Photo courtesy of the NSSF
Do you know what you’d do if you were awakened at 2 a.m. to the sounds of your front door being kicked off its hinges? More importantly, do your family members know what they should do if they hear the same soul-jarring noise? Do you grab a rifle, handgun or shotgun? Will you have a good flashlight available to help positively identify a threat? Will your significant other grab his or her gun and take meaningful actions to be an asset, not a liability? Will the family’s beloved dog be killed doing his best or is his range of travel in the house restricted so he can be protected with the rest of the crew? Who will call 911?
These are questions that must be answered long before trouble comes. It takes true dedication and discipline to have a plan. It is always easier to assume all will be fine or to have confidence you will be able to single-handedly take care of things if the bad guys choose your house as their next target.
No matter what the subject or life circumstances, it is always best to have a plan. Home and family defense is certainly not an exception to this rule. Make yours today if you don’t already have one. General Patton used to say, “A good plan, violently executed today, is better than a perfect plan next week.”
Take everything into consideration. Where are the kids’ rooms located relative to the most likely access points for attackers? Is it safer for them to barricade themselves in their rooms or make their way to the master bedroom? Are you going in to get the kids while the spouse calls 911 or are you all going to meet up in a safe room somewhere? There is no one-size-fits-all program because each house and each family is different. The most-likely scenarios should be gamed and the best courses of action should be determined before something happens.
Most of us are not experts in the field of home security, but we are smart enough to come up with good answers to certain problems. If you have the financial resources, invest in having an expert security consultant come into your home and build a plan for your family. Many of these pros are military veterans so you can feel good about paying them for a very valuable product. My friend Jeff Houston at Tac7 Security Solutions in Dallas, Texas, is a prime example. He is a retired Green Beret who is one of the best in the field.
There is an overused line—sometimes attributed to Mike Tyson—that goes something like this: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” This means that even if you have a plan, consider making a contingency plan in case something goes wrong; for example, what if something tragic happens to you during the fight? Does your spouse or kids know how to protect themselves and/or escape without your instruction? If you haven’t already done it, get to work.
