ADT Security is urging residents to be aware of possible power outages during the winter period and to be prepared for these.

Eskom has indicated that the power supply is already under pressure and is warning residents to conserve energy. Roy Rawlins, Managing Director of ADT Central Region, says power outages can play havoc with alarm systems and signals sent to the ADT control room. “We have, however, put a number of contingency plans in place to manage extra volumes in the event of power outages,” he says.

ADT is also appealing to all residents to test their alarm systems and make sure they are in working order before any power outages occur. “False alarms account for almost 98% of our call outs and this places unnecessary strain on our operations. Testing your alarm is a very simple procedure. Test alerts can be sent to your cell phone and the process takes less than five minutes. If there are any problems these can be booked with our technical department and sorted out well in advance,” he says. 

Rawlins assures residents that alarms will stay active due to the back-up battery in the system should there be a power outage. “Many people think that when the power goes off their alarm is deactivated, but all modern alarms should come with a backup battery pack which self-activates once normal power is lost. The duration of the battery life will naturally depend on how many accessories are running off the system, as well as the age of the battery. ADT offers larger backup batteries which can provide approximately 24 hours of active monitoring once the power is out. However, a power cut can activate a false alarm and should the system be faulty there is more chance of this happening. I ask that residents assist us by checking their alarms so that we can continue to provide a fast and effective service,” he concludes.