| Waking in the night to the sounds of an intruder is | | | | intruders. Contacting security professionals will |
| part of the worst home security nightmares of | | | | ensure that someone follows up on your |
| many. For victims of break-ins, generally the | | | | potentially dangerous situation. |
| most surprising factor is the reaction they | | | | 3. Barricade Yourself. If you are in a room |
| themselves have in such a high stress, | | | | where you can lock the door, do so. If not, get |
| emergency situation. When the flight or fight | | | | to safe place where the door or entryway can |
| response begins to kick in and adrenaline is | | | | be barricaded. Simply placing more barricades in |
| surging, it can be impossible to predict how one | | | | the path from the intruder to you can buy |
| will react. In fact, most people react completely | | | | valuable seconds when your life is on the line. |
| differently to how they would have expected | | | | 4. Call the Authorities. If you have not already |
| prior to the incident. Various parties report | | | | done so through a home security system, call the |
| difficulties in coping with the emergency situation | | | | police or other emergency service. Use a cellular |
| that they never could have predicted, like | | | | phone if possible to avoid complications should the |
| forgetting the number to dial for emergency | | | | intruder be listening on the landline, or have cut |
| services, even if it’s 9-1-1. Just thinking | | | | the phone lines. |
| about what you would do in a similar situation is a | | | | 5. Arm Yourself. Find an object, no matter |
| good place to start, but actually formulating and | | | | how improvised, to protect yourself with. It is a |
| practicing a plan may be what saves your life in | | | | good idea to keep a safety item like a metal |
| an emergency. Here are some steps to follow if | | | | baseball bat, or pepper spray close by while |
| you wake in the night to a strange noise. | | | | sleeping. If not, think about using a nearby |
| 1. Don’t Ignore It. If you hear a noise far | | | | heavy object made of wood or metal. Should |
| out of the ordinary, do not ignore it. Intruders | | | | the intruder enter your immediate space before |
| know they can break a door or window, as long | | | | authorities arrive, aim to injure the intruder around |
| as it’s done in one blow. Why? This | | | | the head, face, chest, groin, throat and neck |
| phenomenon occurs because the majority of | | | | areas, the most sensitive and easily injured sites. |
| people will not follow up on investigating a noise | | | | |
| that does not continue. Most people will stop, | | | | 6. Decide Whether to Stay Put or Flee. If you |
| listen for any additional noise, then fall back asleep | | | | believe the intruder will be able to overpower you |
| or go back to what they were doing. Stay alert, | | | | and enter your immediate vicinity, search for |
| and air on the side of caution to maintain home | | | | another avenue of escape like a window. Should |
| security. | | | | you believe the intruder has been scared off or is |
| 2. Sound an Alarm. If you have a home | | | | not an immediate threat to your security, it will |
| security system, it is a good time to activate it if | | | | most likely be best to stay put and wait for |
| you have remote control. If you are connected | | | | authorities. Always decide how you would quickly |
| to a customer care center of security | | | | escape, and go as far as opening the window just |
| professionals, advise them of the situation at | | | | in case the intruder attempts entry. |
| hand. Sounding an alarm can scare off many | | | | |