Here’s a comprehensive article that will really get you to think about your home set-up. Lets go over a quick scenario; you’re at home in the middle of the night and you hear a crash like a window or sliding glass door being broken. What do you do, how do you respond? Will that response change depending on if you’re upstairs in a two-story home or a single story home? Do you have a plan to check on the kids first? (assuming you have children).

You may find this difficult to believe, but a couple of the worst places to go to during a home invasion are the bathroom, living room, closet, under the bed along with a couple others. Having a place that is defensible is ideal but that defensive position must also have an escape route of some sort. Typically, if everyone in your household is upstairs in the middle of the night when you hear a crash sound, movement/footsteps; the last thing you should do is go downstairs to investigate. Being upstairs already puts you at an advantage in terms of being in a defensive spot. This is due to the saying “person with higher ground always has the advantage”. But more than that – you already know everyone is up there with you and currently safe as long as you’ve already checked to verify that first.

What about if you’re in a single story home? Well….that depends on a couple factors. Lets say its day time and you’re in the kitchen, suddenly someone is trying to get through the door that leads from the backyard to the kitchen. Being in the kitchen; you already have access to multiple weapons such as: big/heavy pots and pans, multiple knives of all sizes. All of these items that you can use by throwing or by closing distance and going into close quarters combat (yes I said combat because that is what it will become).

Now lets say its the middle of the night, you’re in a single story home when you hear a crash of some sort. Typically having the ability to get up and respond right after you hear that first noise is the most crucial thing you can do or even train for. 99% of the time when that first crash is heard; its the first attempt by a burglar to enter a location. This means that you’ll have up to a full 30 seconds to respond, by either waking others up in your house or grabbing your favorite/go-to home defense weapon/flashlight. This is where we advocate for firearms; even if you’re against carrying one on a day-to-day basis. When it comes to home defense; nothing beats a firearm and/or a super bright flashlight backed by training and knowledge. *Keep in mind that we are talking about Nevada specifically as other states/cities have their own laws regarding the ownership and use of firearms*.

In conclusion staying in a defensive location where there is a route of escape for your family will always be the best idea. There are always different aspects to responding to a home defense situation such as: Home layout, size, how many floors, how many people, the capabilities of each person. If you’d like a defense specialist to provide home defense/active shooter training; reach out to Self Defense Grid and we’ll go to you!

*Our next article will be “Best weapons for home defense”. The list might surprise you.

Photos courtesy of: tactical dynamics and tacticalgear.com.