Residents urged to beef up security ahead of power cuts
This is to ensure that even with load shedding, alarm systems are in working order to ensure safety.
While Eskom has lifted the load shedding emergency that hit the country the past week, ADT has advised home and business owners with alarm systems to prepare themselves ahead time for any other possible power outages that might occur owing to the persistent heavy rain.
This is according to ADT’s Central Region Managing Director Clive Humphrey who says that power cuts can wreak havoc with alarm systems and negatively affect the signals sent to your security company’s control room.
“A faulty system can result in false activations which places strain on a security provider’s emergency resources.
“To avoid this, generally all modern alarms should come with a back-up battery pack that self-activates when power is lost, however, the duration of the battery life will depend on how many accessories you are running off the system, as well as the age of the battery.
“If you are unsure whether your system has a back-up battery pack, please contact your security company to find out.
“It is important to know the life of your battery and what you should do in the event of a power failure,” says Humphrey.
He adds that now that winter is only a few months away, this is also a good opportunity to get your alarm systems tested even if your system includes a back-up battery pack.
“Testing your alarm is a simple procedure that can take less than five minutes.
“Ideally it should be done as early as possible so that technicians can address any problems which may be found to pre-empt the load shedding months ahead,” says Humprey.
