Home intruder drill

[RyanM]

You've all probably practiced clearing our house before, maybe even during the night. And many of you have woken to a frantic "I think I heard a noise!" from your significant other, or heard a mysterious sound yourself. And even worse, a few of you have had to deal with a real home invader. Do you think practicing being woken suddenly at 3 AM and having to clear the house would be a good idea?

One possible way of doing this: buy one of those old-style, wind-up alarm clocks with the external hammer and bells. Take the bells off, and tape an x-acto or other small knife blade to the hammer. Tie a string around an old burned-out light bulb and suspend it from the ceiling, above a (preferrably metal) bucket, on a ground floor room which is accessable to a burglar. Set the alarm for the middle of the night, and position the clock so that when it goes off, it'll cut the string and drop the light bulb. Then you get to wake up to breaking glass in the middle of the night. Maybe even use a dull knife and tough string and set it every evening, so you're never sure how long it'll be before it drops the bulb.

 

[Del3030k]

Where does it stop? As long as you ALREADY know how to clear your house, just be prepared with your sidearm, a flashlight (but don't turn it on unless you have to), and some quiet shoes. Geez, you are going to scare your family senseless - REALLY!

Stay safe!

Keith

 

[TallPine]

Better yet, just have family members take turns staying awake on guard duty at night

 

[TexasRifleman]

Or you could hire some scumbag on the street to break into your house, give him 50 bucks and tell him to come by "sometime in the next week".

 

[psyopspec]

Since you already know what the noise is/will be, how effective is it? Much less messy would be setting an alarm for sometime in the middle of the night, then getting up and ready to clear as fast as you can.

Tough scenario for "real life training."

 

[RyanM]

Del3030k, uhh... since when does "do yunz think this is a good idea?" translate to "hey y'all, watch this!"?

TallPine, we practically have such an arrangement when I'm home from college on the weekends, actually. My mom goes to bed at a decent hour, I'm a night owl, and my dad has to work third shift, so someone's almost always awake.

Psyopspec, mostly I'm thinking that the reflex reaction to a known alarm will be "oh no, I don't wanna go to work." Setting up an alternate alarm that makes a very suspicious noise (doesn't have to be breaking glass, could be something that drops a shoe or other object) might help get you practised to react swiftly to a similar noise, and work out a routine that actually works if you need to clamber out of bed in the middle of the night. The "realistic alarm" also might give you a better idea of whether such a noise is actually enough to jolt you awake. As you train, so shall you fight, and all that.

 

[Jeff White]

Don't forget to sleep with your boots on....Before retiring for the night, clean your weapon to include the magazines, inspect the ammo, perform a function check before reloading. Make sure everyone else in the house is still locked and loaded though, don't want to get caught during your maintenance cycle....Place your equipment in the same place every night so you can find it in the dark...Put the claymore clackers in an ammo box so you don't accidently set them off while dressing.....Same for the firing mechanisms for the fougasse....Don't neglect far and near recognition signals and running passwords for the other family members to avoid those nasty fratricide incidents....Of course you need to change them every 12 hours to avoid compromise.....Make sure you actually walk the final protective fire line while someone else else looks through the sights so you can get dead space noted on your range card and covered by another weapon system or a mechanical ambush...Don't neglect Stand to, it shouldn't matter what the rest of the families' schedule is...they need to be home, dressed, armed and in their defensive position an hour before EENT and BMNT till an hour after...Rehearse falling back to your alternate and supplementary postions before you have to do it under fire...Never take your meals together, at least one third of the family needs to be on watch while the rest are eating, adjust higher based on the threat level. You might want to keep granola bars and water in your positions in case there is a crime down the block and you have to maintain 100% security for days at a time.....You can no longer enjoy a relaxing sitdown in the smallest room in the house by yourself, you need to take someone with you to stand watch while you're indisposed....Engage intruders with grenades first so the muzzle-flash of your small arms don't give your positions away. .....Don't neglect random security patrols around the property, often you can discover the BG recon elements as they are scoping out your house......Try to get either first or last watch because that will allow you to have the most uninteruppted sleep.....Now I understand that it's hard to earn a living or go to school when you live like that, but what's having a life compared to being safe?

Seriously....we are getting a little crazy with some of these threads. Let's move back to reality, which for most of us is good locks...maybe a watch dog, a safe room, a plan.......Jeff

 

[HankB]

Hmmm . . . so you want to create a "false alarm" in the night to practice your responses . . .

In the middle of the night, how will you distinguish between one of your "false alarms" and a real intruder?

 

[RyanM]

Jeff, the point of a drill is to test that plan, that saferoom, those dogs, etc. Do you really want to discover some problem with it, like "oh no, I forgot all my speedloaders/magazines in the safe," or "gee, Rover wasn't woken up by breaking glass at all" when/if something actually happens? I just remember seeing a few false alarm threads where some people's lack of practice might have been a problem if it had been the real thing; clearing the house naked, forgetting ammo, leaving the gun behind, etc.

It always amazes me how many people think nothing of practicing the mechanics of shooting (drawing, aiming, shooting, reloading), but when discussing practicing the dynamics of defensive shooting (taking cover, firing from cover, drawing and reholstering while running, clearing the house, etc) suddenly take a flying leap to the left, and go into arguments like "you aren't a police officer, why do you need to do that?" or "what are your chances of getting into a real gunfight? If it's that bad, just run away and call the police!"


HankB, that's also kinda the point. You'd want to practice the drill exactly as if you weren't expecting it. Follow all gun handling rules, don't shoot at anything you can't positively identify as a BG (which should be nothing, unless by some coincidence someone actually breaks in on "drill night!"), etc. Grabbing a redgun or airsoft or something is only safer if you're going to be breaking some gun safety rules, and is much less safe if your subconscious decides to grab a toy gun, as practiced, if something actually happens.

 

[Ktulu]

Rube Goldberg would be proud.

 

[TallPine]

just for anyone that didn't catch on, I was JOKING about taking turns staying awake

 

[Jeff White]

RyanM,
If you just set your drill up and run it blindly, you're going to learn that you weren't prepared and not much more. Remember you need to crawl before you run. If you're serious about training, you need to talk through the drill first, then try it when everyone knows what's coming and with the lights on. Then try it in the dark. After you've worked the bugs out of it taking it slow, you'll be ready for your full blown drill.

Training is good....but if you just run your drill without prior training...you're not going to learn as much as you think.

Jeff

 

[Browns Fan]

As a retired soldier, I sometimes do think of my home as a defensible perimeter (old soldiers never die), but I think I would draw the line one something like that.

 

[Sean85746]

I'd prefer Twyla Von Puppymonster the rotteiler eat them before I have to wake up.

That's what she gets paid for.

 

[Dave R]

I think its a worthwile exercise. As RyanM said, the point is to test the plan. See if you've got what you need where you need it.

That said, I am NOT going to "clear my house" if I'm awoken. That's what the dog is for.

If the dog is alarming, I will arm myself and guard the one hallway that leads to all bedrooms, while notifying the authorities. The dog will let me know where the threat is. If the dog is killed or suddenly silenced, I still have one hallway to defend, and that's what I'll do.

Two nights ago, the power went off suddenly. All kinds of thoughts went through my mind. Everything from a regional disaster, to a predator killing the power prior to a home invasion. Then I remembered the dog. I trust my dog explicitly. If she's sleeping, I'm going back to sleep. That's why she's there.

 

[Grump]

I just remember seeing a few false alarm threads where some people's lack of practice might have been a problem if it had been the real thing; clearing the house naked,

And what's the problem with that?

Those enemy Ninjas won't have anything to grab. Well, not much. Well, maybe much but only one.

Okay, the point I'm getting at here is, have you ever seen what a Judo dude does when trying to throw someone who's NOT wearing a Gi??? It can be funny, they're so spoiled by having such strong fabric to grab in the Dojo.

 

[Valkman]

My problem with this is that we were taught to NOT go looking for intruders in the night. Have a cell phone and weapon, call police and let them do it. You go out there, catch a BG and just as you're congratulating yourself the second one will hammer you from behind. Remember - if you get taken out, then what?

 

[RyanM]

I should mention that I'm not going to be trying any type of house clearing drills. Living in a dorm room 28 days out of each month, except in the summer, tends to make that kinda pointless.

Mostly I tossed the idea out as an idea/discussion thread for those of us who might need to clear their house someday, or already have and found their plan lacking. It's definitely true that calling the police first is generally the best idea, but not all police forces have a good response time, not everyone can modify their house/apartment to include a saferoom, and not everyone has a dog or other pet to warn of an intruder.

 

[Bob F.]

Once again: house clearing is for a trained team! Having said that, I live in a fairly rural area, LEO might be here in a few minutes or an hour, you know the story. But if the 100 pound alarm system is raising Cain, I'll be easing up with the Glock, maybe the 870 depending. I'd likely hear any strange noise, helping to locate the area to concentrate on. Now, if she suddenly gets quiet, I'll be REAL D______ careful, maybe even in a defensive position. My house isn't all that large, but it would be nightmare to clear by anything less than a 10 man swat team!

Stay safe.
Bob

 

[Mauserguy]

A couple of months ago, I was asleep, and heard a strange sound in my house. It sounded as though somebody was definately entering, but I was under a deep sleep, and it took me several minutes to come to the surface. I don't know how long it took for me to be reactive, but it was plenty of time for an intruder to get at me. So much for quick reflexes, huh?
Mauserguy

PS: A broom had fallen over in my kitchen.

 

[larry_minn]

I hear a noise I rack shotgun and fire two rds at door then go back to sleep. Wife never wakes me when she thinks she hears noises anymore... Thing is there was only a primer in the shells. No powder/wad/pellets.

 

[Arc Angel]

The best house clearing drill is no house clearing drill - at all! Jumping out of bed to fumble around with a loaded gun ain't the safest thing you'll, ever, do in life. The other really dangerous thing to do with a loaded gun is to wander around your house in the dark.

There's an old adage that goes something to the effect; 'He who moves first is dead!' Personally, when it comes to playing gun games in the dark, I believe this.

If it were me, initially I'd try to hold my ground, force whom or whatever it is to come at me, and wait to see if the alarm is, in fact, real. If I continued to be suspicious, I'd adopt one of several, 'fall back' postures: Go to a safe room or barricade yourself behind a mattress and dresser, and CALL THE POLICE. Be sure to tell them where you're located in the house. Which brings up the salient point what items should you have in your bedroom at night?

In addition to the gun that all bedroom commandos always seem to have you'll, also, need: a cell phone, a flashlight, a set of house keys, and access to an outside window. When the police arrive throw the house keys out the window to them; and, whatever else you do, make sure you're not holding a gun when they come into the house!

At my house, if I were not quite sure that it's time to call the police and largely suspicious about the validity of a supposed threat, I'd give a second gun and light to my well-trained wife, leave the second dog with her, and out the window me and the first Pit Bull would go to peruse the outside of the house for signs of forced entry.

In any event, attempting to move directly toward the source of the threat is never a safe idea. You should, only, attempt this if you absolutely must; and, obviously, it takes more savvy and skill than the silly nonsense they usually show you on TV.

In my opinion house clearing is NOT for amateurs.

 

[Rimmer]

I live alone and I work at night..... All I ask is that they don't burn the place down when they leave

 

[larry_minn]

Arc Angel Where do you find the Professionals? Maybe in your area.... I have done house/store clearing with the local LEOS in this area..... Lets just say they need HELP> Ignoring closets/comming back to clear bathrooms/not covering exits/enterances/etc. Heck not even announcing themselves/order person to give up/exit hands up first before going into a 2 bedroom apt that owner said a strange man was in. Officer just wanted to walk in.
I know my house, what should be where. I have a pair of wireless light switches so I can turn on a light in another area when/if I choose.
Guess I shouldn't have made the joke about shotgun. BTW I never did that/wouldn't. Shotgun is loaded with #6or 8 shot. Glock with spare mags. I control the upstairs/Police called if I think there might be anyone here. Vest/holster/light/remotes. Wife gets shotgun and anyone comming up stairs will be messy. Those stairs are double edged sword. I can't get past them if someone is there wanting to do me harm. Just plain is not possible. So announce/call Police and let them run away (hopefully getting good footage with VHS-c low light recorder.) Then may clear to make sure they didn't leave anyone/put coffee on/cook pizza for LEO. (response time for emergencies ~ 28min)
When I was single and had upstairs closed off I would clear house. Now I can't figure out anyway to safely get down stairs as landing has 4rrooms/hallway off it. Maybe a flash bang gernade? (or 5)

 

[proven]

that type of drill sounds of little use to me.
the only thing it would tell you, and inaccurately i might add, is reaction time. assuming that you talk, walk then "run" thorugh your plan (which should be to call 911, secure yourself and loved ones in a safe room, and be ready to defend yourselves), the only variable this drill touches on is reaction time. if you set the alarm knowing it will go off, your time is faster because you expect it. then there's always deeper sleep, not feeling well, drunk . i don't think there can be a reliable, consistent reaction time to a threat when you are sleeping. you could train to sleep lighter, with your shoes and gear on, weapons in hand, and in your safe room. but seriously, that sounds a little extreme doesn't it?? then again, what are you willing to do to secure the safety of you and your loved ones??

as for me, i live in a small apartment. i can hear other tenants come home in the middle of the night :banghead: , so i'd bet that i'd hear someone coming through the dead bolt and chain on the only entry door in my place. clearing my place isn't an option, if someone were to gain entry, there's only about 10 yds directly through 2 rooms to where i sleep. that being said if i hear that "bump in the night" the first thing i do is grad my 1911 and surefire, which is kept in a drawer under an arms length from my head. as i said there's no mistaking if someone is in my apartment or not, so defense is first. after i identify the intruder with the surefire, the lights are switched on and 911 called.

another important thing is to know who has keys to your place that may use them in an emergency of their own. it's good for these people to announce their entry verbally or via cell phone. my grandfather was almost shot by my aunt while crawling through a bedroom window into her house to make sure the furnace hadn't gone out during a storm. a good reason for the announcement before entry and for the light to identify.