Tips on How To Prevent and Survive A Home Invasion

Published December 23, 2016 | By Dorien

From Holiday Fun To Holiday Tragedy In The Blink of An Eye!

From one minute to the next, you and your family could be faced with a tragedy instead of a fun Christmas day and week.

Home invasions are more prevalent around the holidays and we are here to remind you to stay vigilant and prepared to prevent a home invasion from happening. If an intruder does happen to invade your home, we want you to know what to do!

Here is a scenario that might sound familiar to you.

Busiest Time of The Year at Your Home!

Maybe you had a new dishwasher installed so that when company is here for Christmas, you are prepared.

Maybe you had an installer in your home to replace your washer and dryer as a gift to yourself.

Maybe you had an HVAC mechanic in your home to do your winter HVAC maintenance.

Maybe UPS, FEDEX or the USPS stopped by with deliveries of long-expected packages.

Really… people in and out of your home all day, all week.

People might even have noticed the hustle and bustle from outside of your home, noticing the deliveries made as they drove by.

You didn’t really keep track of everybody, right?

It’s the perfect storm scenario!

Someone, somewhere might have noticed your lack of a security system.

Someone, somewhere might have noticed your lack of a dog.
Someone, somewhere might have noticed your valuables like TVs, computers and expensive phones.

Someone, somewhere might have noticed your expensive watch and diamond ring.

It really doesn’t matter how it happened, but somehow you ended up on a home invasion hit list!

A home invasion is an illegal and usually forceful entry to an occupied, private dwelling with intent to commit a violent crime against the occupants, such as robbery, assault, rape, murder, or kidnapping

Home Invasion Do’s and Don’ts

If you THINK or KNOW someone has entered your home and they haven’t spotted you, there are things to do IMMEDIATELY.

If your dog sounds the alarm, don’t ignore but check it out! Often they can hear or spot an intruder before you do!

Listen to your gut and take action.

Get your kids and spouse and go!
Leave the home by a backdoor if possible or lock yourself in a room, bathroom or closet and call 911 immediately. Stay on the phone with them until police arrive.

We asked the police what we can we do as homeowners to prevent a home invasion from happening.

Here is what they told us.

1. Lights, Lights, LIGHTS! (Burglars and intruders love dark areas)

2. Alarms (Make sure to set yours if you have a system!)

3. Neighborhood watches are great deterrents.

4. Put your holiday packages away as soon as they are delivered.

5. Install cameras to check in to your home even if you aren’t home.

Be Safe. Be Secure. Be Alert!

We hope your holidays are happy and bright, merry and fun and that a home invasion is not something you have to deal with.

We recommend going over a family emergency plan with your kids and spouse yearly and discuss fires, home invasions, burglaries, floods and other disasters with your family.

A prepared family has a much greater chance of survival!

From our family to yours this holiday season…

Strand Security Myrtle Beach Alarm Company