With winter in full swing, residents are urged to be aware of and prepared for power outages that may occur throughout the season.
According to Stuart Clarkson, Managing Executive at Fidelity ADT, many people are under the incorrect assumption that their home alarm system is deactivated when the power supply is interrupted.
He said, “However, if you have a stable and correctly programmed system coupled with a battery that is in good condition, it will continue to protect the premises during a power outage.It is essential that residents regularly test their alarm systems to ensure that they are in working order. The only times the system might not function correctly are when there are technical issues, or the battery power is low. Most modern alarm systems have a back-up battery pack that activates automatically when there is a power failure”.
Clarkson added that there are a number of practical steps that can be taken to ensure security is not compromised during load-shedding.
These include ensuring that the alarm system has an adequate battery supply, that all automated gates and doors are secured and lastly to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to your security provider or the police.
Given the inconvenience caused by the lights going out at night due to power cuts, candles, torches and touch-lights are handy alternatives. Clarkson says 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 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,” he concluded.
Some questions and answers about load-shedding and its impact:
• Q: If the power is out, can criminals take advantage of the situation and cut the fence so they can burgle the property later?
• A: In our experience, we have not recorded any incidents like this. Remember, a batter powers an electric fence and provided it is relatively new it will do this for two to three hours. This will ensure we still receive an alarm signal should the fence be tampered with. The importance of good quality power components cannot be emphasised enough in a country that has a high crime rate and unreliable power delivery.
• Q: Can you give customers some general tips to keep in mind during load-shedding?
• A: It is important that your alarm system has an adequate battery supply. Batteries should be checked regularly.
– Alarms and energisers 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, so home fire extinguishers should be on hand.
– Above all remain vigilant during a power cut – be on the look-out for any suspicious activity and report this to a security company or the police immediately.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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