Quick Tip #2

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As I mentioned in my previous post yesterday some people near me had to be evacuated at 2 AM.  This reminds us that the worst can happen even late in the evening or very early in the morning.

So I would like you to think about this.  Imagine if you would that it is 2 AM you are fast asleep and you are awoken by a pounding at your door.  You wake up with a start not knowing what is going on.  How prepared are you?

Now then this pounding on the door could be any number of things ranging from a real emergency to something as simple as a house member coming home late and not having their keys to someone trying to break in.  The problem is it is about like Schrodinger’s Cat until you open the door you do not know what is behind the door and either possibility is just as likely to be awaiting you.

Now then on to our tip of the day.  How can you help prepare for an unexpected late night wake up call?

  • Stay calm.  There is no reason to panic, just be prepared.
  • Keep your pants ready.  At night I lay the jeans I wore for the day on a chair in my room, everything that I normally carry in my pockets is still in them.  If I need to I can pull them on in a few seconds.
  • Keep your shoes near the bed.  Keep a pair of shoes near the bed that have good soles for walking outside near the bed as well.  I prefer to keep a pair of Merrell Jungle Mocs by my bed as I can just slip them on.
  • A flashlight can be your best friend in the dark.  A good reliable bright flashlight should be on your night stand.  In half a second a C or D cell Maglight can be used as a weapon.  However it can also give away your position to those that you wish to not know where you are.
  • Use your windows to try and determine what awaits you on the other side of the door.
  • Your keys should be in the same place every night.  Preferably they should be in a place that you can grab them as you head out the door.
  • Your emergency pack should be ready to go at a moments notice.  If you must evacuate it will help you leave more quickly then stumbling around trying to think of everything that you should grab in case of an emergency.
  • If you keep a weapon in your home for self defence keep it ready for just such a situation.  However be careful opening the door with your gun drawn if there might be police on the other side of the door.

Stay Safe.

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