To look at the issue of home defense as a matter of only dealing with bad guys is to fail to understand the matter. While protecting your home and family from crooks is certainly important, it is equally important to have a home-defense plan that covers fire, natural disaster and any other situation that might affect the safety of your loved ones. Building the home-defense plan should involve the entire family.
Too often, we think that home defense is the man's job. Others are smart enough to involve their wives in such serious matters. But the truth is that you should also involve the children in the planning. You might be surprised at the good ideas that kids can come up with. Regardless, your 5-year-old needs to know that the plan is...for example, if she wakes up and smells smoke, she is supposed to go out her bedroom window and run to the neighbor's house (where prior arrangements have been made).
In the case of a tornado, hurricane or earthquake, everyone needs to know where the safest places in the house are and that they should go there. And these are locations that should be agreed upon ahead of time. Does everyone know where the home fire extinguishers are? Do they know how to operate them?
In the case of a home invasion, do the family members have places to hide? Do you know where those places are? And even small children, with a little help, can learn how to dial 9-1-1.
When emergencies occur, it is not the time to try to slap together some sort of plan. People can get confused. And, frankly, there often isn't enough time. Knowing what the plan is ahead of time gives the family member some confidence in being able to deal with it. The family member, parent or child, can say, "They told me that this might happen and I know just what to do about it."
Having a plan builds confidence. Having a plan builds family unity. And having a plan saves lives.
