By Jeff Anderson
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been elbowed by my wife many a time with the expectant, “Honey, I heard a noise! Go check it out while I wait safely snuggled in the comfy coziness of our quilted down comforter!”. If you’re like most people, you creep out of the bedroom quietly – tip-toeing through your floorplan like a secret agent, ready to get the drop on the scum-sucker stupid enough to pick your home as his next victim. But is this the best way to respond to a potential attack?
A Better Night-Time Home Invasion Response Plan
As much as we talk about the value of safe rooms in your home to protect against a home invasion, the reality is that most people that hear a bump in the night ignore this advice and go into “stealth mode” to check out the noise.
In my opinion, this is not the best action to take when you suspect an intruder has entered your home. Get to a safe room and call the police. But if you MUST go check out the noise (to be sure it’s not your kids or other legit inhabitant), then here’s a better way to make sure the coast is clear…
How To Respond To A Bump In The Night
* If outside your bedroom is clear, stay close to the walls and find the closest place of cover near your main living space and hunch down low.
* Yell out, “Who’s there? I’m armed and the police are on their way!” (yes, even if they’re not yet)
* If it’s your teenage son raiding the refrigerator or drunken brother-in-law who got kicked out of his home, this is their time to yell out “Don’t shoot, it’s me!”
* If it’s an intruder who entered the home thinking it was vacant, he’ll most likely scram.
* If no one is scramming and there’s no response, it could be a clear sign you may have a home invader and it’s time time enact your rehearsed home defense plan.
The point here is that it’s hardly ever a good bet to launch a surprise attack on a bump in the night. Too many family members have been accidentally shot from nervous, trigger-happy parents and besides, your house makes noises when you walk through it and you’re going to be heard anyway.
Instead, use noise to your advantage and give an early warning to avoid an accident and perhaps save yourself from having to fire a single defensive shot.
Check out Jeff’s course on Home Defense Tactics by clicking here
And check out Marjory’s review of Jeff’s course here.
Marjory Wildcraft is an Expedition Leader and Bioneer Blogger with The [Grow] Network, which is an online community that recognizes the wisdom of “homegrown food on every table.” Marjory has been featured as an expert on sustainable living by National Geographic, she is a speaker at Mother Earth News fairs, and is a returning guest on Coast to Coast AM. She is an author of several books, but is best known for her “Grow Your Own Groceries” video series, which is used by more than 300,000 homesteaders, survivalists, universities, and missionary organizations around the world.
