What actions should you be considering for your Home Defense strategy? We all have a place we call “home”, and for each of us it is a different physical structure within a different geographical location. Our common ground is, it is a place where we feel safe, house our families, store our most valuable possessions, and ultimately let our guard down as we try to forget the stresses of the day.You may live in an apartment complex, High-rise building, trailer park, your camper, a traditional quiet middle-class neighborhood, or a mansion on the highest point in your community. Regardless, it is your home, and you will do anything to protect it.
Unfortunately, there are bad people out there preying on others, solely for the purpose of serving themselves. None of us are immune from falling victim to crime in our homes. We all have thought about being victimized and what we would do to defend ourselves. Throughout my years as a law enforcement officer, I have investigated many crimes that have occurred within the 4 walls of a structure that someone called “home”. For most of us, the mental stress associated with being victimized in your home is beyond comprehension. Many victims believed, “It will never happen to me”, or that they had sufficient security measures in place to prevent a burglary or other criminal activity from happening to them.
As a society, we are at higher risk than the generations before us. Criminal activity has escalated in the past several years and we must all do our part to defend ourselves, our families and our homes.
To be and feel more secure, we must now implement increased measures to protect and defend our families and our homes. We utilize physical security measures and technology, while also relying on our local police departments to identify, deter and defeat crime. Together these are great security measures, but what more can we do to enhance our personal security measures, without those measures interfering with our individual lifestyles and culture?
In a previous blog, I wrote about implementing a layered security plan. The same system applies at your home. Think about the nearest public access point to your property line, or the path to your front door, or where you and your family sleep at night. How many layers of security do you have from the front door to your bed? How effective are they? If someone makes an attempt to burglarize your home, will they be deterred, detected and/or defeated in one or more layers? Are you doing all you can to defend your family and your home from criminal activity?
When you design your layered security system, you must consider daily family routines and how your security measures will impact them. Will you work around those security measures for convenience, or does your lifestyle coincide with them?
As you read this, we (NTS Security Consultants) are not sitting at your kitchen table, therefore, in this article, we can only outline general measures and principles. We encourage you to review them and apply measures that align with your home and lifestyle. If this is not in your wheelhouse, contact us at: ntsprotection.com and let us help you achieve your goals for safety and security. You can go to our site, click on Security Services, then Home Safety & Security.
Here are some home safety & security considerations you should consider and apply where necessary:
Your community
• What are the crime statistics in your neighborhood?
• Is your local police department appropriately staffed and proactive with patrol activities and neighborhood watch programs?
• Do you have a positive relationship with your neighbors?
• Do you know the safest and fastest route to your nearest hospital and local police department.
Your home exterior
• Is your vehicle parked on the street, in a driveway or inside a garage?
• Is it locked?
• Is there a garage remote or house key inside?
• Do you leave valuables inside?
• Do you have good exterior lighting?
• Do you have exterior security cameras?
• Can you access & view them from your smart phone?
• Can you speak through them?
• Do you have a working doorbell?
• Does it have a camera system?
• Do your doors have effective access control?
• Do your windows have blinds that can be easily closed?
• Do you have foliage providing concealment for a criminal?
• Do you have a fenced yard?
• Is it gated and locked?
• Do you have a dog?
• Do you recognize when your dog is alerting you?
Your home interior
• Do you have a home security / alarm system?
• Do you have security cameras covering access points?
• Are common areas well lit, when and where needed?
• Are there physical devices that alert you when a door opens, such as an alarm system or bells hanging on a door?
• Do you have and are you trained with self-defense equipment, such as a pepper spray or a firearm?
• Do you sleep with your car keys near your bed so you can activate your car alarm to warn off intruders while also alerting neighbors?
• Do you sleep with your phone in your bedroom, so you can call 911 if needed?
• Have you designed your bedroom as a saferoom, so you can lockdown during an active threat situation?
• Do you have a First Aid Kit that is adequately equipped with necessary supplies to handle the ABCs of First Aid? Are all household members trained on First Aid procedures, CPR & how to treat a choking victim?
• Do you have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers strategically placed in your home?
• Do you have a family plan for fighting a fire, evacuation, reaching saferooms, alerting each other when emergencies arise, sheltering in place during severe weather, generating power during a power outage, self- defense techniques, etc.
These are just a handful of suggestions for you to work with. Understanding them, applying them, training, and implementing a plan can be simple or somewhat complex. If you’re not sure where to start or what your best options are, please reach out to us. Our professional experienced security consultants are here to help, so you can sleep well at night, knowing you and your family are prepared, safe and secure.
Stay strong and stay vigilant!
Dave Skinner, CEO
National Tactical Security
NTSprotection.com
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