Close to home, and some thoughts.....

I have an alarm and reinforced doors and wake up pretty quick. In my new house I do have a major issue with master bedroom downstairs and daughter upstairs. If they come in backdoor they have to come down hall to me or pass by in front of hall to get to upstairs. Either way it would not be good for them and I don't have to go far to engage.
My problem is if they come in front door and go upstairs. That would then make me go after to protect daughter but they then have high ground.
Any suggestions?
 
"Authorities are looking for two men, but did not have a description available beyond that"
I doubt that, somehow they know it's two males. What about height, weight, voices (New Yoika, Latino, red neck, Asian, Amish, other)?
 
Love2shoot said:
Me? About 20 feet haha
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You might consider a wireless driveway alarm with the receiver in your bedroom. Assuming they trigger the sensor (with a car if it detects metal or with a car/walking if it detects infrared), you'd have another minute or so of warning as they arrive at the house and decide how to enter.
 
kcult said:
I wouldn't have thought that about tree consultations.
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Just my opinion...

In the here and now, do everything you possibly can to "buy time"....make it harder for someone to get in your house. Fact is, if someone wants to get in bad enough, they're going to. Make that task just as damned difficult as possible. Reinforced door frames, storm doors, chain locks, wedge bars, etc.
 
Zbizzle911 said:
I have 70 seconds to go from dead asleep to up and dressed, walk 60’ go down a set of stairs and then get my gear on and get in the truck and get out the door. I believe I can wake up get my rifle out of my hornady rfid wall safe and be ready to ambush them in the hall.


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Funny story from a few years ago....

Got toned out on a medical dispatch around 2:30am. I must have been sleeping with my arms up under my head, because I got up and both arms were numb from the elbow down. Get to the engine, manage to get into my bunker pants, snake my arms under just one suspender and get it onto my shoulder. Got behind the wheel and was shaking my arms pretty vigorously. My Captain said, "What the hell's wrong with you?" Guess he thought I was having some sorta 'fit'. I said, "Can't feel my f*ing arms!"
 
wsfiredude said:
Funny story from a few years ago....

Got toned out on a medical dispatch around 2:30am. I must have been sleeping with my arms up under my head, because I got up and both arms were numb from the elbow down. Get to the engine, manage to get into my bunker pants, snake my arms under just one suspender and get it onto my shoulder. Got behind the wheel and was shaking my arms pretty vigorously. My Captain said, "What the hell's wrong with you?" Guess he thought I was having some sorta 'fit'. I said, "Can't feel my f*ing arms!"
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[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]


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georgel said:
Home invasion is such a catch all phrase anymore. But, some of you guys need better perimeters. Sensor lights can go a long way in discouraging night time burglary/robbery, especially if you have them tied to some sort if annunciator or chime in. Hardened entryways to slow intrusion down. Simply replacing door latch screws with long decking screws helps. I've known some that simply jam a door stop in the door before retiring. But, the further out you can put perimeter resistance the better.
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I've got the motion sensor lights covered, but they don't have any chimes/sounds associated with them. (I must look online and see what's there. And check with my security company to see what they have in that line....great idea.)
Also, I'm mostly awake at night and can see them come on when deer and God knows what-all come onto the property! Whoever it is is going to get lit up like a Christmas tree!
Keep the ideas coming!
 
CZfool68 said:
As said before home invasions are pretty rare. Unless you are a criminal or possibly onviously wealthy and thus a target the odds of a home invasion are probably lower than you winning MegaMillions tonight or being accidentally swatted by the police. So my plan is to feed the criminals my wife while I save the kids. Sorry Honey, but I had to make a choice.

Like they say, when running from the bear you don't have to be the fastest, just not the slowest.
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LOL.
Guess a spouse can come in handy after all!
 
Jeppo said:
You might consider a wireless driveway alarm with the receiver in your bedroom. Assuming they trigger the sensor (with a car if it detects metal or with a car/walking if it detects infrared), you'd have another minute or so of warning as they arrive at the house and decide how to enter.
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I had one of those where if they cross the beam I get an alarm....except it went off every time anything moved....anything!! So I narrowed the scope of the beam and hoped that would eliminate the false alarms...it didn't. Every time the tiniest weed waved in the slightest breeze, it went off! Finally gave up, trying to think of another solution that won't go off 100 times a day.
If there isn't a lot to trigger it, it would be great, but I have lots of stuff that moves, being out in the boonies....maybe I put it in the wrong place?
 
Good post @Love2shoot
I actually was thinking a little about this Thursday night...sort of.
I keep a Beretta 92, 15+1 and an extra mag, in the nightstand.

Thursday night at 10pm there was a random ring at my doorbell, and I was not expecting any late night guests
As Im quickly getting out of bed I go for the pistol and realize that how I had it did not allow me to quickly retrieve the pistol. In fact, it was not easy at all, as I keep...KEPT my laptop in the top drawer which remained open at all times.

Ive since fixed that
 
HMP said:
Good post @Love2shoot
I actually was thinking a little about this Thursday night...sort of.
I keep a Beretta 92, 15+1 and an extra mag, in the nightstand.

Thursday night at 10pm there was a random ring at my doorbell, and I was not expecting any late night guests
As Im quickly getting out of bed I go for the pistol and realize that how I had it did not allow me to quickly retrieve the pistol. In fact, it was not easy at all, as I keep...KEPT my laptop in the top drawer which remained open at all times.

Ive since fixed that
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I had a similar eye opening experience..... I have a hornady RFID lockbox on my nightstand. I absolutely love it and open it daily for almost 2 years never failed me. However, it has a battery backup for if power is lost. Well since ive never lost power I assumed the batteries would be fine since they hadnt been used for anything. Just 6 months after owning it I did lose power, went to open it, and got a click with no open. The batteries were DEAD. That is the one thing I hate about the safe, it appears to use battery even when on ac power. After that eye opening event, I now have the safe on a battery backup so in the event someone cuts power it will still open right when I need it.
 
It comes down to, if it's just a random home invasion you have a good chance of coming out ok. If you have been targeted by pro criminals, then I do not think it's going to go well. Most random home invasion, they trying to make sure the house is empty, get away clean with your stuff. But, if you are targeted, and they know your home, they really want something and have a plan to deal with you.
 
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I have a loud alarm setup, not so much for defense or cops to be called, but to wake my ass up quick if there is a break...so that's step one.

Step 2 is my wife grabbing her phone, her defensive weapon, and getting the kids in a room upstairs. She dials cops.

Step 3 is me holding position at the top of the stairs, guarding the room she is in.

This could be done in 15 seconds, give or take.

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Millie said:
I had one of those where if they cross the beam I get an alarm....except it went off every time anything moved....anything!! So I narrowed the scope of the beam and hoped that would eliminate the false alarms...it didn't. Every time the tiniest weed waved in the slightest breeze, it went off! Finally gave up, trying to think of another solution that won't go off 100 times a day.
If there isn't a lot to trigger it, it would be great, but I have lots of stuff that moves, being out in the boonies....maybe I put it in the wrong place?
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@Millie perhaps you should consider the type of sensor that reacts to metal.
 
NCFubar said:
My thoughts on this are basically for a home invasion your door locks (door knob lock, dead bolt, chain, whatever) don’t give you any real protection ... just a busted door jam if kicked properly. We installed kick blocks that I doubt anyone can take out in quickly enough with out making all kinds of noise and set off my door alarm sensors to make the mad 10 second rush ... I’m hoping for 30-40 seconds if they are bound and determined. The blocks we used are kinda like these ... https://www.amazon.com/Nightlock-Re..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=C9WM7AVZCWRPFM9A2CW9 ... which are easy I install and easy to use. I know it won’t stop a determined attack but I do believe they’ll give me extra precious seconds. There are other precautions I’ve taken from lighting to landscaping to deter criminals from trying along with a few other things but these I hope would buy a few seconds if needed.
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These are a great idea. Pair them with things like a driveway sensor, motion-activated flood lights, and holly bushes under your front windows.

If someone wants to come in, you won’t stop them but you can certainly give yourself a head’s up and slow them down some.
 
Don't forget about windows. Had a house years ago that got broke into, and they came through a basement window. Currently, have solid doors with 3 inch screws in all attach points, solid wood on the striker plate side, and wedges put under door when heading to bed. Alarm with 110 db siren inside, cameras with motion detection, and a 60 pound pittie inside. The one thing I had to do, was mirror's. I have a tri-level house, and going downstairs is right risky. So I strategically put up mirror's in place so I could look down the hall and see what was behind the other side of the doorway. Really have to think outside the box sometime. Kelly and I have done many drills, on where I want her and what to do once there. We don't have kids at home, so that makes things a lot easier in that sense.

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wsfiredude said:
Funny story from a few years ago....

Got toned out on a medical dispatch around 2:30am. I must have been sleeping with my arms up under my head, because I got up and both arms were numb from the elbow down. Get to the engine, manage to get into my bunker pants, snake my arms under just one suspender and get it onto my shoulder. Got behind the wheel and was shaking my arms pretty vigorously. My Captain said, "What the hell's wrong with you?" Guess he thought I was having some sorta 'fit'. I said, "Can't feel my f*ing arms!"
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I do that all the time! I'll wake up asleep on my shoulder an odd way and no feeling. It's a really odd feeling.
 
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Jeppo said:
@Millie perhaps you should consider the type of sensor that reacts to metal.
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Maybe I'll look into it....but the guy who came onto the property one early morning was on foot....and as soon as he took about 3 steps into the driveway the sensor light lit him up and he went away! I just happened to be checking the camera angle and spotted him, and it was funny how fast he moved!
 
The combinaton of motion lights and a magnetic sensor with sound in the house might be the answer.
 
From working EMS for years, I wake up fast and alert. My house has alarms, and they are on when I sleep. So when shit goes down the cops are on the way. They have a pretty good response time in my neighborhood too. My dog wakes up as good as I do, as soon as she hears someone in the house, she will be louder than the alarm. She only likes 4 people in this world and might tolerate 2 or 3 more, other than that she is 60lbs of crazy. I keep a 7.5in AR within reach in the bed, locked and loaded. I have a few other goodies stashed if I'm in a different room.
Hopefully it will never happen, but if it does, I think we can hold our own.
 
I quality alarm system with cameras with night vision and motion lights helps a lot. From past experience, I set up fake cameras in the obvious places and hide the real cameras, I have all side of my house, the drive way covered. I purchased one of those door bell camera/speaker system, I really like it. I can manage my system from my phone or computer while away from the house. Added bonus, it helps keep track of 2 teenagers at house.
 
B00ger said:
A lot of the "time" depends on the type of house you have. I have a pretty simple floor plan, so it wont take as long for "bad guys" to figure out where we all are. Someone like Qball with a 3 story house with various rooms and hallways will be more difficult. Unless they have been to your house before.
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Qball lives in a castle so he should have knights in armor at the draw bridge.
 
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kcult said:
When you walk in, there's a small table on the right where visitors can sign a guest book and pick up a map.
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Last time I was there, I picked up the fridge magnet and commerative spoon collection from the gift shop. :D
 
BlackGun said:
Qball lives in a castle so he should have knights in armor at the draw bridge.
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I wouldn’t be at all surprised.

But knowing Qball, if someone broke in they have an equally likely chance to be sat down, offered a drink and then have their life decisions discussed. Or he would shoot them. He is accommodating either way.


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I have an alarm system that will get me up pretty quick if it goes off and a wife that will elbow the ever living crap out of me if I don’t wake up fast enough.

We have had an emergency plan in place since my daughter was a little girl and it hasn’t changed much over the years, but now that my wife and daughter are both armed the plan had to be changed a bit so I don’t end up the one being shot, basically the system is “secure, clear and confirm”, the plan is setup so it stays pretty much the same no matter who is or isn’t home.
 
nchunt101 said:
We also have four dogs that make when ever there is any actvity outside
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Cleaning up after false alarms must get old. :)
Just kidding around.
We have 2 big dogs that bark at anything unusual and one sleeps outside every night. If he comes in at night we know he's not feeling well.
 
wsfiredude said:
Funny story from a few years ago....

Got toned out on a medical dispatch around 2:30am. I must have been sleeping with my arms up under my head, because I got up and both arms were numb from the elbow down. Get to the engine, manage to get into my bunker pants, snake my arms under just one suspender and get it onto my shoulder. Got behind the wheel and was shaking my arms pretty vigorously. My Captain said, "What the hell's wrong with you?" Guess he thought I was having some sorta 'fit'. I said, "Can't feel my f*ing arms!"
Click to expand...

I have done that before...but mine was my leg...I had fallen asleep doing EMS reports with my legs curled up under me. They fell asleep when I did apparently. I got up and could hardly walk.

The worst is waking up and you can not see well because your contacts are dry.
 
In my house, the staircase is relatively unintuitive to find. You also do a 180 going up the stairs, and my bedroom is off to one side of the second floor hallway. Lots of corners and angles familiar to me but very disorienting to good guests and bad invaders. Security system is always armed and can be activated from my bedside. Audible system alarms inside and out, along with motion- and alarm-activated exterior floodlights and video surveillance. My dog is awesome ... only thing that would make him better is if he knew how to shoot a gun.

Despite all this I don't sleep peacefully or with a false sense of security. If the unthinkable happened, I would not count on Durham police whatsoever. I imagine I'd have a good 45-60 seconds if the invader(s) managed to make it through the other deterrents and was hell-bent to only get up those stairs for some reason. The alarms would knock me out of any sort of sleep in an instant, and I would shelter in place on the second floor and respond accordingly to anything that appeared in that chokepoint of a staircase.

I'll die a happy man if I never have to use a firearm in defense. But if I'm in my home I am confident I can defend it.
 
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