What to do in a home invasion

[howdy]

This was a segment in the local NBC station here in Houston. They actually promote gun ownership.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/how-t ... n/32807256" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The video does not work for me but the article explains the video.

[Middle Age Russ]

There is a lot of bravado in the comments to the article. I pray fervently to never be visited by home invaders, and that we prevail over the invaders due to previous planning/preparation/training in the event of a home invasion. Times are definitely interesting, and in some ways this is not good at all.

[Excaliber]

The article actually describes a viable basic plan - quite surprising considering the usual bias of the media.

This may be an indication that it's getting harder to hide the truth by advocating tactics that will get you killed when used, and still retain viewers / readers.

[LSUTiger]

What to do depends on your particular situation. There is no one size fits all plan. I didn't watch the video so I don't know what it says exactly. I just know from my own experience (yes, a real break in did occur) and what I learned is that much advice on the subject is not a viable option for me.

I would love to just hunker down in the bedroom and call 911 with a imaginary line behind which all is safe and in front of everything is a threat. That might be a viable option for some but is pie in the sky for me
under most home circumstances it would leave the kids out in the wind and there is no way I'm gonna do that.

My reality is that everyone is spread out all over the house from front to back and left to right and to be able to protect them means actively intercepting, engaging and neutralizing the threat, at best going out into the space and securing each family member one by one room to room until we are all in a single room hunkered down. I think it is likely that I will encounter the threat first. My home is not that big.

Take what applies to you and any particular situation you may find yourself in and don't be afraid to ditch conventional wisdom or "expert" advice if it doesn't apply to you.

[mr1337]

For me, I'd grab my Glock 19 that is staged on a holster attached to the bed while my wife pushes the panic button for the monitored alarm system. Then, we close the bedroom door (if able) and hunker down in the walk-in closet. The door frame of the closet provides cover that I can peek out from. The floor plan is situated that in order to get to the bedroom door, they will be putting themselves at considerable risk because there's a hallway. There's nowhere for them to hide if they decide to open the door.

It's just me and the wife, so no reason to go out looking for any invaders.

[The Annoyed Man]

As LSU Tiger said, it really depends on one's circumstances. My house is not laid out like any other house on my street. In fact, none of the houses on my street are laid out the same. Three of the houses have teenagers, two have small children, and the rest are all empty-nesters such as my wife and I. Consequently, each house would require a different plan than the house on either side.

So the first constant that can be said is "HAVE A PLAN", and understand what generals have known for centuries, and that is that almost no plan survives past initial contact with the enemy........so have a PLAN B, and a PLAN C.....and then figure out improvisations based on your plan going sideways.

The second constant that can be said is, failure to plan = planning to fail. You won't have time in the heat of the moment to consider your next move.

The third constant that can be said is, become adaptable. When all else fails, what non-standard weapons do you have in the house? I.E. carpentry and mechanics tools, fire extinguishers, heavy books, sports equipment like bats and hockey sticks, etc.

The fourth and last (in my book) constant is, FIGHT DIRTY, and FIGHT TO WIN. If you fight fair, your tactics suck, and you've already lost.

[Excaliber]

For me, I'd grab my Glock 19 that is staged on a holster attached to the bed while my wife pushes the panic button for the monitored alarm system. Then, we close the bedroom door (if able) and hunker down in the walk-in closet. The door frame of the closet provides cover that I can peek out from. The floor plan is situated that in order to get to the bedroom door, they will be putting themselves at considerable risk because there's a hallway. There's nowhere for them to hide if they decide to open the door.

It's just me and the wife, so no reason to go out looking for any invaders.

It's best to only use the panic button if there's no time to do anything else. It doesn't provide any info other than someone is calling for help, and introduces the extra delay of the alarm company dispatcher calling 911 with no detailed info.

It's far better to call 911, take the phone with you into the closet, and stay on the line with the dispatcher to give real time updates like your position in the home, what you're hearing or seeing, details on the offenders, etc.. You'll get a much faster and more targeted response and you'll have much less chance of being mistaken for the bad guy.

[carlson1]

For me, I'd grab my Glock 19 that is staged on a holster attached to the bed while my wife pushes the panic button for the monitored alarm system. Then, we close the bedroom door (if able) and hunker down in the walk-in closet. The door frame of the closet provides cover that I can peek out from. The floor plan is situated that in order to get to the bedroom door, they will be putting themselves at considerable risk because there's a hallway. There's nowhere for them to hide if they decide to open the door.

It's just me and the wife, so no reason to go out looking for any invaders.

It's best to only use the panic button if there's no time to do anything else. It doesn't provide any info other than someone is calling for help, and introduces the extra delay of the alarm company dispatcher calling 911 with no detailed info.

It's far better to call 911, take the phone with you into the closet, and stay on the line with the dispatcher to give real time updates like your position in the home, what you're hearing or seeing, details on the offenders, etc.. You'll get a much faster and more targeted response and you'll have much less chance of being mistaken for the bad guy.

I am not for sure what my company does if you push the "panic button" which is actually 4 buttons. I have accidently and it takes them several minutes to even respond to ask if everything is alright. I have had them call my cell to see if I knew my alarm went off after I had been home 15 minutes. As soon as this contract is up (2 1/2 months) I will be looking for new monitoring service.

As far as the home invasion (if no children or grandchildren spending the night) we will call 911 and stay in the bedroom and pray hard for them that they do kick in that door.

[nightmare69]

When you are home alone, train for this. Dry fire your home defense weapon from bed and/or practice clearing your house.

[mr1337]

For me, I'd grab my Glock 19 that is staged on a holster attached to the bed while my wife pushes the panic button for the monitored alarm system. Then, we close the bedroom door (if able) and hunker down in the walk-in closet. The door frame of the closet provides cover that I can peek out from. The floor plan is situated that in order to get to the bedroom door, they will be putting themselves at considerable risk because there's a hallway. There's nowhere for them to hide if they decide to open the door.

It's just me and the wife, so no reason to go out looking for any invaders.

It's best to only use the panic button if there's no time to do anything else. It doesn't provide any info other than someone is calling for help, and introduces the extra delay of the alarm company dispatcher calling 911 with no detailed info.

It's far better to call 911, take the phone with you into the closet, and stay on the line with the dispatcher to give real time updates like your position in the home, what you're hearing or seeing, details on the offenders, etc.. You'll get a much faster and more targeted response and you'll have much less chance of being mistaken for the bad guy.

I am not for sure what my company does if you push the "panic button" which is actually 4 buttons. I have accidently and it takes them several minutes to even respond to ask if everything is alright. I have had them call my cell to see if I knew my alarm went off after I had been home 15 minutes. As soon as this contract is up (2 1/2 months) I will be looking for new monitoring service.

As far as the home invasion (if no children or grandchildren spending the night) we will call 911 and stay in the bedroom and pray hard for them that they do kick in that door.

With mine, you have to hold it for 3 seconds. My alarm company is pretty good on calling within about 15 seconds of the alarm sounding. Being that our "safe room" is the walk-in closet, I suppose I should put one in there as well.

[Jago668]

There is a lot of bravado in the comments to the article. I pray fervently to never be visited by home invaders, and that we prevail over the invaders due to previous planning/preparation/training in the event of a home invasion. Times are definitely interesting, and in some ways this is not good at all.

There is a lot of idiot in the comments, my favorite being that the spray of buckshot will take out several intruders at once.

[Excaliber]

For me, I'd grab my Glock 19 that is staged on a holster attached to the bed while my wife pushes the panic button for the monitored alarm system. Then, we close the bedroom door (if able) and hunker down in the walk-in closet. The door frame of the closet provides cover that I can peek out from. The floor plan is situated that in order to get to the bedroom door, they will be putting themselves at considerable risk because there's a hallway. There's nowhere for them to hide if they decide to open the door.

It's just me and the wife, so no reason to go out looking for any invaders.

It's best to only use the panic button if there's no time to do anything else. It doesn't provide any info other than someone is calling for help, and introduces the extra delay of the alarm company dispatcher calling 911 with no detailed info.

It's far better to call 911, take the phone with you into the closet, and stay on the line with the dispatcher to give real time updates like your position in the home, what you're hearing or seeing, details on the offenders, etc.. You'll get a much faster and more targeted response and you'll have much less chance of being mistaken for the bad guy.

I am not for sure what my company does if you push the "panic button" which is actually 4 buttons. I have accidently and it takes them several minutes to even respond to ask if everything is alright. I have had them call my cell to see if I knew my alarm went off after I had been home 15 minutes. As soon as this contract is up (2 1/2 months) I will be looking for new monitoring service.

As far as the home invasion (if no children or grandchildren spending the night) we will call 911 and stay in the bedroom and pray hard for them that they do kick in that door.

Even if the alarm company calls within 15 seconds (time is dependent on activity level at that moment):

- You've lost 15 seconds, as well as the time it takes them to relay the call to 911 - that's a lot of time that would better have been used getting help on the way with a direct call to 911

- The alarm company will only relay their understanding of what you told them, and even that is only a snapshot in time. Things change quickly during home invasions.

- The alarm company can't answer a dispatcher's questions about your situation. You can.

A direct call to 911 is still the way to go. You need to be in direct and continuous contact with the 911 dispatcher during the police response. The panic button is for use when you can't reach a phone or talk.

Your alarm company should also be instructed to call 911 immediately without a confirming call to you when the panic button is pressed. These are rarely false alarms, particularly in the case of equipment that requires pushing two buttons at once.

[howdy]

Another Houston TV station has chimed in. This is from KHOU the local CBS affiliate.


http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/20 ... /27153043/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mr1337]

For me, I'd grab my Glock 19 that is staged on a holster attached to the bed while my wife pushes the panic button for the monitored alarm system. Then, we close the bedroom door (if able) and hunker down in the walk-in closet. The door frame of the closet provides cover that I can peek out from. The floor plan is situated that in order to get to the bedroom door, they will be putting themselves at considerable risk because there's a hallway. There's nowhere for them to hide if they decide to open the door.

It's just me and the wife, so no reason to go out looking for any invaders.

It's best to only use the panic button if there's no time to do anything else. It doesn't provide any info other than someone is calling for help, and introduces the extra delay of the alarm company dispatcher calling 911 with no detailed info.

It's far better to call 911, take the phone with you into the closet, and stay on the line with the dispatcher to give real time updates like your position in the home, what you're hearing or seeing, details on the offenders, etc.. You'll get a much faster and more targeted response and you'll have much less chance of being mistaken for the bad guy.

I am not for sure what my company does if you push the "panic button" which is actually 4 buttons. I have accidently and it takes them several minutes to even respond to ask if everything is alright. I have had them call my cell to see if I knew my alarm went off after I had been home 15 minutes. As soon as this contract is up (2 1/2 months) I will be looking for new monitoring service.

As far as the home invasion (if no children or grandchildren spending the night) we will call 911 and stay in the bedroom and pray hard for them that they do kick in that door.

Even if the alarm company calls within 15 seconds (time is dependent on activity level at that moment):

- You've lost 15 seconds, as well as the time it takes them to relay the call to 911 - that's a lot of time that would better have been used getting help on the way with a direct call to 911

- The alarm company will only relay their understanding of what you told them, and even that is only a snapshot in time. Things change quickly during home invasions.

- The alarm company can't answer a dispatcher's questions about your situation. You can.

A direct call to 911 is still the way to go. You need to be in direct and continuous contact with the 911 dispatcher during the police response. The panic button is for use when you can't reach a phone or talk.

Your alarm company should also be instructed to call 911 immediately without a confirming call to you when the panic button is pressed. These are rarely false alarms, particularly in the case of equipment that requires pushing two buttons at once.

The panic button is primarily to get the alarm sounding as quickly as possible to try to deter the criminal while we get in a safer position that will allow us to call 911 ourselves. If the alarm doesn't scare the guy away, there's not much that 911 is going to do to help the immediate situation. It allows us to delegate the task of dispatching police while we set ourselves up in a less compromising position, where we would no doubt call 911 so we can have better access to the dispatched units.

I think pressing the panic button is just as important as calling 911 ourselves. It tells the guy that he needs to get out of there quickly, or things are going to be bad for him. And I'd rather him leave as quickly as possible than lie in wait until police show up to force him out. It would also wake up many of my adjacent apartment dweller neighbors.

Also, this panic button is within reaching distance of both myself and my wife while we are in bed. It's not like we have to go out of our way to set the alarm off.

[Charles L. Cotton]

The article actually describes a viable basic plan - quite surprising considering the usual bias of the media.

This may be an indication that it's getting harder to hide the truth by advocating tactics that will get you killed when used, and still retain viewers / readers.

I think you absolutely right on all points.

Chas.