ADT alarm and armed response

[murdock]

they say you shoulnt write threads when you are angry but here goes...i have just finished tried to get hold of someone from ADT security...man can this company dodge and duck and dive the md is out of town the second in charge is not in the office and unfortunately there is nowone else with any authourity available at this point in time...i have just got back to my house to find the alarm has been going for i dont know how long...so i try contact ADT and speak to someone with authourity because this is now just becoming a joke...for 4 month now i have had a problem with this alarm so i contact them we run a test and all is clear...yet everyday i receive a sms to niotify me that i need to test my alarm.

we had a vehicle break in so i pressed the panic button and did not get a response so i contacted them and compained the following evening i had a response vehicle every hour on the hour come screeching into my driveway get out the vehicle with the dogs going crazy put a piece of paper into my letter box get bacj into his vehicle and screech out again until after 5 hours i finally had enough and could not get to sleep so i waited till he arrived at the next hour and threatened him if he did it again...i think he got the hint and didnt come back.

i will give them until 14.00 today to sort this problem out otherwise i will canceal the contract due to no service delivery and change to blue or coin security.

[Graeme]

ADT Alarm

Murdock I am so glad I read your post - I was right on the verge of contacting ADT to instal some security devices at my home to beef up my security measures. I guess I shall think again about this. Kind regards.

[Dave A]

Oops! Now that has cost another client so far.

This internet thing can be scary sometimes...

[murdock]

14.00 came and went no response from ADT i decided to get an independant in to rectify the problem...to find it was the ADT installers fault...due to incorrect installation...the problem was rectified at a nominal fee which will be forwarded to ADT for collection...i then proceeded wit a 911 panic button as if i was a hostage within a couple of seconds they responded...i decided not to answer the telephone so they called 3 times...i decided after 3 calls to answer...they asked my password which i gave to them...now this is the joke i have a person holding a gun to my wifes head while another person is raping her they ask the password what do you think i do... i am faced with a problem do i give them the wrong password and hope they handle the incident "proffessionally" or do i give them the correct password??? well from experiense dealing with ADT i take my chances and try sort the problem out myself...rather than having 1 person come screeching into my property causing panic probably resulting in the hijackers killing both of us.

put your armed response to the test and see how they handle this type of situation as this is becoming a comon one in this sad rainbow nation...i would be interested to see how your armed response reacts...and if they are any good i would ike to change to that company...because at the end of the day i can look after myself it is my wife and childrens safety i am concerned about...once it has happened it is already toooo late.

one of the biggest problems i find with armed response companies is that when they need to promote their company in your area they will have all their vehicles parked on the verges and driving around...until they finish marketing then once you sign up...some of them take 20 minutes or longer to response...what is the good of that...the other joke is they arrive with 1 person in a vehicle...normally when these caring loving people of this rainbow nation attack you they are normal 4 or more...go figue.

[Upstairs]

ADT

The big problem is our shortage of techs. These people are sent on courses to do the installations according to spec. They then become installers. The system is an RF setup, and these guys do not understand radio. There are so many factors than can influence just the antenna, and when you are not a qualified radio tech, you will make mistakes. On the other hand it boils down to the individual who does not care about the job, or the knobs who calls themselves execs who put so much pressure on their workforce and care more about the profit than employing more people or pay qualified people what they are worth. Fact is it could cost someone his life. Go around to the repeater sites and have a look at the shoddy work!

[murdock]

just go around the country and see how it is falling apart...never mind the technical skills...my best is still the 3 security gaurds...1 supervisor...2 artisan who sit in the vehicles watching the 1 labourer actually doing the work on the side of the road.

[murdock]

i almost forgot... i did get a message on my phone from ADT yesterday.

[murdock]

just a something to note when installing a security system... the security companies always fit sensors etc inside the house never on the outside...by the time the alarm goes off the caring loving people are already in your house and they then normally have about 15 to 20 minutes to clean you out before the security company arrives...so if you plan on having a system fitted make sure the out side of the house is covered first...so that the alarm goes off warning you that there are people on your property giving you time to either defend yourself or get your family into a safe room...and test your system frequently...you dont want to get caught with your pant down.

[duncan drennan]

..you dont want to get caught with your pant down.

So no sleeping naked

just a something to note when installing a security system... the security companies always fit sensors etc inside the house never on the outside...by the time the alarm goes off the caring loving people are already in your house and they then normally have about 15 to 20 minutes to clean you out before the security company arrives...so if you plan on having a system fitted make sure the out side of the house is covered first...so that the alarm goes off warning you that there are people on your property giving you time to either defend yourself or get your family into a safe room...and test your system frequently.

I fully agree. We were fortunate enough to not be home when our house was broken into (in Pretoria a couple of years ago). We did have an alarm which was easily circumvented by the criminals and did not even sound. Try wrapping a duvet around your self and see if your sensors pick you up - you'll be shocked.

In my opinion the only thing an alarm is good for is as an early warning so that you can make sure that you are safe. Have something on the outside of your house to alert you to intruders so that you can phone the police or alarm company as soon as something happens. The police are fast if they know that a crime is in progress (well, that was my experience).

Protect yourself and your family. All you stuff is insured and has no value compared to your family's and your own life and safety.

[Dave A]

So no sleeping naked

I guess that explains this, then.

[Alta Murray]

I can not agree more! I don't want to know if someone is already in my house, I am then completely vulnerable and have only seconds to react. How silly is that? Even way back when I was still on the ball and in training with a sniper, it was no plan, so what about now when I am completely rusty? Plus it is boring to get your gun out every night and putting it away in the morning.

After a spade of burglaries in our 'hood, I decided enough was enough, and my hubby and I decided that we would put on our criminal caps, and see what makes certain houses attractive. Firstly they love the dark and bushy gardens, lots of hidy holes. Walls around your house is also very attractive, they can hide behind it, and there is the new method on the market, fence running & jumping. They also don;t like noise.

My hubby did our own alarm system, and I promise you, you can not set foot on our property without lights flashing and alarms screaming. On the perimeters of our property, not in the house though we have that too. That made a lot of sense and was a very cheap option, though I don't understand the techy stuff that he did. I only know that when the alarm goes off there is a box where I can see where someone tripped the alarm, so that I can pin-point location.

Also the response time of the security companies remain a problem, so we had to come up with a better plan. I did very quick research on the suburbs where crime is rife and when you drive through these areas the one thing you don't see in the streets is movement. It is very quiet.

In the old days when we just moved in, we were on the outskirts of Pta, so it was literally a question of taming the West, and we were 4 who used to storm out with our guns on a count-down no less. But us 4 knew what we were doing and trusted each other, we worked well together and no one was trigger happy. We just chased the criminals off, never did we need to fire off a shot.

However, today things look different and we are supposed to become the new center of Pretoria, we are completely built-up and just off Zambesi Drive. We had to come up with a new plan.

I called a meeting in the park, and we discussed reaction plans, worked everything out, so that we could patrol our own space. We all know the police is under-sourced, I have called only to be told they had no vechicles, or they had vehicles but no petrol. It is not their fault. So we have to step up and take responsibility for our own safety.

Fortunately I insisted on a dry run, as I did not know a lot of the people in the 'hood, and I had visions of running into a neighbour, high on adrenaline, responding to the alarm, and have him shoot me!

The dry run was an absolute flop! The man that had to sound the alarm, forgot to do so as he had visitors from over-seas, so we all sat outside with our whistles and cell phones in hand, waiting for an alarm that never came. Eventually we got him on the phone, and then then alarm sounded!

The first thing I saw as I rounded the corner was my one ouk with brandy in one hand and gun in the other. He made the perfect target as he had taken his shirt off and was wearing a glow-in-the-dark nipple ring. Total chaos ensued, and I had two guys down my street who acted out every scene they had ever seen in a movie, they were ducking and weaving behind cars and bushes, and I sat on the corner hosing myself! I could do nothing, I was lame with laughter and had no legs.

After many a meeting we came up with something that worked for us, where we do use the whistles and only some people are aloud to go outside. I also encouraged the people not to sit in their houses, but to go for walks and bicycle rides so that we now have a busy 'hood. Visibility is key, and when we meet in the park, the word does spread that we are active. We don't have burglaries anymore, yet we remain vigilant.

I hope this helps. And you know what? Doing it for yourself is a lot of fun and it is empowering. We now know all our neighbours and the whole feel has changed. It is a really nice play to live.

[murdock]

that must have been duncan when his duvet fell off

[Dave A]

Now I'm legless too.

...wearing a glow-in-the-dark nipple ring.

There are some things you don't want to know about your neighbours.

[Margaret D]

I'm guessing he was an invited intruder....

[Alta Murray]

You are so right -- I never specked the ouk in the same way again. I kept on wondering about the glow-in-the-dark issue? Why do you need that for? His wife seems dead normal, but though there are things you don't want to know,I like the new snug village feel.