Home invasion is a scary and unfortunate reality that some people may face. A home invasion happens, when an offender forcefully enters someone’s home with the intent to commit a crime. Home invasion has also been defined as ‘’a crime act by an individual illegally entering a house. In another definition, home invasion is described as a situation, where an offender forcibly enters an occupied residence with the explicit intent of robbing or violently harming those residing inside.”
Irrespective of day or night, home invasion can happen at any time. However, it’s important to know, how to survive a home invasion in case, you one faces such situation. In this article, we will explain some tips, how to prepare a plan and use tactics to defend your home against invaders.
Be Alert
You can take appropriate action, once you are aware of your surroundings and identify potential threats. You have to be alert of any suspicious activities in your neighborhood, and be attentive to any unusual sounds or sights around your home.
Secure Your Home
One of the most important step is “secure your home” to protect yourself and your family from a home invasion. You can achieve this by installing sturdy locks on all doors & windows and ensuring that they are always locked, even when you’re at home. Installation of a security system with cameras and alarms may be an add on.
Have a Plan
In case of a home invasion, it’s important to have a plan in place. This requires a deliberate consideration of all related aspects and at the same time you have to brief your family about requisite actions in case of an emergency. For this you need to rehearse and practice your plan. Brief actions as follows:-
- Know where to go, what to do and how to contact emergency services.
- A well thought out plan which should involve your entire family residing with you at home. Every individual has to be assigned a task, that may include retrieving a weapon, gathering others together or calling 911 etc.
- Everyone needs to stay in the same area and not to be spread throughout your home. For emergency purpose, a code needs to be established. When one person shouts the code word, everyone repeats it. This ensures everyone knows and everyone hears the code word that signals threat.
- The plan should be understood by all and well-rehearsed.
Stay Calm
During a home invasion, it’s natural that one feels scared and gets panicked. However, this situation can only be handled, once you stay calm and think with clarity. This will enable you to take better decisions with increased chances of survival.
Call for Help
As a first available opportunity, don’t hesitate in calling the police. Share your complete credentials, address and any information you have about the intruder. Try to maintain contact with the Police operator as long as possible, so that they can gather as much information as possible. You need to remember that, even without paid service, a phone can make emergency calls.
Defense
- You need to plan defense in depth, means in multiple layers. This does not require to live in a prison with bars on the window. However, following measures can be taken to create defense in depth around your home: –
- Install motion-activated lights, door alarms and cameras, secure the doors with strong locks. This will turn a home into a virtual bunker.
- Having a firearm including a rifle, pistol, or other portable gun at accessible and safe range.
- By all means you definitely need to defend yourself and your family, if the intruder has entered in your home, with any available self-defense tools (including pepper spray, a bat, or a gun (if you are trained and licensed)).
Stay Hidden and Earmark a Safe Room
If you can’t leave your home or defend yourself, it’s important to stay hidden. It may be a closet, a bathroom or at least lock the door. Turning the lights off and remain quiet is also advisable. If you have a mobile phone with you or access to line phone, then call for help, but ensure that you don’t speak unless it’s absolutely necessary. A key part of a successful plan is selecting a safe room. Following aspects may be considered for safe room:-
- It is better that the safe room is a centrally located and easy accessible room, where everyone gathers in and lays low until situation improves.
- Should be easy to secure with a locked door.
- Having a medical kit, a phone charger, and even an old cell phone stashed in the room.
Firearms & Training
Having a gun at home is advisable. Carrying a handgun with yourself is better than a long gun hanging on wall or placed in the safe. However, a long gun is more potent than a handgun. While selecting a handgun, aspects including lightweight, easy to handle, accurate and reliable be considered. A good handgun, carbine or shotgun class will make you much better prepared to negotiate with a threat. You need to get training and have practice fire oftenly to be proficient in firearms use.
In conclusion
Home invasion is a terrifying experience even for the most prepared and ready and that no one wants to face. However, by following above mentioned scheme, you will be in better position to to prepare and protect yourself & your family with best chances of survival. More you plan and prepare, the better and quicker you’ll act in the moment increasing your odds of survival. Remember to stay alert, secure your home, have a plan, stay calm, call for help, use self-defense if necessary, and stay hidden if you can’t escape. Apropos, you can help keep yourself and your loved ones safe in case of a home invasion by being prepared.