Advice for my house

[Avizpls]

If you can help me, it'd be appreciated. Im trying to determine the best way to protect my self and others in the house in case of a *bump* in the night. Here's my situation:

I am 21. I live with both of my parents. They know I have guns (a PT140 and a "tactical" style shotgun) but I havent told them yet that they enter my mind when I hear a noise. And they do not have guns readily available. Even if they did, I would still feel it is up to me to perform this duty after hours. Anyways, this is two parts. which of these tools to you suggest I grab, and how do I go about seeing what is upstairs?

Picture my house as this:
[A][B][C]
[D][E][F]

and duplicated as it is two stories. I live in F in the basement. My parents are in A upstairs. (Upstairs is ground level, there is nothing higher than level)Sometimes (this really throws a wrench into the emotional factor) my neice is in B upstairs. The main enterence is E upstairs, with a second one D downstairs. I can see the inside portion of D from in my room, thru a window. I am not worried about that. My dilema is if I suspect an entry thru E upstairs...now what. I dont want to just go running up there with my shotgun pointed around, flicking its laser all about my father while he lets the dog out. but do I sit idley downstairs? I dont THINK so!

But thats my problem. I dont like either extreme. any suggestions for me? How to go about it, and which weapon to get? And I dont like the "call police first" thing, because what if its stupid and my blind dog ran into something?

[Derius_T]

One of the first things I would do is order some of those little 1st alert alarms.
(do google search) They are really tiny, and can be installed very discretely on ANY door, window. They install with a super strong sticky backing, and require no tools. You can get I think 8 of them for $20. Any opening that has one gets opened and they set off an ear splitting siren. At least it will let you know if a door or window was actually opened.

And it has been hashed over dozens of times here on TFL, investigating, room clearing in an occupied home is one of the most dangerous things you can do. To many variables, and too many chances for things to go wrong.
Another good thing to have in my opinion is a big, loud, noisy, biting, DOG.

The situation you are in requires some advance planning. Sit down with the others in your house and settle on a definate plan if that situation happens. That way everyone will know where everyone else is SUPPOSED to be, and it will minimize chances of 'friendly' encounters in the dark.

I worked for awhile when I was younger installing home security. We had this one guy that was really super paranoid. We installed locking 'saferoom'
doors on almost every room in the house, video monitors, the whole 9 yards.
He even had 'panic buttons' in several rooms that when pressed would activate audible alarms, turn on almost every single light inside and outside the house, and alert the LEO's. It was a sweet setup, but a little much. :)

[Avizpls]

And it has been hashed over dozens of times here on TFL, investigating, room clearing in an occupied home is one of the most dangerous things you can do.

I've seen that, and I agree. But on the nights my neice (3yo) is thrown into the mix, it really bothers me. Escpecialy since she is the closest room to the front door. And moving her room isnt very much of an option, because there is no other decent place for her that is any less close to a main door. And my parents are pretty trusting of neighbors. I talked to them last night about maybe starting to lock the doors at night. So I was happy to see that they were all ready locked when I walked upstairs to do so. Obviously, they arent particularly concerned.

What do you think of this for if my neice isnt in the equation: Call the house from my cell phone in an instance I think there is a real problem. It'll wake my parents, and startle the BG, if there is one. Good? Bad?

And what if the little one IS there? I think I HAVE to get ot her at the very least, but that means going past the side and front doors directly.

[Ohio Annie]

1. All doors to the outside are always locked, even when people are home and feeling safe. Everyone has a key. No keys should be given to non-family members or people who do not belong in the house.

2. Put those little alarms on all windows.

3. Have a plan about what to do when:
a. one of the alarms goes off
b. a person THINKS they hear an intruder
c. add other scenarios appropriate to your situation

I live alone and have gone over many scenarios and have been able to come up with one plan that will always work for all possible scenarios. Until Mr. Murphy comes of course. :rolleyes:

[FrankDrebin]

Get a dog and put the guns away....

[Avizpls]

We have two dogs. One is blind, and the other barks at me, but not at the ax wielding serial killer (not actually happened) So I dont think I can rely on them. I really feel there is no good answer because I dont want to hinder the style they have always had. Apperently, leaving a small lamp on in the nliving room is like a force shield against bad people?

[Ninjato]

How about a cell phone and call the police first and report a break-in.

Also put things into perspective. Where do you live? Is it a high crime area? Are you in the city? What is the response time of your local PD? Is there a history of break-ins in your neighborhood?

A shotgun may be the ultimate self defense weapon, but can get unwieldy in dark tight situations where you may be overcome before you can get the muzzle pointed properly and then you have to worry about over penetration thru sheetrock walls.

I am not sure of a good solution for you. I am just posting all the issues I see that can be a BIG negative.

Last but not least, it is NOT your house. The owner or head of household is the decision maker in this instance. It is the HOH's responsibility to ensure the safety of the house...not you because of altruistic feelings. If you feel you MUST be the protector then you need to discuss this w/ your father.

[Avizpls]

To answer ninjas Q's

The cell phone is #1 once i confirm its an actual intruision.

I live outside of pittsburgh, about half mile from anyone, but right on a main route. Not high crime. PD response....20min? Not a very bad record of break ins.

The shotgun has a light on it, but I almost feel thats a negative. Gives away any sneak i might have.

[Ninjato]

The shotgun has a light on it, but I almost feel thats a negative. Gives away any sneak i might have.

The pump action of chambering a round in the shotgun will also give away any sneak you might have.

[guntotin_fool]

It does not have to be huge, but it should be a dog known for attentive behavior. My wifes little jack russel is a great watch dog, not big but it WATCHES. A cat walking on snow in a blizzard will setting off his alarms.
I have a big Lab that is my hunting dog that will not care who is outside but woe be unto him who enters when I am not home. If i had to pick a watch dog I would pick my wifes dog.
Teach the dog his job and he will do it day in day out.

second get some outside lights. Motion detectors, mount them on the house and away from the house. Also get some low voltage landscape lights. Nothing keeps trash away like light.

Find a spot in your house where you can see what is going on and keep yourself in the dark and covered, where you can cover the house and be somewhat protected. use that spot to determine what is going on. just sit and see, let them come to you.

Our house looks like any other but a few simple mods make it hard to get into without making a hell of a lot of noise. A door kicker a simple block of wood dropped behind slider door keeps it shut. Most of the windows have little blocks that hang down and keep the window from opening more than a few inches, but can be flipped up to open window for escape if fire hits
Rose bushes planted outside the Lower level windows make it painful to be creeping around.

By now you should be able to get an idea that the last thing to do is go running around with a loaded shotgun. If it gets to that, playing ninja in the house with parents and a kid around is not how you want to play this game. Develop habits... the cell phone goes to the same place on your bed or on your night stand EVERY NIGHT. Get a cordless phone in the house. One that has an intercom and put that next to your bed and your parents bed. The shotty goes one place. every night. Same with the pistol, I bought a cheap fobus holster and screwed the paddle to the back of the nightstand, every night I put a pistol there and and a Streamlight under my pillow.
If you get a real intruder in the house call 911 on the cordless phone not the cell phone first. It will tell the cops where to go even if you drop the phone and DO NOT HANG UP let that puppy record every sound in the house.

[wayneinFL]

You haven't talked to your parents about this? It's their house, and their right to say whether guns should be kept ready for defense or stored and inaccessible. In my opinion, that's number one, before tactics.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for shooting the heck out of bad guys, and am ready to do so if necessary. But this is my house, and I can do what I want.

[Avizpls]

Wayne, they know I have them, and how I have them, but not where. I am like Guntotin_fool in that I have a holster nailed to the wall beside my bed, behind some speakers. The shotgun lies in the same cubby hole. By no means am I thinking that grabbing the shotgun and running thru the house yelling "come out come out whereever you are" iis the best practice. Im pretty sure that I know all of the bad ideas (they come easiers :P ) but good ideas are hard to come by. The intercom comment gave me this idea: hit intercom on a phone (preferably one that wont ding and need to be answered) so I can hear whats upstairs from down here. And at the top of my steps I can see pretty well thru the house. except not my neices room. and if you havent seen by now, thats my biggest concern. I'll keep pondering

[Ninjato]

Avi...I live in Center City Philadelphia. I am not as "paranoid" as you are. I use paranoid due to a lack of a better word so don't take it the wrong way.

Did something recently happen to cause such a concern about household safety? Are you expecting something to happen because you ****** somebody off? Has someone made a threat concerning your niece?

Wayne, they know I have them, and how I have them, but not where.

I really think you need to discuss this w/ your father first before going any further. His word is final. When you get your house, you do what YOU want.

I seems (may not be true) to me that regardless what your father says, you don't want to hear him say no.

[InToItTRX]

I would say if they don’t mind you owning guns then get your own dog, my dog is my first line of defense, he is a German Shepherd, has excellent hearing and if someone so much as walks up to the front door that he does not recognize I hear about it, and if given the chance I can let him deal with it, however as soon as he tells me I get a gun, it is not hard to train a German Shepherd to do this as it is in their nature. He makes a great family dog and loves other small dogs and children, however I live alone. Luckily he never has had to tell me of a situation of where I would have to get a gun.

[LAK]

It sounds like you live in an almost semi-rural environment. I can not say statistically that such dwellings are more, or less, targets than very isolated or urban homes. But being on a main route means that you have more traffic than the very isolated rural homes, and more people - good and bad - "just passing through". This means more exposure, and anyone with the wrong intentions has a main thoroughfare to make an escape.

The first thing to do is establish what additions or modification you can make to the house. Ideally, a home should be such that anyone can not break in with causing enough noise to wake up everyone at home, and sufficient enough that even with some substantial tools it will take them a minute or more to actually get inside. This is a tall order for some people, and in any case is a matter that can only be decided by those in charge of the household. In this case your parents.

Window and door alarms can be fitted quite cheaply, but can be a nuisance if everyone isn't familiar with their operation and consistant in their use of them.

Lighting is very important, and might be your way to break the opening subject with your parents, seeing as they see some significance in leaving the lamp on in the living room.

The exterior lighting of a house is very important. Floodlighting that faces away from but lights up all areas around the house right up to the walls will enable those inside to see what's going on outside. They can be left on at night to discourage intruders, or they can be activated if there is something going on outside that causes suspicion, or they can be sensor activated.

Inside lighting can be installed that can be used to light up common areas inside the house from remote switches in the bedrooms. These flood or wide spotlight should face away from your bedrooms so that they illuminate the common areas, making it difficult for any intruder to see you, and making them clearly identifiable and easy targets.

I think lights mounted on long guns or handguns are a bad idea. For one thing, like all electronic gadgets they rely on batteries, bulbs and switches which although very reliable when put together and maintained by the right people, can and do fail at the worst of times. I have a pile of lighting devices both cheap and expensive for various purposes; if I am investigating something potentially unpleasant at night I certainly have one with me, but I may not always want it switched on. And I certainly do not want to rely on one to defend myself even in near darkness. If it happens to switch on accidently - because of some unforseen activity, or a faulty switch - I want to be able to toss it immediately. Any lighting device is going to reveal your presence and location to all and everyone for a considerable distance. To use a gunmounted light to identify a person as friend or foe you must point the weapon at them, which violates Rule Two. Of course you can point it off to one side, but to gain the advantage of some spotbeams one has to pretty much point the muzzle at what you want to ID.

I disagree with those who say to just call the police and wait. For one thing, the police are going to, at some stage, ask you to come out and meet them. Few peace officers are going to attempt to enter a house on a call from an unidentified person (regardless of what is said over the phone) of a break-in. You can by all means call them, but at some stage you are going to be faced with the same practical problems. And on their arrival the now additional factor of making sure they do not mistake you for a badguy attempting to leave the scene, or in the event any shooting starts you may find yourself in the line of fire from both the goodguys and the badguys.

First you need a plan.

For all likely occurences. You can not plan for everything that might possibly happen, but those that commly and might reasonably occur. As you learn more, this knowledge, and your planning etc can be expanded.

In your circumstances, depending on who is at home at the time, your plan should run something like; make ready, pick a vantage point where you can see and hear as much as possible (but a defendable position) and listen, look and evaluate for at least long enough to know whether it is in fact a person inside the house, or something else. Be ready at all times just in case an intruder appears suddenly, and maintain a cool fighting mindset. Many people have a problem maintaining "cool"; but it is imperative in making accurate judgements - you do not want to shoot a member of your own family who has arrived home early from a "vacation", or who got up to make some hot chocolate and dropped a porcelain mug on the kitchen floor.

In general, it is clearly an intruder, your best tactic is to let them come to you. This gives you the advantage in almost any likely circumstance. If you hear no further noise after being initially alerted, and a substantial period of time elapses - say three to five minutes - then it is probably time to move. One short slow step at a time, as noiselessly as possible. Use your peripheral vision, especially when entering opening areas of the house.

In your planning, go through the house at night, and make notes on every reflective object and surface that gives you otherwise obstructed views of each room and area. Write them down, memorize them, keep track of changes. Maybe hang a few extra pictures (parents permitting), buy them a shiny brass vase, maybe an antique mirror, whatever fits where, and you can afford, that will assist in viewing critical areas from concealed positions.

Equipment.

I usually prefer a long gun to any handgun even inside a dwelling. The reason is that handgun cartridges are very poor stoppers - regardless of caliber or bullet type. However, a handgun is ideal for wearing around home (not all break-ins happen when everyone is tucked in bed - or even at night), and they are a back-up weapon in the event of a long gun malfunction. Ammunition is a deep subject that is well-addressed in other threads.

I do recommend clear wraparound type shooting glasses. many injuries in armed confrontations are eye injuries. Any time bullets are flying in an indoor enviroment the potential for flying glass fragments, wood splinters etc is quite high. Good ones are not expensive, and there is really no reason not to wear them.

While I generally encourage people not to rely on gadgets, one potentially beneficial item is the electronic hearing protection that amplifies normal sound, but suppresses damaging levels (like gunshots indoors). I do not have these, but the idea has great merit. The worse thing that can happen is that they "fail" - you shed them on the spot - and carry on. The sound amplification would aid greatly in evaluating and tracking any intruder inside a home, and possibly save some hearing damage if shots happen to be fired.

These points are just a start. As you read more material and opinions it will feed your own intellect and you will develope ideas and refine plans of your own.

[Avizpls]

Thanks Lak, Wayne and everyone else. I developed two sets of plans, one for if the little one is around, and one for if not. Not clearing the house by anymeans, but Ill look out my window in my room into the other room, make sure all is fine there and in the garage. Then Ill go upstairs, wait at the top for a few minutes, and either go back downstaris, or proceed to my neices room if she's around.

Ninjato, as far as discussing it with my father, we did. What I meant with that comment is that he knows I have them, he knows they are loaded, but he isnt aware of exactly where in my room they are.

[Ninjato]

Ninjato, as far as discussing it with my father, we did. What I meant with that comment is that he knows I have them, he knows they are loaded, but he isnt aware of exactly where in my room they are.

Cool!!!! :cool:

[NYC Drew]

Avi,

Spend some time and think thru what happens AFTER you clear the house, with two bad guys on the run and one guy one the floor bleeding away.

Don't stop your strategic planning at where you did, follow thru and see where the court system may take you, and/or visualise life with a debilitating injury.

Dedicate some of your energies in making your home SAFER and less of a target. If you think your crib is gonna get hit, see what you can do to slow down an undeterred home invasion.

Also, you really should spell things out more for your dad. You can protect 5 lives with two guns, but those same two guns can ruin you financially.

NYC Drew

[U.F.O.]

I don't see how those 2 guns are going to ruin him financially. I don't know what the laws are in Pa., but in most states I'm familiar with a home invasion is the absolute, one, iron clad time you have the right to use deadly force in defending your and your family's life with the fewest questions asked and the least possibility of having to seriously defend yourself in a wrongful death civil suit. If it gets to the point where you can't defend yourself in your own home.....I'm moving somewhere where you can.

U.F.O.

[Avizpls]

I dont think my house is any more of a target than any. Probably even less than most. But its a possibility, even if not probable. and you are right, I do need to discuss with pops some more.

As far as what happens afterwards, god. I just hope I dont have to worry about it. Please dont get the idea that I am looking to go gunz-a-blazin if i hear a crackle. What CAN I do in the situation where I was made to use force, be it incapacitating, or deadly. I dont know what to even think about.

and by the way, its THREE guns now :) got a Kel-Tec p3AT.

[LAK]

Post shooting drill is; call 911 (if you have not already) and be prepared to meet them when they arrive, unarmed and hands up. But do not disarm yourself - nor drop your guard until the police do arrive, in case there are more badguys around and attempt a second visit or appear from a hiding place. When calling 911 give a physical description of yourself and how you are dressed; this will aid first arriving police in clearly identifying you as the caller.

As for the legalities, research this and other forums and you will find this topic well trampled. The bottom line is to make sure that any use of deadly force is justified under your state law and in accordance with it.

But in an antagonistic encounter, do not worry about anything else except your own survival first (and that of your family), and that any shooting is a justifiable shooting under the law. If you keep that in order, the rest is secondary and can be worried about later. I believe there are various types of prepaid legal services or insurance you can take out if you can afford them, and that topic too is no doubt searchable on this forum as well.

[chris in va]

Virginia is one of 'those' states. You can't shoot an intruder in your house unless he is threatening your life directly, and forget drawing a weapon on someone stealing your property.

Basically someone can crack open a window, ruffle through your granddaddy's priceless artifacts and waltz out the front door while you watch.

Damn lawyers. :barf:

[Derius_T]

chris in va wrote:

Virginia is one of 'those' states. You can't shoot an intruder in your house unless he is threatening your life directly, and forget drawing a weapon on someone stealing your property.


I think thats basically any state. (someone correct me if i'm wrong) I don't think there are very many states that allow deadly force to protect property.

That doesn't mean you can't bash his face in tho............. ;)

[Timulator]

I had the good fortune of being able to choose the floorplan for our house. It is exactly because of such stupid, ambiguous laws about when you are legally able to use deadly force within your home to defend yourself that one of my requirements was that all bedrooms be located UPstairs, and to get to the kids' rooms you have to get past my door.

Anyone breaks into the house can go to town downstairs. Good luck getting out with my stuff before the sheriff shows up! It's all engraved with my ID and I'm insured. Meanwhile I'm upstairs with the SureFire-lighted Mossberg 12 gauge trained on the top of the stairs where I have a nightlight positioned to cast a bit of light at the top of the stairs. If I see anyone appear there, I blast them with 120 lumens of light and, if they are confirmed to be a bad guy who doesn't immediately retreat back downstairs, the light is followed up with a load of #1 buckshot.

The "stuff" is all downstairs. Nothing upstairs but sleeping people. The top of the stairs is my legal/moral Line of Distinction for the use of deadly force. I'm sorry that Avizpls does not have such a clear Line. It sure is nice to have and I recommend doing whatever you can to create one.

One would like to think that, even in whacky Washington state, no jury would convict me of unlawful use of force in such a situation. One never knows, though.....

[DT Guy]

I think Timulator brings up a good, nay, essential point.

One of the things sure to slow down a response to a threat is making a decision, and the bigger and more important the decision, the longer it will take.

Having as many decisions 'pre-made' in the manner of "The top of the stairs is my legal/moral Line of Distinction for the use of deadly force." will greatly improve the timely response to an intruder.

Another thing I'd suggest is (go ahead and laugh...) 'Burglar Drills.' Let the family participate in what the plan will be when an intruder is suspected. Just like a fire drill, it lets you make the jump from knowing what to do to being able to do it without hesitation.

Larry

[Timulator]

I hadn't thought of it in terms of decision-making time, DT Guy, but that's exactly what my plan has done.

And we do have burglar drills. More often, in fact, than fire drills!

We have two scenarios, one in which I'm home and my wife mans the phone and the other when I'm on a business trip and she's alone.

In a nutshell, when I'm home, wife calls 911 and I cover the top of the stairs with the 12 gauge from around a corner in the hallway just outside my bedroom door.

When I'm not home and wife's reasonably sure there's someone in the house, she dials 911 and drops the phone so the dispatcher can hear what's going on. As wife covers the top of the stairs from the corner in the hallway, she yells (for the kids and the 911 dispatcher) that there is a burglar in the house and the boys are to run to our room behind her while she covers the stairs. Then she retreats to the bedroom, closes and locks our door, picks up the phone to speak with the dispatcher while covering the locked bedroom door from the bed. Anyone kicking the door in is shot. The boys meanwhile hide in the master bathroom, well clear of the bedroom door.

In either scenario, when the police arrive, we have a house key on a keyring with a light stick on it, which we would throw out the bedroom window. We would coordinate with the dispatcher to identify the responding officers and so they know who and where we are.

Practice is key, for it has pointed out flaws in the system we hadn't thought of until we went through the drill. And by practicing, everyone knows what to do and it would very likely all go much smoother in an emergency. Besides, the boys, 3-1/2 and 6-1/2, absolutely LOVE the burglar drills! :D

[DT Guy]

Sounds like a good plan.

Ever think of attaching a map of your house to the key, along with the room you're going to be holed up in?


Larry

[Timulator]

Ever think of attaching a map of your house to the key, along with the room you're going to be holed up in?

Hey.... Hadn't thought of that. Great idea! Thanks! Maybe a picture of me and my wife also, to confirm identification.

[Striker]

My response from the "Bump...do you investigate?" thread also located in the Tactics and Training forum.

Interesting Thread.

My plan is much like RKs, but has some more parts to it

My house was purchased with a home break-in scenario as a consideration. All sleeping areas are on second floor. Master bedroom has clear sight line of to stairway. One child still in the house, has bedroom next to master, 3 feet away from master br door.

Bump in the night drill is as follows. Upon alert, (dog, alarm, etc) wife and I make sure each is awake. I secure Glock and mag light, move to daughter's room and move her to master bedroom (she is instructed to remain in room until either of us get her). While doing so, wife makes 911 call and secures Scattergun Tech 870 from closet. I return with daughter, shut door, turn on bedroom light and all move both to master bath, which has clear sight line to bedroom door. (Contact maintained with LE dispatch throughout situation).

At this point wait. If intruder(s) is in house, he/she/they can have anything in it outside the master bedroom (that's what insurance is for!) If BG(s) comes thru bedroom door, I'm ready and prepared to engage. Upon arrival of LE, front door key on big hunter orange boat float key chain out the bathroom window to front lawn for LE folks. Further action depends on how LE folks want to proceed.


Too paranoid, Too cautious? Perhaps, but some key things to consider.


1. I have made the determination at this point in my life not to do any house clearing if I don't have to, and if allowed the option, will wait the situation out from a defensive position of my choosing. My thinking is also greatly influenced by a home invasion situation when I was 17. (Worked out OK, but upon much review as I've gotten older (I'm 50), was based on luck since my mom and I didn't have a clue!)

2. There is a plan, and we practice it, including communication between ourselves during the drill, redundent comms (cordless/cell phones), switching roles, and one parent options. (Ayoob's thoughts and recommendations had a great influence on the decision/planning process). Is the plan perfect? Nope, no plan survives first contact with BG/enemy. There are always variations/contingencies to consider/execute as the situation develops.

3. Having done actual, hostiles involved house clearing ops (military, not LE situations) I don't really want to ever do another, especially since I don't have access to the personnel/gear/weapons mix available in those ops. (teammates, NVGs & frag grenades are wonderful things!)

4. I know my limitations and would much rather leverage tactical and personal advantages, rather then mitigate weaknesses. (The older you get, the better you was!)


My considerations and decisions in this regard may not be yours, but this works for me.

Pretty verbose I know, but just my opinion. All comments encouraged and welcome!

[qurious]

Dogs are easy to bypass. As any BG will tell you.
If the BG wants in he will get in.
Get yourself to a training facility. I'm sure there is one near you. If not, the internet is an amazing tool, as we can all see.
There are many hazards in clearing room to room (death being one of them).
Remember the BG hears you approaching and can hide himself.
You know your house and that's good, but he stays put, waiting for you.
Do you know the ways to clear a room? Do you know what in your house is concealment vs cover? Do you know the difference between the two? Do you have a phone downstairs?= Police!
The alarm idea is good, but when the alarm is tripped and you're downstairs
which one was it?
How often do you train w/ your firearm? Not just target practice.
The one thing I will say is anyone in their right mind will get the heck out of your home if they hear the pump action of a shot gun.
But then alot of BG are not in their right minds.
Sounds to me you need to get training.
In the mean time the Police are your best bet if you truly hear a "bump" in the night. Thats what they train for.
Just the ramblings of an old man ;-)

[FrankDrebin]

Dogs are easy to bypass. As any BG will tell you.
If the BG wants in he will get in.

I've been a policeman for almost 20 years, many of those in a large ghetto-area department, and have never taken a burglary report where the house was occupied at the time of the burglary, and there was a barking dog present......ever.......On the other hand, I've taken numerous burglary reports where multiple guns were stolen while the occupants were away.....I don't think I've ever taken a burglary report where the guns kept anyone out of the house while the occupant was away. Dogs have a far better record than guns or burglar alarms.

[Rojoe67]

I have read a few other informative ideas but let me change gears for a second.

1. This is your Mom and Dad's home... They should be sat down and you and them have a meeting about safety - security - and what to do in both these as well as fire and medical emergency.

2. I can tell you that if you don't speak to them about your concerns they will not have any idea of your desire to make the home safer and more secure. If you try to do this with out their knowing it or approval you can bet they will be a little ****** that your leaving them out of the big plan... and they are right to be ****** with you if you go that route....

3. The dog - Is he a watch/security dog or a little lap pup that doesn't sound the alarm? In my house our Shep. mix is the alarm system and he would react to a break in likely before it took place..... great ears and instincts. I am sure he would fight to his death if that were to defend his home and family.
4. I get a little nervous about you defending home from a basement.... this could turn into a bad sack of worms..... numbers of tacticle reasons....
5. I would look into an alarm system if you feel that this is an advantage for your family. Many types and kinds and numbers of applications are available. The more you pay the more you get. I guess it depends on your area you live too?
6. Motion detection lights on exterior walls - up high so BG can't get at them. Constant area lighting isn't bad either. If your exterior is lite well your semi - normal BG might shy away cause he knows somebody might seem him and call about his activity.

It would be a good idea to sit down and have that talk with the owner's (Mom + Dad) and express your concerns and your solutions.... that's just how I would get the ball rolling............ Good luck.......... :D

[Nnobby45]

Interesting question. Having all the good guys upstairs and guarding the narrow stairway would be my choice. Having some family members upstairs and others in the basement with intruders in between is a frightening thought. I like the dog idea, and I like the idea of creating a safe room for family members to retreat to in such an emergency while someone calls the police (cell phone--intruders cut phone lines). Another person stands guard and protects the door to the safe room. Even then, Murphy says things won't work as planned.

[Arc Angel]

:rolleyes: Go to the foot of the stairs and yell at the top of your lungs: 'Hey mom, hey dad, is everything all right?' 'There's not a burglar in the house, or anything, is there?' 'Mr. Burglar, if you're there, I've already called the police; and they're on the way!' 'Leave now; I've got a gun and I'm ready to use it!' ;)