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The Eskom effect

For the 95% of us who don’t live in the luxurious areas politicians do and aren’t connected enough to avoid Eskom’s regular blackouts, or load shedding as they are euphemistically called, there are many risks we have to deal with in the dark apart from the lack of electricity. Hi-Tech Security Solutions asked Theunis Kotze to elaborate on these threats.

Has ADT noticed an increase in crime when load shedding is underway? 

Kotze: Statistics for our footprint nationally do not indicate a significant or notable increase in crime during power outages. It is important to remember that crime is largely seasonal, irrespective of load shedding.

How does load shedding affect the operations of the ADT monitoring centre and armed response officers’ patrols?

Kotze: Contingency measures are in place to ensure that we are operationally prepared for the eventuality of load shedding. This includes the use of twin generators and UPSs as backup power supplies. Additional generator power has been sourced for other non-critical areas of the business so we are never down in an emergency.

Our GSM network – including some of our communication systems and tracking devices – are intermittently affected. Other related issues that affect our service delivery include the knock on effect of power outages on traffic lights and the resultant congestion.

In terms of workforce management, in our monitoring centre and on the ground, we run split shifts and flexi-time to ensure that we always have an adequate workforce.

What happens to my alarm system when the power goes down?

Kotze: Your ADT alarm is a 12-volt system that is powered by a battery and not by electricity. The electricity that is required is used to charge the battery. When the power goes down, the transformer stops and the battery is no longer charging. It will however still run the alarm system in a completely normal way for up to eight hours, depending on [1] the age of the battery and its strength (if it’s a new battery it will last longer), and [2] the size of the system that it powers. If your system is stable and properly programmed and the battery is in good condition, your alarm will not stop protecting your house during a power outage. The only time this will occur is if there is a technical issue or low battery.

Do the constant switch-offs and switch-ons due to load shedding weaken my alarm system battery?

Kotze: Yes, the alarm system battery is impacted by continuous drops in voltage.

What can I do to prevent this?

Kotze: An option to consider is to install a second battery in parallel; this increases longevity and not voltage. If your alarm system is properly programmed and the battery starts to fail due to a power cut there will be what we call an ‘AC fail’, or a 'low battery' if the battery is struggling. We notify our clients to make them aware of this situation.

What has been the impact of the power cuts/load shedding on ADT?

Kotze: There is no doubt, that like any other industry or sector in South Africa, we have felt the impact of load shedding. For example, for every client whose premises is affected by power cuts, we receive as many signals to alert us that electricity is down. When power is restored, we once again receive a mass of signals to inform us of this; and the situation continues as power cuts roll from suburb to suburb.

A properly programmed system should transmit an AC fail when power is cut and not a panic or burglar signal. Any AC fail signal that is received is not handled by an operator, but is auto-logged because it’s a non-emergency. This means there is no impact on an operator’s ability to deal with a real emergency situation. We also automatically send SMSs to clients to say the power is down to avoid taking up operator time.

We understand the direct impact on the different areas of our business and will continue to proactively implement solutions to minimise any disruption to our service delivery.

If the power is out, can criminals take advantage of the situation and cut the fence so they can burgle the property later?

Kotze: In our experience, we have not recorded any incidents like this. Remember a battery powers an electric fence and provided it is relatively new, it will do this for two to three hours, which 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.

Can you offer some general tips to keep in mind during load shedding?

Kotze: 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 affect 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 and home fire extinguishers should be on hand.

• Above all, remain vigilant during a power cut; be on the lookout for any suspicious activity and report this to us or the SAPS immediately.

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