Home Safety Tips

Hey All,

While working in the self defense industry it is easy to get caught up in hand to hand combat, firearm use, and the more flashy and fun side of personal security.

But when it comes down to it most of us spend at least 12-14 hours of our day inside our own home or apartment. That means for over 50% of our lives we rely on home security to keep us safe.

Even more importantly home is where our wives, children, parents and girlfriends may be living. As leaders of our households we have an obligation to make sure that home is as secure as possible.

Over the years I have picked up a number of great home security solutions which save lives and property every year. Since I know a lot of this stuff I feel obligated to pass it on to you guys (even though you may have heard some of it before).

Quite a few of these tips require daily actions to prevent home invasion. So even if you’ve heard it all before all of us need reminders (like the home invasion in the paper this morning which prompted this post) to get us re-dedicated to home security.

Home Security Checklist:

• Breaker Box Lock: This is one of those pain in the butt things you just have to make a habit out of. Not locking your breaker box means a burglar can just mosey up to your house turn off all the power then proceed to steal or harm anything or anyone in the house with a total element of surprise. Just make sure you get a combo lock (there’s nothing like walking out to the breaker box in your undies at 6 in the morning when your coffee maker won’t work to realize you forgot the key).

• Get a home alarm system: this one of the best ways to prevent a home invasion. Get whichever system you can afford. It doesn’t have to be fancy because the most effective part of the system is the sign in the front lawn and a loud bell or alarm that will wake up the neighbors.

• Get a dog. A big one is best but even little dogs make a lot of noise, and even if the intruder isn’t scared of the dog he’ll think he woke up the whole house.

• Leave a radio (preferably a talk radio station) and some lights on in the house when you leave, especially while on vacation. People don’t want to break into a house if they think someone is home and awake.

• Your answering machine should never say that you are on vacation, or suggest times that you are not at home. For single women it may be best to not even say your name (just say the number they have reached) to guard against stalkers.

• Keep flashlights in several places around the house. Darkness is the burglars friend, light is his enemy, and it eliminates the element of surprise.

• Get a peep hole for your front door. Never let anyone inside who you don’t know. And don’t rely on one of those door chains. A few good kicks and that baby is done for.

• Never hide a key around your house, especially under a mat or flower pot. Leave a spare with a neighbor you trust.

• Lock up tight: Lock doors when you leave and when you are inside. My retired cop father in law used to bug the crap out of me because he would lock every door into the house even when he was home. After seeing all the burglaries and violent crimes that could have been prevented by locked doors he is convinced that this is a must for anyone who treasures their own life and their family, and his stories made a believer out of me.

• Finally, keep your hedges trimmed back so that a burglar cannot easily hide in your yard. I know this is another one of those pain in the butt things that you have to do every week, but the chance that it could save your life should make it more than worth the trouble

Please start doing these things asap to keep you and your family safe.