October 29th, 2010 
admin A burglary occurs every thirteen seconds in the United States. Of these crimes, thousands of them are committed when the homeowner is present. In the event that this happens to you, it’s important that you are prepared and have a plan. In case an intruder enters your home when you’re there, you should:
1. Get out of bed immediately, even if you’re not entirely certain that there is someone there. There’s no time to waste if it’s the real deal.
2. Shut your door, lock it and place something heavy, like a dresser, in front of it as a barricade.
3. Immediately contact the police from a cell phone. The intruder may have disconnected your home phone line. Inform the police of what room you are in and exactly where it is so they can come to you when they arrive.
4. Press the panic button on your alarm system to inform your home security company that this is not a drill.
5. Shout to the intruder that you have called the police and that help is on the way.
6. If you are on the first floor, climb out the window and run to a neighbor’s house for help. If you are on the second story, it may not be worth risking a jump unless absolutely necessary.
7. If you have a panic room, use it. If you don’t have one already, it’s a good idea to install a heavy closet door with a deadbolt on the inside in case of this event.
8. When the police arrive, stay put wherever you are until they arrive at your door to let you know that the coast is clear. Also ask them to check your attic and basement to make sure the intruder isn’t just hiding out until the police leave. It’s unlikely, but for your peace of mind it’s worth it.
9. If you happen to wake up with an intruder in your room, it’s best to treat it as if he’s a bear and play dead. It could lead to much more danger if you surprise the intruder and he considers you a threat. Unless he is standing over you with a weapon and threatening you directly, feigned sleeping is the best option in this situation.
10. If the intruder does mean you harm and you wake up to him at your bedside or he approaches you, do everything you can in self defense. Throw objects like books, your drinking glass, alarm clocks and anything else you can get your hands directly at his face. Run out the door if you think you have time.
11. It may come to the point where you need to do more in your self defense. Aim for eyes, nose, throat, neck and groin. Try to disarm him of his weapon and use it for yourself if he has one.
12. The idea at this point is to either knock him out or even kill him. There’s no reasoning or begging now, it’s your life or his.
ADT Home Alarms are a great addition to your home. With ADT Security you can sleep easy.
