or SAPS.

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“Because of load shedding there might be a higher than usual number of alarm activation signals received by security companies and their monitoring centres. This could lead to a delay in monitoring centre agents making contact with customers. You can assist by manually cancelling any potential false alarms caused by load shedding, and thus helping call centre agents to prioritise calls needing urgent attention.”

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