leadcounsel
member
Average weeknight at your home, around 9pm. What are you doing? Sitting at the TV? Computer? Workbench? Cleaning the house or another hobby? Schoolwork or work?
Suddenly, all of your power goes out. The TV goes out. The lights go off. The clocks go black. You notice your neighbors across the street still have power. A few seconds go by and you (or your pets) are alarmed at movement outside, near your power box. Within seconds you realize someone - likely a threat - has cut your power. You hear multiple hushed voices and muffled footsteps on your porch/deck/rockbed outside.
You have moments to react before someone kicks in your front or rear door or comes through a window, entering with unknown force and multiple numbers.
Time your reaction under normal situations with you in a hurry. Now, if you don't have immediate backup power, or carry a flashlight on your person, or have another immediately available light source, you will be conducting this same movement in the dark. Triple your reaction time. For instance, if it takes you 15 seconds to react, it may take you 45 seconds feeling your way in the dark.
You get a base of 10 seconds to react before a violent home invasion with 3 violent drug crazed men looking to do violent harm to anyone in the house and to commit armed robbery to fuel their meth and crack fix. The next moments will be some of the most critical of your life.
Add the following time to your reaction time:
Add 5 seconds if you have hardened/padlocked your exterior circuit box (to account for the noise they would make which would alert you sooner.
Add 20 seconds if you have dogs or other pets that would alert you to a stranger in your yard.
Add 10 seconds if you have a low-fence that intruders would need to cross.
Add 20 seconds if you have a tall fence that intruders would need to cross.
Add 5 seconds if you have added minor hardening improvements to your doors.
Add 15 seconds if you have added major hardening improvements to your doors.
Add 15 seconds if you have exterior lights that cover critical areas.
Add 30 seconds if you have motion floor lights that cover critical areas.
If you have immediate backup power or an immediately accessable flashlight, there is no penalty for darkness.
For instance, if your reaction under normal situations is 15 seconds, let's estimate it to be 45 seconds in total darkness. If you had hardened your front door with minor improvements, you would get the base 10 seconds plus 15 seconds for a total of 35 seconds to react. Where would you be in your immediate preparedness at the 35 second mark?
How much time do you need to secure your gun? Secure your family? Barricade yourself?
Suddenly, all of your power goes out. The TV goes out. The lights go off. The clocks go black. You notice your neighbors across the street still have power. A few seconds go by and you (or your pets) are alarmed at movement outside, near your power box. Within seconds you realize someone - likely a threat - has cut your power. You hear multiple hushed voices and muffled footsteps on your porch/deck/rockbed outside.
You have moments to react before someone kicks in your front or rear door or comes through a window, entering with unknown force and multiple numbers.
Time your reaction under normal situations with you in a hurry. Now, if you don't have immediate backup power, or carry a flashlight on your person, or have another immediately available light source, you will be conducting this same movement in the dark. Triple your reaction time. For instance, if it takes you 15 seconds to react, it may take you 45 seconds feeling your way in the dark.
You get a base of 10 seconds to react before a violent home invasion with 3 violent drug crazed men looking to do violent harm to anyone in the house and to commit armed robbery to fuel their meth and crack fix. The next moments will be some of the most critical of your life.
Add the following time to your reaction time:
Add 5 seconds if you have hardened/padlocked your exterior circuit box (to account for the noise they would make which would alert you sooner.
Add 20 seconds if you have dogs or other pets that would alert you to a stranger in your yard.
Add 10 seconds if you have a low-fence that intruders would need to cross.
Add 20 seconds if you have a tall fence that intruders would need to cross.
Add 5 seconds if you have added minor hardening improvements to your doors.
Add 15 seconds if you have added major hardening improvements to your doors.
Add 15 seconds if you have exterior lights that cover critical areas.
Add 30 seconds if you have motion floor lights that cover critical areas.
If you have immediate backup power or an immediately accessable flashlight, there is no penalty for darkness.
For instance, if your reaction under normal situations is 15 seconds, let's estimate it to be 45 seconds in total darkness. If you had hardened your front door with minor improvements, you would get the base 10 seconds plus 15 seconds for a total of 35 seconds to react. Where would you be in your immediate preparedness at the 35 second mark?
How much time do you need to secure your gun? Secure your family? Barricade yourself?
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