Protecting Your Family During A Break In

by Jill Steele

Just the mere thought is terrifying. Truly, no one can imagine the horror that goes through your mind when you realize your home is being broken into. According to the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Training & Education, a home, apartment or condominium is broken into every 11 seconds. Over 60% of burglaries occur during daylight hours when no one is home. But what about the other 40%?

Think about it for a minute. It's the middle of the night. You hear noises. Then footsteps. Who is it? Is he on drugs? Does he have weapons? Has he woken the kids? How will you escape? Did he trigger the home security alarm system? The middle of a crisis is not the time to create a plan of action. The time is now!

Police departments, defense training professionals and citizen safety groups all agree on several fundamentals when it comes to dealing with intruders. Use this information to develop a safety plan to apply in the unfortunate event that your house is broken into while you're home.

If You Have Home Security Alarms

Depending on how they are programmed, home security alarm systems will most often engage when your door or window is broken into. With most companies, the monitoring center will receive the alert then phone your home. If you're in the middle of a burglary, don't answer! You won't need to.

The phone ringing will probably signal the burglar that a security company is calling and he'll flee. The monitoring center will take action if they don't get a response from you. Help will be dispatched without you having to do anything.

If You Don't Use Home Security Alarm Systems

For those who don't use home security alarms, you'll need to make arrangements to call for help yourself. A cell phone is your best bet. With landlines, an intruder can simply take an extension off the hook to prevent you from calling the police. Give the authorities as much information as you can and do it quickly. Be as specific as possible.

Stay or Go?

The decision of whether to try and escape or stay put is a subjective one. You'll have to evaluate your situation and make that decision for yourself. Professionals suggest considering these factors:

· Is your bedroom on a first floor or second (or higher) floor? If a first floor, you may be able to escape through a window. If a second-story floor, you might be able to use a fire escape ladder. Any higher and it would not be safe to flee through a window.

· Does your bedroom window open to a safe place? You wouldn't want to climb down into prickly holly bushes, a steep slope or other dangerous area.

If you stay, get to a safe room. Any room with a lockable door (preferably a deadbolt) that opens out is good. Charge your cell phone in that room every night so it will be available if you need it. Reinforce the door with heavy furniture or a metal brace (you can get this at home improvement stores). You may also want to install deadbolts and door braces in the rooms of your children and instruct them on when and how to lock the doors.

No one likes to think about burglary or home invasion. However, planning now can literally save your life later. Walk through your house or apartment. Then, develop a safety strategy that fits your family and surroundings so you can be prepared in the event of a robbery.

Jill Steele works for Monitronics, one of the largest home alarm system monitoring companies in the US. Monitronics offers protection against emergencies with state-of-the-art home security alarm systems and monitoring services. Visit them online today at http://www.monitronics.com.

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