Think about the security of your home, what is your plan should an intruder break in or attempt to break in? Please don’t tell me your plan is that you have a gun, because if that’s your only “plan” you have no plan. A real home defense plan will consider several factors, including who is getting the gun (if you choose gun ownership) as well as who is calling 911, when will you engage, where will you converge and what do you do if a family member gets hurt?
Pick a gun…and other gear
The first step is definitely to pick the weapons and gear you will need for your defense plan. A good starting point is definitely purchasing a gun and owning a reliable cellphone. The gun you choose should be practical for a situation where you are facing a home invasion as this is the most likely scenario you will need a home defense plan. Is it easy to wield around your home, can it be reloaded easily, are the mags easy to keep, and is it a reliable gun are all questions you should consider.
Once you select a firearm, you should accessorize it properly with things such as a sight and a light. Home invasions often happen in the dark so having a flashlight on your gun is handy. Make sure to get a sight as your heart will probably be racing in a situation like that and having some help with the aim will be critical.
Assign responsibilities to each family member
Everyone in your family household will need to be responsible for some sort of action in your home defense plan. For example, in my home defense plan my wife is always calling 911 and the kids know they have to stage with mom. However if you are solo in your household this may require you wearing all the hats, including calling 911 and handling the gun. It is vital that everyone know how to communicate to each other regardless of their responsibilities and ensure that they are all working together to execute the plan.
Pick a staging point or rally point
You will have pick a point in your house that everyone will converge to when an attack happens. Where ever this point ends up being, it needs to be easily accessible by everyone in your household. You should also have a backup point just in case the original is somehow compromised or if for some reason a family member cannot make it to the original point they can still be safe at the backup point.
The point should be a room that is lockable and also has a second entrance or exit such as a door to lock and a window for an emergency exit. This room should have some furniture in it that is easy to move so that you can stack it against the door if need be for additional weight to hold the door.
Have a first-aid plan
I saved this point for the end but it is easily one of the most important points in your home defense plan. You need to have at the very least a basic first aid kit in your staging points. This includes a tourniquet, chest seals, bandages, hemostatic gauze, and disinfectant wipes. Of course, everyone in your family household that is able to should take a basic first-aid course so they know how to properly utilize this gear.
Finally, practice your plan with your family regularly! You can plan things, you can write things down, and you can make everyone study it relentlessly but if no one practices it you’re not going to have successful. Practice your plan!
