In light of the recent brutal rape and murder of a child in Souderton, PA and being a parent of two children in the same school district, I believe it is of the upmost importance that we as parents develop within our children good personal security habits that hopefully will carry them into their adulthood. I have been a martial arts and self defense instructor for over 20 years, having had experience teaching members of law enforcment as well as the general public. While each situation with your children is different my hope is to provide some basic information that will give your children, and hopefully you too, the awareness to live lives free of anything as horrific as what happened to that child.
All good self defense habits start in the home, so with that I’d like to begin with your home security system.
Most homes now have security systems installed but typically we don’t use them properly or often enough. Listed below are tips and maybe some things you didn’t know about your home security system.
You must make it a habit of actually using your security system: Turn it on anytime you leave the house, turn it on “stay” mode at night before you go to sleep, turn it on “stay” mode anytime your kids are home alone, turn it on even if you are just going to the store for a minute. You need to get in the habit of punching in the code to turn the system on and off..it has to be as second nature as brushing your teeth in the morning.
Get rid of your remote alarm. These are the ones that some companies provide to you with the purchase of your new system. They are typically small enough to attach to your key ring. These remotes are useless because they don’t require you to punch in a code to disable the system. Read on and you’ll see why.
Windows in the Garage? Typically many security companies will not install window sensors in your garage figuring that the door that leads from your garage to your house will have a sensor in place there. It is very important to have these window contacts installed. As can happen with home invasions, the “invader” can break in through a window in your garage and wait for your or your children’s arrival to disengage the alarm system. Having a remote entry will only make it easier for the invader to force you to turn the system off.
Get a unique Home Invasion Code. Every modern alarm system now come with a home invasion code that will signal your provider that there is a home invasion in progress. Typically the system will shut off as if you’ve entered your regular code but will signal the provider of the issue, then leading to the provider calling the police. The problem is that most companies have a standard and simple home invasion code, I probably know your code to be honest. Contact your provider today and create your own unique code in case of a home invasion.
Create a Home Invasion Password. You know how it goes, you forget to turn the alarm off before you walk out the door and the alarm goes off. Within a minute your service provider calls to ask if everything is ok, then they’ll ask for your password. Everythings cool then. Contact your provider and create a unique password in case of home invasion. Home invasions can happen anytime, especially at night. The “invader” may break in setting off the alarm and then can force you to give an “all clear” to your service provider when they call.
Do you have a meet up spot? The alarm goes off whether for security or fire, do you have a spot where the family will meet? Do you have a plan? Most kids sleep much more deeply than adults, will they hear the alarm if it goes off? Develop a plan in case of the alarm going off. The plan needs to be very simple and not to detailed. Your plan must be adapted to where you live, in a neighborhood or isolated. Also take into consideration the typical response time for the police to arrive, time to walk to a trusted neighbor, which exits are best and give you the most direct route to a safe, well lit place.
The second floor is accessible. It is extremely rare for a security company to install contacts on the windows of the second floor. Take a look around your property for anything that may give access to the second floor such as: ladders and sturdy trees, if you have a sloping roof, even your grill can provide an easy route of access to the roof.
These are simple steps you can take to secure your home from break in, there is no need to live in fear, but it’s always best to be cautious. In the next coming weeks we will be adding content dealing with issues from Child safety to your own personal protection plan.
Rosendo Diaz
Rosendo Diaz Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Chalfont, PA
Graciepa.com
