High walls, electric fences and spiked perimeters are commonplace in South Africa today. Can one, however, be too secure and can security measures intended to keep the crime at bay sometimes work against residents?

The answer is Yes, according to private security chain, ADT.

"Homeowners sometimes forget that the very measures that they have put in place to keep crime out can just as effectively prove to be a deterrent to their security companies and rescue service providers," says Roy Rawlins, managing director of ADT West.

It is absolutely critical that homeowners bear this in mind when reviewing their home security.

The untimely death of an ADT client recently is a tragic example of just what can happen if this advice is not heeded.

"In this particular instance we received a call from a client saying his house was on fire and he was trapped inside. ADT immediately dispatched a response vehicle to the property. On arrival our reaction officers found the house to be heavily protected by electric fencing with no key-holder information provided to gain access to the gate. With time of the essence, our officers finally managed to bend the electric fence on the surrounding wall and with the help of neighbours, managed to gain access into the property. Our officers then battled to gain access through the client's inside security gate and finally managed to force it open and free him from his burning house.

"The Johannesburg fire department and Net-Care 911 were dispatched to the scene while the ADT reaction officers attended to the fire with a garden hose. The patient was treated by Net-Care and transported to hospital. Sadly in spite of everyone's best efforts the client passed away."

Rawlins says a tragedy like this could so easily have been averted if the homeowner had considered an alternate access option such as an EZI pad.

This is an electronic device that is attached to the driveway gate motor allowing the security officer access to the property once a secret code is activated.

Alternatively, homeowners can entrust a neighbour or close family friend with a spare set of keys and this information must be communicated to the security company. In the case of an emergency this key holder information can be vital to saving a life.

Once again it is imperative that all clients remember to regularly update their key-holder information to avoid any potential problems.

For more information contact Anjula Jagesur, ADT Security, 086 121 2400, ajagesur@tycoint.com