Timetech Magazine Autumn 2015 Issue

Caught Off-Guard

Pg 6

Nooitgedacht Village turning up the heat

Pg 10 Harry White talks Estate Security Pg 13 Control Room Designing Pg 15 Smarter Access Control Pg 17 Davantis Analytics Benchmark Finalist Pg 19 Why Video Analytics Pg 23 On the fence?

Pg 24 Professionals talk Estate Security Pg 27 Aesthetics vs Security Pg 29 Estate Feature Pg 30 A Cost effective solution Pg 35 Estate Living at your fingertips

contents

Pg 5

Pg 37 Are thermal cameras damaged by solar radiation?

Pg 42 Off-Site Monitoring: What now?

Pg 45 Thermal vs Night Vision

Pg 49 The Effects of Power cuts on Intruder Alarm Systems Pg 51 FLIR Thermal Bullet

Pg 56 Remotely Piloted Aerial systems Pg 59 Conservation in the Western Cape Pg 63 Progress in the war against poaching Pg 65 Shades of Grey Pg 67 FLIR Launches versatile Wi-Fi Video camera Pg 69 New FLIR LS range in town Pg 71 Like father, like son‌ Pg 75 Tracks4Africa Pg 79 Thermal cameras for boating

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The Timetech Magazine is compiled by Timeless Talks, a division of the Timetech Group.

The magazine is circulated quarterly and communicates industry news by the Timetech group, their partners and clients.

Editorial & Layout Anèl Steyn Timeless Talks talks@timetech.co.za @timelesstalks Next Publication date: Winter Issue - 25.07.2015

Suppliers of Thermal Cameras, Video Analytics, UAV Drones, Aerostat Systems etc. for various industry sectors

Caught Off-guard I was still contemplating just how fast New Year and the new school year came along and suddenly I was welcomed by red autumn vineyards during a site visit in the Winelands, tripped over Easter Bunnies and got caught off guard by load shedding. With all the alerts and online schedules available I still managed not to be ready for two nights of peak-time load shedding this past week. The nights however turned into spontaneous mid-week Braai’s with the family, playing with fire and thermal technology (because Mom has a cool job ) and having Boerewors rolls for dinner by candles and doing school homework with a camping light.

As always, as life comes to a halt and you are disconnected from the world so to speak, you get a chance to reconnect to the ones close to you and you realise that depending on technology has not only made us lazy but also made us “absent”, causing us to let our guard down. We rely on alarms, beams, cameras, security companies to alert and assist us during a crisis. This week though I was much more on standby knowing that the “extras” in life whether it is time with family, safeguarding technology or life enhancing attributes like power and water is something we are taking for granted. And we are all guilty. When it is taken away we suddenly want to do our part in being part of the solution.

Solutions have responsibilities and whether it is saving energy, caring for your family or taking care of our own personal safety it all boils down to be being alert, to not miss the warning signs, to be proactive in securing AND insuring our own, our families’ and our Country’s future. Winter is ahead and it is vital that we take hands within the safeguarding and surveillance sector. With the current power crisis there is so much more pressure on security integrators, guarding companies and security suppliers to supply and maintain a proper solution or service that will be effective. The Timetech group will keep to their promise to this industry by doing just that, taking hands in assisting them with equipment that will stand the test during these trying times.

Ironically I am typing this letter during load shedding. It was not planned though, just worked out that way, at least this time I was prepared and have enough battery life on my laptop.

Until next time, stay safe, be alert, save energy and keep on changing lives for the better.

Anèl Steyn www.timetech.co.za anel@timetech.co.za

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Nooitgedacht goes thermal As you drive into the Nooitgedacht Village you soon realise that this is not just another Residential Estate in the making. This properly planned and well executed bespoke development has the potential to be one of the most memorable Lifestyle Establishments within the Winelands. Gerhard Jooste, head of the developing team, elaborates about Nooitgedacht’s vision: “Our dream was to combine old world village charm with a modern lifestyle and after 9 years that dream is now a reality with Nooitgedacht Village. … It is an exciting mix of residential, commercial and retail components that combine to create attractive, safe village living with access to 200 hectares of beautiful vineyards, orchards and the Klippies River with surrounding forest area. ... The success of Nooitgedacht can be attributed to the Village concept, beautiful architecture, fantastic amenities, panoramic mountain views, fantastic location, farm living and the unprecedented property growth in Stellenbosch.”

Devin Butler (Estate Geeks) and Sean Mortassagne (Timeless Technologies) at one of Nooitgedacth’s signature buildings.

What sets the Estate apart from others in the region is not only the authentic aesthetics of the village, but also the highquality and visible security infrastructure, and presence of leading technology. Residential Estates usually focus on the Aesthetics of the Estate, establishing the landscaping, and creating a purchasable product for the landowner. They do of course keep foremost in mind the security measures; a functional guardhouse, operational guarding company and optical security cameras as a part of the starting-off budget. Seldom though is sophisticated equipment, such as Thermal cameras and Video Analytics, a part of the initial planning, especially in the Western Cape where crime is least seen as an unfortunate reality. These features most often do follow when the Estate is more established, and the homeowners then feel the need to upgrade the current security infrastructure. In some circumstances this decision being the result of a crime committed where the current measures were defeated. With Nooitgedacht Village it was the other way around, as Devin Butler of Estate Geeks, the Security

Integrator of Nooitgedacht explains: “In keeping with the pro-active nature of the development, we took the view that Nooitgedacht needed to have an uncompromising and highly effective electronic security solution in place from the start, using bestof-breed products. After considering all the technologies available to suit their requirements, and then conducting a period of testing, we settled on a solution that started to deliver results almost immediately.”

The Estate is currently in the building phase, and the prudent decision for installing intelligent equipment during this stage of the process is a wise choice, seeing that so many people will be entering the estate over the next few years. Keeping a track of these activities, and being alerted about potential security breaches is what an Estate needs, to ensure that landowners remain interested and invested in a property development. Anel Steyn, Marketing Manager of Timeless Techologies, supplier of the Thermal cameras on the Estate explains: “Landowners are well aware that investing in a Security Estate is not only a personal safety investment, but also a return on investment. They look up to the Developer and Managing Agents to ensure that their money is being spent properly. Nooitgedacht’s decision to install a quality perimeter surveillance solution shows good faith towards their landowners, and that they are starting off their relationship with the HOA on an extremely good footing. We are delighted to hear that the FLIR Thermal camera system is delivering the results they were aiming for, and we are proud to be involved with such an amazing Estate and Development team headed by Gerhardt Jooste”

About Thermal Cameras and Video Analtyics: Thermal cameras compliment and complete a security camera network by giving the end-user the power to see threats invisible to the naked eye, turning night into day. Thermal cameras create images from the heat energy that is around us all the time, not from reflected visible light as required for optical cameras, thus providing 24/7 imaging capability without needing any additional lights or illuminators (and the associated running costs). Thermal energy penetrates atmospheric obscurants much better and farther than visible light, allowing you to see what's out there through haze, smoke, dust and even light fog … day and night, through good weather and bad, close up and far away. Both Thermal and optical cameras can be integrated with Video Analytics technology, which uses mathematical algorithms linked to computer vision technology. These algorithms allow video camera images to be analysed against a set of pre-determined rules, in order to detect and extract only useful and pertinent information, and to provide highly accurate and effective video alarm information to control rooms. These algorithms can analyse a moving object, calculate distance vs size and successfully distinguish between a person, a car or an animal.

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Harry White talks Estate Security Ironically I have found over the years that a number of failings in the security infrastructure or protocols on security estates, are caused by the very same people we are trying so desperately to keep safe.

We often hear security experts compare the various layers which are essential for a good security infrastructure with the layers of an onion, which fittingly becomes progressively softer and slighter towards the middle, but importantly has layers which continue all the way to the final layer, which resembles resident’s own security measures in and around their homes.

It is a very good strategy to have multiple layers of security, if of course all these layers exist right the way down to the center. Unfortunately though, as security and estate management professionals, we are increasingly finding that the threats to most security estates are now better comparable to that of a coconut, with a few, nearly impenetrable layers on the outside.

I say this, as more and more an expectation seems to exist that when living in a secure estate, one is immediately excluded from the threat of crime and doors, windows, motor vehicles etc. may simply be left wide open and vulnerable to crime . The consequence being that, not unlike the coconut, the inside of the fruit or the reward becomes very attractive to the criminal mind and we increasingly have to consider ways of how to make the outer layers more impenetrable.

Video analytic software supported camera infrastructures, in combination with physical and electrical fences, now makes up the outer layer defenses of most of the top security estates. Also in these outer layers of defenses are security access control personnel, various access control systems/ software, armed response and access camera monitoring infrastructures.

Yet all these measures and millions of Rands spent comes to nothing when Mr. Jones thinks it’s a good idea for him to obtain an access disk for his child who now works on weekends for the local food delivery company and he or she can impress their peers by leaving the disk at work for all the delivery personnel to use when making a delivery to the estate. Mr. Jones justifies this action on the basis that “this would just make things so much simpler for the poor delivery staff when they have to deliver to the estate!”

Not a lot of imagination is required to see how this opportunity will be snatched up by a criminal mind.

Not long after the disk has disappeared from the office, a house is robbed on the estate and all hell breaks loose; how did they get in, let’s review all perimeter cameras and the list goes on. After launching investigations, reviewing all perimeter cameras, access control logs and footage we finally find that the crime was committed by someone using an access card registered against the name of Mr. Jones.

Similarly there are a number of examples of how the irresponsible conduct by the very people we are trying to protect, can jeopardize their own safety.

To combat security shortcomings caused by the irresponsible conduct of this nature, recent monitoring innovations like specialized helium balloons and drones fitted with specialized cameras, can be considered in addition to manned patrols, but still they would not be able to make up all such security shortcomings.

As security and estate management professionals we must, in addition to continuously growing our technical security capabilities, continuously remind residents of the consequences they could be faced with if a crime of this nature or any crime for that matter was committed against a fellow resident, by someone they allowed to enter the estate incorrectly, or by someone residing at their home.

Continue to make those outside layers of your security infrastructures impenetrable, but at the same time make sure that you educate your residents continuously in respects of the do’s and don’ts, because sooner or later those very tempting juices inside that coconut, will cause someone to test that outer shell.

Harry White Estate Manager: Atlantic Beach Golf Estate

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Hatteland Display is the leading technology provider of specialized display and computer products, delivering high quality, unique and customized solutions to the international maritime, residential developments and industrial markets. www.timetech.co.za sales@timetech.co.za

Image reference: http://www.lundhalsey.com/images/Security-Images/Security-Room-01.jpg

Control Room Designing The design criteria for control rooms are as dynamic as the speed of change in the associated technology. Needless to say, the technology is only one part of the design criteria, but the ergonomics will always be the same. The reason for the latter is merely that the human factor and external body influences will always be the same, as the body does not change much over time.

The reader immediately recognised that there are two parts to this chapter, in the design criteria for the control room. The first one will be, what design criteria do you need to follow due to technology enhancements? The second criteria stays more or less the same at all times, ergonomics, i.e. chair type, back support, arm support, operational time, etc. Having mentioned the above, we will exclude the policies and procedures for now.

The technology used in a control room today, could be divided into hardware and software. These items change and develop at a rapid pace, and the outcome is very favourable for control room operations. Just some of the items which are changing monthly are for example flat screen, powerful switching, IP signals, smart search, screen switching etc.

The ergonomics will always be a standard, where you have to calculate the time frame which the operator will be able to view the screen effectively and the physical strain on a human body. There are definitely factors which put strain on the neck, the eyes, the hands and the back. These are the major aspects to the design and it needs to be investigated thoroughly.

The neck is influenced by the distance from the screen, the elevation and height of the screen on top, the lower section, and the horizontal position.

The back is influenced by the type of chair used and the duration sitting in the chair during the shift.

The eyes are influenced by the quality of light within the control during daytime and night time, as well as the quality of the monitor used, minimal flickering and contrast levels.

There are other, smaller type “strains”, which must be considered as well, in ensuring effective control room staff. The individual needs to be screened in assuring that the customer does get the most effective operator for the task, at hand. The policies and procedures need to be drafted to ensure that all the operations, technical support and output are well managed, and obviously the customer receives value for money.

The hardware used today is very different to that used a year ago, due to the rapid speed of technological advances. Time Tech is always on top of the latest trends and developments on a continuous basis, and the influence of these developments contributes vastly to the design changes. Some of the technological advances are the, ”flickering” of the screen, quality of the image, illumination and contrast of the display, the refresh rate of the pixels, the angle of view, the anti-burnin of the image, just to mention a few.

The software considerations are valid as well. The latest black screen technology is being used more and more. The trend towards decision making has moved towards the electronics as well, away from the human factor. We have come across various types or versions of software, where the intelligence is built into the controller, or PC software for that matter. Due to various reasons, which I will not discuss now, the decision making of what to happen, who to report to and what to switch to where, etc. is more and more left to the rules as set up.

Therefore, the design criteria used in designing a control room, has many aspects, and all of these must be considered in ensuring an outcome as determined by the customer. The question is always asked, “did your control room design team consider all the aspects?”

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Smarter Access Control – Now & Into the Future Physical access control technologies have been around for the past thirty years or so, and in that time it hasn’t seen the rapid technology progress that perhaps CCTV technologies have.

Sure, IP or cloud-based access control products are now readily available, but the development cycle has been slow, and the customer end-devices are still pretty much the same - an RFID card/reader, an intelligent controller and a lot of wired infra-structure. For the most part the primary technology leap has been to shift database servers into a cloud environment, and to take advantage of IP connectivity, but little else.

Traditional access control architecture is based on the idea that security systems will remain closed standalone systems, interfacing only to security sensors and security devices, located within one or more specific buildings, operating on a limited set of cardholder and door data entered manually or imported into the system from an external database. This was not an objective or a design choice—it was the only design option, given the technology-based constraints imposed on access control system manufacturers. The world outside of an access control system had little or nothing to offer in terms of security relevant information and communication. Today that outside world contains an abundance of information and communication options that are highly security relevant, and are now available through an organisation’s IT infrastructure and the Internet.

Unfortunately today’s technology trends are producing much important technology that is not available to a system based on traditional architecture.

Today two such trends are very relevant to security: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and The Internet of Things (IoT); Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Almost everyone has a personal smart device (i.e. mobile phone, smartphone, a tablet PC) that is routinely used in the course of one’s personal and business life, and in a lot of instances they are resources that have cost an organisation very little to purchase and maintain, if at all. It’s an extension of your physical self, and is

considered as such by many institutions such as banks for PIN verification, or even some residential estates, where you are sent an SMS by a tenant containing a unique PIN code for entry. Applying this trend and technology for access control use could be in the following ways: PIN based, QR Code, Bluetooth, NFC (near field communication), Smartphone biometrics Given the explosive growth in the use of personal smart devices and the continuing advance of their capabilities, BYOD is definitely a resource to consider.

The Internet of Things (IoT) The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a world where “things” (which can be smart devices or sensors on objects, people or animals) are all potentially connected via the Internet, with the ability to collect and share data. As IoT technology continues to be developed and deployed, many more sources of security-relevant realtime information will appear.

For example, where critical materials (including substances subject to control policies) require outdoor transport and temporary storage, policy-based asset protection rules can require that only authorized people be in proximity to the materials, and that the materials are not moved outside of defined boundaries (virtual fencing). Violations of the policy conditions would trigger an alarm and in turn could activate additional response measures. IoT technology holds the promise of closing security gaps and strengthening security response actions, but only if access control architecture is sufficiently advanced to take advantage of such technologies.

Into the Future …

The addition of one or more of the attributes of next generation access control technologies to traditional deployments may provide some desirable benefits.

However, until a full transition is made to next generation architecture, existing deployments will continue to fall further and further behind technology advances, and thus will continue to have shortcomings that constitute a liability to an organisation’s asset protection program. For most organisations, transitioning to next generation architecture is not a faroff future option, but a very real and almost immediate requirement.

Acknowledgements to Viscount Systems Inc. (www.viscount.com)

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Davantis Video Analytics Benchmark 2015 Finalist in Video Analytics category

“To be worthy of recognition, devices or systems must either deliver a new concept or different approach which is both effective and realistic, or should include a specific feature or function which ranks as innovative. Also, with an increasing focus on integration, devices or software which bring together other systems into one unified solution will be considered as beneficial.”

Davantis Video Content Analytics is an I-LIDS approved primary detection system for sterile zone monitoring. It can be deployed with analogue, IP and thermal cameras, and boasts claimed detection distances of up to 120 metres with video and up to 450 metres with thermal images. Integral video transmission and bidirectional audio are also included. The use of server based technology ensures no compromise with regard to processing power.

“At Benchmark, we passionately believe that the future of the electronic security sector lies in the creation of innovative and flexible solutions which deliver real benefits. In order to allow installers and integrators to create such solutions, it is vital that manufacturers deliver innovations which both enhance the technological capabilities of their products, and allow those developments to be implemented in a realistic fashion. In order to highlight such advances, Benchmark runs its Innovation Awards scheme, which recognises and rewards innovative thinking and the delivery of benefits through advanced security solutions. The security industry has never before enjoyed the sheer breadth of technological options that it does today. Gone are the times when manufacturers waited for older technologies to reach a low price point before they became commercially worth implementing. We are no longer reliant upon older technologies from other sectors.

Today’s security systems market is advancing rapidly, and alongside developments from the security industry we can also benefit from advancements being made in the IT, communications, AV and consumer sectors. The impact of these innovations is often immediate, and can be leveraged as and when they happen. As advances deliver ever greater levels of functionality, so the ability to integrate security elements increases. This is added to by interoperability, business intelligence and smart management. The result is that security systems can offer a more valued proposition, bringing together enhanced security with truly beneficial solutions.

Through on-going innovation, and by embracing emerging technologies, manufacturers can assist installers and integrators who wish to adopt a holistic approach to system design. This allows the solutions to encompass the inherent flexibility that new technologies offer, ensuring that credible solutions can be realised.

The Benchmark Innovation Awards scheme has been devised to recognise and reward innovations which deliver real benefits to installers, integrators and end users. Such innovations might solve problems faced when designing and implementing a security solution, or might add to the degree of security offered. They could even increase the delivery of real-world benefits. Innovations must bring true value; if there is no real and tangible benefit for installers and integrators, or for their customers, then the developments will not be valued!”

Reference: http://benchmarkmagazine.com/benchmarkinnovation-awards-2015/

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Why Video Analytics?

Video analytics makes security and perimeter systems much more robust than using other technologies or products. Other technologies will provide some security, and passive systems can put off the opportunist, but only at the cost of myriad false alarms.

In order of sophistication, you can install‌ External proximity infra red (PIR) sensors. These are only effective over very short distances and are triggered by any movement, whether a threat or not, and with no means of verification.

Sensor cables. These systems are effectively limited to just the area where they are placed. Again, alarms are triggered with no means of verification.

Microwave beams or infrared (IR) barriers. Once again, such systems are effectively limited to a very small area, can be jumped over or slipped under and alarms are triggered with no means of verification.

Cameras and digital video recorders (DVR). These systems are good for recording and forensic analysis in the case of an incident, however they don’t provide alerts in real time.

Video sensor with motion detection. These are of limited use outdoors because the detectors have no concept of any object or its attributes, nor their trajectory or direction, nor of any specified forbidden zones (and most of the movements in the field of view are of no interest to the user) and consequently trigger a large number of false alarms..

Video analytics. Systems that incorporate video analytics can detect precisely what you need to guard against over very big surfaces and over long ranges.

Enabled systems are very difficult to avoid as they can cover a very large portion of the site being guarded and, explicitly, guard against movements in areas where there should be none, or not of that type (behavioural), or not at specified times (outside office hours).

Properly programmed (with Davantis systems this is a simple, intuitive task) not only are alarm triggers almost never false, but they can always be verified. Furthermore, Davantis-enabled systems come with machine learning capabilities that take account of changes in the environment, such as variations in light, shadow movements, cloud movements, periods of rain, plants and objects blowing in the wind, changing seasons, even insects and birds flying across monitored areas.

Video analytics quite simply reduces the cost of ownership caused by inadequate monitoring (leading to damage or theft) and/or false alarms (increasing labour and personnel costs) and the transmission and storage of unnecessary data.

Davantis Video Analytics Enquiries: www.timetech.co.za

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Securing What Matters – Securing Boundaries

Over the years Betafence has evolved from a fence manufacturer to a Total Solution Supplier of Perimeter Security.

Every security situation is different and that is why Betafence security solutions can meet the most divergent of needs. Betafence always proposes the most suitable approach based on the specific situation, the security level required and the risk assessment. In these often troubled times, the need to feel safe has become fundamental.

While respecting the desire for freedom, we offer protection of everything people value.

National Sales & Head Office: T: + 27 21 868 7300 F: + 27 21 868 7301 Gauteng Sales: T: +27 11 314 8034 F: +27 11 314 3646 info@betafence.co.za 0861 BFENCE (0861 233 623) www.betafence.co.za

On the fence?

Non-lethal electric fences are used by both private and government-sector bodies to prevent trespass.

Many of these electric fences act as monitored security alarm systems in addition to causing an uncomfortable shock. Electrified palisade fences are used to protect isolated property and high security facilities, but also around some residential homes. They can also be used inside a building, for example as a grid behind windows or skylights to prevent people from climbing through. They have even been used on yachts and on large ships to deter pirates.

Due to the high levels of crime in South Africa, it is common for residential houses to have perimeter defenses. Choices of material vary from durable non breakable wire or tubing to rugged wrought iron. Aesthetics however is up to the individual or Estate, but installation and maintenance should meet national regulations.

Piggyback fence: A Piggyback electric fence is mounted off the back of an existing wire or mesh fence, adding another level of security to the existing perimeter barrier. The piggyback profile is fastened to existing fence posts (e.g. pillars of a palisade fence) using rivets or screws. These are the most commonly used security electric fences.

Wall top fence: Wall-top electric fences attach to the top of an existing perimeter barrier such as a masonry wall. These are the second most common type of security electric fence. The exiting fence must be at least 1.5m high.

Stand alone fence: Stand-alone electric fences act as the sole perimeter barrier. T hey are also quite aesthetically please if set up neatly. This type is normally only found as one of many levels of perimeter security around high security establishments, meaning that to touch it someone has had to break through at least one physical barrier before this. The stand-alone fence must be at least 1m away from the nearest barrier.

Reference: ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_fence

Professionals talk Estate Security…

Century Property Developments “Taking a Giant Leap forward, Security at Waterfall even better: Security at Waterfall, planned to be the best in the country, has just taken another giant leap forward.

In addition to the four metre high steel-reinforced concrete perimeter walls topped with zoned electric fencing, thermal imaging perimeter CCTV surveillance with computer video analytics and armed 24hr security patrols - which are standard features at all Century Property Developments estates - the gatehouses at Waterfall Country Estate and Waterfall Village are currently being fitted with the latest and best in access control technology.” www.century.co.za/email/183cen.html

Pam Golding Property Management Group “Pam Golding Properties (PGP) reports that recent security and infrastructure upgrades have further boosted the appeal of the estate, offering improved peace of mind for residents without intruding on their privacy or magnificent surroundings.” http://www.pamgolding.co.za/news/general/article/2013/0 4/22/security-upgrades-boost-peace-of-mind-at-atlanticbeach-estate

ARC – Association of Residential Communities by Jeff Gilmour “The popularity of secure gated estate living has mushroomed in South Africa since 2000. So much so that it is today one of the most highly desirable lifestyles the real estate market has to offer. The underlying reason for this is the safety and freedom of movement that home owners enjoy.” http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/568/82708.html

Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa Remax “Security has been one of the driving factors behind the growth in popularity of these developments, with the lifestyle attractions they offer either within the estate or development or reasonably close by, next in line.” http://remaxind.co.za/News/Estate-developments-retainvalue-well/1230/

Property 24 “The lifestyle offered by secure estates continues to attract property buyers all across South Africa – and Cape Town is no exception. In particular, estates located in the Constantia Valley are highly sought after for their central location, uncluttered, gracious atmosphere and hi-tech security systems. Pam Golding Properties (PGP) says that those located in Tokai, at the gateway to the South Peninsula, have the added benefit of spectacular views of the mountains and False Bay.” http://www.property24.com/articles/tokai-estatehomes-offer-secure-living/14534

Pinnacle Point Group “Phase one of the Wedgewood Golf and Country Estate sold out within weeks of being released and sales of phase two are selling at an equally fast, confirming the strong demand for the secure residential and retirement golf estate in Port Elizabeth, according to the developers Pinnacle Point Group (PPG).” http://estata.co.za/propertydevelopments/pressofficeprint.p hp?id=18

Rabie Property Development Group “Its high level of safety and security, have also made homes in Century City in high demand from tenants which has further underpinned sales and seen investors returning to the market.” http://www.rabie.co.za/blog/2012/03/century-cityresidential-sales-at-five-year-high/

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Nick Crow of Century Property Developments: “the intention is to commission high specification security systems such as this across all Century Estates within the coming months. The reason for this is that residents of these Estates not only deserve it, but they demand it. One thing that sets our developments apart from others is the high level of security we offer. A recent survey shows that 86% of our purchasers come to Waterfall and our other secure Estates first and foremost because of security, and next because of lifestyle.

In truth, you can't have one without the other in this country. Nobody wants to live in a ‘prison’ to keep safe, but if you don’t have the very best security, you are a target. Our mission is to keep our residents secure, which is something we’re proud to say we’re achieving thanks to state-of-the-art security installations such as this”.

Timetech Cover Image: Waterfall Estate Application 14 km perimeter : Thermal Cameras & Video Analytics by Timeless Technologies www.timetech.co.za Installation by 4C Technologies www.4c-technology.com Lighting by GIS SA www.gis-sa.net

Security has become an increasingly significant informant of the appearance of the built environment. The steady increase in walls and spikes and electrified fences and flickering indicator lights bears testimony to this condition.

While many of these measures may never be called upon to physically thwart an attack they have a profound effect each and every day on the quality and attractiveness and our experience of the built environment which we occupy.

Aesthetics vs Security

The process needs to start with a clear understanding of the current threats and vulnerabilities and an evaluation of likely changes in this status over the lifespan of a building or neighbourhood. Certain risks can be mitigated by design while other must be accepted and countermeasures added to manage them.

“Incorporating the need for security at the inception of a project and designing to accommodate this requirement as seamlessly as possible allows for both safer and more attractive environments.�

The basic stages which should be applied in designing for security begin with a strategic assessment of the project, defining the priorities, understanding the extent and capacity of resources and property management and determining the level of flexibility required to meet changing threat levels.

There is a fine balance to be maintained in creating an environment which fulfills the basic emotional requirement of the users feeling secure without triggering the stress of imminent harm which an excess of obtrusive visible measures can create.

The design process should be completed by considering ways in which the design can be left flexible, creating the opportunity to add or modify it over time or potentially to compartmentalize or phase its implementation to meet changing conditions.

Properly designed security should seek to find this balance between function and aesthetics and in doing this create better quality environments which enhance both the physical safety and the experience of all the people who use them.

By integrating security at the outset of the design process and producing integrated solutions it is possible to both increase overall security of the facility as well as manage its appearance and visual intrusion into the built environment.

Stephen Whitehead Boogertman and Partners Architects www.boogertman.com

Incorporating the need for security at the inception of a project and designing to accommodate this requirement as seamlessly as possible allows for both safer and more attractive environments.

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Estate Feature The beautiful Xanadu Nature Estate, in Hartbeespoort, is set on 240 hectares and overlooks the majestic Magaliesberg Mountain range. A natural wetland runs through the estate and the estate is home to over 280 different bird species.

Wildlife including Zebra, Impala,, Waterbuck, Reedbuck, Kudu, Nyala, Springbuck and Black Wildebeest roam freely on the estate and with four bird-hides, residents are afforded a tranquil environment from where they can observe bird and game activity. Walking and cycling trails crisscross the estate, allowing residents the opportunity to get even closer to the splendour.

Xanadu Nature Estate, Hartbeespoort Xanadu - ˈzanəduː/ noun an idealized place of great or idyllic magnificence and beauty

As with many estates in the country, security is paramount at Xanadu and this estate was one of the first in South Africa to install thermal cameras on its perimeter. With 24 hour access control, on-site alarm monitoring and armed response, foot and vehicle patrols and guard dogs it is hardly surprising that incidences of crime are virtually non-existent.

The DoxaDeo private school, adjacent to Xanadu, offers primary education and is within a safe walking/cycling distance of the estate. DoxaDeo is an eco-school and Xanadu, because of its many natural resources, hosts various eco activities throughout the year.

The Xanadu Lifestyle Village, incorporated within the estate, offers an over 50’s lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle. A assisted living and frail care facility is presently under construction.

Residents have the opportunity to become part of the Smart Village system, a single service provider for multi-media, voice and data telecommunications and selected IP based services. Smart Village provides their customers with service, maintenance and support for a fibre to the home IT and communications service.

The Xanadu Nature Estate offers a laid back, relaxed lifestyle ideal for those yearning for some country air and wholesome family living.

“As with many estates in the country, security is paramount at Xanadu and this estate was one of the first in South Africa to install thermal cameras on its perimeter.”

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"GLO-Portal is a Community Management System (CMS) custom developed to enhance management and communication in Residential Communities“ Proudly brought to you by GLOVent Solutions

www.glovent.co.za 086 101 7424 info@glovent.co.za

Estate Living at your fingertips Where community meets lifestyle‌ The pioneering Estate Living platform is your farreaching portal into the exclusive residential, golf, wine, polo and equestrian Estates of South Africa.

It serves as an Estate resource and tool, offering insights into this expanding community.

Estate Living has become pioneers in the Estate community and with their ample platform, they bring the residential community together, assist in eliminating communicational barriers, provide guidance and support, and offer superior marketing for the Estates, suppliers and service providers to the industry.

Estate Living is the official communication and marketing platform to the residential Estate industry. Their partnerships extend to 300 Estates and 400 000 high net-worth homeowners and residents, on a national basis.

The Estate Living website serves as an interactive portal into the residential Estate Community of South Africa. The platform features as an in-depth community resource and marketing tool for this lucrative and rapidly growing market.

The Estate Living website forms part of an integrated platform, which includes a printed publication, interactive digital magazine, social media strategy and resident community events. Estate Living’s content features reviews on prominent Estates across the country, including golf, residential, security, eco, wine, beach, equestrian and polo Estates.

Utilize this web portal to gain insight into the residential Estate community. View Estate profiles which include unique selling points, facility overviews and galleries. Find credible suppliers to the industry and preferred service providers to each Estate. www.estate-living.co.za

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Enquiries: marketing@timetech.co.za | www.timetech.co.za

Thermal imaging cameras can create high-contrast images even in the darkest of nights. This makes them excellent tools for a wide variety of applications such as security and surveillance, maritime, automotive and many others.

The purchase of a thermal imaging camera is a long term investment. Therefore it is important that you choose a reliable solution that will serve you for several years. Since most thermal imaging cameras are used in an outdoor environment, the first thing they need to resist are elements like water, wind and the sun. While it might be expected that rain and wind can damage a poorly designed or poorly assembled camera, the sun is also capable of damaging the sensitive thermal detector in certain thermal imaging cameras not designed to the standards that FLIR Systems maintains.

Thermal imaging cameras and the sun Although no one purchases a thermal imaging camera for looking at the sun, situations can occur where this happens. Just imagine a thermal imaging camera installed on a Pan/ Tilt. When panning or tilting the camera, the operator can be distracted and turn the camera in a direction so that it points directly at the sun. The chances of this happening are higher if the sun is just above the horizon.

What happens more often, especially with fixed installed thermal imaging cameras, is that the sun is moving through the field of view of the thermal imaging camera which is looking at the horizon.

Although thermal imaging cameras are mostly used during the night, many users rely on thermal imaging cameras during daytime as well. After all, thermal contrast is extremely difficult to mask, so people hiding in shadows or bushes will immediately be seen in a thermal image. Thermal imaging cameras are also not blinded by glare from the sun. But even if the camera is not switched on during daylight, the lens might be looking directly at the sun. For some thermal camera systems this can "fry" the detector.

Are thermal cameras damaged by solar radiation?

No permanent damage with FLIR Systems Vanadium Oxide detectors Unlike many other thermal infrared detectors, FLIR’s uncooled Vanadium Oxide microbolometer detector technology is immune to permanent damage when directly viewing the sun in normal video applications (i.e. the sun moves through the field of view of a fixed camera viewing the horizon).

However, because of the extremely high amount of thermal energy radiated by the sun, some temporary effects can be observed when the sun is in the field of view of the thermal imaging camera.

Protection mechanisms FLIR’s thermal imaging cameras incorporate several protection mechanisms that make them immune to permanent solar damage while also minimizing any temporary effects. First, the FLIR Vanadium Oxide ( VOx) uncooled arrays are housed right behind a shortpass filter that blocks wavelengths shorter than 7 micrometers.

This helps to mitigate the effect from solar radiation because as you increase the wavelength you are looking at, the energy radiated from the sun (temperature approximately 6,000K) decreases.

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FLIR Systems uncooled VOx microbolometer detectors operate in the longwave infrared spectrum from 7.5-13.5 micrometers. The sun radiates the most energy at about 500 nanometers (the color green in the visible light spectrum), but there is still plenty of energy once the longer wavelength infrared spectrum is reached. Hence, cutting off the lower wavelengths decreases the energy allowed to the detector.

There is also an anti-reflective coating on the detector surface that limits the energy absorbed from wavelengths outside the 7.5-13.5 micrometer range.

Another technique used to lessen the effects from the sun is found in the electronics of the detector. The bolometer contains an array of capacitors that change resistance when they absorb thermal energy. If a capacitor is ever overloaded with too much energy, it will eventually break down. Through electronic processes inside, the energy from normal sun exposure is dispersed and does not permanently damage the capacitors, which could result in bad pixels in the imaging array.

Temporary effects While FLIR has taken steps to lessen the effects of the sun on its uncooled cameras, visible, temporary effects may be observed when a camera images the sun. A ’ghost’ image of the sun is the most pronounced effect seen after prolonged exposure at the sun.

The pixels that view the sun absorb higher levels of energy such that there is still a ghost image after the sun has moved. This is normal, temporary behavior. The length of time the ghost remains is dependent on the focal length of the lens, the length of exposure, and the number of Flat Field Calibrations (FFCs) that occur after exposure. The FFC utilizes a shutter to recalibrate and re-zero the pixels approximately every 10 minutes. For a stationary camera where the sun moves across the camera’s image, the duration of the observable ghost image is generally only a few minutes, with decreasing in intensity over time and FFCs.

FLIR Systems thermal imaging cameras: immune for solar radiation In closing, FLIR Systems has designed its uncooled VOx microbolometer technology for solar immunity. FLIR’s cameras will not be damaged by direct imaging of the sun, for example, when the sun moves through the field of view of a fixed camera pointed at the horizon.

Temporary image artifacts or ghosts may be evident, but they will disappear during normal operation without operator intervention.

Although this may seem obvious, it is unfortunately not the case for all thermal imaging technology. Different manufacturers offer different models with different types of uncooled microbolometer detectors. Vanadium Oxide is just one material that is used for manufacturing these detectors. Other aterials are Amorphous Silicon (α-Si) and Barium Strontium Titanate (BST ). Manufacturers using α-Si or BST technology are sometimes even specifying in their own user manuals that the cameras cannot be exposed to direct sunlight.

Otherwise the camera will be permanently damaged and warranty will be void.

When investing in a thermal imaging camera, for whatever application, you need to make sure that it will stay in operation for several years, without maintenance. Looking at the sun with the camera should not ruin it nor reduce its lifetime.

Therefore uncooled Vanadium Oxide microbolometer detectors are the correct choice.

Acknowledgement to Dr. A. Richards for valuable input and advice

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GIS-SA specializes in the Import and Distribution of CCTV and Industrial LED lighting. With lighting suited for Infra-red Covert applications all the way to Mining.

We are registered with Eskom and are able to provide rebate options to our customer base.

Our products are incredibly rugged and very well suited to the South African climate and conditions. We have significant installations across the Mining and Banking Sectors.

We rely extensively on re-sellers and installers to promote our broad product range.

However, we also get involved with hands on demonstrations and marketing to assist our growing network of dedicated followers.

086 601 0845 roston@gis-sa.net www.gis-sa.net

Off-Site Monitoring: How NOW? Over the past years there has been a multitude of revolutionary changes in the way that clients in our market sector approach the use of their existing surveillance systems.

Traditionally the retail sector installed their system and used the footage on a reactive basis as and when an incident occurred due to the high cost of employing a dedicated staff member to monitor the footage captured on an ongoing basis. The ability of the monitoring was also greatly limited by the volume of information that had to be assimilated and more often than not events of concern went unnoticed. Estate and corporate clients had greater budgets and could roll out systems with a level of Video Motion detection and later advances in this technology that assisted with the alerts to events of concern but still the volume of nuisance alerts lead to a system that was flawed and very seldom had the desired results also leading to a reactive scenario.

Automated systems incorporating PIR trigger based abilities greatly increased the efficacy which send relative information as and when an event occurred, but the response and reaction was still on a basis that does not allow for the pro-active policing of an area that would need to be secured. Inevitably the units are placed indoors due to the limited intelligence on the units creating a host of nuisance alerts when placed in an outdoor area open to influence by a multitude of factors and possible triggers. The systems stream to a remote site and the information is then relayed to a reaction team often taking an extended amount of time allowing for the perpetrator to slip away before the response personnel could attend.

Currently the market offers systems that incorporate a higher level of intelligence and algorithm based detection criteria which would allow the client to set an exclusion based set of rules, detecting and alerting to an offence and exception within an area, taking into consideration who, what, when and where even alerting to how long and direction of motion.

The I-LIDS® certification offered and established by the UK’s Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB), further increases the assurance that the system chosen has been scrutinised by an independent body and doesn’t leave the client open to statements of performance that more often than not is made by creative sales consultants.

This greatly minimises the monitoring burden and allows for the proactive protection of the intended area. The systems often allow for the inclusion of traditional hard wired triggers and alarm based systems further increasing the functionality. Remote voice interrogation and communication further increases the response as a perpetrator can be identified and made aware that they are being tracked and that response personnel had been dispatched more often than not leading to a hasty retreat. Taking the “Detect, Deter and Delay” continuum into consideration this system plays a pro-active role in securing the intended area.

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This new functionality greatly increases the ability of an off site monitoring station as possible perpetrators can be detected in fringe areas prior to gaining access to the areas being protected. The minimal events also allow for the transfer of data to a central station over the limited networks that exist when using the national telecommunications network and minimise the requirements of a point to point network that is often deployed by the companies that offer the service. Monitoring staff can now attend to events as and when they occur on a basis that allows for minimal fatigue and maximum results.

The latest addition of Geospatial awareness as a further intelligence ability alerting to the actual position of the perpetrator on a Geo Map of the area and Slue to Cue capabilities further increasing

the capabilities of the off site monitoring station as reaction units can be advised in real time.

The interoperability of the systems currently available can easily be incorporated into legacy control room allowing for a minimal expenditure for the inclusion of the latest technologies as part of existing technologies used.

The bottom line is that the capture and streaming of video without a level of intelligence is in my humble opinion a fruitless exercise and we as service providers in the industry have an obligation to the end user to offer a service equal and exceeding their expectation and financial investment.

Quintin Smith (Timeless Technologies)

Photo: From left, Quintin Smith (Timeless Technologies) and Paul Frewen (4C Technology) at the Waterfall Estate (cover image) application. 14 km perimeter with Thermal cameras and video analytics.

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Thermal vs Night Vision Let’s start with a little background. Our eyes see reflected light. Daylight cameras, night vision devices, and the human eye all work on the same basic principle: visible light energy hits something and bounces off it, a detector then receives it and turns it into an image. Whether an eyeball, or in a camera, these detectors must receive enough light or they can’t make an image. Obviously, there isn’t any sunlight to bounce off anything at night, so they’re limited to the light provided by starlight, moonlight and artificial lights. If there isn’t enough, they won’t do much to help you see.

Thermal Imaging Cameras - Thermal imagers are altogether different. In fact, we call them “cameras” but they are really sensors. To understand how they work, the first thing you have to do is forget everything you thought you knew about how cameras make pictures. FLIRs make pictures from heat, not visible light. Heat (also called infrared, or thermal, energy) and light are both parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, but a camera that can detect visible light won’t see thermal energy, and vice versa.

Thermal cameras detect more than just heat though; they detect tiny differences in heat – as small as 0.01°C – and display them as shades of grey in black and white TV video. This can be a tricky idea to get across, and many people just don’t understand the concept, so we’ll spend a little time explaining it.

Everything we encounter in our day-to-day lives gives off thermal energy, even ice. The hotter something is the more thermal energy it emits. This emitted thermal energy is called a “heat signature.” When two objects next to one another have even subtly different heat signatures, they show up quite clearly to a FLIR regardless of lighting conditions.

Thermal energy comes from a combination of sources, depending on what you are viewing at the time. Some things – warm-blooded animals (including people!), engines, and machinery, for example – create their own heat, either biologically or mechanically. Other things – land, rocks, buoys, vegetation – absorb heat from the sun during the day and radiate it off during the night.

Because different materials absorb and radiate thermal energy at different rates, an area that we think of as being one temperature is actually a mosaic of subtly different temperatures. This is why a log that’s been in the water for days on end will appear to be a different temperature than the water, and is therefore visible to a thermal imager. FLIRs detect these temperature differences and translate them into image detail. While all this can seem rather complex, the reality is that modern thermal cameras are extremely easy to use. Their imagery is clear and easy to understand, requiring no training or interpretation. If you can watch TV, you can use a FLIR thermal camera.

Night Vision Devices Those greenish pictures we see in the movies and on TV come from night vision goggles (NVGs) or other devices that use the same core technologies. NVGs take in small amounts of visible light, magnify it greatly, and project that on a display. Cameras made from NVG technology have the same limitations as the naked eye: if there isn’t enough visible light available, they can’t see well. The imaging performance of anything that relies on reflected light is limited by the amount and strength of the light being reflected. Continues page 47

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NVG and other lowlight cameras are not very useful during twilight hours, when there is too much light for them to work effectively, but not enough light for you to see with the naked eye. Thermal cameras aren’t affected by visible light, so they can give you clear pictures even when you are looking into the setting sun. In fact, you can aim a spotlight at a FLIR and still get a perfect picture.

Infrared Illuminated Cameras try to generate their own reflected light by projecting a beam of nearinfrared energy that their imager can see when it bounces off an object. This works to a point, but I2 cameras still rely on reflected light to make an image, so they have the same limitations as any other night vision camera that depends on reflected light energy – short range, and poor contrast.

Contrast All of these visible light cameras – daylight cameras, NVG cameras, and I2 cameras – work by detecting reflected light energy. But the amount of reflected light they receive is not the only factor that determines whether or not you’ll be able to see with these cameras: image contrast matters, too. If you’re looking at something with lots of contrast compared to its surroundings, you’ll have a better chance of seeing it with a visible light camera. If it doesn’t have good contrast, you won’t see it well, no matter how bright the sun is shining.

A white object seen against a dark background has lots of contrast. A darker object, however, will be hard for these cameras to see against a dark background. This is called having poor contrast. At night, when the lack of visible light naturally decreases image contrast, visible light camera performance suffers even more.

Thermal imagers don’t have any of these shortcomings. First, they have nothing to do with reflected light energy: they see heat. Everything you see in normal daily life has a heat signature.

This is why you have a much better chance of seeing something at night with a thermal imager than you do with visible light camera, even a night vision camera.

In fact, many of the objects you could be looking for, like people, generate their own contrast because they generate their own heat. Thermal imagers can see them well because they don’t just make pictures from heat; they make pictures from the minute differences in heat between objects.

Night vision devices have the same drawbacks that daylight and lowlight TV cameras do: they need enough light, and enough contrast to create usable images. Thermal imagers, on the other hand, see clearly day and night, while creating their own contrast. Without a doubt, thermal cameras are the best 24-hour imaging option.

Reference http://www.timetech.co.za/flirthermal-imaging.htm

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The Effects of Power cuts on Intruder Alarm Systems

The lifetime of the battery reduces as the temperature gets higher and if installed in an area that reaches 60 degrees C. or higher, the lifetime can be reduced to as little as 5 months. In fact, the temperatures in a home that has a tin roof can reach well into the 80’s when the outside “In security systems, power is everything. The battery temperature is 35 degrees. is the single most important component of the Intruder alarm system. The system is totally This definitely blows the theory out of the water dependent on the correct power delivered to all its regarding the installation of control panels and components at all times. Too little power and you’ll batteries in a ceiling void, which was and still is, have an unstable system, false alarms or noncommon practice among some installers. activations. Too much power, on the other hand will reduce the lifetime of the battery or destroy it. No The number of systems that have been installed in power means that the system is running on a battery ceilings over the years far exceeds those that are that is no longer charging. This is fine in the short not. Apart from this practice being regarded as term, providing that the battery in question is still poor security and leaving the panel vulnerable to 100% efficient. Unfortunately, frequent power cuts, tampering, you are guaranteed to have voltage cable theft and Load shedding have a detrimental problems, battery failures and false alarms. In effect on batteries and reduces its lifetime bit by bit order to gain some sort of control over an already through continuous power failures. Many lower critical situation and to counter some of the quality Sealed Lead Acid batteries, when fully effects of power failures, installers and end-users discharged, do not always re- cover from a total need to realise the importance of quality and discharge. This in effect means that thousands of install high quality batteries and transformers in intruder alarm systems in South Africa are literally intruder alarm systems. running off their transformers, particularly in older systems. The importance of good quality power • Clients should have their batteries checked components cannot be emphasised enough in a regularly to ensure that they are not damaged. country that has a high crime rate and unreliable power delivery.

• Installers should refrain from installing control panels and batteries in ceiling voids, boiler Although a Sealed battery should supply a minimum rooms, near furnaces or any other area where of 6 hours in a standby condition, this is highly temperatures are likely to be high.] unlikely in most systems, given the scenarios described above. If a power failure extends beyond • Ask your installation company to install an the average 3 hour period, it only takes a clever extra power pack, battery and relay into your intruder with a basic knowledge of alarm systems to system to increase the current capacity during figure out that many alarm systems are no longer power cuts” functional. Battery failure in high temperatures To add to the problem , Sealed Lead Acid and Gel batteries do not like heat. They will ensure optimum capacity at around 20 degrees C. to provide a lifetime of between 5 and 7 years under normal conditions.

The battery life is approximately halved for each 10 Reference: www.saidsa.co.za/article11.pdf degrees C above normal temperature. In summer months, where temperatures in South Africa can soar www.timetech.co.za page 49 between 30 and 37 degrees centigrade, battery lifetime is being reduced considerably.

New FLIR TCX Security Camera Affordable thermal security camera dramatically reduces false alarms and is now available!

WILSONVILLE, OR – April 13th, 2015 – FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced today the availability of the new FLIR TCX thermal mini bullet camera, a security camera combining 24/7 high-contrast thermal video and high-performance built-in video motion detection with a level of affordability that the industry has never seen. Powered by FLIR’s revolutionary Lepton camera core, the TCX will be showcased at the ISC West Show in Las Vegas, NV from April 15th to 17th.

FLIR TCX outperforms visible-light security cameras by providing the advantage of seeing clearly in complete darkness without any illumination, in bright sunlight, through smoke, dust or even light fog – enhancing accuracy and dramatically reducing false alarms. Flexible for integration in any environment, indoors and out – even in temperatures as cold as 40°C – FLIR TCX is ideal for ensuring safety of public buildings, industrial facilities, large and small businesses, or residential areas.

Featuring both intrusion detection and accurate video alarm verification in one device, FLIR TCX supports lighting control, people counting, retail traffic flow, and queue management, and enables a whole range of other applications including: • Intrusion/presence detection: vehicles, people, animals • Video alarm verification • Night vision – 24/7 CCTV • Residential security • Short-range perimeter security • Safety and fire assessment

“Whether you’re a small business looking for intrusion detection and video alarm verification, a retail company looking for a solution to monitor customer traffic flow, or a small business trying to prevent break-ins, the TCX Mini Bullet is an extremely accurate solution,” said John Distelzweig, Vice President and General Manager of FLIR Security.

“As a leader in thermal security, FLIR is advancing the technology in such a way that makes thermal cameras accessible for anyone.”

Enquiries marketing@timtech.co.za

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Introducing Tekno Systems Since 1979, Tekno System has been designing and manufacturing in Italy accessories for CCTV installations. It is foremost in its domestic market and among the first in Europe to offer a range of specialist products on an international arena.

The company's contribution to market development in the CCTV accessory sector is indisputable and, after nearly 25 years from its creation, Tekno System continues to represent a major reference in the trade for quality, design and innovation ability.

Tekno System already has an established client base in the United States, Europe, the UK, M.E. and South Africa.

For over 30 years, Tekno has worked closely with many of the largest international CCTV distributors.

This has helped us to keep on top of worldwide trends in CCTV design and product demand. It has also helped us to stay competitive and allowed us to offer a quality range of products with good pricing.

Another one of our strengths is our ability to offer customised products and solutions, quickly and efficiently. With our excellent technical and design capability, we are continuously working on new product designs and updates to keep our customers ahead in the ever expanding CCTV market.

Enquiries: www.timetech.co.za

Products Tekno System specialises in high quality accessories for CCTV systems. These include camera housings, camera brackets, infra-red illuminators, monitor hangers, PTZ drivers, video equipment and joystick controllers. The main advantage Tekno has over other manufacturers, is the high level of design.

Products are designed not only with quality inmind, but to be functional, easy-to-install, as well as being mechanically accurate. End-users are impressed with the outward-design look of our products and installers happy to use our products because of their easy integration.

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Enquiries: marketing@timetech.co.za www.timetech.co.za

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Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS) or Drones www.timetech.co.za

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Since the day the first of us watched a bird take to the skies, we have dreamed of traveling through the air.

One week before Christmas in 1903 the Wright brothers changed the way we travel with their testing of the Wright Flyer. Fast forward over a century and the Drone Age is upon us. For most youngsters, the week before Christmas is spent trying to convince the powers that be that they in fact cannot live without a drone of their own.

The fact that a large RPAS manufacturing house has stated that its yearly sales figures have increased 3-5 times year on year from 2009 shows how rapidly these autonomous flying robots are moving into our everyday life. Previously it would take you days or weeks to build an RC helicopter; this was done at considerable expense.

The user would then spend considerable amounts of time to learn how to control these very complicated machines - A crash was usually severe and expensive to fix. With the latest drones however, you can buy a ready to fly kit online for less than R6000 and be up and flying within minutes of opening the box. The problem is that because drones can be fairly inexpensive and are simple to maintain, people tend to be a bit more reckless with them than they would their old RC helicopter.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority has drafted and submitted regulations for this sector.

Two of the most pertinent fields that the regulations deal with are privacy and safety. Some of the proposed regulations will; • Require a specific license in order to operate an RPAS issued by a SACAA accredited school or institution if it is being used for Corporate, commercial or non-profit use; • Standardise altitudes and distance from pilot; • Require pilots to plot and submit a flight plan and to be in contact with the closest air traffic control tower at all times.

Some of the regulations that the SACAA will impose may seem to be a little limiting, however, the RPAS’ on the market now are incredibly capable and have more uses to us than have currently been thought of. Recently, SACAA Senior Manager for Certification, Subash Devkaran said the key challenges and areas of concern when it comes to the use of RPAS, or drones are ultimately safety, security and privacy.

“RPAs could easily fall out of the sky and crash.

They could fall down and land on a person, with the propellers slicing them up. It could fall on and kill a baby or an adult or even crash land on a motorway, hitting a motorcyclist. Worst case scenario is that it could collide with another aircraft, causing a major catastrophe.”

It is plain to see that the growing RPAS sector needs to be regulated and it seems that the SACAA are well on their way to being one of the first nations to properly regulate their use, without limiting the sectors potential to grow and increase their usefulness in our rapidly changing world.

DJ Amos – dj@timetech.co.za

Port Elizabeth South Africa +27 41 399 9401 info@s3africa.co.za

Peace of mind through cost effective specialised security solutions

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Progress in the war against poaching and plans for 2015 “Translocation update In August 2014 the Minister announced that rhino would be translocated from areas in South Africa where they are under threat, to more secure locations. Translocation has previously contributed significantly to the growth of the local and regional rhino populations.

Through the efforts of South African National Parks (SANParks), provincial government, as well as private sector partners, the translocation program is ongoing and continues to be a success.

In the last quarter of 2014, 56 rhinos had been moved out of poaching hotspots and translocated from certain areas within the Kruger National Park (KNP) to an Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) as well as well as to other more secure areas . In addition, approximately 100 rhinos have been translocated to neighboring States during 2014, through both private partnerships and government initiatives.

“Through this method we aim to create rhino strongholds: areas where rhino can be costeffectively protected while applying conservation husbandry to maximize population,” said the Minister. Steps taken to protect the translocated rhino include collaring so that their movements can be monitored. The Minister said none of the monitored animals moved to the IPZ have been poached. Further translocation of rhino in terms will be undertaken in the course of 2015.

Rhino sales update Twenty bids were received during the SANParks tender process for the purchase of white rhino from the Kruger National Park. Among the objectives of the rhino sales program, which has taken place in South Africa before, is supporting the development and growth of viable rhino populations on privately owned properties and elsewhere; provided acceptable criteria in respect of habitat and security are met.

Proactive anti-poaching initiatives During 2014 there was increased collaboration between provincial, national and international lawenforcement agencies, as well as the criminal justice system and prosecution service.

As announced last August, work is well underway on the compulsory interventions outlined in the integrated strategic plan.

• Government undertook to establish a National Rhino Operations Centre in the Kruger National Park. It is functional and yielding results.

• Collation of proactive intelligence from multiple agencies working to combat rhino poaching has been stepped up. Protection Zones, including the Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) have been set up and are fully functional.

• The use of technologically advanced methods to reinforce the protection of rhino is being stepped up through, for example, partnerships with the CSIR and Denel.

• An Intelligence Working Group on Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWG), coordinated by the National Intelligence Coordination Committee (NICOC) has been established and has started work.

• There has been greater coordination, collaboration and functioning through the Priority Committee on Wildlife Crime.

• A dedicated team of detectives led by Lt Gen Moonoo is working to investigate rhino poaching related crime.

• The government is working to improve crime scene management.

• Various strategies to disrupt criminal syndicates are being employed and have led to a number of arrests and convictions.

• Using forensic technology, including DNA analysis, in the judicial process to support successful prosecutions , largely through the work of the UNEP-GEF Rhino Programme.”

Reference: https://www.environment.gov.za/mediarelease/molewa_wa ragainstpoaching2015

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Precious Shades of Grey During WWII the Allies started a rumour that carrots helped the British pilots see in the dark.

This was for two reasons; firstly they had an abundance of carrots and a shortage of many other foods, so a ploy was needed to get children to enjoy their carrots. Secondly, it was to hide the fact that they had invented airborne radar and could see where the German aircraft were at night for the first time in the war. A true turning point in modern history. Fast forward a few decades and not only can we find objects in the dark, we can see them as clear as day with the use of thermal technology.

Timetech gave a thermal scope to one of s3africa’s anti-poaching team members for a few nights to capture some of the night time antics of some of the beautiful creatures in their charge. What they supplied was stunning - A look into the nocturnal lives of these magnificent creatures. The texture of the skin through thermal is something to marvel at and the spots on the body that are warmer were surprising in many instances.

For instance, we thought before this exercise that the Rhino’s horn would be void of any heat; however, looking at the pictures it is clear to see that there is some residual heat emanating from the horns. Also, if you look closely at the middle most picture, you can see what looks to be like the capillaries running through the skin. I think you’ll agree that these are wonderful photos taken in thermal. This did serve to show just how much we miss at night in the dark. Whether it is for the study of wildlife or the conservation and protection thereof, thermal technology will be on the forefront in aiding us to understand these wonderful creatures for the half of their lives that we have never truly been able to study.

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Introducing the world’s most versatile, wireless HD video monitoring camera. With more Wi-Fi capabilities and longer battery life, FLIR FX allows you to keep an eye on what matters most – anytime, anyplace. Ensure your pet is behaving while you’re at work, monitor your baby during naptime, hear an elderly relative’s cry for help, or check on the house when you’re not home.

And that’s just the beginning. Mix and match camera accessories and take advantage of free mobile applications to take your camera from indoor to outdoor, on the road, out on bumpy mountain trails — even get it wet on the water! Get the most out of your camera with a new standard of functionality and flexibility that has never been available before! Capture it all in stunning HD, and easily share your most exciting videos with your friends.

marketing@timetech.co.za | www.timetech.co.za

FLIR Launches Versatile Wi-Fi Video Monitoring Camera WILSONVILLE, OR -- (Marketwired) -- 04/07/15 FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) today announced the availability of FLIR® FX, a compact, versatile Wi-Fi-enabled HD camera that integrates unique cloud-based analytics and flexible application-specific mounts. FLIR FX optional accessory mounts facilitate use in an array of applications including in-home monitoring, outdoor security, sports activity, vehicle dash-camera recording, and more. Users have the ability to stream live HD video to a smartphone or tablet with or without an internet connection, record video to a removable MicroSD card, review events that are recorded utilizing motion detection algorithms, communicate with two-way audio, and quickly review hours of video with FLIR's Cloud-based RapidRecap™ capability.

See the Day in a Minute with RapidRecap The FLIR FX app includes the innovative RapidRecap function, which uniquely displays multiple time-stamped motion events into a single abbreviated video clip. Based on technology historically used in law enforcement for rapid suspect identification, RapidRecap allows users to simultaneously review a day's worth of video events in seconds and to quickly pinpoint events of interest. Original recordings of interest can then be easily accessed on both iOS and Android devices.

Optimize Alerts with Smartzone FLIR's SmartZone feature allows users to identify specific areas within the camera's field of view for movement detection, which in turn triggers an instant alert to a user's mobile device of choice.

This allows users to receive only the most relevant alerts.

Anytime. Any place.

The FLIR FX app intelligently detects the accessory mount type in use, whether it be the

indoor, outdoor, sport, or vehicle dash mount, and automatically switches the functionality and app configuration for the best results.

These patent-pending mounts make FLIR FX a versatile portable wireless camera for every scenario: INDOOR STAND: Place on a counter or mount on a wall to capture activity in an entire room using the camera's a 160° field-of-view.

Night vision infrared LEDs on the camera provide up to 33 feet (10 meters) of range in dark environments. OUTDOOR HOUSING: The rugged and weatherproof outdoor housing protects FX from the elements and shields it from excess sunlight. Sold both with and without the camera, the outdoor accessory includes additional infrared LEDs to facilitate more powerful night-vision capabilities up to 65 feet (20 meters). OPTIONAL SPORT CASE: A protective acrylic camera housing that facilitates body or helmet mounting and makes the camera waterproof at depths up to 65 feet (20 meters).

OPTIONAL DASH-MOUNT: Facilitates mounting the camera to a dashboard or windshield for recording while driving. A built-in accelerometer senses motion and activates a 30-minute loop recording function. The accelerometer also senses shock from potential impacts and automatically stores a before and after recording.

With a powerful internal battery and direct Wi-Fi connection capability, the FLIR FX can be installed and used anywhere. HD video footage can be easily recorded to an on-board microSD card or to the FLIR Cloud. Additional features include two-way audio, ambient temperature measurement, humidity monitoring, and the ability to manage multiple cameras at once.

"We're delighted to bring this versatile Wi-Fi camera to the market," said Andy Teich, President and CEO of FLIR. "The combination of our innovative RapidRecap, SmartZone, and FLIR Cloud features provide users with an unprecedented ability to see, record and review video events, no matter where they are in the world."

Enquiries marketing@timetech.co.za

www.timetech.co.za

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www.capitalservices.co.za When it comes to safety, family always comes first.

We at Capital Security Services strive to bring you not only safety, but more than that, we strive to bring you the comfort in knowing you are protected. We pride ourselves on our service and excellence. Our armed response will deal with unwanted intruders by law. The ever growing need for faster, better and qualified security services have left people unsure of what they need in a security company. Often, people will be placed on hold when phoning for assistance, after which the response vehicle will be dispatched. By this time it might be to late to catch that wanted criminal or being of assistance to a person in danger. Be ready next time...be informed and remember: “Knowledge is the Key to Safety”!

• • • • • • • •

Installation of security systems Installation and Maintaining of fire alarms Guards and access control CCTV closed circuit installations 24 hour control room Electric fences and gates Radio & telephone Monitoring Fire alarms and various other services

FLIR NEW LS Handheld Range is in town!

The newest and most advanced cameras in the field-proven LS series, the LS-X and LS-XR feature enhanced high resolution color displays, extended range performance and video output for recording and external displays. The LS-X has a 320 x 240 sensor and up to 4X e-zoom, while the LS-XR has a 640 x 480 sensor with up to 8X ezoom for superior vision. Both are designed for simple, single hand use in rugged conditions.

The LS-Series thermal imagers see heat, instead of light, allowing law enforcement professionals to search in total darkness and avoid using flashlights that could reveal their location. The LSSeries cameras feature multiple imaging modes that can detect the body heat of a human or animals through light fog, rain and even smoke.

LS-Series cameras are easy to carry and operate with one hand. Simple, with fully-automatic operation, they have an intuitive interface with multiple operating modes, including FLIR’s exclusive InstAlert™, which turns hot objects bright red on screen, allowing law enforcement the ability to quickly see hiding suspects quickly.

“By enhancing situational awareness, the LSSeries helps law enforcement officers do their job more effectively in low light conditions,” said Tom Surran, FLIR Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Officers can expedite search and rescues, find hidden compartments, recover evidence, and enhance officer and public safety with the power of thermal imaging.”

Garth Tighe from Timeless Technologies with the New FLIR LS X

LS-Series Features New and Improved Enhanced resolution LCD display Extended range zoom Video output capable Superior Vision High resolution thermal vision with e-zoom and InstAlert™ High resolution display with ergonomic eyepiece Up to 8X magnification Enquiries: marketing@timetech.co.za www.timetech.co.za

www.timetech.co.za

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Like Father like Son… How do you ensure your children come back to visit if they move half a world away after school? For March Turnbull, the answer is to make sure they know exactly what they will be missing.

On the first of May 2015, March and his son Graham will be setting out on the adventure of a lifetime before Graham starts his Engineering degree at Edinburgh University in September.

March has travelled tens of thousands of kilometers overland in Africa as a freelance journalist and Director of the MAPA Project, a non-profit company dedicated to creating a digital inventory of all the major parks and reserves on the continent. Between 2008 and 2013, dozens of MAPA volunteers drove in shifts across the continent, logging roads and points of interest on GPS units.

That information was aggregated with a wealth of data donated by mapmaker Tracks4Africa, ultimately making the most complete catalogue of Africa’s protected areas available. The project was strongly, and generously, supported

by Google and today MAPA and Tracks4Africa make highly accurate GPS maps freely available to conservationists working in the field. The MAPA Project continues although it is now more involved with software development than active, on-the-ground mapping.

But back to the trip in hand…..”Very few fathers and sons have an opportunity to spend so much time together exploring such an extraordinary continent”, says March, “and while we will be working hard to add more data to the protected areas database, we are treating this trip as a massive personal adventure. Given that Graham is effectively leaving home, this is an

incredible opportunity for him to discover more of the Africa before leaving – and to make sure that he wants to return! This is a once in a lifetime chance to make memories.”

While March is proud that the trip will make a further small contribution to African conservation, Graham is also mindful of not leaving Cape Town behind. “A close friend of mine has been deeply affected by leukaemia in his family so we are going to be flying the flag of the Sunflower Fund while we are on the road. The Fund works tirelessly to maintain and expand the pool of bone marrow stem cell donors – literally the lifeline of leukaemia sufferers.”

Timeless Technologies are excited about the venture of March and Graham and even more so to be providing them with Thermal technology to assist with night time driving. Continues page 73

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See the Unseen PathFindIR™ II Night Vision System

PathFindIR is a powerful thermal night vision system that lets you see road hazards clearly in total darkness, detecting and alerting you to nearby vehicles, people, and animals. sales@timetch.co.za | www.timetech.co.za | 0861 TIMETECH

They will be using a vehicle-mounted FLIR Thermal PathfindIR on the road and a FLIR Handheld to record nocturnal wildlife. Anèl Steyn, Marketing Manager of Timetech elaborates: “Being part of projects like these have always been a priority for Timetech, not only assisting our clients, integrators and end users with demo equipment but also to make a difference in projects that create awareness, keep them safe on their journey as they do great things. We wish this father and son team all the best and will be following and sharing their travels with our followers” March is aware of the use of thermal technology in imaging but has not used it prior to the trip and is excited about the possible benefits it can bring. “This is new to us, but my overriding impression is that the FLIR Thermal PathfindIR can improve safety and decision making – both critical considerations for overlanders.

We try not to drive in lowlight conditions in rural areas but, inevitably, you have to from time to time. For me, the key issue is pedestrians whose safety is often in the driver’s hands

Any advance warning to what is ahead has to be good. Domestic animals can be even harder to spot – often cows sleep on the road’s warm sand or tar after the sun has gone down – and the consequences of an accident can be terrible.

Perhaps the most difficult scenario of night driving is where dodgy lights of oncoming vehicles make it impossible to know what is in front of you or on your nearside. This technology promises to help manage that. We are also very interested to see how the thermal handheld performs. As someone who spends many nights in the bush, the possibilities here are immense. Animal behaviour at night is so little recorded and understood. I’m hoping the advertised security applications won’t be so important to us – unless you count spotting hyenas coming for the coolbox!”

Follow the Turnbull’s blog: http://highroad2015.blogspot.com/ Photo: Left Tinus Diedericks (Owner Timeless Technologies) with Graham Turnbull

www.timetech.co.za

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Tracks4Africa started out as a hobby where like minded people started to share their GPS tracks and waypoints with each other in the year 2000. In the absence of any useful maps for GPS navigation in Africa this hobby grew into a community of people sharing their travel experience with one another.

Tracks4Africa, the company, was established in the year 2003 to act as the custodian of this vault of community data. Tracks4Africa also started to build a very unique map of Africa using community contributed GPS data exclusively. This map forms the basis of T4A GPS Maps and all other products we develop.

History In the year 1999 the use of recreational GPS became a reality to self drive tourists or overlanders as they are often referred to. While a GPS could pin point your location accurately there were no maps available for use on your GPS. Here in Africa there were a real need for navigational aids and the GPS seemed like a good one even without proper maps.

The people who started using GPS devices in those days were mostly people interested in technology, willing to embrace it. So inevitably the engineers started finding ways to improve the situation.

Many of us reverted to integrating a GPS with a laptop computer, running mapping software on the laptop computer that would enable you to overlay the position obtained from the GPS onto a raster map. The Russian maps were very popular for this purpose.

The raster maps were great as long as you wanted to look at them at a scale of 1:50 000 and higher. We wanted more accurate maps than this. The GPS had a very nifty feature; it could record a track or breadcrumb trail of where you travelled. It could also record waypoints. So quickly people started recording their tracks and waypoints and with use of e-mail and internet we could share this data with one another. You would simply upload the track and waypoints of places and follow these on screen as you drive. This was still not a map though.

The year of the app – 2015 With smartphones and tablets being standard equipment on an overland trip these days our time for publishing an app was coming. When we published the books in 2013 one of the first things people asked for was an ebook. We felt that an ebook would not do justice to our content and we had a much bigger vision for how travelers can interact with our content and services which all depended on an app. So if you look back at the early days and how we used a GPS, a laptop and a raster map to navigate with, we are now coming full circle. Take away the GPS, the laptop and the clunky home made laptop stand with cables all over the place and replace it all with an iPad. Our very first commercial app aims to be a good map, show your location on the map as you drive and make our rich content easy to discover. The official launch date is 27 March 2015, the same day we updated this message. Time will tell how the app is doing and what functionality the travelling community would want. www.tracks4africa.co.za

www.timetech.co.za

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Set in the beautiful Table Mountain National Park, this year the VWS Trail Challenge, celebrating its 10th birthday, is back again this year to test the stamina of avid trail runners and walkers alike. Starting in Deer Park under the imposing Table Mountain and boasting stunning views of the city and mountain alike, the challenge offers runners a chance to do two routes: 25km or 10km. And this year, being the race’s 10th birthday, what better reason do you need to come out and partake in this great run, that will take you through some of the areas that have seen, firsthand, the destruction of wildfires that we help combat.

Run and organised by volunteer wildland firefighters under the VWS banner, all proceeds (after costs) from the entry fees will go towards the Volunteer Wildfire Services, an entirely volunteer-run, non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of biodiversity and the preservation of our natural heritage.

The helicopters are not ours! We receive no official or municipal funding. All funds are used for operational expenses to fight wildfires – and have to be raised by our dedicated volunteers, via donations or events like this. Any donations are welcome and would be greatly appreciated – they are much needed after a very busy and destructive fire season.The course this year follows the same route as last year, with the race Start and Finish located in Deer Park, Vredehoek. You can find all the race maps, race descriptions and maps to the start below. Also thank you to all those sponsors who have made this race possible. Come and join the VWS yellows for a great day on our mountain!

The 10 km race presents runners with non-technical terrain, all on established trails & tracks with a mostly runnable gradient intersected with some steep ascent and descent that may require walking. The race starts at Deer Park and heads in the direction of Devils Peak along undulating jeep tracks. This is followed by a short but steep uphill before changing direction and running back toward the cable station side along a zigzagging easily runnable section. Runners descend single track after which they come across the first water station at 3.5 km. There is one large uphill on the route heading towards a water station and turn around at 6 km by the S-bends near the cable way. Heading back, the route does undulate but has significantly more downs than ups and you pass a water station one last time before the finish line.

The 25 km route challenges runners with some large up-hills but rewards them with beautiful views and easy running on non-technical, established trails & tracks. The race starts at Deer park and heads in the direction of Rhodes Memorial along undulating jeep track. At 5.5 km runners meet the first water table before going up to Plum Pudding Hill. The route loops round and comes back above UCT to utilise the same water table again at but this time at 11 km. Runners progress back along the face of Devils Peak before a short but steep hill at 15 km. The route zigzags down to the next water station at 17.5 km, after which the runners then head toward the SBends below the cable station. Runners are presented with a water station at 20 km and begin the last leg with a majority of downhill back to the finish at Deer Park. www.vws.org.za

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Innovative New Sonars and Thermal Cameras Make Boating Safer and More Fun FLIR Systems (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced the release of three new sonars and two new thermal cameras that have one goal in mind: making your time on the water safer and more enjoyable than ever. With FLIR’s industry-leading thermal imaging technology, the new M400 stabilized multi-sensor thermal camera, and handheld Ocean Scout™ thermal camera, give boaters unprecedented ability to spot other vessels, avoid collisions, and stay safe on the water by seeing clearly in total darkness and in bad weather. Designed from the ground up to give anglers unparalleled fishtargeting capability, Raymarine’s new CP570 Professional CHIRP sonar, CP470 CHIRP sonar and CP370 digital sonar redefine blue water sonar with clutter free images of bait fish and the predators around them in deep water.

“We’ve engineered our new sonars and thermal cameras with FLIR’s latest technological innovations to help enhance boaters’ awareness both on the water and under the surface,” said Grégoire Outters, Vice President and General Manager of FLIR Maritime. “Three new sonar modules give blue-water anglers a clear, clutterfree view of large and small fish, even in deep water. Plus, our new M400 and Ocean Scout thermal cameras will help boaters stay safe at night and in bad weather.”

The M400 features: • A high resolution 640×480 thermal imager paired with a unique 3× continuous optical zoom lens • High definition Sony color camera with 30× optical zoom for added safety • An integrated, high-intensity LED spotlight for positive identification of nearby targets • Active gyro-stabilization for a steady image in rough seas • An intuitive joystick controller and improved user interface • Radar tracking and optional video tracking (M400XR model) Ocean Scout is a rugged, compact, handheld thermal night vision camera that lets users see other vessels, landmarks, buoys, and floating debris in total darkness, making time on the water safer and more relaxing.

Ocean Scout features: • Two available models – 240×180 resolution and 320×240 resolution; the 320 model also features a live video output, and extended range performance • A new high resolution LCD display • The power to detect human-sized targets up to 600 yards (550m) away Enquiries: marketing@timetech.co.za

Thermal Cameras The latest member of FLIR’s award winning MSeries thermal camera line, the multi-sensor M400 is a versatile, high-performance pan/tilt marine camera system that gives boaters industry-leading, best-in-class performance to see other vessels, people in the water, and navigational hazards clearly day and night.

www.timetech.co.za

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Introducing

The Alta du Toit Aftercare Centre is a safe haven where adults with intellectual disability can live and work. The centre is 36 years old and is situated in Boston Bellville, serving communities in the Western Cape including persons from previously disadvantaged communities. Miss Alta du Toit, whom the school in Kuils River and the Alta du Toit Aftercare Centre were named after, was born on 4 September 1954. Two years later she was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome. Alta’s parents, the late Reverend Daan du Toit and his wife Mrs Alta du Toit, identified a need for a centre in the Northern Suburbs to serve in the needs of people with intellectual disability.

Although the path to fulfilling this dream was full of twists and turns and initial resistance from the public, the “Alta Du Toit Training Centre” opened in Bellville East in July 1964.

The training centre was declared an official state-owned organisation in 1975. The training centre was transferred from Bellville to Kuils River in 1983, and was later officially named the Alta Du Toit School and is registered with the Western Cape Education Department.

As Alta and her friends grew older, another need came to the fore. No facilities were available for adults (persons older than 18 years) with intellectual disability when they were compelled to leave the school at the age of 18. The Alta du Toit Aftercare Centre was opened in April 1978 in Boston Bellville with the aim to accommodate adults for “further care and development during their adult lives”

The centre is 36 years old and is situated in Boston Bellville, serving communities in the Western Cape including persons from previously disadvantaged communities. Alta du Toit after care centre does excellent work with 155 permanent residents and 66 day care customers with the ongoing support of the community. The centre is a safe haven where these adults can live and work.

There's an established skills development program in place and they also see to the physical and medical care of the residents.

We would like to invite you to visit our centre, learn more about adults with disabilities and contribute to this special organisation.

Why get involved?

OUR CHALLENGES: Care to people with intellectual disability is expensive, mainly due to the high staff/ client ratio. The buildings of the centre are old and require a lot of ongoing maintenance. A third of the clients living in the centre do not have parents or families to pay the required monthly fees. The budget of the centre makes provision for a discount of R650 000 per annum due to the financial support that must be given to families who cannot afford to pay the full monthly fees. There is also a large group of older clients that necessitates more staff and more specialized care. All our clients receive disability pensions, but on average there is still a shortfall of about R1 750-00 per client per month to meet the unit costs and operating costs. The operational budget of the centre is R11 million for the 2014/2015 financial year.

Taking this into consideration it is clear that funding is extremely important for the sustainability of the centre OUR PLEA We would like to request that you consider our centre as a beneficiary of your CSI contributions. This will surely enable us to continue and improve the service that we deliver to make a difference to the lives of the people in our care.

RECOGNITION We give recognition to our donors in our financial reports that are distributed widely, as well as in our monthly newsletters, community newspapers and in the social media such as Facebook, Twitter etc. We also have a database of people with whom we communicate frequently.

BBBEE: Alta du Toit Aftercare Centre is a programme of Badisa that is a registered NPO (NPO 011-89). Badisa has a management programme and 162 welfare and residential programmes such as the Alta du Toit Aftercare centre. In 2013/2014 BADISA provided services to 1.2 million beneficiaries of which at least 80% of the beneficiaries are from the black population group. Any donation to Badisa, or any of their programmes, such as the Alta du Toit Aftercare Centre, would therefore qualify for full recognition in terms of the codes of good practice (the BBBEE act).

Contact us – 021 913 2016 www.altadutoit.org.za - marina@altadutoit.org.za