Eskom’s load-shedding has an impact on households, businesses and now even on security companies.
Herman Coetzee, Operations Manager for Mapogo A Mathamaga Security said that security has become an important topic of discussion and is it important to take the right precautions to protect your most valued assets.
“Load-shedding comes with numerous challenges,” he said.
“For us, this means the capacity to answer incoming calls is reduced and not good. Response times can also be affected due to our response vehicles having to deal with traffic congestion and traffic lights being out.”
He added that technical service delivery is also under pressure due to more and more systems failing as a result of Eskom’s load-shedding. If the battery has reached levels below a certain volt and the power is switched back on, the surge will cause the system to create alarm or panic signals, which will then be transmitted to the control room.
“These backup power sources failing, and their lifespan being reduced as a result of load-shedding, are causing a mass of false alarms, resulting in thousands of signals being received each time an area is switched off and another is switched on.
“As result of cellphone towers going down due to either depleted or stolen backup batteries, cellphone networks go down. This makes phoning you, the client, virtually impossible. Even if you power is on, the power close to the monitoring centre might be off, causing challenges with phoning clients.”
Herman gave the following tips for these tough times:
• Although the life span of a battery should be two to four years, the consistent power outages due to load-shedding will have a negative impact on the performance of a battery and its life span.
• Make sure to check the trouble indicator on your alarm system that will indicate that your battery is low, and replace the battery
• Ensure that you have a sufficiently sized backup battery on your alarm system, to ensure uninterrupted power to your security system during an outage.
• Keep candles and rechargeable lights handy in case of unexpected power cuts. Always have a torch in your car, should you arrive home in the dark and need to open your security gate manually.
• It can be helpful to install battery-operated or solar lights around your home.
• Always be cautious at night when approaching your home. This is especially important during a power outage. Keep your portable panic button on you.
• Ensure that you have your security provider’s numbers programmed into your cellphone.
• Above all, remain vigilant during a power cut; be on the look-out for any suspicious activity and report this to your security company or the police immediately.
