Newsletter/Blog


2015-02-04
News Flash -January/ February 2015


                                                                                                                                                                                                           3rd February 2015

Dear Valued Clients,

Let it not be said that living in South Africa is mundane and uneventful.  With so much going on, on a daily basis, such as which mall is safer to shop in, load shedding, crime in general, the issues within government and its departments such as SAPS etc., little or no thought is given to the small battery within your alarm system.

As mentioned in previous newsletters, an alarm battery is probably the most important component in the alarm system.  Each component on the alarm system must receive the correct power at all times to be fully functional.  Naturally, with too little power, the system will be unstable and may cause continuous false alarming or worst case scenario, not trigger at all.

With predictions of load shedding continuing for “years to come”, it is going to be an ongoing task for the end user, namely yourself, to ensure that the battery backup is adequate to run the alarm system whilst the power is off.  These battery backups where designed for the occasional power outage and not to be continually drained on a daily or weekly basis.  They need time to recharge or their average lifespan becomes drastically reduced.  The 12v battery backups can last up to 5 years. Constantly being drained and recharged as the power to the alarm is restored will diminish the life of a battery, sometimes to as little as 5 or 6 months.

To supplement the battery backup, and depending on how many components draw current, such as the outdoor beams and sensors, a power pack may also be installed.  This is basically a 12v battery and transformer in a pack that extends the “life” of the alarm whilst there is a power outage.  They also have life spans but do prolong the functionality of an alarm during power outages.

Should you have any queries regarding your alarms battery backup or installing a power pack onto your system, please do not hesitate to contact our technical department on technical@citybowlsecurity.co.za or call 0860151515.

Furthermore pertaining to load shedding, CBAR has installed dual generators so as to ensure “our lights don’t go out”. Similarly it is imperative that each household has some plan in place for those hours when their streets are in darkness.  Even though the City of Cape Town’s load shedding schedule is not always correct, criminals can use these to plan criminal activity in an area.  Throughout the industry, it has been noted that crime increases during load shedding periods.

Ensure that you have torches and sparebatteries; know the layout of your property when in darkness for easier mobility.  Check that the electric gates and garages are in fact closed before leaving the property and before retiring to bed.  Know where your safe keys are so that a firearm is easily accessible in case you experience an intrusion.  Switch off electrical appliances so that when the power is restored a stove does not switch on with a pot / pan on it whilst you are asleep.

Purchasing a portable generator is advisable for basic power supply and is useful so as to boil water, cook or have some lighting.  Be more aware of unusual sounds during these periods and always know where your panic buttons are when you are in complete darkness.

In January 2015, CBAR had 98 clients whose alarms where very active, so much so that the armed response had to attend their premises more than 6 times in the month, with most number of callouts being 26 times to one address.  Besides the massive cost to company and reducing the effectiveness of the armed response due to repetitive and unnecessary call outs, our monitoring centre also receives numerous complaints from neighbours. 

If your alarm system activates on a continual basis, eventually CBAR, the service provider, with its deterrent board on your wall gets a call, from in most cases, an exceptionally irate neighbour, demanding “we” fix our alarm.  Please help our monitoring centre operators from receiving some very colourful and expletive calls, by ensuring your overactive alarms are repaired to the point that they no longer activate unnecessarily.  Your assistance would be greatly appreciated with regards to this matter.

Lastly, a commendation to the response officer, Theo Tungani for his arrest on the 24 January 2015.  On this date, officer Tungani was conducting his normal patrol duties in the Tamboerskloof area.  Whilst on patrol he was stopped by an unknown person (member of the public) and was informed that someone had been seen jumping out of a property in Woodside Road. With a description of this person, he patrolled the area. Whilst patrolling the area around Jurgens Park he saw a suspect fitting the description.  He stopped the suspect and searched the person finding a brown wallet and cellphone on him.  Whilst conducting the search of the suspect, he managed to flee.  Officer Tungani went back to Woodside Road and approached a group of people who had gathered.  One of the people identified the wallet and cellphone as that which was just stolen from her property in Woodside Road.  Stolen property recovered!  Suspect gone! 

However 2 hours later, officer Tungani was in Park Road, conducting a patrol and observed an individual exiting a house in Park House Road. Incredibly it was the same suspect that had broken into the Woodside property 2 hours earlier.  A chase ensued and the suspect was arrested and cuffed.  Backup was called and SAPS dispatched.  The suspect was taken back to Woodside Road for positive identification.  A job well done, excellent vigilance and reaction.

Please remember not to leave windows wide open on these hot balmy nights, as criminals are often very agile.

 

CBAR, 24 hours a day, only minutes away!

 

Kind regards and best wishes

 

Alan Kusevitsky and the CBAR Team

                                                                                                                                               

 



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