No one wants to experience their home being broken into. It can be a traumatizing experience and can leave you feeling vulnerable and unsafe in your own home. Many people believe that they can follow what they see in the movies to protect themselves, but movies are not real life. No one knows how they’re going to react in the moment when the adrenaline is pumping.
With this in mind, prevention should be the first step, such as installing a security system but there are still some additional steps you should plan for in the event that your home is being broken into.
1. Making An Emergency Plan
You should have a plan in place, even if it involves installing something like a bookshelf door to a hidden panic room. You should take into account: how many people live in your house, how many exits there are, which one is closest to each person, and where you should all meet if you all have to flee your home. If you have pets or small children in the home, it’s important to assign responsibility for them and what exactly needs to be done. Having a set plan beforehand will give you something to work with when your brain slips into panic mode.
2. Having Precautionary Measures in Place
Other than having a security system installed in your home, there are some safety measures you should take into account. Responsibility should be assigned to someone to turn on the security system every time you leave your home. That way, it becomes a good habit that keeps your home safe.
If your bedroom is upstairs, do you have a rope ladder nearby that can be used to get to the ground safely? It would be a good idea to invest in a sturdy one that can support everyone’s weight so that there’s no risk of it breaking. You don’t want to have to worry about someone getting injured when you’re trying to get away.
Lastly, keep your cellphone charged at night and near your bed so that you can call 911 once you’re safely away from your home.
3. Escape Should Always Be Your First Choice
If you are in a locked room that provides you with some safety and has a means of escape, use it, as long as you can escape safely. There’s no reason to jump out a window if you’re going to break your leg or if you’re escaping into an area where the burglar can see you.
Let the 911 operator know where you are when you escape your home; you don’t want officers to mistake you for the burglar.
4. Remaining Calm And Quiet
In the event that someone has broken into your home, the first 30 seconds is crucial. Your fight instinct might kick in, but there are better options to keep you safe. Because you don’t know how the burglar will react to confrontation, it’s best to avoid meeting them at all. Your best bet is to remain calm, lock the door of the room you’re in, and keep quiet. Listen out for how many intruders there might be, if they’re talking, and if you can hear any auditory evidence of a weapon.
If you’re in the room where the rest of your family is supposed to meet in an emergency, don’t lock the door until everyone is accounted for.
5. Call 911 Immediately
Now that you’re relatively safer, then you should call 911 and try to keep your voice low. Provide the operator with your name and address, and tell them that someone is in your home. If you hear any new information, relay it to the operator so that they know exactly what kind of situation you’re dealing with. Remain on the phone so that they can hear anything else that takes place while you’re waiting for the authorities to show up. You’ll also have someone providing you with good advice should your emergency plan fall apart.
6. Unless You’re Trained, Don’t Grab A Weapon
If you have firearms, baseball bats, or pepper spray in your home, it’s important that you only use them if you’ve practiced with them. If you are not a trained professional, you run the risk of injuring yourself, as well as giving the intruder a new weapon if they didn’t enter your home with one.
7. Keep Your Car Keys By Your Bed
Once you’re in a safe place, press the panic button on your car key fob. Many burglars will flee when a car alarm goes off because the sound is much more likely to wake your neighbors and have them looking out their windows to see what’s going on. That puts more eyes on your property and increases the chances of having more eyewitnesses.
Alternatively, press the panic button on your home’s security system if there is a panel in the locked room you’re in. This is a good backup plan in the event that you forget to turn on your alarm system before going to bed.
8. Wait It Out
Whether you’re in the house or outside when officers show up, it’s important that you don’t move until they’ve cleared the house. Inform the 911 operator that you hear the police in your home, and confirm with them that they’ve knocked on the door and told you that it’s safe to come out.
Although this safety plan is more fitting for a burglary occurring at night when you’re sleeping, you can create one that’s more suitable for daytime so that you’re always prepared. Having a good defensive plan in place will keep you safe before the authorities arrive.
If you’re concerned that you might be at risk for burglary, then don’t hesitate to seek help when it comes to keeping your home safe. Whether that’s installing a home security system or investing in a few tools to keep your locked doors closed, doing something is better than doing nothing and being caught with your pants down.
