preparedness hint march 2 keeping safe in your home

15 years ago

Please don't ask where I got this from I know my file is dated 2003 Advice is still good

KEEPING SAFE IN YOUR HOME:

We no longer live in a safe world, and bad guys don't wear a banner that reads, "I'm a bad guy." People often let their guard down when they see someone well dressed, driving a nice car, using proper English and being polite-- and they're not suspicious. But sometimes we need to be suspicious--or at least guarded. The tips below are common-sense rules to apply when at home:

Do not to open the door to strangers. Keep all doors locked whenever possible. Chain latches do not work as a barrier, so use your peephole/window before opening the door. Be suspicious of someone claiming to be making a delivery for something you did not order or using other ruses to get you to open the door. Securing rear doors, sliding glass doors, and garage doors are also important. This gives you the necessary time to phone the police or sound the alarm

.

Â NOTE: Give a spare key to a trusted neighbor instead of hiding a spare key outside in case of a "lock out"!

Â Make sure your windows are locked. Especially at ground level, have good locks--and use them! Always keep the window shades closed (at night), especially in the kitchen. Believe it or not, most kitchen windows do not have treatments. Exposed windows can tell the criminal element a lot about how vulnerable you are! What they can't see brings reluctance on their part, and they move on!

Â HOME ALONE? Never let it look that way! Use the "camouflage approach" with lights, radio, TV, sound; use the entire house. A television in a dark room "flickers" and gives the appearance of movement in the room, as viewed from the outside.

Â Lighting/perimeter. Make sure all porches and other possible entrances are well lit and trim away any bushes or trees that hide doors or windows. Keep ladders, tools, toys and recreational equipment inside when you're not using them.

SHOULD THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPEN:

Despite all of your awareness and precautions, it is possible that you will be assaulted. The best resistance you can use against an attacker is your common sense. Think! Don't panic. The most important element to remember is that you are not trying to fight the attacker, but are attempting to divert the person long enough to get away. Evaluate the situation and always look for a way to escape.

Some women have avoided robbery/sexual assault by talking their way out of it, acting crazy or fighting back. A kick in the groin isn't usually successful because men instinctively protect this area, and you may lose your balance. If you decide to respond physically, remember that your first priority is to get away. Act quickly and derisively to throw the attacker off guard while you escape. Here are some tips:

- Talk to your attacker if you are able to, show sympathy and understanding.

- Try to make the attacker see you as an individual, not as an object.

- If the attacker has a weapon, use your common sense and judgment. Fighting against it could be dangerous. Stay calm, cooperate with the intruder(s). Do not do anything that may upset the attacker. Try to convince the person to put the weapon down.

HOWEVERÂ

- Depending on the situation and your assessment of your assailant and yourself, you may assert yourself and fight back if you can do so safely. You may be able to scare, distract or injure the person enough to make your escape.

- Scream "FIRE," "POLICE," or create a disturbance that will attract attention.

- Break away and run toward areas with people.

- Be observant so that you will be able to remember and identify the assailant; however, never look the intruder (s) directly in the eyes. By doing so they may feel you will be able to identify them, thus placing your life in danger.

HAVE A TELEPHONE CODE. . . among family members and close friends. Should your home ever experience a HOME INVASION OR INTRUDER the only lifeline could be your TELEPHONE!

Example:

"THE TELEPHONE RINGS"! The intruder will likely tell you not to answer it! Tell them you are expecting a very important call, and the caller knows you're home and if you don't answer, they will suspect something is wrong, and call your neighbor.

Should they allow you to answer, and it is someone who knows about the CODE, get your message across in a natural tone and hope your caller phones the police.

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Comments (6)

JoanMN
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What good tips. Seems like down here in FL, we hear about home invasions every night on the news. And people saying them are from a utility company or something and tricking folks into letting them in.
JoanMN/FL
bigfoot_liz
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
well those tips make me look psychotic about safety lol it pays to grow up in chicago! we recently got a new deadbolt on the frontdoor that has a keypad code (or can use a key) and automatically locks w/in 30 seconds of unlocking. this way everytime that door opens/closes it automatically locks. we can change the code so if we want someone to get in, we give it to them then when they are thru we change it back to the usual code. our spare key is in a mini outdoor keysafe, we got that at lowe's, it's mounted w/ 5" screws thru cinder block & stucco.

i also have a gadget i got at solutions catalog, that sends an infrared beam across the front of my property (it is really for just across the driveway) when someone breaks it coming onto the yard a lamp plugged into the other part of the unit in the house goes on. that way i know someone is approaching and that person also thinks someone is in the house. those are just a couple of the things i do for safety lol ~ liz
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mollylexipatches
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Liz,

Do you realize that you just told everyone with internet access where your spare key is?
bigfoot_liz
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
uhh molly it's a safe that has a combination on it to open it. it's also well hidden and built into the wall actually and has camo to hide it. sat i was VERY lucky to find it myself since i left during the day w/o my keys thinking DH would be home well he wasn't. i of course could open the deadbolt w/ the keypad but had to find the spare key safe too, since i've never needed it i wasn't positive about where it was :-0 luckily DH remembered to put the latest key in, we rekey our locks every so often, otherwise i would have had to call him to come home...how embarrassing would that be lol?

plus there is a commercial deadbolt on every single exterior door plus an alarm system plus our entire house is covered inside & out by a wireless camera system uploaded to the internet and backed up on a remote server lol. did i mention i'm a secuity freak lol plus i like to check up on my house & furbabies remotely? if you step even on my lawn i have proof on camera saved to a server...i am psychotic about someone taking something of mine i worked very hard for. i don't worry about people knowing i am a security freak it's spelled on on our windows, gates, fencing, and doors. you can't miss the cameras under the eaves either lol ~ liz
mollylexipatches
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Whew, that makes it better. lol Sorry 'bout that, but you had me worried!!!
cynic
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
A few things to keep in mind:

Don't advertise that you're gone. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But how many people turn off all the lights and turn on the front door light ONLY when they're gone? Screams that you're not home.

It's often said, but often overlooked, don't let papers and mail pile up. A trusted neighbor should take it in on a regular basis. If applicable, garbage cans should go to the curb (even if empty) and be returned. A spare car parked in the driveway? First, don't leave a garage door remote in there and secondly have it moved, even if rolled back a few feet.

What else? Oh, be alert. Watch for strange cars. My house was broken into twice in the time I've lived here. One time my neighbors saw a car cruising up and down the street and saw it in my driveway. They didn't think anything of it until after the fact. Then they told me gee the one even mentioned to the other it looks like they're casing the neighborhood... SHEESH!

A word about deadbolts. Yes they're good, BUT, don't get overconfident. I had a deadbolt on my door and I had the recommended 3" screws into the framework. I also had a "deadbolt" on the storm door. Guess where they broke in? They grabbed the handle on the storm door and yanked it open, then kicked the door in. There was a nice footprint on the door. The door didn't break, but the frame gave way and they just kicked until the screws finally broke out the frame. Sooooooooo, if you have a wood framed door, don't get overconfident. If they want to get in, they're coming in.

The spare key issue is open to debate. One idea that I like is if you have a trusted friend a block or two away that would let you (perhaps in a reciprocal agreement) hide a key outside at their place, you could walk to their place, get the key even if they're gone. That way, if someone finds the key, they don't (or shouldn't) know which house it fits. Another method is if you have an outdoor shed, the outside key could be for the shed, then hide the key in the shed. Be creative. Now if you have multiple sheds, or the neighbors would agree, go from place to place. If someone finds one, they're not too likely to keep looking for the right key. Course, they'd probably just get frustrated and find another way in, like with their foot.

For self defense, your car keys can be your friend. Always have them ready, carry them so they're pointing out and if the ring fits on your finger, all the better. If you MUST fight, go for the eyes. It's always best to not try to physically overpower an assailant, but when you have to, use any weapon you can.

Dogs can help, but don't get overconfident. They can act as a delay to give you time to call police. Most burglers don't like dealing with dogs, but throwing some meat to the side to distract them, or killing the dog isn't unheard of either.

When you pull into a garage, look around. Look around before you even open the door, check as you're pulling in. It's really best to have better than normal lighting in there, but no matter what, be alert. Eliminate hiding spots if possible. Close the door before getting out of the vehicle and again, look around in case someone came in with you.

If you're alone, keep your land phone and cell phone handy. if you hear something, you can take cover and call the police. It's always best to use the landline so they can identify the location but a cell is a backup.

My aunt lived in Houston and she always kept a can of hairspray on the car seat next to her. When a guy jumped in her car the one day, she sprayed him in the eyes. He jumped out quickly. But these days they can be armed. Again, keep your mind working, and use what you have to protect yourself.

There's tons more, but these popped to mind. Stay safe everyone.

preparedness hint march 2 keeping safe in your home

Comments (6)

JoanMN

bigfoot_liz

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