Hypothetical hd situation

[imsobored]

Ok, say your like me, upstairs/downstairs townhouse(or any multistory home). Someone breaks in(intent unknown) and my bedroom and gun is upstairs, but theres also more family in a downstairs bedroom. Do you keep your safe position upstairs protecting yourself(also my wife) or do you risk losing your safety and head down the stairs(squeeky stairs) to protect your other family in the other room?. And all other occupants are unarmed.

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[Isaac-1]

Depends, is the down stairs relative your mother in law, and do you not get along?

 

[JohnKSa]

Creeping around a house occupied by a known bad guy and other armed good guys seems to me to be a recipe for tragedy.

The person moving around is at a tremendous disadvantage in an otherwise quiet house. Why be that person?

 

[JRH6856]

Creeping around a house occupied by a known bad guy and other armed good guys seems to me to be a recipe for tragedy.

Yes, but OP specified all other occupants were unarmed.

 

[JohnKSa]

Wow, somehow I read it the exact opposite of what he wrote.

 

[AFDavis11]

What do you mean by downstairs? Second floor? Then, yes. My Dad lives on the first floor, so if there is a first floor break-in, we've all got lots of problems. Not sure I could even make the first floor. But, I could probably get to the second.

Chances are really good though that it would end in a stand-off with cops at the front door and me on the second floor. It would be hard to move down a stairway against an armed intruder to clear the first floor, no matter how important. This is where those CCW permits for Flash/Bang grenades would come in so handy! But if I'm the only armed person in the house then my family has big problems if I get hit.

Now, if your kids are on the floor below you I'd try and correct that situation now. I'm also convinced that you shouldn't be the only one armed.

 

[beeenbag]

If it is my youngen that is downstairs then by all means I am going down there. My little girl is my everything and I would do anything to protect her. She comes first.

I have to say though, I would plan ahead and never let myself get in that position. I would take a smaller room downstairs and put her upstairs if I had to. In a perfect world we would be on the same floor if at all possible.

If you are in a situation that involves other competent adults living with you and they choose not to arm themselves, they will have to live (or not live) with that decision. I would not risk my life and the ability to protect my immediate family to rush downstairs into a possible ambush type situation.

This is where you need to pre-plan for these types of situations and not wait to see how you do on the fly.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Life doesn't always hand you a perfect scenario, you have to play the hand you're dealt. I'd go after my family, I'd have to.

 

[Loosedhorse]

Do you keep your safe position upstairs protecting yourself(also my wife) or do you risk losing your safety and head down the stairs(squeeky stairs) to protect your other family in the other room?

I'd go for door number 3, Monty.

Your family should already know that, in case of an intrusion, they head immediately to a safe spot (there should be two: one in the home and one outside). If for some reason, you're the only one who knows there's been an intrusion, use this thing called your voice: "I have a gun. I will shoot you if you approach. The police are on their way [helps if you've already hit the panic button on the alarm and the siren is wailing]." Your family should take this announcement to head to a safe spot immediately immediately.

An intruder bent on theft is already gone. An intruder bent on kidnapping? Well, you've got a tough situation on your hands, and one alternative (if your head-count of family is short one) is to wait for the police...

 

[Mike1234567]

Addressing only the squeaky stairs... remove the steps, add high quality construction adhesive before screwing them back into place (no nails). If your stairs are wide you may need to add a center brace to help support the steps. Otherwise just adding long strews from the back of the stairs into the steps may be enough. Consider adding a couple of pressure switches near the bottom to sound an alert upstairs (one-way alert).

Addressing only the one gun situation... buy another and keep it downstairs out of sight in a small gun safe.

 

[jjc0341]

"Addressing only the one gun situation... buy another and keep it downstairs out of sight in a small gun safe." <<<this. Gear up, go firm, and get on the hook to local law enforcement. In this case, I would not go down those stairs, let the intruder deal with coming up them.

 

[JustinJ]

IMO a good dog is a must but a pair is better, if at all possible. Dogs are good for all HD plans but the one described would probably benefit more than others. That way said intruder will either be dealt with accordingly or at least be forced to reveal he is armed in order to fend off attack.

 

[mljdeckard]

Many people can't own dogs, or just don't like them. Also not all dogs are predictable.

 

[Owen Sparks]

Almost all dogs will bark at strange noises in their home late at night.

 

[JustinJ]

Many people can't own dogs, or just don't like them. Also not all dogs are predictable.

Note, i said "if at possible" and a "good dog". I agree though. Also, if one is not willing to invest the time and energy to properly care for any animal it should not be gotten. I'm a dog lover but realise not everybody else is.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Honestly, if it is family that has no way of defending themselves downstairs, then I would move to them. Dangerous? Absolutely, but leaving a family defenseless is not something that I am going to do.

That being said, if at all possible, I will have all of the family on one floor, have multiple guns available and have trained my family on their use.

 

[KW84]

Our very well mannered 80lb doberman mix did not bark at noises. He would get up and investigate and if there was a problem, then he'd deal with it.

Once we were watching TV upstairs and we heard a noise in the garage, he got up and walked down the stairs with me behind, we got to the bottom of the stairs and could hear rustling in the garage, so I opened the door, and he touched noses with a huge German Shepard police dog, went hair up and growled this pure evil growl... the police dog backed up. There where two officers with the dog. They had driven by and saw the back garage entry door open and investigated. One pat to his head put him back to family dog again and he and the GSD police dog had no more issues while my dad and the police talked.

 

[mbt2001]

I actually think this might be a good chance to talk about having a few FRS / GMRS radios in rooms for emergencies. I have a gmrs set and my neighbor across the street does. He is an old geezer and needs to supervision and the company, but the point is if someone cut my phone lines I have a chance of getting some help other than a cell phone. During hurricane Ike the phones were out and we used the radios to talk back and forth. It was a very powerful feeling knowing that you were not alone in the midst of that hellish storm.

So... you might try that; that way you would know when, if ever, you need to move location to help and movements would be mostly coordinated.

 

[Isaac-1]

I too have one of those sometimes unpredictable dogs, he is a Mastiff, and sometimes when he hears a noise outside, or someone opening the back door he will bark loud enough to shake the walls (often just one or two warning barks), other times he will just look alert and silently position himself to pounce at whatever may come through the door. Either way I suspect I would be alerted if an intruder entered the house.

Ike

p.s Mastiffs tend to do things differently than other dogs, as an example the other day I found where he had been scratching on the door frame molding, it was the molding above the door.

 

[JustinJ]

I actually think this might be a good chance to talk about having a few FRS / GMRS radios in rooms for emergencies. I have a gmrs set and my neighbor across the street does. He is an old geezer and needs to supervision and the company, but the point is if someone cut my phone lines I have a chance of getting some help other than a cell phone.

All cell phones, connected or not, can dial 911 so keeping an old one nobody uses would provide a back up method to communicate with the outside world.

 

[mbt2001]

All cell phones, connected or not, can dial 911 so keeping an old one nobody uses would provide a back up method to communicate with the outside world.

How does that help him communicate with the people downstairs?

 

[imsobored]

Thanks for all the suggestions. In response to fixing the stairs, its a rented townhouse, if its not broken, its not getting fixed. Plus its a 20+yr old townhouse, everything makes noises. I have a small pomeranian that barks at anything is hates everyone. Not a good deterent, but will deff make noise.

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[Fred Fuller]

Do the stairs still squeak if you step near the edge of the treads?

How old are the family members downstairs, and how many are there? Is it possible to move them upstairs also? Or swap floors with them, if home invasions are really a concern in your area?

Do you have a home defense plan already? If so, what is it? If not, look for material on the NRA's Personal Protection In The Home course. That will help you formulate a plan.

How about family fire drills? Do you have a fire evacuation plan? Fires are probably more likely than home invasions on a statistical basis. How about other family emergency plans?

 

[Shadow 7D]

Um, there isn't a one size fits all
really, there is NO good answer

I could argue, on high moral ground, that if those down stairs ARE NOT your children their protection is solely upon them, except for those duties you feel the need to take upon yourself as duties of hospitality.

BTW ^^
wars have been started over those

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

If I had a family, and there was danger approaching them, I would do whatever I could to get between them and the danger. I will not wait it out while others, especially family, are at risk.

This is a good situation where a decent piece of body armor could come into play. You know you have to leave your secure position. It's a not convenience or choice. You have to leave security in order to save your family. Stack the odds in your favor. A good vest can be had for less than the price of a new gun. And when you're forced to move around in a dangerous area to secure others, it could save your life.

Is switching rooms and option? Have the rest of the family upstairs while you and your weapon are closest to the intruders entry point?

Have you gone over a security plan with the family? Tell them to come upstairs to you a the first sign of danger. Conduct a few drills if you can.

Home invasion deterrence and preparation focuses heavily on time. The more time it takes the BG to get in, the more time you have to get your house in order and the more likely it is he will give up and find an easier target. I'm not sure how many modifications you can make, but a metal door and metal frame with a good deadbolt would be a good start. Add a motion detector light to the porch. If it's a bad neighborhood, a steel cross-bar in the inside of the door or some sort of steel gate could be a help to. Bars on the doors and windows can be unsightly, but that can be managed with a good design and paint job, and they definitely add some great physical security.


I know the feeling about dogs. I just don't like them. I'm not going to rant about them as this is neither a dog forum or a dog thread, but suffice to say, I will not ever be getting a dog. So finding other ways to secure my apartment can be tricky, but doable with enough good advice from places like THR.