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Residential safety improved

Six out of 10 South Africans fear burglary more than any other crime and feel less safe in their homes than they did a year ago, according to Statistics SA’s 2012 Victims of Crime report.

“This is hardly surprising considering that the South African Police Service (SAPS) recorded more than 245 000 burglaries in homes throughout the country during the 2011/2012 financial year,” says Zane Greeff, technical director for Elvey Security Technologies. “And the more so since many of these incidents were accompanied by high levels of violence, including murder, rape and assault.”

Crime is one of the key drivers underpinning the growing trend for townhouse living, he continues. “People feel safer living behind electric fencing, high walls and within shouting distance of their neighbours. The truth, however, is that townhouses are just as vulnerable to crime as freestanding houses if residents do not take responsibility for their own security.”

DSC’s new PowerSeries PC1404 alarm panel and PC1404RKZ keypad take security to the next level for smaller residential properties. This aesthetically pleasing, single partition panel comes standard with four zones and can be expanded to eight zones if required, allowing for the addition of further detectors.

It can also accommodate up to four phone numbers and four keypads, which can be strategically placed throughout people’s homes. Designed for quick and easy installation, the housing includes an integrated wiring channel.

The keypad features 16 easy-to-read status lights and 12 input buttons. In addition, owners have the option of adding a nightlight powered by two white on-board LEDs with adjustable brightness level, to allow for easy location of the keypad in the dark.

Users need simply press and hold keys 1 and 3 simultaneously for two seconds to trigger a fire alarm, keys 4 and 6 for auxiliary, or keys 7 and 9 for panic, explains Mutinelli. The remaining keys can be programmed for simple, one-button functions.

The control panel, with its two programmable outputs, can also be used to activate other devices. Options include links to video verification equipment to record events the moment a zone is triggered, and to the monitoring station, whether via Internet, long-range, high-powered VHF transmitter or alarm communicators such as the Bentel BGSM-G. “GSM technology is ideal for use as a backup to a traditional PSTN phone line as it guarantees reliable, real-time communication,” he says, adding that the Bentel communicator can also be configured to send event-based SMS notifications to property owners and trigger other home automation functions as desired.

The power in this particular alarm panel, says Greeff, lies in its flexible zone configuration, which allows for 29 zone types and 11 programmable zone attributes. It also boasts additional configurable options in its ability to support 39 individual user codes and one master code with six programmable user code attributes. The control panel also offers 128 event logs.

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