Can You Really Protect Your Family

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Motomom34, May 9, 2016.


  1. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I saw am article that asked 8 questions about protecting your family. Protecting the home and family is something we all have thought about but is something that needs to be revisited more often than annually IMO.

    Here are the questions and the link to the source of the questions below:

    1: Are You Doing a Good Job of Deterring People Who May Want to Do Harm to Your Family?

    2: Do You Have a System in Place to Detect When Your Family Actually Needs Protecting?

    3: Are the Rooms in Your Home Strategically Located so you’ll Actually Have a Chance of Protecting Your Loved Ones?

    4: Do You Have a Backup Method of Calling for Help in an Emergency?

    5: Do You Have the Necessary Gear to Protect Your Family from a Threat?

    6: Would You Really Be Proficient in a Life-Threatening Situation with Your Personal Protection Gear?

    7: Do You Have a Safe Place in Your Home for Your Family to Hide In?

    8: Do You Have a Way of Escaping to a Safer Place?

    Quick Test to See if You Can Really Protect Your Family


    Do you see any areas that need to be covered/questioned that were not in the questions above? I know we go over safety of family and home quite a bit but I have learned much from my fellow monkeys.

    What about the attic as a hiding place? Someone suggested it as a good place to hide if the house was invaded. I understand their reasoning but I cannot get past the thought of being trapped in case I need to leave.

    I do have an issue with this because our house is built the way it is. 3: Are the Rooms in Your Home Strategically Located so you’ll Actually Have a Chance of Protecting Your Loved Ones?
    The only way I could do this is to remodel and I do not want to do that. Or am I reading that wrong?
     
  2. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Attic could be retrofitted with an exterior hatch (camoed to blend in) and a fire exit chain or rope ladders.
     
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  3. C.T.Horner

    C.T.Horner Monkey

    Number 4 is simple, old cell phones can still dial 911 even if the account is delinquent and has been terminated. The only catch is that the GPS will also be inactive and you have to keep the battery charged. With that said you can get all you want and would ever need for pennies on the dollar from friends and family. If not just place an ad on Craigs List to buy them for a few dollars each. Then place them all over the house, plug them in and forget about them until you need one. Just remember to tell the dispatcher where you are first, even before you relay your emergency.
     
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  4. UncleMorgan

    UncleMorgan I like peeling bananas and (occasionally) people.

    On this issue, my first question would be:
    Do you have doors that can't be kicked in?

    Every citizen's doors should be strong enough to prevent an immediate forced entry by home invaders, burglars, and police officers.

    Delay is often a deterrent, and delay gives you time to implement your defensive strategies, fall back to the safest position, negotiate, and/or sneak out that three mile long tunnel you dug last week, just in case.

    In America, houses are built cheap, not safe. That why they blow away in a brisk breeze. That's also why there are very few (if any) places in a modern home that offer protection from gunfire originating within the home. Interior walls are simply not bullet-proof. And exterior walls usually aren't bullet-proof either.
     
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  5. C.T.Horner

    C.T.Horner Monkey

    I agree with your post but I have taken it one step further. It is impossible for anybody to knock on my front door without first entering my sally port. A kill zone designed to contain any intruder long enough for me to take my time in assessing the threat. As for the door itself you are also correct the wall would be an easier point of access if it weren’t for the rebar I installed when I rebuilt the house.

    But the un-denying fact you astutely pointed out is the one weakness people fail to consider the walls. Most modern bullets will easily penetrate and pose a serious threat to the occupants. However that is a two way street, and as the homeowner I know the lines of fire and where the perp is trapped. But I also know he could get lucky so I have taken precautions to mitigate my vulnerability, as everybody should.
     
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  6. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Our house is truly a security nightmare, big windows everywhere, even the doors have big windows. I have thought about getting the doors replaced with security doors but the frames are wood so what's the point and there are still big windows right next to the doors that could be smashed and entered. I didn't build this house but if I move I will never, ever purchase a home that I did not build again. My old place in Central Asia was brick and/or thick cement walls and I had a wall around the entire property with cameras but here...nothing. I really need to give more thought to security and see if there is something, anything I can do...
     
  7. Pax Mentis

    Pax Mentis Philosopher King |RIP 11-4-2017

    I was fortunate enough to build my house (with hired assistance at various points) shortly after I became a conscious prepper, and with thought given to security at every step of the way. No structure is 100% safe but I am fairly confident that mine will hold of most attempts and give the occupants the opportunity to depart without anyone outside even suspecting they are gone until it is too late.

    I don't live there any more, but it is still where the family will go in case of a collapse and I can be there from my current abode in about 30 minutes without a motor vehicle and never touching a road.

    Question #4 is debatable, but the others are solid yesses. There are a few holes I discovered over the years, but one would have to be smart and very lucky to find them. Nothing is perfect.

    [peep]
     
  8. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    Part of my defensive strategy is having a place that is likely to be invaded, before they reach my home, wired for sound, in and out side,
    I can eves drop on any conversation going on of potential intruders, and bring the fight to them ,rather then trying to defend the home from the inside which is near impossible.
     
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  9. Kingfish

    Kingfish Self Reliant

    I'll just say yes. It starts with doors . Uncle Morgan hits that out of the park. I have at any time as many as three dogs in the house and granted they just little Bichons but they bark a storm up if someone knocks or is bumping around outside. My windows are small and double pane and all locked. W e would be safe in our bedroom armed to the teeth with two pistols and a shotgun. 40 rounds for the hand guns and 14 rounds of buckshot for the Shotgun. I also have a box of 25 more Buckshot rounds and another 100 CCI Velocitors for the pistols. They would have to get in first and my doors are held in with 4 inch steel screws . Not going to break that very easy. It would take a sledge hammer and about 20 hits. Any sounds and the dogs go ape. Im armed in 3 seconds or less with one hand gun and the Shotgun. Then Im moving to the peep hole and looking down the hall. I see them they cant see me. Wife is now armed and locked and loaded and concentrating on our bedroom door . She is kneeling behind the water bed Im in the closet looking down the hall through a secret little peep we set up in a picture. That wall is only drywall. Anyone comes down the hall and goes to the bedroom door he is two feet from the muzzle of my shotgun. Ill cut him in half with Buckshot at point blank range right through the wall.
     
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  10. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    One thing I have is ammo in different places in the house. I can reload if needed in the main rooms. I also have various deterrents around. The family knows which way to go if we are escaping the house. There is a neighbor down the road that would do anything for the children and that means protecting.

    I do now what areas of the house are safer then others. Some corners and parts have more protection in regards to bullet slowing.. The fridge is good to hide behind so they say but that is not an option unless we move it and we would be exposed. I think how many walls, appliances, stairs etc.. when considering where to hunker down. May sound dumb but IMO I know enough not to hide where I would get trapped.
     
  11. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    IMO ,
    If your plan is to hide ,you can't hide for long.
    If you plan to thrive ,hiding is not part of the strategy.
    If your inside a box ,how much can you see ?
    I find the best defense, is a really great offense .
    By offense, I mean being away from the house/BOL, meeting the enemy on different turf .
    How do you know they are enemy ?
    By having a decoy structure, invaders are likely to explore, and bugging the whole place inside and out especially out.
    The likely hood of it being destroyed or used for fire wood or bugs being found is high , so bugs distributed in it's perimeter is essential.
    An other aspect often ignored is a uniform , Military have been doing it for centuries and there is a good reason why.
     
  12. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    In a SHTF Senerio EVERYONE who is unknown, is considered at minimum, a Threat.... By their actions, you will, very early on, be able to put their situation in a better Threat Classification. As they become KNOWN, the Threat Classification, can, and should, be reevaluated.
     
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  13. tc556guy

    tc556guy Monkey+++

    Unless these guys are building your new home
    http://www.castlemagic.com/
    your modern home isn't going to stop incoming or out-going rounds
    Plan accordingly
     
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  14. Kingfish

    Kingfish Self Reliant

    My driveway is very long. Almost 1/4 mile and that in itself is a good deterrent I have one neighbor up near the road and people can see him but not us. Our house and garage are both protected by a ridge that encircles them. Can not see anything from the road. Just a two track going up hill and a no trespassing sign. In a shtf scenario we will block the road in 1/2 mile from the first house in our association. This area or choke point will be defended at all times. We all felt it would be better to have a gun fight away from our homes versus being trapped in them.
     
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  15. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    I am DEFINITELY getting me one of these should I win the Lottery! They are right here in Idaho also...
    One thing for sure is, I will never purchase someone else's home again...

    I have looked into 3M protective film, security doors, and even driveway sensors that will notify you on your VHF/UHF radio and been over the house with a fine tooth comb...this place is a sieve, all glass, plywood and sheetrock, and if I spend the money on security doors then the large windows are right there on the ground floor to be smashed and entered. Hopeless...

    The only things I can think of is an loud alarm and ensured it can be seen from the outside (which is a pretty good deterrent against thieves but not bad guys), more guns and dogs. Most homes just aren't built with security in mind... I would prefer a Monolithic Dome home which made of cement construction is FEMA approved for natural disasters and easily shakes off small arms fire...of course, windows are always the problems. We had bars on our windows in Central Asia which is probably against the law here.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2016
  16. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    This is a very useful list, indeed, in the OP. My current house is a stepping stone purchased for it's location to take care of my ageing father. Once he has passed and my home value has peaked we plan to relocate.

    1: Are You Doing a Good Job of Deterring People Who May Want to Do Harm to Your Family?
    Rating: 7
    I installed motion sensing lights in existing places shortly after I moved in, but still need to add a few more to cover a couple of dark spots. Also remember that dogs are a deterrent not mentioned in the article.

    I also approach and question politely when I see people in the neighborhood who don't belong there.

    2: Do You Have a System in Place to Detect When Your Family Actually Needs Protecting?
    Rating: 1
    My dog is currently my only detection system. I plan on installing perimeter sensors and video surveillance to remediate.

    3: Are the Rooms in Your Home Strategically Located so you’ll Actually Have a Chance of Protecting Your Loved Ones?
    Rating: 2
    Master bed downstairs with access to garage, back yard and main entry. Other bedrooms located upstairs. No safe room, no provision for quick escape from upstairs (but it's my Mother in Law...jk). Standard US flimsy construction.

    Main entry steel door with peep hole, but has vertical windows on either side. I've already told my wife to stand to the side and cover the peep with a magazine for a few seconds before looking through it. Garage door also steel. Master door to patio as well as sliding door from living room are glass :(. All doors will get longer screws.

    The next house will have walls more condusive to protection, and I will fab steel window coverings with firing ports I can install if/when things go south. Won't be able to hold off 50 cal, but will design for 308 level protection. Ideally safe room would be basement stocked with supplies and an evacuation tunnel.

    4: Do You Have a Backup Method of Calling for Help in an Emergency?
    Rating: 10
    Cell phones, HAM radio, gun fire

    5: Do You Have the Necessary Gear to Protect Your Family from a Threat?
    Rating: 9
    Only lacking night vision. Defensive tools distributed for quick access if needed. You will surrender, leave, or die.

    6: Would You Really Be Proficient in a Life-Threatening Situation with Your Personal Protection Gear?
    Rating: 10
    I know my tools well. I have proofed them for combat level operation and practice defensive scenarios. In addition I am one of those lucky ones who stays calm during urgent stressful situations and leaves the panic part until its all over. Cold as ice, mofos, I will calmly aim, fire, and move on to the next target until the threat has been neutralized.

    7: Do You Have a Safe Place in Your Home for Your Family to Hide In?
    Rating: 1
    The next house will address this. For now, it's right behind me loading mags as I empty them.

    8: Do You Have a Way of Escaping to a Safer Place?
    Rating: 3
    Upstairs has no way of escaping without using the main stairs through what will likely be a kill zone. I'm going to add a way to escape through a window (need for fire evacuation anyway), but from my MIL's bedroom would likely be visible to others if the house has been breached.

    Once outside the house there are multiple ways to escape, but the rally point for fires would be visible.

    Conclusion: You might win, but it will hurt, and it won't be worth it.
     
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  17. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker



    Interesting option for rarely used doors...
     
  18. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    That is too cool! I am building a house in a few years. I don't know if I would want the full package but I might incorporate part of it into the design.
     
  19. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    Anything you make that looks like a fortification will scream you have something worth taking, even if it's the building itself. I like many of the general principles, though much of it is just for show like the archwork depends too much on mortar for integrity. To me, one of the keys is to not attract unwanted attention.

    I'm thinking a split level entry with an open living/cooking/dining area on top, and sleeping areas below, then a secure basement below that. The open upper floor makes observing and defending the surrounding area easier than a ground level. The sleeping areas would have windows that would be low to the ground that you could shoot from in a very protected standing position. The basement becomes a safe room well stocked with arms, ammo, and supplies. Ideally the basement also has access to a tunnel that leads to a hidden exit.

    EDIT: There is a pretty good discussion on bullet/bomb resistant wall construction here: Making your Home Blast or Bullet resistant

    Both ICF concrete forms and Cob wall construction are pretty intriguing.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2016
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  20. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    For this reason I made secret rooms. DSCN4241.JPG
     
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