​Personal & Home Protection Plan

Consider your personal circumstances when thinking about the need for a personal and home protection plan. Most people take concealed carry training thinking solely about physical protection. Self-protection is a much broader subject.

Physical - Self-protection certainly starts with physical protection. You must be proficient with the defensive tools you have readily available. This could be every day carry items, or staged items in your office, home or vehicle. You must also be in a situational awareness condition yellow. That means you are aware of your surroundings and potential threats.

 Legal – Knowing the rules for the legal use of force will prevent going to prison after surviving a self-defense event. You need to make sure all five elements for the use of deadly force are met before you employ that level of force. A prosecutor only needs to trip you up on one of the five to get a conviction. Knowing and following the law is essential to staying out of prison.

Financial – Even if you have done everything right there is a high probability you will be charged with a crime and end up in court. Posting bail takes money. Your defense requires a lawyer. The lawyer should do their own investigation. Your defense may also require expert testimony that is never free. A successful defense can cost several hundred thousand dollars. You need self-defense insurance to protect yourself from this financial crisis.

Moral – Shooting another person can come with some serious remorse and feelings of guilt. By being properly trained and following that training you know you have done everything you could to avoid the violent encounter. You were left with no other choice than deadly force.

These four aspects apply to any self-defense situation. Being out in public verses being in your home present different considerations.

You have more resources and options in your home. You can prepare in advance with some simple preparations.
The first is change the 3/8 inch screws in your entry doors with 3-inch screws. This makes the door much more difficult to break down. Most home break-ins are through the front door. This simple step can be enough to dissuade a home invasion.

Trim bushes back to expose the windows. A burglar can use the cover of landscaping to break in through a window. Trimming the bushes back denies the cover.

Install motion sensor lighting. A light coming on can be very effective in chasing burglars away.

You can stage firearms. A staged firearm is loaded and in battery. They are stored in locked containers to deny access to unauthorized persons. They should have their trigger guard covered to prevent a hurried recovery causing an inadvertent discharge.

You should create and discuss an emergency response plan with those that live in the home. Designate gathering points in the home and rooms to use as safe rooms. Those rooms should have sturdy lockable doors.
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There is much more that can be done to prepare yourself for personal and home defense. Attend a quality training program such as the USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense class.