Most homeowners don’t tend to check if they alarm works when the main power source is off.
But when you need it the most, it’s important to know that your home alarm system is able to respond, even when load shedding happens.
“Many people are under the incorrect assumption that their alarm system is deactivated when the power supply is interrupted,” said Charnel Hattingh, national marketing and communications manager at Fidelity ADT.
“However, if you have a stable and correctly programmed system coupled with a battery that is in a good condition, it will continue to protect the premises during a power outage — regardless if the outage is because of load shedding or any other technical problem,” she added.
The increased occurrence of load shedding means also that there are more alarm activations signals received by armed response companies than usual.
“If the alarm is triggered because of a power surge or because of load shedding, please contact your security company as soon as possible to cancel any false alarms. This helps ensure that armed response officers are allocated to legitimate emergencies,” urged Hattingh.
There that there are a number of practical steps that can be taken to ensure security is not compromised during any power cuts. Hattingh recommends:
1. Always remain vigilant, and report suspicious activity in your suburb to the SAPS
2. Ensure that all automated gates and doors are secured
3. With the added inconvenience of the lights going out at night due to power cuts, candles and touch-lights are handy alternatives
4. Test the battery backup system and consider an additional battery pack for standby. Tests of alarm systems should ideally be conducted every six months
5. Power cuts can impact on fire systems and fire control systems, so these also need to be checked regularly
6. The more frequent use of gas and candles can increase the risk of fire and home fire extinguishers should be on hand