ALFA Solutions

One of the most widely used Intruder Detection Systems (Alarm) in S/Saharan Africa.

There are a couple of points which do apply to our particular situation in Zambia. Always worth the read.

11 Things Burglars Want You To Keep Doing So They Can Break Into Your Home When you think of protecting your home, you probably think of a few simple things like locking your doors when you leave for the day, and making sure that you arm your security system at night. But, there are some things that burglars really, really don’t want you to ever figure out. You could be...

THE IMPORTANCE OF SECURITY SYSTEM MAINTENANCE

by Sarah Kubrick

Imagine your security system as if it is your car. You use it every day, and maintain it regularly so that you can rely on it to function safely and effectively. Like the security systems you use, you put mileage on it and contribute to its wear and tear each time you use it. And just like your car, your security system can break down without the fair warning of maintenance lights found in your car. So how do you know when it has malfunctioned?

Sometimes the security system maintenance required to keep a system functioning at its best is overlooked, even by the most vigilant security directors who place the system's health at utmost importance. Educational organizations sometimes lump security system maintenance into the “deferred maintenance” category simply due to their budget restrictions. Despite fully understanding how crucial maintenance is, some organizations are forced to only address issues as they arise, instead of being able to budget in preventative maintenance. This approach can leave gaping holes in building safety, access control panels can become less effective over time, cameras may stop working or need re-adjustment, and wiring can decay. Although many cite budgetary concerns as their reason for ignoring security system maintenance, neglect of a system can lead to far costlier damages down the road.

It was a deteriorating security system at a luxury resort in Palm Beach, FL that led to monetary damages that exceeded what it would have cost to repair the system. A piece of jewelry valued at $30,000 was stolen from a jewelry shop in the resort. Security cameras, which were set up to record but had failed to do so due to deteriorating wires and a malfunctioning alarm system in the doorway of the shop, proved useless in preventing the loss and identifying the thief. The result was a $30,000 loss to the resort and the termination of an employee. In “car speak”, ignoring the low coolant light resulted in a massive breakdown for the resort that cost much more than simply buying a bottle of coolant.

Security systems, just like cars, have a life cycle that can be inadvertantly overlooked in a maintenance budget. As better features become available, organizations that plan for an update in their capital budget will already be one step ahead in preventing a system failure.

Don’t wait until an incident occurs to learn how healthy your security system is. Spare your organization from being stranded on the roadside with a massive repair bill by proactively maintaining your security system to get the most out of it.

A little info regarding CCTV cameras. Understand the Techie Jargon!

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UNZA students are reportedly marching to Mulungushi Conference Centre. We suggest you avoid Great East Road from Manda Hill to Arcades Shopping Malls.

Stay safe!

Civil Unrest – (Claire Wolfe)

Defining civil unrest
Look up “preparations for civil unrest” on Google you’ll find nothing that’s going to help you. In fact, you won’t even easily turn up a good definition of what civil unrest is.
Civil unrest occurs when anger, frustration, or fear turn disruptive on a mass scale or when government officials crack down because they anticipate such disruptions. Crackdowns can lead to further frustration, especially when the crackdowns look unwarranted and tyrannical.

Here are definitions of levels of civil unrest and a little bit about how they might affect us:
LEVEL ONE: The lowest level of civil unrest is when people turn on their own neighbourhoods. Level One civil unrest can be deadly and destructive, but primarily to people who live, work, or must travel in the immediate area. Level One unrest is spontaneous and is confined to a narrow geographical zone where the protestors live. Police response may be harsh, but it’s localized. Unless you’re in the middle of it, you’re unaffected.
LEVEL TWO: Level Two civil unrest may also be focused on a single area. But in this case, rioters or protesters have deliberately targeted a business district, a facility, a transportation system, or an organization to impose maximum disruption. Although still focused in one area, Level Two can disrupt normal life and business in a whole region or country.
LEVEL THREE: Level Three comes when mass unrest or authoritarian crackdown causes disruption at state or regional level. Everyone in the region is affected. Effects might include travel restrictions, random ID checks, mass arrests, food and fuel rationing, controls on money and banking, roadblocks, and other harsh “emergency” restrictions.
LEVEL FOUR: Level Four is Level Three—but on a national or even international scale. It’s martial law. If things ever get this bad, it’s likely that the government itself will be a far bigger threat to everyone’s wellbeing than whatever the original cause of the clampdown was.

What we can do
1. Keep standard emergency preps up to date. First thing to do is make sure all our typical household preparedness supplies and plans are current. Backup food, water, and other supplies are our mainstay for everything from long-term unemployment, power outages to social breakdowns.
2. Don’t fall into foolish complacency. We tend to have an “it can’t happen here” attitude toward political violence or social upheaval. If anything disrupts the supply chain, for instance, peri-urban and rural areas could be the first to be cut off from food, medicines, fuel, or other necessities. If government breaks down to the point where it can’t deliver, the rural poor and unemployed could become just as agitated as their urban counterparts.
3. Watch your health. Take all the standard recommended precautions like frequent handwashing. Make sure your preparedness kit includes surgical masks and disposable gloves as well as a selection of frequently updated medications.
4. Get home plan. In a perfect world, we’d all be home, watching the chaos erupt on TV from the safety of our living rooms. However, reality says that some of us will be at work, at school, or in the car when unrest occurs. You need to develop a “get-home” plan for all of the members of your family, based on the most likely places that they will be. This is where friends and neighbours become a necessity.
5. Make common cause with your neighbours. Establishing a strong bond with people in your community is vital to every sort of emergency preparedness. In event of a Level One or Two emergency, these are the people who could give you a ride or a place to sleep if you accidentally end up in a “hot zone” of riot or protest. They can advise you if they’ve spotted a roadblock or disturbance on your usual routes.
5. Watch for signs of trouble when in an unfamiliar area. Sometimes the only advance notice you get is the notice your own senses give you. When walking, driving, biking, or otherwise traveling in unfamiliar places, stay in what security practitioners call “condition yellow.” It just means “be alert!” Always be aware of who’s nearby and what’s going on around you. If you spot trouble developing, turn. Avoid it if at all possible.
7. Stumbling into a “hot zone” of unrest. Be prepared to think on your feet. Not many people are qualified to give you advice about how to behave if you unavoidably find yourself in the midst of trouble—a riot or mass protest. If street-level chaos surrounds you, do your best to keep a cool head, move away from the worst of it if you get the chance, and get inside if possible.

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/170401-how-to-spot-a-card-skimmer-at-a-restaurant.html

How to spot a card skimmer at a restaurant Criminals are providing waiters and shop assistants with handheld skimming devices which look like the real thing – here is how to spot them.