Hardening Your Home

We tend to think of our home as our castle or our safe space. We should all be fortunate enough to feel safe in our homes. While it may “feel” safe, there are several steps you can take to improve its safety.

Hardening is defined as “to make or become tougher and more clearly defined.” We should all consider a little hardening for our castles.

The first step is the most important and it’s free! You need to develop a plan of action for the possible situations you might face. Have you thought through exactly what you (and your family members) would do if someone were attempting to kick in your front door? What about the sound of breaking glass at 2 a.m.?  In high-stress emergency situations like this, the results will be better if you have a pre-defined plan of action. Your plan needs to include who will be calling 911 and exactly what you’ll be telling them. Where will you and members of your family gather? Will you or someone else arm themselves and if so, at what point will you actually use the firearm? Plans should extend beyond the homefront to places you work and recreate and inside your vehicle. Being prepared with a plan is key to your safety. A recent graduate of our CCW Class was startled awake by his alarm in the middle of the night. He did as he was taught, armed himself, took up a defensive position in his bedroom and called 911. The 911 dispatcher told him to disarm and go check the doors. Is that good advice that you would take?

There are many simple things you can do that will make your home unattractive to those who may otherwise want to do you harm. The easiest include:

Actually using the alarm system you have installed. Nearly 70% of homeowners with alarms report not routinely arming them at night or when they are gone. Whether you have an alarm or not, make sure you have a sign clearly visible that shows you do!

Having motion-sensing exterior lighting. This serves as both a deterrent to someone approaching your home and to alert you that there is someone out there.

Adopting a dog. When surveyed, imprisoned burglars cited dogs as a significant deterrent when choosing a home to victimize.

Using a quick access handgun vault to safely store your personal defense firearm that allows you to gain access to it when needed.

If you’re going to be away from your home, make sure it still appears occupied. Unplowed driveways and stacks of newspapers suggest that your home is an easy target for a burglar. You don’t have to have the most secure home on the street, but you don’t want to be the least secure either.

As the song goes, “the times, they are a-changin’” and we need to change with them. By taking some time to think through some plans and sharing them with your family, you’ll reduce your chances of becoming a victim. FBN

By Rob Wilson

Rob Wilson is the owner, with his wife, Elise, of Timberline Firearms & Training in Flagstaff. They offer a full line of firearms, accessories, safes and ammunition along with Liberty Safes. For more information, visit timberlinefirearms.us.