Pathetic response from ADT
I live in Steynsrust, Somerset West. My security service provider is Fidelity ADT, but I have serious reservations about their alertness and level of service. I’m not a spring chicken any more, and sometimes tend to be absent-minded, so I set off my alarm accidentally from time to time.  This happened last night before about 10 pm. I deliberately didn’t phone ADT to inform them about the false alarm, as I had several incidents before where there was NO call, but a patrol car rolling up at the house some time after. I even complained to ADT about this practice. Sure enough, 10 to 15 minutes later a patrol car rolled up. This doesn’t exactly make me feel secure or safe. Every alarm-activated signal should be treated as a potential life-threatening emergency. I even paid recently to have a radio signal to ADT installed as my Telkom connection was unreliable. So what happens at the control room when an alarm signal appears?. Do the staff sit around and drink tea and chat, waiting that some patrol car would investigate? To send patrol cars after false alarms, which appears to be happening, is costly, inefficient and insane. When a real emergency occurs is it is very likely that a patrol car would not be available. The quickest way to establish whether there is a real problem after an alarm signal is received is surely by telephone. The whole scenario I described points to incompetence and carelessness by the ADT Fidelity administration. Maybe making money is more important to them than the lives of their clients. If they don’t pull up their socks soon I would be obliged to find a better service company, I would then also ensure that my reservations are well reported in the media.
Prof W A Richter.