CB Security and Mooirivier Beskerming have issued a joint statement about alarms and load-shedding.

The current load shedding schedule has had an adverse effect on  alarm systems and our ability to render an effective service. Few alarm systems will be unharmed by the ongoing power failures and it is important to note the following:

• A damaged backup battery will lead to the alarm system malfunctioning. In most cases, the result is false alarms with the power failure and/or restore. In addition to all the power failures and low battery reports our control rooms receive hundreds of alarm signals during the before-mentioned periods. Alarm signals will be prioritised and worked through as fast as humanly possible. It can take days to work through all the signals.
• Telecommunication service providers struggle with the same issues and therefore all communication (through all the networks) is affected. Making and receiving calls might be an issue and it is important to communicate with your service provider to find out what the alternatives are.
• During these times we have a substantial increase in technical tasks. Again, we try to go through these tasks as fast as possible. It would help if you as the client could replace the battery by yourself. If not, we will be of assistance as fast as possible.
• The backup battery can be irreversibly damaged within a month of load shedding.

Possible solutions:

• Get an extra backup battery for your alarm system.
• Notify your service provider if there is a false alarm signal at your premises.
• Use your panic during an emergency. Our monitoring software will automatically prioritize the panic signal.

We deploy additional resources during load shedding, but still have the above-mentioned challenges and therefore appreciate our client’s patience.