Everyone believes it will never happen to them. However, it is always better to be safe than to be sorry. That is why we have put together a guide to help you understand how best to keep your family safe during a home invasion.
The following tips can help you and your family to prepare. So, if the unthinkable ever comes knocking on your door, you are not going to wonder what to do.
Do Not Go Looking for a Fight
If you can hide, this is always the safest option. Some home invaders are not afraid of fighting it out. You never know what you are dealing with. Even if you believe you can take them, if the one invading your home is high on something, they can be harder to take down.
The safest option is to hide. No home valuables are worth your life or the lives of your family.
Invest in a Panic Room in Case of a Home Invasion
Having a panic room in your home provides you and your family with a prepared safe place to hide. Some panic rooms have food and water so you can stay safe for a longer period of time. Most panic rooms have access to a phone or radio so you can contact help.
Have a Designated Safe Room
If your home doesn’t have a panic room and you lack the space to build one, have a designated safe room.
This can be any room in your home that you have fortified to protect you and your family. For a designated safe room, you must have:
- A reinforced door.
- A good solid lock on the door.
- Reinforced impact windows with locks.
- Solid window frames.
- Strong walls. (Plasterboard is easy to bypass.)
Having a way to contact someone outside the home, like your local police force, is always a good idea. It helps if your designated safe room has access to a phone line. Alternatively, keep a cell phone inside the room at all times.
Make Use of Alarms and Sirens in a Home Invasion
Home invaders seldom like noise to be made. Having alarms or piercing sirens that you can set off is a great way to scare them off. If that doesn’t work, you are sure to get the neighbor’s attention. Alerting those around you about the problem at hand will alert the authorities quickly if you cannot get to a phone yourself.
Have an alarm system or siren somewhere accessible in your house. Good places include your bedside table, inside the designated safe room, or in the hallway between rooms.
Plan Your Exit Strategy in Preparation of a Home Invasion
This is especially useful if you have little ones to worry about.
Sit together as a family and plan your exit strategy. Make it fun. Invite a friend or relative over to play the bad guy, then decide the best approach on how to escape. Consider the following factors with your family:
- Leave the house through the door or window?
- Which doors or windows should you escape by?
- How do we contact help?
- Where do we meet up if we get separated?
- What to do if you cannot get together to escape? (discuss hiding)
- The course of action if the escape route is cut off.
- The course of action to take if you are seen by the intruder..
As you act it out with your family you may come across other issues and concerns that need addressing. Like what to do if you are stuck on the second floor of the house. By making it fun and exciting, younger ones are more likely to remember what is said so they will be better prepared if escape is ever needed.
Know Where to Hide
Running away or escaping the building is not always an option. In this case, you are going to need to know where you can hide. Being trapped in a room with a home invader closing in is a bad time to discover the wardrobe is too small to fit your frame.
Think about your options ahead of time and act in accordance with the plan. For example, if you plan to hide under the bed don’t store boxes of winter clothing under the bed.
Portable Panic Buttons
Panic buttons are often tied to a security company that can then send someone to assist you if the button is ever pressed. Having one of these around the home can save you a lot of time in an emergency.
However, they are of no use to you if you cannot access them at that vital moment.
You need to keep your panic button somewhere you can access it. Popular places for panic buttons include:
- In the bedroom next to your bed.
- Hung on the wall near your bedroom door.
- Hung next to the front door.
- In the designated safe room.
- In a panic room.
Prevention is Better Than Cure
Security in the home is vital for the safety of you and your family. However, it is a responsibility that you don’t need to handle on your own. Contact Wynwood Locksmiths on 786-358-6116 for expert advice and assistance in ensuring the safety of your family during a home invasion.