Tips to Prepare Your Family from Home Invasion

Home invasion should never be taken lightly. It can terrorize your family, lead to physical abuse or cause the loss of a loved one. Although there are measures you can do to prevent unwanted people from getting inside your home, you should still be prepared in case an invasion does happen.

If you are unsure about what you need to do, here are some tips you can use to prepare your family in the event of a home invasion.

Start with a plan

You should establish a plan long before an invasion happens. Since panic and stress can easily fog your thinking, having a good plan can keep you aware of what you should do. It can keep you in control of things, too.

An effective emergency plan includes having a specific place the family should go to in case of an intrusion. You should dedicate a safe room that has reinforced locks and all the necessary items you’ll need for survival and to call for help. This includes a phone with an extra battery, flashlight and, if possible, a weapon. Do not get out of your safe room until help arrives or the situation calms down.

Part of an effective plan is practice. Role play your plan to find out which areas need modifications. Do this every 6 months and make changes to the plan as necessary. Include your kids when role playing. The more they act it out, the more they are likely to retain the information.

Use your alarm system

An alarm system is helpful in deterring burglars and intruders. It can connect you to the monitoring station, in case it’s monitored, or alert you of possible trespassers.

In the event that your home alarm system does signal intrusion, do not expose yourself to danger. Instead, use your alarm system to check your home. This is where having security cameras proves to be helpful.

If a full system doesn’t fit the budget, you can try installing a DIY home security system. Most DIY systems are inexpensive and you can easily install them without professional help. They are transferrable, too. If you are renting the place, you can easily take the system with you or transfer it to a new owner in case you decide to sell the house.

Know who to call for help

Even if you are skilled in combat, it’s still not a good idea to physically challenge the intruders in your home. Most of them go in groups and you’ll never know how many people are inside your property unless you get to see each one face to face. Consider your safety and that of your family as top priority.

At the first sign of intrusion, call for help. It can be your neighbor, local police or 911. Make sure your kids know who to call, too. Write down emergency numbers and keep a copy in your safe room and other parts of the house. Consider making them memorize those numbers, too.

Keep your phone and car keys near you

Home invasion can happen anytime, but they are more frequent at night. This is one good reason to keep your phone and car keys beside your bed.

If you hear a strange noise outside and you have no cameras to verify, press your car key’s panic button. That should trigger your alarm and scare potential intruders away from your property. It can help alert neighbors, too. After a few seconds of alarm, they are likely to look out their windows and no intruder would want that to happen.

Your car’s alarm makes a good alarm system, even if you are not at home. You can use it in parking lots in the event that you recognize threat and possible assault.

Know your neighbors

Your neighbors can be one of your strongest defenses against home invasion. In a close-knit community, intruders and burglars are less likely to attack since they can easily be spotted. Apart from that, your neighbors can also be the first people who can respond to your aid in case of an emergency. You can rely on them to check on your property when you’re out for a trip or you’re at work.

Set up a neighborhood watch program in case your community doesn’t have one yet. Talk to people who can lead the program and find out how each person can contribute. Distribute fliers, brochures and other materials to increase your people’s awareness about safety and security. You can reach out to your local law enforcers, too. They should be able to give you a more thorough lesson when it comes to protecting your family during a home invasion.

Neighborhood watch programs don’t necessarily have to be big, but it should be an effective one.

Author’s Bio:

Rose Cabrera writes for http://topsecurityreview.com/. She specializes in writing in-depth home security system reviews and safety tips and tricks anyone can use.

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