Do You Have A Plan B?

[45Gunner]

My wife and I, along with out dog, live alone in a two story 4 bedroom house. We have our defensive plan in play and I believe my tactics are sound.

My son, his wife, and five of his kids came to spend the weekend and now my defensive plan will not work because of all the kids in the house. My son is a LEO. He and his wife and a couple of the kids occupy the one guest room on the west side of the house. The other kids occupy the second guest room on the north side of the house which is closest to the Master Bedroom. The Master is occupied by my wife and I on the east side, along with the dog. My son has strict instructions not to shoot at things that go bump in the night unless he has a positive ID on the target and we have verbal communication between us. Not that he would need that sort of briefing but it is nice to know that we have an understanding. The idea, of course, is not to catch each other in a cross fire. Right after we discussed and briefed each other as to our plan of action, we realized we had to make provisions for the kids that may wonder out of their room if things start to happen. We soon realized that the kids needed to be of our planning as they need strict instruction as what to do if they heard the adults outside of the bedrooms. By the way, the kids range in age from the 3 year old twins to a 5, 7, and 8 year old.

I got to wondering about those that have a "normal plan A" in place. How do you modify that plan or produce a "Plan B" when you have house guests that are either armed or unarmed as each presents a unique set of circumstances?

[TheNocturnus]

My wife and I live with 3 dogs and 3 cats in a duplex that is attached by the garage to the next unit. If anyone were to break in I grab the Glock 22 and I hand her the .38 special revolver and the phone to call the police.

I would know immediately that someone was trying to break in as my dogs all bark when a leaf hits the ground.

Plan A:
Barricade the bedroom door, shoot anyone that enters. Or meet the intruder at the front/back door if they have not yet entered the house, then shoot them if they enter.

Plan B:
We never have house guests but if we did they would be sleeping in the basement and I would hope they would stay put, if not I would yell for them to stay put and maybe call the police also. I would still shoot the intruder if necessary in this plan also.

[federali]

It seems your son has a good tactical grasp of the situation. First things last: The gun should be your last line of defense and the bulk of your preparations should be to discourage intruders from targeting your home, then, if that fails, to make the home as hard a target as practical, short of a moat, guard towers and roving Dobermans.

While volumes could be written, it's a good idea to have sufficient ambient light at all times that you can easily distinguish between family and strangers. When two people are armed in the same house, things can get complicated. I recall a recent case that could have ended in tragedy. A new, young police officer, still living at home, returns from a date and believes he saw the garage door close or saw movement there. He draws his off duty handgun and investigates. His father, an armed, retired police officer, heard noises in the yard, arms himself and goes out to investigate. It's only by some miracle that father and son did not end up shooting each other but they did challenge each other. Sorry, I don't remember the specific facts but to my knowledge, no shots were fired but it was close.

[Terry A]

Yesterday, 01:27 AM #1
45Gunner
Senior Member


Join Date: August 8, 2009
Location: Boca Raton, FL
Posts: 1,454 Do You Have A Plan B?

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My wife and I, along with out dog, live alone in a two story 4 bedroom house. We have our defensive plan in play and I believe my tactics are sound.

My son, his wife, and five of his kids came to spend the weekend and now my defensive plan will not work because of all the kids in the house. My son is a LEO. He and his wife and a couple of the kids occupy the one guest room on the west side of the house. The other kids occupy the second guest room on the north side of the house which is closest to the Master Bedroom. The Master is occupied by my wife and I on the east side, along with the dog. My son has strict instructions not to shoot at things that go bump in the night unless he has a positive ID on the target and we have verbal communication between us. Not that he would need that sort of briefing but it is nice to know that we have an understanding. The idea, of course, is not to catch each other in a cross fire. Right after we discussed and briefed each other as to our plan of action, we realized we had to make provisions for the kids that may wonder out of their room if things start to happen. We soon realized that the kids needed to be of our planning as they need strict instruction as what to do if they heard the adults outside of the bedrooms. By the way, the kids range in age from the 3 year old twins to a 5, 7, and 8 year old.

I got to wondering about those that have a "normal plan A" in place. How do you modify that plan or produce a "Plan B" when you have house guests that are either armed or unarmed as each presents a unique set of circumstances?
__________________
May the Schwartz Be With You.
NRA Instructor

45Gunner

Hi 45 Gunner!
You do pose an interseting situation if a "worse case scenario" were to unfold.
How to keep the kids from roaming about the house at night when the adults are sleeping? Since the children are still pretty young, I would have the parents tell them that "Since we're staying in a home that's not our own, if you have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or for a drink, etc., then make sure you wake an adult so they know that it's you walking around.
If they ask why, make it a fun reason such as saying "Grandma gets afraid if she hears something moving around at night, so we don't want to scare her" or something maybe more creative that would work with your family. The idea is to get them to not wander around the house at night when others are sleeping. But you know that already or you wouldn't have posed the question!

What would be a "must" is that if you or your son were to hear something or if something unfolded where you & your son had to go into your "Plan A", I would make certain that you both woke your wives & they knew ahead of time that their responsibility were to go into the kids rooms & make sure that they all stayed put until you or your son said otherwise. His wife would keep the kids in her room in the room with her & your wife would go to the other bedroom & make sure she kept those kids in there with her. Then you & your son could pretty much follow whatever plans you had worked out in advance.

When your son & his family are not staying with you, how much is your wife involved in your regular plan? Is your daughter-in-law up to speed on the plans you & your son discussed? The reason I ask is that if a worse case scenario did occur, such as a home invasion, there wouldn't be time to do any talking. They should be told ahead of time that if something were to happen, what they would do. I think the women can be used as great help if something were to unfold. But that means they also be involved in the planning & preparation.

[Skadoosh]

My plan B is that I have a very good hardwired security system in place with zones that can be masked and unmasked as needed...

btw...why do so many here on TFL feel the need to quote an entire post?

[Terry A]

Today, 03:50 PM #5
Skadoosh
Senior Member


Join Date: December 13, 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 466 My plan B is that I have a very good hardwired security system in place with zones that can be masked and unmasked as needed...

btw...why do so many here on TFL feel the need to quote an entire post?
__________________
Single Six wrote:
Quote:
Mighty difficult to lose the fight if you're gone when it starts.

Does your "very good hardwired security system in place with zones that can be masked and unmasked as needed" come with a force field to keep kids from wandering about at night or from running out the bedroom if they hear something?

Today 03:50 PM
Skadoosh My plan B is that I have a very good hardwired security system in place with zones that can be masked and unmasked as needed...

btw...why do so many here on TFL feel the need to quote an entire post?

PS-Sorry to have ruined your weekend by "quoting an entire post." Never had anyone whine about a quoted post before.

[markj]

Hard to plan for every potential threat. I just go about my day in a foggy haze.... no that was when iwas a politician early warning gives a person time to get ready for whatever may come.

I prefer forewarned over surprised Gomer Pile did nothing for me


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6_1Pw1xm9U

[mdd]

I live alone in a large farmhouse. My closest neighbor is a mile away. I do not have overnight guests. If something goes bump in the night that is not supposed to go bump, my plan A is to shoot it. My plan B is to shoot it again. Pretty straightforward.

[stonewall50]

My plan A has always been discouragement. But when I was younger, my family lived out in the boondocks. So anyone breaking in would have found our house an EASY target(remember it doesn't matter how prepared you are...your house is easy to break into given the time factor). The only REAL discouragement might have been our dogs (and that everyone owns a gun there).

But push comes to shove and plan A fails...plan B was simply proper lighting. Being in the boodocks a yard light only covered so much, and the boogey man would have had it easy as far as approach. But the proper indoor lighting makes a difference too. We kept lights on where doors were, and lights off where we would sit in the event someone broke in. Call the cops and cover family was the plan(I had my sister and dad had mom...we lived on opposite ends of the house when I was old enough to have a gun cabinet in my room).

PLAN C...well we found this out later when we actually had to enact our plan. The plan only works if you are awake. Short version is my mom saw someone breaking into my truck...while she was dreaming. The cops were called to investigate while my father looked for the supposed person from the darkened house. Problem was when I was awakened to this and asking what was going on I was sleep walking. I don't remember ANYTHING from this night despite having spoken to the responding officer. I don't have the faintest idea what happened. I didn't wake up. Oh...and I have dogs...very loud ones...who slept right under my window outside...that bark at everything that comes down the driveway...that went nuts to the cop car(I was told)...that I didn't wake up too.

So I think it is a good idea to make a plan of what exactly you are going to do if someone makes it inside your home and you don't know. It IS a possibility. Even if it is remote. I mean the odds of someone coming into my apartment without me waking up are rare, but my door stays locked 100% of the time as a delay. If someone were to break in at night I would have enough time to pull my handgun and fire at someone at my door.

[kgpcr]

My plan A is a .45 springfield double stack or a 12ga with OOO buck. I think thats all i need

[Deaf Smith]

My plan B entitles walking with people who are slower than me on a run.

Deaf

[Prospero]

My Plan A: As I live in an 1970's doublewide, which is totally secure , a big advantage I've found is using the small space to my advantage. I think everyone should be able to navigate through their house in a blackout situation, i.e. no electric lightes, candles or even retro wall sconces. While a burglur may have actively reconned your house from the outside they will more than likely only know the interior from what can be seen thru windows, probably not from very close either. Use this. Be able to move quickly and efficiently in the darkness and know where to engage them. In my case, the approach to my bedroom, which contains a .44 within five feet and a 12 ga. within 10, is accessed only thru a single narrow hallway. Why the small size would allow them to get from the door to me relativley quickly, it is also not an easy route. The trailer layout is not designed for any sort of quick movements, as I've found out and so have others who were not familiar with the layout and trying to be quiet in the dark .

My Plan B: We often have guests spend the night, we're not too close to anybody eles house so people often stay over. And no one gets into a car drunk at my house. Never again. I've told anyone whom I trust to stay in my house that if the stuff hits the fan stay put and don't draw attention. And I always check to see where their sleeping for the night, it could only really be two or three places, all very close to each other. So simply, my Plan B is to be very aware of where I point my firearm, and use rounds that won't go through the "walls" of my house.It may not be perfect, but few things are. Including the best laid plans. Have a great day!

[Doublea A]

Plan A: bump in the night, wife grabs her firearm and lays an ambush. I grab my firearm to investigate but if I know they are already in the house, I lay an ambush as well. I prefer to have them come to me because I don't know where exactly they are in the house because we sleep upstairs.

Plan B: We usually don't have guests stay over but when they do I brief them of the security protocol. This is, they should not get involve because they are not armed. They should always stay in their room and barricade the door. I don't want them in the cross fire. As far as children goes, we have never had any stay over but that will change when we have our own.

[saypek]

Plan A - Call police

Plan B - Shoot