Action Items
[] My family has a practiced plan to move to safety when a threat develops at our home.
[] I have a hardened safe room.
[] I have the proper gear in my safe room.
[] We have a plans to practice Depart on our calendar every six months.
Depart means moving yourself and your people away from the threat and toward a safer, pre-planned position. That may be outside the home if escape is open, or it may be to a hardened safe room. The goal is to avoid direct confrontation whenever possible.
Much will depend on what people you have in the home, where they are located and where the threat is.
Make decisions quickly and move quickly. This buys you time and time buys you options.
Apply Zone Thinking for the decision ladder.
Zone 1
Potential threat is outside on the property (or nearby) and not yet attempting entry.
If you choose to escape. Have your weapon. Lead your people. Make sure the threat doesn’t engage them during the escape. Move to pre-determined safe location.
If you choose to barricade. Move people to safe room. Have weapon and keep eye on the threat while calling 911.
If threat moves to Zone 2 (tries to enter the home) then hit panic button and move to safe room.
Zone 2
Threat actively attempting entry
- Can we escape safely? Then do it.
- Can we barricade safely? Then do it.
Zone 3
Threat inside the home
-Decision ladder now comes into play very fast.
- Can we escape safely? Then do it.
- Can we barricade safely? Then do it
As the protector, if safe escape or barricade is questionable, you will need to direct your people to escape or barricade and you will need to engage the threat to draw attention away and buy your people time.