HOME DEFENSE 101

Table of Contents

Protecting From Home Invasion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

First Line of Defense – Awareness Training & Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Are the Fight Genetics Present? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
A Mental Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Mindset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Psychology of Criminal Predators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Condition White (Unaware of Surroundings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Condition Yellow (Aware of Surroundings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Condition Orange (Evaluating a Potential Problem) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Condition Red (Action! Deal With the Problem) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Fight, Flight, or Freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
When the Sheepdog Uses Violence to Protect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Second Line of Defense – Avoidance & Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Home Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Burglar Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Preparing a Safe Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Third Line of Defense – 911 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Tactics for Using a Safe Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
A Gun in the Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Fourth Line of Defense – Force & Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

1
 HOME DEFENSE 101
Protecting From Home Invasion “The wolves feed on the sheep without mercy.”

Introduction Does any law-abiding person want to be a sheep or a wolf? We

A
woman is alone in her house. It is in a nice neighborhood,
and it is the middle of the day. The doorbell rings, and she
opens the door. She sees a girl—maybe fourteen years old
—sobbing, and in obvious distress, her face buried in her hands.
“Can I help you, Honey? What’s wrong?” She moves closer to the
girl to comfort her. In one well-practiced movement the girl push-
es the woman violently against the door frame, extracts a razor
blade from under her tongue and presses it against the woman’s
throat. “Don’t move,” the girl snarls and adds an expletive. A mo-
ment later, five other teenage girls appear. They force the woman
back into her house, close the door and beat her up. They ransack
her house and then leave as quickly as they arrived.
don’t have to be either. There is a third option: The sheepdog.
In Lt. Colonel Grossman’s view, the sheepdog protects the sheep
from the wolves. Police officers are sheepdogs, although we can-
not expect them to always be there to protect us. Our friends and
neighbors who own guns and have obtained concealed weapons
permits may be sheepdogs. They are often cited by violent crimi-
nals as the people with whom they least want to meet.
Establish the mindset now to not allow a sociopathic thug to de-
stroy what has taken a lifetime to build. Determine to not allow
any criminal to hurt loved ones. Decide that the home will not be
breached by miscreants who would take what is not theirs or hurt
those who look to the home as shelter from the world outside.

The dictionary defines a home invasion as a, “Burglary of a dwell-

ing while the residents are at home” Homeowners, if they survive,
call it their worst nightmare. While individual home invasions are
varied, a typical incident starts with one or more violent intruders
forcing their way into a home while it is occupied. They use force
to threaten and intimidate the occupants into handing over their
valuables, and then hopefully leave. This scenario is about as gentle
as it gets. Far worse incidents involve assault, rape and murder.

Why, when so many homes now have security alarm systems and
are fairly secure in terms of double glazed windows and neigh-
borhood watch, have home invasions increased in number and
spread across the country from both coasts? Possibly the single
most relevant reason is the prevalence of those sophisticated se-
curity alarm systems! In the old days, criminals wanting to steal
property from a house would wait until the home was empty or
the occupants were asleep. As it became increasingly likely they
would have to defeat an alarm system, burglars switched to steal-
ing from homes while the family is at home, which is the one
time they could almost guarantee that the alarm system would be
turned off. Also many vehicles are now equipped with car alarms
so car thieves often find it easier to drag a motorist out of his car
and steal it (while the alarm is off) than try to defeat a sophisti-
cated alarm system. This is called carjacking.

The real threat in a home invasion has nothing to do with the loss
of a laptop, an SUV, or a diamond ring. It has to do with loss of
life, serious injury, rape, and the attendant emotional issues that
many survivors, and those close to them, have to deal with for the
rest of their lives. It doesn’t have to be this way. No one has to live
life as a timid sheep hoping that a predator won’t pick them for his
next meal. To paraphrase Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman’s writings
on sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs: The term sheep is not meant to
be derogatory. It simply describes “kind, decent people who are
not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under ex-
treme provocation.” Wolves on the other hand, are the bad guys.

2
First Line of Defense –
Awareness Training &
Development
H
ome invasion itself is not classified as a crime. People who
use a home invasion to gain access to a dwelling are
charged with the crimes they commit as part of the home
invasion. Crime statistics for home invasions are not tracked by
law enforcement. This makes it difficult to determine the extent
of the problem. Statistics may be good for something but if one
happens to be unfortunate enough to become a victim of a home
invasion, then the statistic is 100 percent.
Are the Fight Genetics Present?
Sometimes, when a person has his first real-life fight in self-de-
fense, someone who knows them, and who is also schooled in the
art of self-defense may say “they have the gene.” It is an affirma-
tion that the person has the wherewithal, the fighting spirit, to
defend themselves from a physical assault. It is not intellectual. It
is animal. It is emotional. In most people it stays well hidden most
of the time. In some people it stays hidden a person’s entire life
even if they die at the hand of another. Some live in denial think-
ing it will not happen to them. Secretly, we all know it can. Next
time a news story is read about a murder, consider if that victim
ever said it. Consider if that victim might still be alive if he ac-
cepted the fact that it could happen to him and then took steps to
prevent it from happening.
Self-defense is a built-in right. Watch a rabbit fight to escape af-
ter it has been cornered by a fox. No one says that rabbit should
know he’s supposed to be lunch for the fox. No, there is a part
that cheers for the rabbit if he breaks free and escapes. If a fish
escapes off a fisherman’s hook, no one says how that fish should
have known he is supposed to let himself be reeled into the boat.
Why should we be any different?
People allow terrible things to happen to them every day. Why?
Because they do not have the programming to fight back. Some-
thing prevents them from defending themselves as surely as if
they were being held down by ten strong men. They have not
3
taken the time to reach down into their inner self to discover the
gene. Most people do not know it is there, and that is the problem.
Many people who owned guns, practiced martial arts, enjoyed lots
of strenuous physical activities like football, hiking or swimming
have had the means to defend themselves and win a fight but they
did not have the right mindset. They had not discovered the gene
within themselves that, when they are provoked, screams, “No
I’m not going let you do that horrible thing to me!” It is a gene
that provokes an anger response and indignation with the mindset
of how dare you try to rob, rape or murder me.
A Mental Exercise
Pick three people: a friend, a co-worker, a relative, perhaps. Pic-
ture each person in a situation where he is in a life or death en-
counter with someone who has broken into his home and clearly
intends to do him great bodily harm. Does he do nothing? Does
he try to talk his way out of the problem? Does he fight and lose?
Does he fight and win? Take some time, and be honest.
Probably each persona was evaluated on his determination, his
ability to recognize danger, and whether or not they deny to him-
self that he is in a potentially life threatening situation. Perhaps
he is known well enough that it is easy to determine if he would
fight or not. Maybe it was difficult to judge how each one would
react. Hopefully realization is starting to build in what is meant
by “the gene.” It is the programming to drive the body to fight and
win when needed. It is the gene that is kept in a little red box on
the wall of the psyche. On the door of that imaginary red box are
written the imaginary words, “In emergency, break glass.” Now
look in the mirror and do the exercise this time applying it to
one’s self.
One can live in a fortress, and be surrounded with weapons, but if
there is no mental resolve to fight when it is absolutely necessary,
there will be no victory. To have this resolve, first look inside to
find the gene.
The author John Steinbeck said it best, “This is the law: The purpose
of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The
sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important
than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.”
Mindset
When are we going to talk about gadgets and fancy door locks?
Would good locks have helped the woman in the introduction?
No, not unless she had a mindset that is based upon awareness and
prevention. And as long as criminals have cars, there is no such
thing as a safe neighborhood. So let’s work on developing the cor-
rect mindset to be able to deal with crimes like home invasions.
The Psychology of Criminal Predators
A natural reaction for many people who are swiftly and viciously
attacked is to question their attacker’s motive. “Why are you do-
ing this to me? I don’t deserve this! I did nothing to you.” Crimi-
nals do not think the same way normal people do. Many criminals
find the only control they have over anything in their lives is when
they are assaulting someone they perceive to be weak and easily
controlled. They revel in this feeling of power over another person.
Is it likely that one could reason with a person like this and deny
them the pleasure they have eagerly anticipated for so long? Not
likely. The first part of developing the correct mindset is to not
live in denial. Recognize that bad people exist and that there is a
good chance of running into one or more of them at almost any
time. Next, consciously make the decision that the criminal will
not prevail if there is an encounter. Handing over cash to avoid
being shot is not failing to prevail. Prevailing is coming out the
end of a violent encounter with all intended victims unscathed.
The correct mindset begins with being aware of one’s surround-
ings. The easiest way to learn and remember the fundamentals of
being aware of your surroundings is to learn Colonel Jeff Coo-
per’s color code system of awareness. Ships and aircraft invari-
ably have a radar system aboard that is running the whole time the
vessel is moving. The radar constantly scans a 360 radius around
the ship or plane, and signals when something is approaching
the vessel. At first it is just a blip. What the blip is isn’t known
but nevertheless something is out there. The color code system
of awareness relies upon our own radar system being active the
whole time we are going about daily activities.
Condition White (Unaware of Surroundings)
This is when one is not aware of the surroundings. It is being
physically or mentally asleep or feeling as if it is a safe place
where one can relax without paying attention to what is going on.
Someone could sneak up and yell “Boo!” before it would even be
known that someone was there. The radar is switched off.
Condition Yellow (Aware of Surroundings)
The radar is running. As one goes about his business, walking
along the street, driving, making breakfast, taking out the gar-
bage, a part of the mind is processing sights and sounds, filtering
out the normal things and trying to focus on what is not normal.
This is the state of mind that everyone should be in for the entire
day until back in a safe place where it is safer to relax and go into
condition white.
Condition Orange (Evaluating a Potential Problem)
A blip just showed up on the radar. It is not yet known what is
exactly is yet, so some special attention will be given to it until it
either goes away or there is a need to take some course of action
to deal with it. Perhaps footsteps are heard coming up quickly
from behind. Is it a friend or someone who wants to do harm? If it
is friend, and therefore not a threat, go back to condition yellow.
If it is a bad guy creeping up, then go to the highest condition of
awareness which is red.
Condition Red (Action! Deal With the Problem)
This is when a threat has been identified and action needs to be
taken to neutralize the threat condition. Run away, defend, swerve
the car to avoid hitting the child that stepped off the sidewalk into
the path of your vehicle. Physical action is required to protect
from harm.
4
The woman in the introduction started her day in condition white.
Assuming her house was locked and secure, this would be okay.
But when the doorbell rang, she should have immediately moved
into condition yellow. She would then look through a window
to see who is outside. On seeing the teenage girl, whom she did
not recognize and wasn’t expecting, she would have moved up to
condition orange. She could have questioned the girl through the
locked door, but instead she opened it and ran straight into a very
bad situation.
From young children to grandparents, everyone must have some
understanding that it can be dangerous to allow access to a strang-
er without first verifying if they have a legitimate reason to enter
the house. Young children should be instructed to never open the
door unless an adult is right there with them. Older people who
grew up in an age may need some additional coaching on always
being aware of their surroundings.
It is not enough to be aware of who is knocking on the door. Be
aware of everything and do not give information to strangers on
purpose or accidentally. Do not leave jewelry or other valuables
lying around when the delivery guy or the repairman walks in.
It is not smart to let strangers know about valuables. Sometimes
people whose job takes them into a lot of homes will sell infor-
mation to burglars and other criminals. For a price, criminals can
find out anything they desire. It takes practice to become fully
aware of one’s surroundings at all times, but there are some things
that can be done to improve awareness. Focus on what is being
done. Don’t allow preoccupation with ten different things at the
same time. If walking from the car to the bank, don’t talk on a cell
phone and don’t think about what needs to be done after going to
the bank. Focus on walking to the bank. Look around. Is anyone
acting suspiciously? If a couple of guys wearing masks and car-
rying shotguns approach the bank, perhaps this is a good time to
be somewhere else. In general, women have excellent instincts.
They can tell when their child is lying to them, when their hus-
band is having an affair, or when they are walking into danger.
The problem is that they often choose to ignore those instincts.
That is when they get into trouble. If something feels wrong, it
probably is.
At home, when some quiet time is needed to concentrate on some-
thing specific, make a point of locking the doors and windows,
generally securing the home. Now relax and go into condition
white, secure in the knowledge that the home is as safe as it can
be reasonably made.
Fight, Flight, or Freeze
Now that we have covered the mental part which is proper mind-
set, we need to discuss the internal changes that the human body
undergoes when it is subjected to severe stress, confusion and ter-
ror. Sometimes, we hear about a swimmer who is attacked by a
shark. The swimmer, terrified of the shark, punches it in the eye
until it breaks off the attack. This is the fight reaction.
A man steps out into the street without first looking for traffic. He
hears the horn as a cement truck speeds towards him, too close to
stop in time. The man leaps back onto the sidewalk as the truck
speeds by. With no conscious effort on the man’s part, his body
has reacted to the threat of being killed by dumping large amounts
of adrenaline into his system which causes it to go into a state of
biological hyperalertness. His heart rate and blood pressure go
up, his muscles tense, his pupils dilate. His body prepares to either
fight or run away. He jumps out of the path of the truck, quite pos-
sibly with little or no conscious thought. This is the flight reaction.

If the body pumps no adrenalin into the system it can cause the
body to freeze. A Navy SEAL told of his experience in Vietnam.
He and another SEAL were moving slowly through a graveyard
when a large force of enemy soldiers arrived in front of them.
They had to go back the way they had come to avoid the en-
emy. He couldn’t move. He knew what he had to do, but his body
would not respond. This is the freeze reaction. Happily, after a
few moments of motivational thought, he was able to move. He
overcame the temporary physical reaction of his body that seemed
beyond his control for a few moments.

When the Sheepdog Uses Violence to Protect

In the military warriors kill people and break things. Their primary
role is to act offensively, rather than defensively. They will often
travel to dangerous places in organized units in order to wage war.
On the other hand, for those of us who are acting as individuals,
trained and armed for our own protection, we only get involved in
a fight when we or a loved one are directly threatened, and when
there is no other recourse, such as running away. It is likely we
will fight alone.

We defend our own bodies. If there is time, we will offer a stern

verbal warning to dissuade a potential attacker from coming any
closer. If the attacker retreats and we consider the threat to have
subsided, we will continue with our business. We won’t initiate or
escalate to a violent situation if we do not need to.

Certainly soldiers, and to some extent police officers, have to be-

have as warriors in an offensive role, whether it is attacking a
military enemy, or deciding to raid a crack house, these are overt,
premeditated acts of aggression. Armed citizens, on the other
hand would be arrested for doing that. Our role is to react to a
clearly defined and identified threat or criminal act of aggression
and to break off our aggressive response when the threat is no
longer there.

5
Second Line of Defense –
Avoidance & Preparation
Home Preparation
T
he best locks in the world
won’t fully protect any-
one, because one day,
someone will forget or sim-
ply not bother to use them.
Murphy’s Law dictates it
will be the day when the
home is invaded. Stout doors and strong locks only work if they
are actually used. Criminals will test defenses to find a weak
point, and they will only give up if they stand to lose more than
they stand to gain.
Take time to prepare the home to resist a criminal incursion. Like
an onion, home security should be comprised of multiple layers
of resistance. The job is not to catch criminals (although that may
happen as a result of defensive actions). The real job is to make
gaining access to the home so difficult and frustrating that a crimi-
nal will give up and go somewhere else. A criminal may penetrate
the first layer of security, but the second layer will be much tough-
er. The third layer is even tougher. All of this is for the purpose to
get him to give up and go somewhere else.
Study the home as if looking through the eyes of a burglar or a
violent criminal who wants to gain access. Are there open doors
and windows? Can upstairs windows be reached? Are there places
such as a garage, shed or large bushes where a criminal could hide
and ambush someone? In an apartment, how is access gained to
the inside of the building? Could someone simply ring the bell
and wait for an upstairs neighbor to buzz them in? Determine how
easy or hard it would be to break into one’s own home. Make a
list of things that need to be fixed. How about a bathroom window
that doesn’t lock properly, the cheap lock on the door that doesn’t
fit very well into the door frame, that neighbor who leaves the
front hall door ajar. Do this same exercise at night. Is the exterior
lighting sufficient? Are there shadowy corners where someone
could hide and ambush someone as a key is put into the lock?
Locks should be good quality dead bolts made from case-hard-
ened steel. The bolt should extend 1 1/2 inches into the door frame
when it is locked. Add some three inch screws through the door
frame and into the frame of the house for extra strength. Also,
replace the short, flimsy screws that attach the strike plate to the
frame with three inch screws. This will resist somebody trying
to kick the door in. Any glass side windows need to be either
reinforced or boarded up. The alternative is to use double-keyed,
double cylinder locks that require a key to both lock and unlock
from the outside and from the inside. In the event of a fire in the
house, do not be stuck behind a door that cannot be unlocked.
Be sure to keep a key close to the door for emergencies. Do not
forget about locks for interior doors, especially one that connects
a garage to a house.
6
Sliding glass patio doors are not very secure. They can be lifted
off the track, or simply smashed in with a heavy object like that
concrete garden gnome Aunt Betty bought as a housewarming
gift. Some better-quality sliding doors cannot be lifted out of the
track when they are locked. Perhaps there is a need to upgrade
the door or consider replacing it altogether with a conventional
exterior door and good quality deadbolt locks.
The other alternative is to have a professional installer put a thin
layer of clear plastic security film on the inside of the glass. This
material is designed to stop the glass in a window shattering into
thousands of razor sharp shards if struck or if a bomb explodes
outside the window. It works very well to stop a burglar from
breaking through. This is not the usual laminate found in a local
hardware store. This security film is a much tougher polycarbon-
ate film backed with a really tough adhesive that is intended to
stop the glass shattering, and hold it together when a burglar hits
it with a baseball bat.
We saw from our case study at the beginning of this report that
home invaders can be juveniles. Would it be a surprise to learn
that children as young as five years old have been led or coerced
by adults into breaking into homes? Keeping that in mind, do
not forget that narrow window over the back door. It may be too
small for an adult to squeeze through, but it is no problem to lift a
five-year old up to it and let them wriggle through and then open
the door for an adult. That dog or cat flap in the kitchen door may
mean that you don’t have to get out of bed to let a pet in, but it
may be large enough for a small child to enter and then unlock
the door.
Lighting is another important issue. Cockroaches scatter when a
bright light hits them. Violent criminals may not be quite so co-
operative, but they certainly don’t like to work in well illuminated
areas if they have a choice. Let’s look first at exterior lighting.
Lighting over the front door should shine down onto visitors so
that they can be identified before opening the door. It should also
shine a little into their eyes so that when an occupant of the home
is standing in the doorway he becomes just a silhouette. If a bad
guy cannot see in detail when the door is opened, he cannot tell if
the person answering the door is holding a weapon.
Interior lighting is also important. If going away, put several lights
throughout the home on electric timers that are programmed to
turn lights on and off from time to time. To the observer, it ap-
pears that the home is occupied. Do not forget to vary the lights
and the time they come on and go off, in order to produce a ran-
dom pattern to make it look as if someone is home. Use a timer to
turn on the bathroom light for a few minutes once or twice during
the night. Do the same kind of thing with a radio or TV.
All exterior doors should be solid core doors that offer a high de-
gree of security. However, the problem with having a solid front
door is that one cannot see through it. The door should not have
to be opened to find out who has rung the doorbell. Either have a
door with small reinforced glass windows in or near it to look out
of, or install two doors. The outer door is a wrought iron security
door with reinforced glass or Lexan windows and a stout lock.
This will allow the inner solid door to be opened to see who is
there, yet still have a secure barrier between the occupant and
whoever is standing on the doorstep.
This is also a good time to look at the construction of the home
and ask where would be a good place to be if the bullets start to
fly. Even if there are no firearms in the home, it does not mean
that the bad guys won’t be armed. Most bullets will penetrate a
typical interior wall built of wooden studs and sheetrock/drywall.
Become familiar with places and objects that may stop a bullet.
Brick, concrete or cinder block walls are much more likely to
stand up to gunfire. Solid, heavy, wood furniture or a large freezer
or washing machine might slow down or stop a bullet too.
If a gun is present in the home, still become familiar with which
areas offer a safe field of fire. If a home invader is shot at and
missed, what is behind him? Is there nothing more than a flimsy
interior wall between him and a sleeping child? What about bul-
lets that exit the house through a window and travel into a neigh-
bor’s house? One of the basic safety rules is: “Be sure of the tar-
get, and what is behind it.” Do not shoot at a shadow or a noise; it
may be a family member such as one of the children creeping into
the house after curfew. Always clearly identify anything before
shooting at it, and be sure to have a clear shot without the risk if
hitting some innocent bystander behind the bad guy.
Burglar Alarms
For most people, burglar alarms fall
into two distinct types: Alarms that are
installed in an automobile to discour-
age a thief from breaking in and steal-
ing it, and alarms that are installed in
the house to discourage burglars. Sta-
tistically the number one and number two reasons burglars who only
want property choose another house is because of an alarm system
and/or a dog. However, burglars and home invaders have tricks.
One common scenario is it being late at night while the family is
asleep in bed. A burglar walks up to the house. He deliberately
triggers the alarm system, then runs away and hides. The hom-
eowner wakes up, rushes downstairs (this is a bad tactical move,
but more of that later) and investigates. He finds no burglar and
no signs of a break-in. He resets the alarm and goes back to bed.
Half an hour later, the burglar approaches the house again, trig-
gers the alarm, and runs away to hide. Once more the homeowner
rushes downstairs, investigates the house and finds there is nothing
amiss. He resets the alarm and grumbles all the way back to bed.
The burglar waits for a while and then walks over to the house and
trips the alarm again and runs away. This time, the homeowner is
convinced that his burglar alarm is faulty. He goes downstairs,
turns the system off and goes back to bed. This time, the burglar
breaks in. What we can deduce from all this is that home inva-
sions have become more commonplace because burglar alarms
7
are more prevalent and more sophisticated. By all means have one
installed. Just do not rely on it to the exclusion of all other security
methods, and do not treat it like a talisman.
A dog can be a very valuable factor in the overall security of the
home. However, people should not assume the responsibility of
owning a dog unless they are prepared to look after it. This means
more than just providing food and water. Researchers tell us that
at best, a smart dog has the same emotional maturity as a five year
old child. Be prepared to give the dog lots of love and attention.
Walk the dog, play with the dog, become friends with the dog, and
the dog will be there when needed. Take the time to research what
breed of dog would fit best into the family’s lifestyle.
Keep in mind that for the sort of security requirements we are con-
cerning ourselves with here, there are basically two kinds of dog:
The dog that bites and the dog that barks. People acquire dogs
that bite because they think that a dog will protect them against
intruders. The problem is that the dog, an animal with the brain
and maturity of an infant, may not be able to tell the difference
between a violent intruder and a Girl Scout selling cookies.
How many times has it been in the news about someone being at-
tacked by a neighbor’s dog? There is the responsibility to self and
the other members of the household as well as the community in
general to not bring home an animal that bites because it wants to.
Dogs need to be properly trained and socialized to act and react
appropriately around people. Though all dogs can bite, some can
obviously do far less physical damage than others. A tiny dog that
will bark his head off at strangers until commanded to stop is like
having a roving burglar alarm. This dog’s job is to be an alarm
system. It does not fight battles; it simply tells when there is a
problem that needs addressed. A dog that can wake up from a deep
sleep and bark when it hears something that it knows is not part of
its normal surroundings is worth its weight in gold.
So now the gears of thought are turning with consideration be-
ing given about installing a burglar alarm for the times when the
house is empty and getting a smart dog that will be loved and well
cared for by the whole family. That is good, but it only solves the
first part of the problem of surviving a home invasion. When the
alarm goes off or the dog starts barking, someone needs to swing
into action. Pick up the phone and dial 911. The emergency opera-
tor says the police are on their and to stay on the line. Now there
is the waiting time for rescue to come. All the while sounds of
someone breaking down a door or a window as they try to get into
the home are heard. The dispatcher is sitting in a safe place, miles
away. It is a race to see who will get there first, whether it is the
police or the bad guy or crew of bad guys downstairs.
Take time before an emergency to call the local police or sher-
iff’s department and ask to speak to the crime prevention officer.
Ask them how many officers they have on patrol at any one time.
Now check the yellow pages and count the number of pizza de-
livery places there are in the area. The number of officers on duty
is about the same as the number of pizza delivery guys. It takes
thirty minutes to get a pizza delivered, so if the security alarm
goes off, or if 911 is dialed as a violent felon is kicking in the front
door, is it logical to think that a policeman will arrive in time to
help? Establish a better plan!
Preparing a Safe Room
Begin to examine the physical and tactical aspects of preparing
what is known as a safe room in the home. The purpose of a safe
room is to give the occupants of a dwelling somewhere safe to
retreat to in the event that their home is invaded by bad guys. It
is somewhere secure where the homeowners can hide, notify the
police, and wait for help to arrive. Safe rooms vary from inexpen-
sive and simple to costly and sophisticated.
The simplest form of safe room may be a bedroom, with a stout
door, strong door locks, and a cell phone next to the bed. Keep in
mind that criminals may still be able to break in through the win-
dows or a skylight. The most sophisticated safe rooms are similar
to a bank vault, built with thick steel or reinforced concrete walls,
ceiling and floor, outfitted with massive door locks, a high-tech
communications system, closed circuit camera, filtered air sys-
tem, lighting, toilet facilities, weapons, food, electricity, needed
medication and medical supplies, water, and more. These rooms
are often used as huge vaults to store money, jewelry, important
papers and other valuables.
It is impossible to say what kind of safe room is best. Construc-
tion depends on a lot of factors such as where the safe room is to
be located, cost, whether owning or renting (better check with the
landlord before pouring concrete) and what level of security is
required to give you some peace of mind.
The simplest safe room is an interior room or walk in closet that
does not have any windows or skylights. This is also a good room
if living in a part of the country where tornadoes or hurricanes
may be a threat. The door should at least be a solid core door like
an external door. If the existing door is flimsy, buy a solid core
door that is pre-hung within a frame from the local building sup-
ply store. Do not buy a good solid door and then install it with just
a couple of nails. The frame must be attached to the walls with
several three inch or longer wood screws. The factory-supplied
screws in the hinges should also be replaced with screws that are
at least three inches long.
In addition, the door frame itself can be reinforced by using thin
steel strapping material (such as is used to bind shipping crates),
running it around the inside of the door frame in one continuous
strip and then screwing it firmly in place. Make sure the door will
still close properly if this is done. Alternatively, a door that is pre-
hung in a steel box section frame is even stronger and will resist
repeated kicking and prying attempts.
Door locks should be long enough to extend into the frame to 1 ½
inches. If there are plans of storing valuables in the safe room, a
good quality keyed deadbolt will work. Install two of these in the
door, one about a third of the way up from the floor and the other
roughly a third of the way down from the top of the door. This is
to spread the load of someone trying to kick in the door. Good
quality solid steel bolts installed on the inside to keep bad guys
8
out when the family is inside are less attractive but can withstand
a lot of punishment if installed correctly in pairs to spread the
force of an assault on the door.
It is important to consider the possibility of a young child locking
themselves in the safe room. In these cases, a lock which can be
opened from the outside with a key is a good idea. An even better
idea is an electronic keypad with a combination known only to
responsible adults in the house.
Most interior walls are comprised of 2x4 timber or light steel struts
covered with a layer of sheetrock/drywall on each side. Most have
probably seen how quickly a sledge hammer will demolish one of
those walls. If a bad guy may try to smash his way inside, put a
layer of a strong material known as hardware cloth (a tough mesh
of woven metal wire available in various thicknesses “gauges”)
underneath the sheetrock on one or both sides of the wall. This
requires removing the sheetrock/drywall and fixing the hardware
cloth securely to each of the timbers in the frame. Use a gauge
of hardware cloth considered appropriate for the specific need.
Also look at reinforcing the two by fours around the door frame
and ensuring that the door lock fully engages into the frame for
maximum strength.
While the hardware cloth approach may make it tougher for some-
one to smash the wall with a sledgehammer, it will not stop a bul-
let. If there are concerns about someone trying to shoot through
the walls or the door, there are some things that can be done to
reduce the chance of bullets getting through. If there is enough
space inside the room, install floor to ceiling bookshelves with
plenty of books packed very tightly together will offer some re-
sistance to incoming rounds. A more expensive, but less bulky
solution is to install ballistic quality Lexan. This is a type of hard
plastic sheeting that is used in many applications where simple
glass would break. It comes in various thicknesses, and could be
installed in place of the hardware cloth behind the sheetrock/dry-
wall. Consider only protecting an area from bullets that the whole
family including pets can crouch or lay behind. This will cut the
costs of ballistically reinforcing the whole room.
The one problem with constructing a safe room from materials
other than cement and steel is the danger of being trapped in a
house fire. Some safe rooms include a backdoor exit. This gives
the extra option to retreat into the safe room but also be able to
escape out of the house through the rear exit while home invaders
are occupied elsewhere. Then if the invaders set fire to the home
the occupants have a secondary means of escape.
Consider also that a safe room cannot be brought along on a visit
to friends and family or during vacation. Be mindful of choosing
hotels and motels as well as being vigilant of what, if any, security
there is at a friend or relative’s home. Though the safe room can-
not go with the family, the mindset, training and tactics can.
Third Line of Defense – 911
Tactics for Using a Safe Room
I
f confronted with a middle-of-the- night
awakening to the sound of breaking
glass, lock the bedroom door and then
pick up the phone and call the police. Ex-
plain to the police dispatcher that there is
an intruder in the home right now, and the police need to come
immediately. Do not report it as a “burglary,” because sometimes
a dispatcher will assume that the homeowner who calls about a
burglary is reporting the non-urgent discovery of a crime that
happened while the home was empty.
Make sure the dispatcher understands that there is an intruder
in the home right now, and that the situation is urgent. Provide
the dispatcher with details such as name and address. Advise the
dispatcher which people are supposed to be in the home, who is
known or thought to already be there as well as where they are
thought to be at the moment. Give a location of where the call is
being made from.
The police dispatcher will stay on the phone with you the police
arrive. If possible, change into suitable clothes to go outside, es-
pecially shoes that are suitable for running or climbing. If the bad
guys break down the bedroom door before the police arrive, that
fight or flight response is going to kick in. Leave the sandals or
stiletto shoes in the closet and slip on a pair of walking shoes.
Also be sure to have a set of house keys in the bedroom that can
be thrown out the window to the police when they arrive so that
they can easily get in.
It is a good idea to attach the keys to either a small flashlight or a
chemical light stick (a small plastic tube that you bend and shake
to cause two chemicals inside to mix and throw off a bright glow).
That way the cops can find the keys easily at night if they are
thrown to them out the window. Now get behind the bed or some
other large object that provides a barrier away from the bedroom
door. Keep the phone and keep telling the police dispatch opera-
tor what is known to be going on.
If a gun is present in the home or another weapon such as pepper
spray, a baseball bat, knife or even a Rottweiler, be sure to be in
control of that weapon. Once the bedroom door is locked, the po-
lice are called, and they are given the same information as before,
be sure to also advise of being armed. Get behind the bed. If there
is a gun, it should be ready to engage whatever comes through the
door. However, it takes training to be able to instantly discern a
criminal from a family member bursting in the room to sound the
alarm that someone bad is in the house. Also, police officers in
dark uniforms carrying guns look a lot like criminals in the dark.
Keep up a running commentary with the police dispatcher. This
is very important for two reasons: first, the dispatcher will relay
the information to the police officers who are responding to the
call, and second, if one has to shoot, stab, club, or sic the dog on a
burglar, the police call can be used as evidence to prove that there
was reason to fear loss of life.
9
Establish a code word that, when shouted by someone in the home
causes everyone to go into a preplanned course of action. If any-
body yells, “Fire, fire, fire,” in the middle of the night, it means
everyone has to run outside and assemble on the front lawn. In
the event of a home invasion, a different code word is yelled that
means everyone runs for the safe room. Be imaginative choosing
a code word that will be remembered. Make a plan with every-
body in the house, including older relatives as well as the young
children. If there is someone too young or too to be able to react
correctly to the plan, then plan to have other people go and get
them and bring them to the prearranged rally point. This can be
the master bedroom, the safe room or wherever the safest place
is. Practice the home invasion drill until the correct response is
second nature. Absolutely never joke about code words that have
been established. People must understand that if the signal is
heard, it is either a practice drill or it is the real thing.
A Gun in the Home
Sometimes hiding behind a locked door is not an option. There
may well be times when homeowners must confront an aggres-
sor in order to save a loved one or themselves from unspeakable
violence. The most likely reason is that the police are not present
and time has run out. A time when homeowners must act now or
lose something they hold most dear.
Back in the days of the Old West, people had a saying about pis-
tols made by the Colt Company: “God made men, but Sam Colt
made them equal.” In trained, confident hands, a gun is a great
equalizer. Many people jump to conclusions when they are decid-
ing if they should have a gun in the home for protection. Emotions
and preconceptions can run wild about guns.
It seems that many people spend more time deciding how they
will play a hand of poker than they spend thoroughly evaluat-
ing the use of a gun for protection. This is not to be considered
a declaration as to whether or not a gun should or should not be
owned. It is a declaration that there are some important things for
individuals to consider in order for them to make the right deci-
sion for their own selves.
Maybe there is a question of whether or not a gun can be legally
owned. Anybody who may have done time in jail might consider
reading Federal Form 4473. This is the form that everyone who
buys a firearm from a gun dealer must complete. The criterion for
legal ownership is stated on the form. Every gun store has them,
and a sample of the form can also be found on the internet. If it is
thought that anyone can buy a gun, take a look at all the restric-
tions on Form 4473.
If one’s only exposure to firearms has been a couple of hunting
trips as a child, or what has been gleaned from watching movies,
then the answer is a resounding NO. That person is not familiar
enough with firearms to use them effectively. The best thing to
do is find a qualified instructor who teaches basic firearms safety,
correct gun handling, and the fundamentals of marksmanship.
The National Rifle Association has instructors in every state who
teach basic classes. Take a course before buying a gun. This way
one will be far better informed to make a suitable purchase (or
not, if it has been decided that a gun will not work for the specific
needs of the individual or family).
If buying a gun for protection, one must accept the fact that there
may come a time when it is necessary to actually shoot some-
body in order to save a life. While it is true that many criminals
run when somebody shows them a firearm, it cannot be assumed
that one won’t meet the hard case who already knows what it is
like to be shot and does not fear being shot again. Responsible
gun owners do not pull a weapon for just any little thing. The use
of deadly force is reserved for that back-to-the-wall situation where
every other option has been tried and has failed to stop the attacker.
If the only tool one has is a hammer, then every problem looks
like a nail. A gun would be one tool in the arsenal of self-defense
and home protection. There is a need for a plan for self-defense
in the home. If a gun is in the house, it is important to spend time
at a good school that specializes in training civilians in defensive
shooting tactics. These classes typically run from 2-5 days and
will cover a selection of firearms and other equipment, drawing
a handgun from the holster or use of a sling on a shotgun or car-
bine, tactical reloading, shooting while moving and from behind
cover and concealment, and shooting in low light.
is something that must be learned and practiced repeatedly. There
are some good martial artists out there who teach solid, no-non-
sense knife fighting techniques. There are instructional books and
DVDs available for private study. A knife offers some advantages
over larger, more complicated weapons. There are many excellent
tactical folding knives available that are designed specifically for
fighting. They open with one hand, they can be clipped inside a
pocket for fast easy access, and they are small and light, so they
can be carried most of the time. Check your local laws to see if
knives are legal to be carried outside the home.
Everyone should carry a tactical flashlight. These lights are gen-
erally made of aluminum for strength, and feature an extremely
bright light that usually come from an LED instead of a regular
bulb. The idea is to use the light to temporarily blind an attacker
and permit one to run away. If necessary one can test the tough-
ness of the aluminum light on the attacker’s skull a couple of
times too. Anyone carrying a pistol for self-defense should carry
a tactical flashlight. It is absolutely vital to be able to correctly
identify any target before shooting it. In low-light conditions, a
small, powerful flashlight makes this possible and may prevent
shooting a family member in the dark.

Guns are not the only weapons that can be used for defense. For
many reasons, a gun may not be suitable, available, or even legal
to have. The term “less-lethal” was probably first used by law-
yers working either for police departments or the manufacturers
of defensive tools to describe weapons that are not intended to
be lethal, but may cause death in extreme circumstances. Pep-
per spray contains Oleoresin Capsicum which is an extract of
hot peppers. A popular and often extremely efficient defensive
weapon, a shot of OC spray in an attacker’s face will aggravate
sensitive membranes causing swelling, profuse watering of eyes
and throat and airway irritation.

A TASER is another good example of an effective less-lethal

weapon. TASER is the trade name for a device that shoots a
pair of metal probes connected to electric wires into an attacker.
Once the two darts are embedded in the attacker’s skin or cloth-
ing, a high voltage electric shock is transferred from the device,
through the wires, and into the attacker. TASERs are used by
many police departments as a way to incapacitate a suspect. They
are also available to civilians and are legal in many states and
local jurisdictions. Permits may be required. Keep in mind, how-
ever, that the TASER is a one shot deal. If the person using the
TASER misses his target or the darts do not stick in the attacker,
then nothing happens to them. The TASER C2 for civilians will
still work as a contact stun-gun type of device, but the point of a
weapon in civilian hands is to keep a distance away from the at-
tacker. The range is limited by the length of the wires to 15 feet.

There are other weapons that can be used. A knife, for example,
can be highly effective for cutting tendons and muscles to severe-
ly incapacitate a violent attacker. However, fighting with a knife

10
Fourth Line of Defense – Force & locked outside at the mercy of the home invaders. If the choice is
made to fight, is there a weapon to even the odds? Where is the

Violence cell phone, the flashlight or the gun?

T
his is not the place to give legal advice, but laws do differ
from state to state. Sometimes they differ from town to town.
In some states, there is a legal requirement for the resident
of a dwelling to retreat if possible from a physical assault (al-
though no state requires you to retreat if one cannot safely do
so). In quite a few states this law has been replaced with the laws
pertaining to the Castle Doctrine that allows the occupant to use
force to defend if he believes the intruder is in the home illegally
and that he has committed or intends to commit a felony.

So now the home is as secure as it possibly can be with available

resources. There is some sort of safe room available for the oc-
cupants to run into when threatened. Every waking moment is
lived according to Jeff Cooper’s color code of awareness. Classes
in one or more forms of self-defense have been completed. There

Conclusion
is a plan for defending against a home invasion with the family in
the same way there is a plan in the event of a fire. Everyone in the

family feels better about the whole concept of self-defense. There
is knowledge of at least the basics of how to defend, the family
has acquired the skills and recognizes that skills are perishable
requiring regular practice and training. Everyone is more vigi-
lant, aware and confident, and able to unleash aggression when
it is absolutely required. Despite all these things, everyone is still
hopeful that the skills and knowledge will never need to be used.
Then one day, it happens.
A successful home invasion is likely to happen very quickly. A
door or window is smashed in or as in the example in the intro-
duction someone is able to push his way into the home because of
being able to persuade someone to open the door. Perhaps a visit-
ing friend or a relative’s child innocently opened the front door
to a stranger. Maybe the garage door was left open for a minute.
Perhaps someone followed a family member home from the store.
Maybe the garage door wasn’t immediately closed after driving
into it. Maybe someone did not make sure he or she was alone in
the garage before unlocking and opening the vehicle door or the
door from the garage to the house. Yes, the door from garage to
house should be locked with a keyed lock.
Whatever the reason, violent and menacing strangers are sud-
denly in the home. Suddenly one goes from condition white or
yellow to condition orange. The problem is known. How long
does it take you to go from condition orange to condition red? If
one has really trained and practiced for this home invasion, then it
should already be known how one will respond. The basics of re-
sponding should be with ferocity that exceeds that of the attacker.
Fight or flight is probably the first thing to decide. If escape is
possible always choose that route. Perhaps there are loved ones in
the house. Should they be left to fend for themselves, or must one
stay to defend them? If there is the choice made to run, is a neigh-
bor close enough to quickly summon the police, or is your best
option to run to the safe room. Consider whether or not it would
be possible to bear hiding in the safe room while loved ones were
I
f this report was carefully and thoughtfully read, then one has
already spent far more time considering how to deal with a
home invasion than most people. The chances of being a vic-
tim of a home invasion are low, and gaining this knowledge has
made those chances even lower. However, times do change. We
cannot expect that the current low crime rate will continue. In
New Orleans, before Hurricane Katrina hit the city, who would
have predicted that there would be such a complete breakdown of
law and order? If we have learned anything at all from Katrina, it
is that apparently it does not take much to bring out the worst in
some people. And for that reason, it must be considered how to
effectively prepare for bad things that may happen.
If it is decided that a gun is a good defensive tool to have, start
by taking a basic class such as those that the NRA offers. After
developing a good foundation in the basic principles of gun safe-
ty, handling and marksmanship, then seek out a good defensive
shooting instructor to take at least one class. Most of us keep a
fire extinguisher in the home in case it is ever needed as a weapon
against fire. Most wear a seatbelt to defend against severe injury
or ejection from a vehicle if there is an accident. Why not prepare
the home and everyone who lives in it to win in the event that it
is ever invaded?
Under stress, training takes over, so practice the things that can
be practiced so that more attention can be given to the problem at
hand. If the choice is ever made to fight, then fight to win!

11
 When seconds count:
Fight, Flight, or Freeze
Jerrod Smelker & the Delta Media Team
If you look at the floor plans of most homes and apart-
ments, each one is a complete home invasion disaster
waiting to happen, especially if you have kids in the
house.
This work book is going to highlight some of these
types of home floor plans, and show you how best to
react to a home invasion in progress with several condi-
tions each.
When we say that these plans are “disasters waiting to
happen,” we are referring to the following attributes:
Bedrooms are far apart.
Most of the master bedrooms are far apart from the
other bedrooms. This distance creates too much time to
respond to an invasion.
Generally, most home security experts recommend that
a safe room be the master bedroom and all family mem-
bers will meet there in the event of a home invasion.
When the bedrooms are as spread out and far apart as in
most modern homes though, the distance from the kids’
rooms to the master bedroom (or safe room) can prove
to take way too much time. The same can be true even
if you make one of the kids’ rooms a safe room: it will
still take you time to get there.
Bedrooms are separated by entry points.
Not only does the distance take time to cover, but if
you look at many common home layouts, your travel
path to and from each room is usually wide open and
in clear view of the invasion’s entry points. This means
that while trying to reach one another, you or your kids
may be spotted by the intruders, and you may be in the
line of fire if they decide to start shooting.
As you will see in the following pages, many of these
floor plans suffer from this disadvantage. For example,
Page 1
consider the very first home layout on page 3. If you
are in the master bedroom and you hear your front door
being kicked in, if you have children in the home, your
initial response will be to try to get to their rooms- la-
beled “Bedroom 2” and “Bedroom 3”. You have to
cross right behind the front door, and the hallway to
the two bedrooms has only one entrance or exit. (This
shows us that most architects and home builders do not
take safety and security into consideration when build-
ing homes, apartments and trailers. If they did, homes
would be laid out in a completely different manner!)
Here is why the home invasion scenarios are so diffi-
cult: Consider the page 3 floor plan once more. Chanc-
es are that if someone breaks in and you hear it, your
kids probably will not hear it. Most kids would sleep
through a train crashing through the house! So if you
have kids in Bedroom 2 and Bedroom 3, and you are in
the Master Bedroom, you have two options. 1) With a
home intercom system, use the intercom to awaken the
kids and help them remember the family safety plan, or
2) set up one of the kids’ bedrooms as the safe room,
and you yourself go to it.
Depending on the age of your children, they may not
even hear the intercom. If they do, they will be scared,
half asleep, not thinking straight and probably won’t re-
member any family safety plan. The only feasible plan
then, requires you to have to leave the safety of your
master bedroom, cross the ‘kill zone’, and get to your
kids before the intruder gets to either you or your kids.
That’s the scenario, now how do you want to play it
out?
Unfortunately, you don’t have much of an option when
it comes to an intruder coming through your front door.
You will most likely either have to find a way into your
kids’ bedrooms and hold up there or attempt an escape,
or you will have to face the intruder. Unfortunately there
are no magic answers and no tricks-up-your-sleeve that
will help solve these dilemmas. There are literally hun-
dreds of scenarios that could play out which all depend
on where the intruder enters, what their intent is, how
fast things are moving, the time of day/night, whether or
not the family is asleep or awake, and whether you have
a defensive firearm or not. These factors and variations
will in turn lead to hundreds of possible courses of ac-
tion, which will each lead to hundreds of possible out-
comes to the home invasion – some good, some bad.
The closer together the bedrooms, the better.
If you are on a second floor with your kids, such as in
the third home layout (on page 5), you stand a much
better chance of getting to your kids’ room to set up
a safe room without running into the intruder. Your
chances and options diminish if you are on the ground
floor of a multi-level home, in a trailer or double-wide,
or in an apartment.
The whole subject of home invasions is filled with gray
area, meaning that there are very few ‘one size fits all’
solutions. The fact of the matter is that ‘gray areas’ are
the world we live in. If we were able to design and build
our own houses, then we could take safety and secu-
rity in mind and design accordingly. Unfortunately we
have to live with the hand we are dealt, and this applies
in this case to the preexisting houses most of us live
in.
That is what this work book is all about- working with
what we have. We’re not going to show you a half-mil-
lion dollar floor plan designed by Gaston Glock. We’re
going to show you common floor plans found all across
these United States, and we’re going to tell you how to
make the best of them.
Page 2
For sake of argument (and because an entire book could
be written on each of the following floor plans if it were
desired), we’re going to assume that the intruder will
enter from the front door, and that you hear the home
invasion as it happens.
If you live alone...
If you live alone, then your bedroom would prove a
good location as your safe room. Your safety and secu-
rity plan will of course be your own with only yourself
in mind. In this case, you must decide whether or not
you will take up a defensive position within your safe
room, or if your intent is to simply escape. If living
alone, your best bet with any of these house layouts
would be to make the master bedroom your safe room.
Make sure you can secure your bedroom door with a
lock and even some type of obstacle, such as pushing a
dresser in front of it, or using a wedge bar. Doing this
can give you vital extra escape time if need be.
If you are in your safe room and escaping out of a win-
dow or another door, be aware that many criminals do
not work alone, so if one intruder is entering the front
door, another accomplice could very well be waiting
outside your bedroom window or door. It’s generally
easy to spot the master bedroom windows from outside
of a house- and criminals know this- so be cautious and
vigilant while executing your escape.
Please join me as we continue our look at the following
ten common home floor plans.
 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”
PORCH
UTILITY KITCHEN
BATH CLOSET
MASTER BEDROOM
GREAT ROOM
CLOSET
What to do if Alone? If you are in this house layout
alone, you have three options. One is to escape, which
could easily be done through the Master Bedroom win-
dow. Two would be to take up a defensive position
within the Master Bedroom and three would be to leave
the security of the Master Bedroom to investigate and
deal with the intruder.
What to do if the rooms are occupied with children?
Your primary objective is of course to reach the chil-
dren first and to provide security for them. There are
several topics of discussion on whether or not to get to
the children, which could draw attention to them, or use
yourself to draw attention away from them.
What to do to escape? To escape most homes during
a home invasion, any window or door that is furthest
away from where the intruder is would be the common
solution. Within this home layout, an escape with the
children would be best suited through the Bedroom 2
window.
Page 3
BEDROOM #2
CLOSET
DINING
ROOM
BATH #2
CLOSET
BEDROOM #3
What to do to defend? If you have a home firearm for
defense, you would be able to leave the Master Bedroom
to get to the children in Bedrooms 2 and 3 by moving
into the Great Room while keeping an eye on the front
door. Your objective is to get to the bedroom hallway,
but understand that you have to cross the open area of
the Great Room, which is where the intruder could be.
Another option would be to take a defensive position at
the Master Bedroom entrance next to the fireplace. The
fireplace would act as great cover and concealment and
if the intruder tried to go into the children’s hallway,
you could shoot if need be. This is because if you look
at the layout, if you have to shoot from that position,
and missed or over penetrated rounds would go into the
bathroom and not the children’s bedrooms.
Where would the best safe room be? The best loca-
tion for a safe room in this home layout would probably
best be located in Bedroom 2. This is the bedroom fur-
thest from the front door and has a window for escape.
 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

COVERED PORCH

MASTER TWO CAR

BEDROOM WALK-IN
CLOSET
GARAGE
GREAT ROOM

WALK-IN
MASTER BATH CLOSET

LAUNDRY
UTILITY

DINING
KITCHEN
ROOM

BEDROOM 3

COVERED PORCH
BEDROOM 2

What to do if Alone? Living alone in this home layout
during a home invasion would be optimal. The Master
Bedroom is in the corner of the house and an escape
through the windows would be easy and quick.
What to do if the rooms are occupied with children?
Moving from the Master Bedroom to Bedroom 2 and
3 can be simple by staying close to the wall. Access to
the two bedrooms would be much easier and quicker
if there was another access door into the Master Bath
from the bedrooms. Consider that as a remodel option.
Another option would be to escape the window in the
Master Bedroom, then enter either Bedroom 2 or 3 to
gather your children making one of those bedrooms the
safe room. This would require both pre-planning and
access into the windows.
What to do to defend? If you have a home firearm and
live alone, you could take up a defensive position in the
Master Bedroom or Bath. If you have children perhaps
a better defensive position would be to ether get into
Bedroom 3 with the children in the closet or to take
position from your Master Bedroom door in direct line
of fire to the front door, but understand that the entrance
to the children’s bedrooms are right near the front door.
You would have to engage the intruder before he or she
was able to enter that hall.
Where would the best safe room be? The best area for
a safe room would be Bedroom 3 or the Master Bath if
you were able to reach it with your children. Be aware
though that this Master Bath does not have a window
for escape.

What to do to escape? Escape through the windows

would be the best option. As stated above, an exit could
be through the Master Bedroom window, then assisting
your children out their windows.

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 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

CLOSET
BEDROOM 2 BEDROOM 3 MASTER
BATH

CLOSET
CLOSET WALK-IN
BATH CLOSET
BALCONY
CLOSET

MASTER
BEDROOM

BEDROOM 1

STAIRWELL
TO LOWER LEVEL

What to do if Alone? Living alone on the second floor What to do to defend? You could stay within your
gives you plenty of time to escape or take a defensive Master Bedroom and take a position with a firearm to-
position if you are able to hear the home invasion. You ward the stairwell. Since that is the only way to ac-
can make your Master Bath or Walk-in closet your safe cess you and your children, the intruder would have to
room. come that way and you could engage him or her there.
Be aware though that rounds could go into Bedroom 1.
What to do if the rooms are occupied with children? Another option is to take up a defensive position in the
Being on the second floor gives you a much better Master Bedroom walk in closet. It looks large enough
chance of gathering you and your children into a safe to hold all family members, but it should be constructed
room. In this layout, you would wake the children in with locking and secure doors. Remember though that
each room and meet in Bedroom 2. It is the mid-point there is no escape option with the walk in closet.
of all rooms and has an escape route through the win-
dows. Where would the best safe room be? The safe room
could be located in Bedroom 2 or the Master Bedroom
What to do to escape? Escaping through Bedroom 2 or Bath. Each has escape routes and are in the corners
windows would probably be the best bet. Be aware that of the house.
you are on the second floor and a flexible safe interior
ladder tossed out the window would be needed to es-
cape to the ground.

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 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

BEDROOM 2 COVERED PORCH

BEDROOM 3

MASTER MASTER
BATH BEDROOM

BEDROOM 4

BATH
KITCHEN GREAT ROOM

GRILLING
DINING
PORCH

What to do if Alone? Alone in this house would be What to do to defend? The front door is right next to
easy escape from a window or an easy defensive posi- your Master Bedroom door. If you have a firearm, you
tion in the Master Bath. would have to immediately engage the intruder there or
before they reached the kitchen or dining room. Luck-
What to do if the rooms are occupied with chil- ily in this layout, the other bedrooms are far away from
dren? If you had another door access in the Master the front door, giving you time to stop the intruder be-
Bath to the Bedroom 2, 3 and 4 bathroom, this would fore he or she reaches the bedrooms.
be a quicker and easier option for gathering the family
to Bedroom 3. This room is the middle room and has Where would the best safe room be? Bedroom 3
two windows for escape. Another option would be to would make a great safe room, because it is in the cor-
escape the Master bedroom window onto the porch and ner with windows for escape and it is central to the three
enter Bedroom 2 window to gather the children. Once children’s bedrooms.
again this would require both pre-planning and access
into the windows.

What to do to escape? Bedroom 3 would be the escape

for you and the kids if you are able to reach them. Oth-
erwise as stated above, escape your Master Bedroom
window and reach the children in each bedroom from
their windows.

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 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

CLOSET

BATH

CLOSET
BEDROOM 2 BEDROOM 3

MASTER
BEDROOM

BEDROOM 4

MASTER
CLOSET

CLOSET

BATH

What to do if Alone? The Master Bath would be a great
defensive position or the Master Bedroom windows for
escape. Taking a position with a firearm within the
Master Bedroom entrance gives you a vantage point of
the stairway.
What to do to defend? A defensive position could be
right from the entrance of the Master Bedroom or the
entrance to Bedroom 2. It is in direct line to the stair-
way, which is where the intruder would have to enter to
gain access to the upstairs.

What to do if the rooms are occupied with children?
Gather the kids from each Bedroom and use the Mas-
ter Bedroom as the safe room. In fact, one of the walk
in closets would work great, but once again remember
that the closets give you no escape option.
Where would the best safe room be? Even the Mas-
ter Bathroom or the 2nd bathroom could prove to be a
quick safe room. Each one could have a solid locking
door and each one has a window for escape.

What to do to escape? Either the Master Bedroom or

Bedrooms 2 and 3 would work for escape through the
windows. Remember that you are on the second floor,
so an escape ladder or other means of getting to the
ground would be necessary. You would never want to
try to escape down the stairway.

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 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

FAMILY DINING
ROOM KITCHEN
ROOM

CLOSET

LIVING
MASTER
ROOM
BEDROOM 2 BEDROOM 3 BEDROOM

What to do if Alone? You are already in the Master What to do to defend? If you have a firearm, you will
Bedroom so no reason to go anywhere else. Escape engage the intruder right from your Master Bedroom
through the window or take a defensive position in the door. The Living Room is the area where you will most
closet or bath. likely meet. Be aware that the two bedrooms are right
in the line of fire if the intruder moves that way.
What to do if the rooms are occupied with children?
From the Master Bedroom there is a lot of distance to Where would the best safe room be? Bedroom 2
cover in order to get to the children in Bedrooms 2 and would be a great safe room for escape or taking up a
3. Once there though, either bedroom will work for es- position in the bedroom closet.
cape or a safe room. Each has a window and each could
have a solid secure door.

What to do to escape? To escape use the windows in

Bedroom 2.

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 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

MASTER BATH

COVERED PORCH
WALK-IN
CLOSET

LAUNDRY
SHOP/STORAGE
GREAT ROOM KITCHEN
MASTER
BEDROOM

BATH

BEDROOM #2 FORMAL
DINING

GARAGE

COVERED PORCH

What to do if Alone? Once again, you are already in
your Master Bedroom, so your options are to escape
through the windows, take up a defensive position
within the Master Bath, or if you have a firearm, engage
the intruder from the Master Bedroom into the Great
Room.
What to do to defend? To defend with a firearm, you
could take a position in the Master Bedroom along the
wall of Bedroom 2, or you could even escape through
the Master Bedroom door, travel along the Covered
Porch and engage the intruder from behind as you are
coming through the front door.

What to do if the rooms are occupied with children? Where would the best safe room be? The Master Bath
The Master Bedroom and Bedroom 2 are very close would also be a good safe room for a defensive posi-
which is great. Bedroom 2 could be easily used for tion, especially if you can lock the bath door, then go
a safe room or for escape through the window. The into the walk-in closet.
only problem is to get to Bedroom 2’s door, you have to
walk right in front of the front door where the intruder
could be.

What to do to escape? Escape through the Bedroom

2 window or the Master Bedroom door to the covered
porch.

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 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

CLOSET
BEDROOM #2

CLOSET
KITCHEN

MASTER
BEDROOM
BALCONY

LIVING DINING
PATIO/

ROOM ROOM

What to do if alone? The Master Bedroom and adjoin- What to do to defend? If you live on the 10th floor,
ing bath can prove to be the best safe room or defensive your balcony is useless, and so a defensive position
position when living alone in an apartment. may be your only option. Take it up in the Bedroom 2
if you have children, use the Master Bedroom or Closet
What to do if the rooms are occupied with children? if possible.
The apartment layout creates a distance problem be-
cause the bedrooms are the furthest apart. From the Where would the best safe room be? The safe room
Master Bedroom you have to cross the entire main floor would be Bedroom 2 or the Master Bedroom closet.
dining room and Living Room, which is in direct sight
of the front door. Reach Bedroom 2 and secure the door,
then an escape can be performed through the window.

What to do to escape? Escape to the balcony would

probably not be a good option if you were too high up.
There may be no means of escape and you probably
cannot secure the door from the outside.

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 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

What to do if Alone? If you hear an intruder coming through the front

door of a mobile home, escaping out the Master Bedroom window would
be the ideal thing to do. You could also take a defensive position in the
kitchen, then retreat to the Master Bedroom if need be and still escape.

What to do if the rooms are occupied with children? Much like the
MASTER CLOSET apartment, you have the bedrooms at either end of the mobile home. Be-
BEDROOM cause mobile homes are extremely thin, going from the Master Bedroom
to Bedrooms 2 and 3 could prove to be practically impossible without run-
ning into the intruder.

What to do to escape? If you were able to escape through the Master

Bedroom window and the children could escape through the back door
UTILITY

or windows. Once you escape through the Master Bedroom window, you
could reach the Bedroom 2 and 3 windows to assist the children’s escape.

What to do to defend? Defending with a firearm from the Master Bed-

room could prove fatal depending on where the shots go. Trailers or mo-
KITCHEN
bile homes have notoriously thin walls where rounds could penetrate and
hit the children at the opposite end of the house. You must also take into
consideration that if you live in a trailer park, a round from a rifle could
easily pass through several house trailers before stopping.

Where would the best safe room be? The safe room could be in Bed-
room 2 or 3, depending on where the kids are.
LIVING
ROOM
CLOSET

BEDROOM 2
CLOSET

BEDROOM 3

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 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

MASTER LIVING ROOM

KITCHEN
BEDROOM BATH
BEDROOM #2

What to do if Alone? The Master Bedroom window What to do to escape? Escape through the windows in
can be used for an escape, and a defensive position can the Master Bedroom or Bedroom 2. Another option is
be taken up in the doorway looking down the hall. the back door right across from Bedroom 2.

What to do if the rooms are occupied with children?
This layout is a bit simpler than the three-bedroom
layout. The Master Bedroom and Bedroom 2 are close
together. You could go from the Master Bedroom di-
rectly to Bedroom 2 and escape through the window.
Another option would be for you and the child or chil-
dren to meet in the middle bath for a defensive position
or escape through the window.
What to do to defend? You can take up a defensive
position with a firearm right in the Master Bedroom
doorway, this allows you to see right down the hallway
for intruders.
Where would the best safe room be? The middle bath
would work great or the Master Bedroom for escape.

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 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

Draw your home’s floor plan, and draft a “Family Safety Plan”.

Ask yourself these questions:

How would you react to a home invasion if you were home alone?

How would your plan differ if your spouse or children were home at the time?

Which avenues of escape are available to you and your family?

Where would the best place to set up a defensive location be?

Where would the best safe room be?

Page 13
 “When Seconds Count: Fight Flight or Freeze”

Draw your home’s floor plan, and draft a “Family Safety Plan”.

Ask yourself these questions:

How would you react to a home invasion if you were home alone?

How would your plan differ if your spouse or children were home at the time?

Which avenues of escape are available to you and your family?

Where would the best place to set up a defensive location be?

Where would the best safe room be?

Page 14